Helmets used by Finnish troops

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Antti V
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Helmets used by Finnish troops

#1

Post by Antti V » 22 Mar 2002, 16:07

Does anyone have any details how many percent of helmets used by Finnish soldiers were Soviet, German/Hungarian or other nation origin for Winter War and Continuation War separately?

I have noticed from photos that German model(s) was most "popular" and Soviet model was also quite common.

JTV, does you have any details? :D

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JTV
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Re: Helmets used by Finnish troops

#2

Post by JTV » 22 Mar 2002, 16:47

Antti V wrote:Does anyone have any details how many percent of helmets used by Finnish soldiers were Soviet, German/Hungarian or other nation origin for Winter War and Continuation War separately?

I have noticed from photos that German model(s) was most "popular" and Soviet model was also quite common.

JTV, does you have any details? :D
Funny as hell, but I actually do have a great source for you. :wink: Check:
http://personal.inet.fi/koti/markku.kar ... potta1.htm

And specially check the non-listed htm-pages potta4, potta5 and potta6 as they give the exact numbers of each helmet type in Finnish use.

example: http://personal.inet.fi/koti/markku.kar ... potta4.htm


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subskipper
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#3

Post by subskipper » 22 Mar 2002, 18:05

Speaking of helmets, were all Finnish soldiers issued helmets? I've seen some footage and pictures of men using the famous cap, not steel helmets? Any info on this?



~Henric Edwards

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Antti V
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#4

Post by Antti V » 23 Mar 2002, 00:14

Thanks, JTV. Great pages :) I knew I can count on you :roll:

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Geppistoly Katona
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#5

Post by Geppistoly Katona » 25 Mar 2002, 06:07

most of all of their helmets were either the light green Hungarian m35 or m38 helmet, almost all in light green a minute amount in the famous Hungarian Mustard colored helmets used by Hungarian units in Africa and Yugoslavia...I got these stats from Juuka Juutland, a collector of Finnish Military whom lives in FInland, and a personal friend. He has alot of these helmets...
Ismétlopuska ember-Ferfi

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Geppistoly Katona
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#6

Post by Geppistoly Katona » 25 Mar 2002, 06:12

You can recognize the Hungarian m38 helmet with the little "loop" on the bottom of the back of the helet...It was actually used pre WWII, interestingly/oddly enough, to hold a chain mail veil over the back of the helmet and there were also 2 clips on the inside of the helmet like that...If you ever find any pictures of Hungaeian soldiers just barely pre WWII in training you may come across a picture like this...I have only seen scetches, i have yet to see a picture...
Ismétlopuska ember-Ferfi

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Geppistoly Katona
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#7

Post by Geppistoly Katona » 25 Mar 2002, 06:15

If you go to JTV's link these are the two Hungarian Helmets:

Saksalainen m/35

unkarilainen m/38

[if you look at the back bottom of the unkarilainen m/38 you can see the little knob looking like thing i was talking about in my last post.
Ismétlopuska ember-Ferfi

Frentebro
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Hungarian Helmet Loop

#8

Post by Frentebro » 29 Mar 2002, 13:50

Geppi, this is new to me. I thought the loop was intended to secure the helmet to the backpack strap for carry. Some other helmets, such as the Romanian/ Dutch, had a slot in the back rim for the same purpose. It may be that some Hungarians were modified to take a neck shield for use as fire defense helmets....In any caase, if you want to post some helmet pics at the germanuniforms.com forum it would be appreciated!

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JTV
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Issuing helmets

#9

Post by JTV » 02 Apr 2002, 08:53

Henric Edwards wrote:Speaking of helmets, were all Finnish soldiers issued helmets? I've seen some footage and pictures of men using the famous cap, not steel helmets? Any info on this?



~Henric Edwards
Most Finnish soldiers had no helmets during Winter War as there was serious shortage of them (and just about everything else also). I think that typically Finnish soldiers were issued with helmets during Continuation War (some units like "Sissi" units didn't usually need them, so they didn't have helmets). However, as Finnish soldiers had tendency to discard any heavy/difficult to carry equipment seen as "unnecessary" they discarded quite a few helmets also (soldiers that didn't see their helmets useful and got bothered of their weight threw the helmets away).

Typically WW2-era helmets only offered some protection against small (bomb, artillery shell, mortar shell...) fragments and secondary projectiles (rocks etc), so if unit was not in immediate danger of getting bombarded Finnish soldiers usually preferred using hats instead.

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Rob S.
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#10

Post by Rob S. » 02 Apr 2002, 16:07

A Finnish reenactment unit I know of says that the Finnish army was given german helmets during the continuation war. They also had an identical M43 hat to the Germans exception being the color and insignia. The funny thing is, they had a very similar outlook to the Germans, but just different color/material/insignia.

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JTV
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Finnish helmets/numbers

#11

Post by JTV » 03 Apr 2002, 08:56

Wehr2 wrote:A Finnish reenactment unit I know of says that the Finnish army was given german helmets during the continuation war. They also had an identical M43 hat to the Germans exception being the color and insignia. The funny thing is, they had a very similar outlook to the Germans, but just different color/material/insignia.
Actually the Hungarian made helmets were more numerous, but they looked very much like the German ones. Using German m/43 as reinactment of Finnish Continuation War troops seems like good idea if the helmets availability is reasonable. For example Finnish m/40 should be just about impossible to find (50000 were modified to caldrons soon after the war). War time photographs often show Finnish units with mixed helmets.

Little bit of data about helmets in Finnish use (translated from site to which I gave link earlier) during WW2:
- German m/17, actually m/16, m/17 and m/18 : Over 80000 bought by late 1920's. Finnish main helmet type in Winter War, also used during Continuation War.
- Austro-Hungarian m/17: Small amount arrived with German helmets, similar use as with German m/17.
- German (Hungarian made also included) m/35 (actually m/35, m/35-40 and m/35-42): 25000 bought just before Continuation War and 24000 more at summer of 1943.
- Hungarian m/38 (Hungarians had developed it from German m/35): 75000 bought at February of 1940, most numerous helmet type in Finnish use during Continuation War.
- Italian m/33: 30000 bought during Interim Peace (1940 - 1941)
- Czech m/34: 50000 bought at spring of 1940
- Swedish m/21 and m/26: 8000 in Finnish use during Continuation War (probably left in Finland by Swedish volunteer force of Winter War)
- Swedish m/37: 20000 bought, arrived at summer of 1941
- Finnish m/40: 75000 manufactured 1940 - 1944
- Soviet m/40: Some 34700 captured, 20000 of them issued to Finnish non-frontline troops.

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gusten
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Helmets in Finland

#12

Post by gusten » 03 Apr 2002, 16:15

Dont forget the m-1918 with ear cutout. My own comes from Finland.You can see on the liner that the helmet are maded i Germany. The rivets are changed to aluminium in stead of splitrivets by some reason.By the way wath are the prices for a 1918 cutout 100%, original and no decals?

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gebirgsjager
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Finn cap

#13

Post by gebirgsjager » 28 Jun 2002, 00:20

What color was the Finnish M43 style cap?

Milan Szekelyhidi
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Finn infantry suit

#14

Post by Milan Szekelyhidi » 06 Aug 2002, 22:38

Finn infantry suit 1939-40 winter.

Sorry for the bad scan.

Milan
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Tuco
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#15

Post by Tuco » 20 Apr 2005, 01:16

http://www.mosinnagant.net Finnish section has some info there - Tunics and helmets/

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