US Army M1 Steel Helmet

The helmet has been a staple of Army life in the field since being introduced in 1915 during World War I. When the U.S. entered World War I in 1917, they didn’t have a domestic helmet design for the trenches. In response the American Expeditionary Forces adopted the Brodie helmet design, which they called the M1917, for the war and produced 2.7 million of the helmets that offered better ballistic protection than the original. The M1917 remained in use by the U.S. Armed Forces during the Interwar period and up to the start of World War II. In 1940, it seemed increasingly likely that the U.S. would be dragged out of its non-interventionism and into World War II. The quest to find another helmet to replace the M1917 was on, as the M1917 was designed to protect men standing in trenches from falling shell splinters and shrapnel, which would be inadequate on the highly mechanized and motorized battlefield of World War II. The search would conclude with the adoption of the M1 Helmet in 1941.

Production of the helmet started April 1941, with an estimated 22 million of these helmets produced during the war. The M1 had a slight brim on the front to keep precipitation off a soldier's face and a slightly lipped rim all the way around, the helmet's sides also trailed down to cover half of a soldier's ears before dropping down to cover the back part of a soldier's skull, making it by far one of the most common pieces of equipment issued to G.I.s during the war. Soldiers did appreciate the versatility of the helmet as it was used as a makeshift entrenching tool, a wash basin, a cooking pot, and etc., though much of these activities were strictly prohibited, however, the soldier still did these activities anyways. Overall, the Soldiers and the Army liked the helmet so much it wasn't replaced until the mid-1980s with the PASGT helmet and vest. Since ending production in 1986, the helmert saw through every major and minor conflict the U.S. was in including the Korean War, Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and numerous civil wars, revolutions, invasions and conflicts around the world.