American Helmets

[Helmut]

Servus,
When during WWII did the US Armed Forces switch form the "Doughboy" helmet to the "Steel Pot?"
Frompictures I have seen, i woud gather the time frame to be between June'42 and August '42 but when was the fielding date?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Regards,

Helmut

[phylo_roadking]

Helmut, I've been looking around the Net (IIRC I asked this same question a couple of years ago!) The date seems to be July 1942....

http://www.hardscrabblefarm.com/ww2/dating_m1.htm

But try either of these for more precise information

Arnold, Chris. Steel Pots: The History of America's Steel Helmets. 1997. ISBN 0912-138-70X.
Reynosa, Mark A. The M-1 Helmet: A History of the US M-1 Helmet in WWII. 1996. ISBN 0-7643-0074-1

[Helmut]

phylo,
Thanks. That's just what I was looking for.
Regards,

Helmut

[WT]

The Army M1 helmet was standardized on 30 April 1941 and was approved on 9 June 1941.

During the period from August 1941 to August 1945, 22,363,015 M1 helmets were produced.

Source: US Army Medical Corps "Wound Ballistics"
http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs ... pter11.htm

[Helmut]

But obviously waasn't fielded until 1942.

Thanks for your help.

Helmut

[Wayne Kegel]

But obviously waasn't fielded until 1942.

Thanks for your help.

Helmut

Helmut,
This one is easy,As a X Marine,This helmet was development for
the Marine Corps in 1942.
Until later
Wayne Kegel

[Helmut]

Thanks, Wayne

[Carl W Schwamberger]

My father went on active service (from ROTC) in june 1941. He told us the flat helmets were being replaced in the training schools then (Army Air Forces), & when he joined his squadron in January or Febuary 1942 the squadron equipment included round helmets. My guess is the distribution was not accomplished is a single event.

[Rodger Herbst]

My divsion was shipped out in April of '42, a few days before we went aboad they took our old helmets and issued the new style, the liners were made of some kind of material that didn't last very long, then we got the new type liner, i don't remember the date but the original liners were crap.