A combat helmet or battle helmet is a type of personal armor designed specifically to protect the head during combat. Helmets are among the oldest forms of personal protective equipment and are known to have been worn by the Akkadians/Sumerians in the 23rd century BC, Mycenaean Greeks since 17th century BC,[1][2] the Assyrians around 900 BC, ancient Greeks and Romans, throughout the Middle Ages, and up to the end of the 17th century by many combatants.[3] Their materials and construction became more advanced as weapons became more and more powerful. Initially constructed from leather and brass, and then bronze and iron during the Bronze and Iron Ages, they soon came to be made entirely from forged steel in many societies after about 950AD. At that time, they were purely military equipment, protecting the head from cutting blows with swords, flying arrows, and low-velocity musketry.
Military use of helmets declined after 1670, and rifled firearms ended their use by foot soldiers after 1700.[3] By the 18th century, cavalry units often wore steel body cuirasses, and frequently metal skull protectors under their hats, called "secrets". The Prussian leather spiked helmet, or Pickelhaube, offered almost no protection from the increased use of artillery during World War I, and in 1916 was replaced by the German steel helmet, or Stahlhelm, and afterwards was worn merely for tradition.[4][5][6]
The Napoleonic era saw ornate cavalry helmets reintroduced for cuirassiers and dragoons in some armies; they continued to be used by French forces during World War I as late as 1915, when they were replaced by the new French Adrian helmet.[7] The French Adrian helmet was the first modern steel helmet[8][9] and was soon followed by the adoption of similar steel helmets by the other warring nations.
World War I and its increased use of artillery had renewed the need for steel helmets, which were quickly introduced by all the combatant nations for their foot soldiers. In the 20th century, such helmets offered protection for the head from shrapnel and fragments.[10]
Today's militaries often use high-quality helmets made of ballistic materials such as Kevlar and Aramid, which offer improved protection. Some helmets also have good non-ballistic protective qualities, though many do not.[11] Non-ballistic injuries may be caused by many things, such as concussive shock waves from explosions, physical attacks, motor vehicle accidents, or falls.[12]
Contents |
| Model | Origin | Users |
|---|---|---|
| Bascinet | circa 1300 | Europeans during the Hundred Years' War(1337 to 1453) amid the kingdoms of France, Aquitaine, Burgundy and England |
| Burgonet[32] | circa 1600 | Europeans, especially by militias of Poland & Switzerland |
| Capeline | late 16th century | Europeans during 17th century, including the English Civil War in England & Thirty Years' War across the Holy Roman Empire |
| Cervelliere | late 13th century | Christian Europeans in Crusades during the 14th century |
| Great helm[33] | 1189 | Christian Europeans in Third Crusade; other Europeans until 1540 |
| Kabuto | circa 1600 | Samurai especially during the 17th century of the Edo Period Tokugawa shogunate in Medieval Japan. |
| Morion | 16th and early 17th centuries | Spanish (esp. associated with Conquistadores), Swiss and English |
| Pickelhaube[4][5][6] | 1842 | especially by Prussia & German Empire and other Europeans until 1918; revived for 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany |
| Raupenhelm | circa 1800-1870 | High crested leather helmet used primarily by Kingdom of Bavaria and Württemberg |
| Sallet | circa 1450 | used in Northern Europe & Hungary until mid-16th century |
| Spangenhelm[34] | 5th century | Central Asia, Near East & Europe; espec. by Scythians, Sarmatians, Persians, & Germans until 1000 |
| Tarleton | circa 1770-1800 | Crested, peaked leather helmet used by cavalry and light infantry by Great Britain, France and USA in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. |
| Qing parade helmet | after 1655 till 1911 | China |
See also headgear listing within Components of medieval armour.
| Model | Origin | Users |
|---|---|---|
| Attic helmet | ancient Greeks | |
| Boar's tusk helmet | 17th century B.C.E. | Mycenaean Greeks until 10th century BCE |
| Boeotian helmet | ancient Greek cavalry | |
| Chalcidian helmet | ancient Greeks | |
| Corinthian helmet[35] | ancient Greeks | |
| Disc and stud helmet | circa 400 BCE | ancient Illyrians & Adriatic Veneti until 167 BCE |
| Galea (helmet) | ancient Romans | |
| Horned helmet | circa 1000 BCE | Celtic Europeans until 700 CE |
| Illyrian type helmet | ancient Greeks | |
| Kegelhelm | ancient Greeks | |
| Negau helmet | ancient Etruscans in Negau, Slovenia | |
| Montefortino helmet | ancient Romans | |
| Pilos | ancient Greeks | |
| Pot helmet | ancient Illyrians | |
| Phrygian/Thracian helmet | 400s BCE | ancient Greeks in Thrace, Dacia, Italia & Hellenistic Europe until circa 200 CE |
Cushioning is used to negate concussive injuries. Researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory published a study in 2011 that concluded that the addition of an eighth of an inch of cushion decreased the impact force to the skull by 24%.[36]