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Landships II -> Landships WW1 Forum -> Miscellaneous -> Turkish Helmets - a Question.
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James H


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Turkish Helmets - a Question.
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We're familiar with the "Ottoman" steel helmet, even if we're not sure how many reached the Turks or how they got into the hands of the Freikorps.

Trouble is, there are some photos knocking about that show Turkish troops wearing a Stahlhelm that is certainly not the Ottoman but doesn't appear to be the M1916 or 1918, either. Unless it's my imagination, the helmet in this pic is almost a bell shape, without the "step" and peak of the M1916/18. I've been trying to find out it the Turkish Army adopted a steel helmet post-1918, but no joy. I know the republic of Ireland purchased German-style helmets in the 1920s (made by Vickers). Anyone know if Turkey produced their own? Or am I seeing things?



-- Edited by James H on Wednesday 13th of April 2011 10:06:16 PM

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PDA


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I was reading, just a few days ago, that the Austrians also had their own style of German tin hat. Could the Turks have somehow got hold of those? (Turkey and Austria were on the same side, right?)



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Rectalgia


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That picture and more in the discussion at http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=80&t=123293 and identified as the "Model 1918 full visor helmet".

A possible Austrian source is a good thought PDA but Stahlhelm: evolution of the German steel helmet by Floyd R. Tubbs and Robert W. Clawson says the Austrian M1916 was virtually identical to the German and their later Berndorfer, while more bell-shaped, had a distinctive crimped or squared-off appearance to the visor which I think should be quite visible in James' photo given the variety of angles obligingly presented in that somewhat informal inspection parade (detail below - "Heads bobbing around like t----s in a mill-race," as my old RDI would proclaim in his customarily poetic way, Lord how we loved that misbegotten little mistake of nature). There are several pictures of it in that axishistory discussion (though not identified as Berndorferen). (Google that book title in Google book for a limited preview, go to the section "THREE The Stahlhelm in Other Coutries 24" to see the source for those observations).

Turkish detail.PNG

Bit of a muddle but perhaps we converge on the truth.  Depends on what understands to be the "Model 1918 full visor helmet".  I can certainly recognize the visorless versionbiggrin



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James H


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Aha. Very helpful book, Rect. Acc to Messrs. Tubbs & Clawson, this is the Turkish M1918. Where it came from is not explained, as far as I can tell. I wonder if it is home-produced? If so, did they retain it after the War? There seems to be very little information about the Turkish Army from then on.

The Berndorfer wasn't a bad guess, but the book says it was issued to A-H troops only. There are many pics of supposed Berndorfers on the Net, but many are clearly no such thing. Similarly, lots of alleged M1916s and 18s are in fact Bulgarian or other offshoots.

Anyway, here's the pic of the Turkish version.



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Rectalgia


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That surely looks like it.

Somewhere along the way I saw an assertion that the Turks produced their own version as well, but that was without the rolled edge. Helmets without rolled edges/edging strips are best worn with cloth covers, but who knows ...?

There seems to be boundless vistas of confusion and misidentification. There have been a number of books and I guess those are the best bet for consistent information (at least) at this late stage - their authors have confronted all of these difficulties and resolved them, to their own satisfaction at least.

Steve

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elbavaro


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The so called "Turkish Helmet" worn by Freikorps troops were definetly neither Turkish nor produced for the Turkish Allies.

This type of German steel helmet was produced because the German steel helmet had a disadvantage in combat: prone it was difficult to aim with the rifle, but beeing prone ... we all know why. The new type of steel helmet should abolish this problem. Some sources call it the "Sniper steel helmet".

 

But the Turkish helmet in the picture are different ... that's true.



-- Edited by elbavaro on Thursday 14th of April 2011 07:36:13 PM

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