did german tankers wear protective head gear?

[Panzer_ace]

In all the photos of german tankers in WWII I have never seen even one wear protective head gear. On the other hand both Soviet and American tankers wore protective headgear.

I know that when driving in a tank, especially off road, you get thrown around quite a bit, didn't they hit their head on things??? (or did they wear seat belts :roll:

Also I have seen a couple of photos with Tiger tank crews wearing some special white winter full face masks, what are those for, & when and who used them?

[Robert Hurst]

Hi Panzer ace

Initially soldiers of the Panzerwaffe wore a loose fitting beret (schutzmutte) which covered a rubber padded crash helmet. Beret and helmut disappeared after the 1940 campaign and during the rest of the war soldiers wore a feldmutze side hat.

Unfortunately I don't have any photos of the rubber padded crash helmet.

The tank in photo hat01 is the Pz Kpfw IV Ausf D.



Regards

Bob

[Mark V]

I haven't seen either photos of German tankers with bandages wrapped around head, or with black eye.

So, i guess they were allright without protective headgear. I guess when faced with very propable future of burning alive in gasoline inferno or going to be decapitated by APCBC, German tankers didn't really feel protective headgear so important during wartime...

[HPL2008]

"Beret and helmut disappeared after the 1940 campaign"

Who's Helmut? And where did he disappear to? (No offense, Bob, I just couldn't resist it! )

Here's a rather moody shot of a Waffen-SS tanker wearing the Schutzmütze which I found at the Wehrmacht-Awards forum:

[Brig]

they did have the standard helmets, which hung suspended by parts of the Panzer outside (since there wasn't room inside). However, the helmets often bounced off while the vehicle traveled over rough terrain, and supply officers would cease to issue them

[von Klinkenhoffen]

Yes, that's right - theyhad the standart helmets, different models, with or without decal - whatever was given tothem from the supply unit /just like for all other branches of the army/. I the turret there was something like a box, a place for personal items and th helmets should be there, but there was as always no space free, so crews used to hang the helmets outside, on the trret. And not unusual to lose them - I don't think one would hear the helmet hitting the ground while the tank engine is working
'Oooops I did it again!' '-No more helmets for you, Stahlhelmloser!!!!!!!!' :D