The 1940 steel helmet, known as the SSh-40, was a piece of personal armor. It was widely used by the Soviet Union’s Army during the Great Patriotic War and after the war, until the introduction of new advanced models. During the war, such helmets were produced by the Krasny Oktyabr Factory and the Lysva Metallurgical Factory.
Soviet designers strove to reduce the manufacturing costs of helmets. Some changes were associated with the deficit of alloying additions. Initially, I-1 steel was used for helmets, but it was too expensive. In 1942, it was replaced by the I-2 steel with lower nickel content. When stamped, I-2 helmets offered the same bullet resistance as I-1 helmets.
The design of the SSh-40 differed from the previous model — the SSh-39. It had a simpler liner. The main external difference consisted of the use of six rivets for fastening the liner instead of three.
The liner was located inside, under the top of the helmet. It consisted of three petals, which were made of leatherette, artificial leather, or cloth and bound together with a cord to adjust the helmet. The inside of each petal featured a shock-absorbing pad.
The canvas chin strap consisted of two pieces that were attached to rings on the sides of the helmet. Unlike earlier steel helmets, the SSh-40 came only in three sizes. The largest steel helmet weighed 800 grams without a liner.
Helmets were tested by the commission in two stages. The Soviet helmets SSh-40 made of I-1 and I-2 steels were compared to each other and to numerous captured German helmets. All six models were tested, including M16, M17, M18, M35, M40, and M42. It turned out that various designs of German helmets were quite different.
The researchers analyzed not only the composition of the steel. Helmets were shot at using a Mosin rifle from a distance of 700–1000 meters, using a Nagant revolver from a distance of 10 meters, and a Shpagin submachine gun from a distance of 115 meters. They were also subjected to explosions of fragmentation shells and mortar fire. The Soviet SSh-40 helmet was found to offer better protection against bullets than the German helmets. On average, the penetration of German helmets was three times higher than that of Soviet headgear.
Soviet designers strove to reduce the manufacturing costs of helmets. Some changes were associated with the deficit of alloying additions. Initially, I-1 steel was used for helmets, but it was too expensive. In 1942, it was replaced by the I-2 steel with lower nickel content. When stamped, I-2 helmets offered the same bullet resistance as I-1 helmets.
The design of the SSh-40 differed from the previous model — the SSh-39. It had a simpler liner. The main external difference consisted of the use of six rivets for fastening the liner instead of three.
The liner was located inside, under the top of the helmet. It consisted of three petals, which were made of leatherette, artificial leather, or cloth and bound together with a cord to adjust the helmet. The inside of each petal featured a shock-absorbing pad.
The canvas chin strap consisted of two pieces that were attached to rings on the sides of the helmet. Unlike earlier steel helmets, the SSh-40 came only in three sizes. The largest steel helmet weighed 800 grams without a liner.
Helmets were tested by the commission in two stages. The Soviet helmets SSh-40 made of I-1 and I-2 steels were compared to each other and to numerous captured German helmets. All six models were tested, including M16, M17, M18, M35, M40, and M42. It turned out that various designs of German helmets were quite different.
The researchers analyzed not only the composition of the steel. Helmets were shot at using a Mosin rifle from a distance of 700–1000 meters, using a Nagant revolver from a distance of 10 meters, and a Shpagin submachine gun from a distance of 115 meters. They were also subjected to explosions of fragmentation shells and mortar fire. The Soviet SSh-40 helmet was found to offer better protection against bullets than the German helmets. On average, the penetration of German helmets was three times higher than that of Soviet headgear.
