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THE AMERICAN TANKER HELMET ANATOMY AND CONSTRUCTION


The tank was introduced to the battlefield during WWI. The close quarters conditions coupled with the jarring movements of the machine demanded a special type of head protection. The United Stated has developed several versions of the helmet.

The following is an analysis of one of those helmets. Detailed photographs and terminology are given to provide the enthusiast and collector with a better understanding of this fascinating aspect of militaria.

While the item discussed here may not be available for sale, you can see our inventory of Spanish helmets that are by going to our web store.





The picture above illustrates a WWII US Army tanker helmet. The picture below is a Post WWII German Army tanker helmet. It is clear by comparing the two that the US provided Germany with a variation of the WWII helmet for their armed forces.



This photograph shows the front of the German Army helmet. Goggles are added to provide the soldier with extra protection in the field.

The side view reflects the support band and the ear protection. The construction materials are basically the same as those used in the WWII American version.

The inside of the helmet reveals a four point leather liner. The fingers are tied together at the crown and form a supportive circle.



The helmets could be adorned with stickers. The photo on the left shows a helmet with an EGA sticker.

The helmets were manufactured with multiple markings. Sometimes tags were employed to provide the markings. In other instances the information was stamped with ink in the inside of the helmet.



The tanker helmet shown here was used by the US Army during the Vietnam war. The design was changed to be integrated into a single piece. The communication gear was more robust with built-in speakers and an adjustable microphone.









If you have an interest is seeing other American headgear, you can do so by going to our American helmets identification guide. Where we cover Army, Navy, Air Force and other organizations from various time periods.

This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of MilitaryItems.com , a company dedicated to the preservation of military history and to providing quality military antiques and collectibles to museums, institutions and the general public.



 
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