SSh-39 and SSh-40

The SSh-39 (Russian: СШ-39) and SSh-40 (Russian: СШ-40, both from стальной шлем, stal'noy shlem, lit. 'steel helmet') were two similar designs of steel combat helmet designed and used by the Soviet Union's Red Army. They were the main forms of helmet in use during World War II and had only superficial differences.

SSh-39

The SSh-39 was of simple, more modern design, and was much easier to manufacture than the SSh-36. The SSh-39 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).^[1] 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.

SSh-40

The SSh-40 was the most commonly seen in-service helmet used by the Soviet Union during World War II.^{[citation needed]} The only external difference between the SSh-39 and the SSh-40 was 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 sturdier than the previous versions. The liner consisted of three (later four during post-war) cloth or oilcloth pads connected with a cotton drawstring for size adjustment. The chinstrap was cloth and connected to D-rings on each side of the shell by tabs. The chinstrap ends were connected with a slip buckle, and a semi-circular metal piece was clamped to the end of the long chinstrap. Unlike the SSh-36 and SSh-39, the SSh-40 was only manufactured in three sizes, 1–3. The SSh-40 was supplemented by the SSh-60 which entered service in the 1960s and finally replaced by the SSh-68, though many remained in use as late as the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan.^[2] The SSh-40 is commonly confused with the Hungarian M50 helmet.

References

Individual
historical
helmetsCombat

Ancient	Attic Boar's tusk Boeotian Chalcidian Coolus Corinthian Galea Illyrian Imperial Kegelhelm Konos Late Roman ridge Montefortino Negau Phrygian Pilos Shmarjet
Medieval and Early Modern	Armet Aventail Barbute Bascinet Burgonet Cervelliere Close Dragoon Enclosed Falling buffe Frog-mouth Germanic boar Great Hounskull Jingasa Kabuto Katapu Kettle Kulah khud Lamellenhelm Lobster-tailed pot Mempo Morion Nasal Paseki Pickelhaube Sallet Secrete Spangenhelm Takula tofao Turban Viking
Late Modern	Dragoon Pickelhaube Pith helmet Tarleton helmet
1914–1945	Adrian Brodie M36 (Bulgaria) M32 (Czechoslovakia) M1923 (Denmark) Stahlhelm (Germany) M1934/39 (Greece) Helmet Steel Airborne Troop M33 (Italy) M42 Duperite M1 M1C Mk II talker helmet Mk III Netherlands M34 wz. 31 (Poland) M1940 (Portugal) RAC SSh-36 SSh-39 and SSh-40 M1921 (Spain) M1926 (Spain) M1934 (Spain) M1942 Modelo Z SSK 90 M1926 (Sweden) M1937 (Sweden) L'Eplattenier M1918 (Switzerland) Type 92 Tetsubo
1945–1980	Bangtan Helmet CABAL II Czechoslovak Vz. 53 Helmet GK80 Hungarian M70 Romanian M73 helmet JK 96 Mº 44 E.T.A. M59/85 wz. 63 M63 M76 Para Mk IV Mk 6 Modèle 1951 Modèle 1978 MPC-1 OR-201 Paratrooper wz. 50 (Poland) wz. 67 (Poland) SSh-60 SSh-68 Swiss M71 Type 66
1980–2000	CG634 M92 GOLFO M90 (Iraq) M59/85 M87 PASGT Sfera SPECTRA 6B7
2001–present	A2 Helmet Advanced Combat Helmet BK-3 helmet QGF03 ECH (Australia) ECH (US) FAST 6B47 IHPS KH-B2000 Lightweight Helmet MICH Mk 7

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