This helmet is a German Luftwaffe M-38 paratrooper helmet with desert camouflage and two decals. It is an unusually large shell at a size 71. Its liner was made by Metall-Lederverarbeitung Werner Zahn of Berlin-Charlottenburg.

Historical Context

Fallschirmjager Regiments, or airborne troops, served in the German war effort throughout WWII. The standard M-38 seen on German paratroopers was used during the height of the war. The style of the M-38 and its adaptability made the helmet suitable for paratroopers. The M-38 is very similar to the M1935 prototype helmet except that the visor was removed and sides were reduced, thus increasing vision and limiting weight.¹ The helmet also included a model-specific chin strap that was adjustable and ensured the wearer would not lose his helmet during a jump.² Designed, produced and distributed for the Fallschirmjager troops, all serving members of the Luftwaffe, the M-38 was a suitable helmet for jumping missions. Initially formed in 1936, the German paratroopers executed their first airborne drops in northwestern Europe shortly after World War II began. These drops included successful campaigns in Norway, Holland, Belgium, and France.³ One of the most significant drops during World War II was the assault on Crete. On this Greek island, the Fallschirmjager parachuted behind enemy lines, furthering a tactic which had been used in previous campaigns. This strategy called for many small deployments across a large area to secure multiple objectives.⁴ This strategy was put to a test against Allied and Greek defenses on Crete. Because para-drops were primarily useful against an enemy spread out or in small numbers this strategy proved costly for the German paratroopers in Crete. Many first day objectives were not accomplished. Reinforcements could not support the German para attack.⁵ The Allied defenders were in greater numbers but poorly equipped and lacked the supplies to continue a war against the invading German paratroopers.⁶ Over the next week, the German paratroopers, with air support from the Luftwaffe, took control of Crete. This victory proved costly. Nearly six thousand German paratroopers were killed, about one in every five members of the invading force.⁷ As a result of the costly attack of Crete, German leadership began to question the effectiveness of paratroopers, including the immediate cancellation of another airborne Mediterranean invasion at Malta.⁸ This moratorium resulted in the almost complete suspension of any large airborne assault on fixed positions. Because of the limiting of jumps most of the Fallschirmjager would be dropped into combat as reinforcements for ground troops. They were no longer assigned with the task of parachuting behind enemy lines.⁹ Eventually, the Fallshirmjager would lose their jump status and become ground soldiers functioning as basic German infantrymen, but they would retain their regimental titles and equipment, as was seen with the continued use of the M-38 helmet throughout World War II.¹⁰ Contributed by Robert Wilson III

Country: Germany	War Period: World War II
Garment Type: Infantry Helmet	Year Made: 1938 — 1945
Manufacturer: Eisen- und Hüttenwerke A.G., Thale
Identification: LUH-49-0708