History

In the period before the outbreak of the Second World War, the SS-VT were issued refurbished M16 and M18 helmets. Although these helmets dated back to the First World War, they were used even after the M35 steel helmet was introduced. Two such occasions when these helmets were used were the Polish Campaign in 1939 and the French Campaign in 1940.

Many of these helmets were hand-painted field-grey to refresh their appearance, but a large number retained their First World War paint finishes. To further update the appearance of the helmet, a first pattern SS rune and national party decal were added to the sides of the helmet.

The M16 and M18 differed due to the chin strap mountings; the M18 does not have a bolt on the outer shell of the helmet, because the chin strap is attached to the inner lining. By the end of the First World War, the M16 had evolved into the M18.

As of March 1941, these helmets were no longer permitted for wear.