IMA U.S. WWII M-1938 Tanker Helmet

New Made Item: Bringing this fine high quality affordable replica helmet to the market has been more than a year in the making.

During WWII the small cramped fighting conditions inside a tank conditions coupled with the jarring movements of the machine demanded a special type of head protection. The United Stated developed a special American Tanker helmet that was light weight, provided cushioning without the clanging of steel on steel, but could be used with goggle and headphones.

Our stunning reproduction, copied from three originals in the IMA collection, is comprised of a hard fiber outer shell with genuine soft supple leather four point liner, leather padding, ear protectors, neck protector, brow guards, steel snaps, correct web strappings and chinstrap. Not only that, but we manufactured to fit head sizes up to US 7 1/2 (60cm)!

This is a very limited production run that will not be repeated. Buy now or regret it later.

Development & Design of the WWII Tanker Helmet M-1938-

Two basic tanker helmet designs had been in use through the mid 1930's. One of these had been developed by the Infantry, and the other one by the Cavalry. The basic purpose of both helmets in tank applications was to offer the tanker some protection from frequent bumps against the tank's interior. However, it was becoming increasingly apparent that neither of these helmets offered optimal protection as tanks were becoming faster, more agile, and more compact. In addition, the continued use of two different helmets added unnecessary cost and complexity within the Army supply chain.

In 1938, the Ordnance Board initiated design work that would set a single standard for a new and improved tank helmet. The Board tested the two existing military varieties, along with several commercial models. Based on their tests, the Ordnance Board decided that the Cavalry helmet provided the best design foundation, and successfully encouraged the Rawlings Manufact