STEEL HELMETS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 179, 2 June 1916, Page 2 (Supplement)

STEEL HELMETS.

PROTECTION FROM BULLETS

THE BRITISH ABTICLR

The helmet now being issued to the British troops at the Western front is a much mors serviceable headpiece than that adopted by the Fivneh, says the London "Daily Telegraph." Advantage has been taken by the designers of the British article of the experience gained from the use of the French casque: hence, the improvements that have been made in modelling the British helmet now m use. The Ministry of Munitions took over the task from the War Office of securing a serviceable article once the desirability of serving it out to the troops lir.d been decided upon, and tin's department moves nuickly. I.leas and designs wore invited from several directions, and the present helmet, which is r\ combination of all of them, was evolved in tli? course of a few weeks.

Military critics describe the British helmet as the most scientifically-mod-elled headpiece that has yet been invented, and it has p-oved its life-saving value already in the trenches. It is a cap of the hardest steel, with ,1 narrow lip back and front., and designed with a much lower pitch than the French helmet. It is quite smooth, having no fluting? or projection for bullets or fragments of shrapnel shell to strike against, its low pitch preseat'ng the smallest possible target for a direct hit from any direction. One of the drawbacks of the French helmet, .living to its higher dome, is that the eoiWtion of air in the top of the helmet produced an uncomforta do coolness, and at the same time lb.' heime", is such a tight fit that the metal p.esses unduly 011 the head.

These drawbacks have le'in avoided in the practical he'iue - . producer, at Armaments House. A series of ingenious devices has been employed in order to secure both a good fit and a comfortable one. and to avoid any sense of distress to the wearer Inside the dome of the helmet are fixed a number of rubber studs, so placed as to take the shock of a blow struck from any direction. They con.e between the helmet ami its doul.de lining of felt and wadding. The wadding conies next the head of the wearer and covers it closely, so that if a bullet should penetrate the steel cap and inflict a s.caip wound, the wadding would act as a blood absorbent, and. to some extent, as an antiseptic The helmet, is secured on the head by means of a stout chinstnm.

Upwards of IOn.IKKI of these wellI'anncd head coverings have already ci'ii made and despatched to the front:

■ hiiusunds mure are being tinned out in increasing numbers with all possible speed in British munition factories. •Cadging from the experience already gained, th.'new helmet will have an important effect in reducing the number ni minor '-.-i-nalties in trench warfare during the rema'iider if the campaign.