Original Item: Only One Available. This is something that is rarely seen! This is a genuine Soviet Russian WWII SSh-39 Steel "KIA" Shot Through Helmet shell, picked up off the field of battle some time after it was over. This model of helmet is sometimes known as the M39, but properly termed the Стальной шлем (Stal'noy Shlem or Steel Helmet) Model 39. This helmet model superseded the previous SSh-36 (aka “Gladiator Helmet”), which was an antiquated design by WWII Standards. The SSh-39 was produced only from 1939 until 1942, when it was replaced by the SSh-40. With an incredibly short span of production, and the high numbers of material lost on the Eastern Front during WWII, this is a rather rare helmet to find on the market today, especially in the western hemisphere!
The only external difference between the SSh-39 and the SSh-40 were the six rivets near the bottom of the helmet, as opposed to the three near the top of the SSh-39 shell. Rivet placement of the SSh-40 was due to a newly introduced liner, simpler and more sturdy than the previous versions.
This wonderful example does not have any of the liner or chinstrap remaining, and most of the supports for the liner have rusted away. It shows oxidation on both the interior and exterior, with some remnants of the original green paint present. It also still has a faint Soviet star emblem on the front of the helmets. The inside of the shell has 2 - 1134 stamped on the lower rear, which we believe indicates a size 2 shell.
The most interesting aspect of the shell are of course the small arms fire damage, probably .30 or .45 cal, with an entrance hole on the upper rear crown, with an exit hole on the left front. The steel is clearly bent inwards on the rear and outwards on the front, consistent with a bullet tumbling after going through the shell. Looking through the holes, anyone wearing the helmet at the time would have been severely wounded, if not killed.
A great relic from WWII, ready to research and display!
More on the SSh-39:
The SSh-39 was of simple, more modern design, and was much easier to manufacture than the SSh-36. The SSh-39 was the basis of the later SSh-40, which would be the standard design for Soviet helmets for the next 29 years, with only minor changes occurring during that time. It is also the design for the helmet on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow. The helmet was produced primarily in three factories, the Stalingrad Tractor Factory (designated CT in the ink stamp), the Red October Factory (ЗКО) also in Stalingrad, and the Lysva Metallurgical Factory (LMZ). The first liner was an eight-finger leather liner, similar to those of the German M35 to M42 Stahlhelm designs. Next came a short production of an eight-finger liner made of Gralex. The final version of the SSh-39 liner was cloth, similar to the SSh-36 liner. All three variations of the liner were suspended from the helmet by three metal tabs, which were riveted to the shell near the top. This helmet, like the earlier SSh-36, saw action in numerous campaigns before it was phased out in 1942 in favor of the SSh-40. The SSh-39 continued to be worn throughout the rest of the war, alongside the SSh-40.
