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M15 Steel Wappen
Joseph P. Robinson.

In 1980 a collector named Lector Orrick started to put together a study on steel helmet plates.  This was published in the Journal Kaiserzeit, and this article expands upon that.  The question that we seek to answer is which helmets actually had M15 gray, steel counterparts.  The requirement is to find an actual steel helmet plate that is magnetic, not a prewar brass paint over.  The true test is to find a picture of each of these helmets.  This is an enlisted phenomena for a helmet that was introduced in July of 1915.  It was the last pickelhaube in use before steel helmets took over. There are several categories we will deal with:  1.) A documented example in a collection with a picture. 2.)An allegedly documented Wappen is from the Orrick articles.  3.)Undocumented examples. I am far from satisfied with the order and content of Wappen listed. However, I decided to stay with the Orrick listing as that way I could match up the documentation with his list. I know his methodology is not even alphabetical. Perhaps I will change it in the future.

Rather than list all of the different helmet plate types I tried to list only the sizes once. For instance, the 95 mm Prussian line eagle was used on several helmets. Rather than list them all I put down only the 95 mm Prussian line eagle. This includes no difference between gilt and silver Wappen. When it came to gray steel original color did not matter. I did this while trying to keep the original methodology. It did not always work and it doesn’t always make sense. Tony Schnurr has explained a great measuring technique that can standardize Wappen measurements in the following forum thread: http://pickelhaubes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45

This entire article is based on pictures from other peoples collections. John O’Connor and Jim Turinetti graciously allowed me to use their line drawings from their excellent work “Imperial German Headgear”. You can purchase this work from the authors at: www.kaiserhelmets.com  A review of the work is located at: http://www.pickelhauben.net/books/Turinetti.html

The number of M15 helmets in my collection is zero. This is about research. Please send any corrections or additions I can use the advice. We can certainly use the pictures!

Infantry
Garde Eagle with Star
Semper Talis Ribbon Banner
UNDOCUMENTED
Grenadier Eagle — wide winged

 

Grenadier Eagle — 1655
UNDOCUMENTED
1626 ribbon banner
UNDOCUMENTED
FWR Eagle
UNDOCUMENTED
Grenadier Eagle — 22 March 1797
UNDOCUMENTED
Grenadier Eagle– Colberg 1807
UNDOCUMENTED
line eagle with the initials FR

115 mm

line eagle — Peninsula Waterloo
line eagle — Waterloo
line eagle– Swedish banner — IR 34
UNDOCUMENTED
line eagle — La Belle Alliance
UNDOCUMENTED
line eagle –Mesa de Ibor
UNDOCUMENTED
Mecklenburg Strelitz
Mecklenburg Schwerin
Oldenburg
Braunschweig running horse
UNDOCUMENTED
Braunschweig skull
Anhalt
UNDOCUMENTED
Saxon Duchy 94th
One wappen without a helmet sold on eBay for $2000.

no picture available — yet

Saxon Duchy 95th, 153rd
Saxon Duchy 96th
UNDOCUMENTED
Saxon infantry

104 mm

Saxon 108th- shako

 

82 mm

Baden
Baden 109th
UNDOCUMENTED
Hessian
Hessian double wreath — 115th
UNDOCUMENTED
1621 ribbon banner — 115th
UNDOCUMENTED
Hessian — 1697 — 1897
UNDOCUMENTED
Wurrtemberg

125 mm

Bavaria

110 mm

with significant variants

Jager shako
Guard Star

Peninsula Waterloo — 10th

Mecklenburg Schwerin

Saxon —

82 mm

Marine infantry

Württemberg Shako Star
Heavy Cavalry
Guard Star

Saxon Guard Star

Eagle — Pro Gloria
Eagle — Hohenfriedberg

line Eagle

webbing between wings and legs

Bavarian Cavalry

145 mm

Oddly,Orrick did not differentiate this helmet. The consensus at that time appears to be that the mounted troops still had vine leaves.

Dragoons
Dragoon eagle JZP
Dragoon Eagle — Peninsula Waterloo
UNDOCUMENTED
Dragoon Eagle — Waterloo
UNDOCUMENTED
Dragoon Eagle — Oldenburg
Wurrtemberg — 26th
UNDOCUMENTED
Guard Eagle — no star
UNDOCUMENTED
Bavarian cavalry– intertwined branches?!?! This was documented in 1980 by Lector Orrick. Recent correspondence in 2016 confirms that this did not exist! Thank you Lector.

This was in Kube auction 112 – depot stamp and all.

Hussars
line banner with dip

Skull first and second
UNDOCUMENTED
FWR 7th
UNDOCUMENTED
banner 15th
UNDOCUMENTED
skull and banner 17th
UNDOCUMENTED
Ulan
line Prussian eagle

95 mm

95 mm
UNDOCUMENTED

Not differentiated by Orrick

UNDOCUMENTED

The picture on the right and the 13th Ulan Wappen was undocumented by Orrick. The photograph is located on page 40 of Lacarde’s volume 2 and the helmet resides at Fort de la Pompelle..
Wurt Uhlan

95 mm

UNDOCUMENTED

Bav Uhlan
Artillery
Penn,Waterloo,

Gohrde

FR Colberg
UNDOCUMENTED
Penn,Waterloo,

Gohrde-Colberg

UNDOCUMENTED
FWR Colberg
UNDOCUMENTED

collection Dr Thomas Fritsch, Germany

What is this?

 

Seems to be original may be one-of-a-kind?

What is this?

 

It is the only officer one I have seen. Not magnetic–not steel.

Contributors include Randy Trawnik, James LeBrasseur, Ron Levin, John O’Connor, Jim Turinetti, Bruno Peault, Bernard Vitte, Jean-Pierre Gilotin, Tony Schnurr, Dr Thomas Fritsch, Martin Vear, Ralph Anthony Bobsin Jr,Chip Minx, Philippe Quesnay,Philippe Deveaux, Michel Morel,