German Daggers of World War Two

SS專用之M34鋼盔,造型與M16相同,內有SS與RZM打印.
The Allgemeine-SS, (General-SS), was originally formed in May 1923 as the Stosstrupp Adolf Hitler (Shock Troops Adolf Hitler), and was redesignated Schutzstaffel, (Protection Squad), in April 1925 with the official acceptance of the name verified on the second anniversary of the failed Munich "Beer-Hall" Putsch on November 9TH 1925. On January 6TH 1929 Heinrich Himmler was appointed as Reichsfuhrer-SS, (National Leader {of the} SS), and on July 20TH 1934 shortly after the, June 30TH 1934, purge of the SA, Sturm Abteilung, (Storm/Assault Detachment), on the "Night of the Long Knives", the SS was rewarded by Hitler by being granted the status of an independent organization under direct control of the NSDAP, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker Party). The first "modern" steel helmets were introduced by the French army in early 1915 and were shortly followed by the British army later that year. With plans on the drawing board, experimental helmets in the field, ("Gaede" helmet), and some captured French and British helmets the German army began tests for their own steel helmet at the Kummersdorf Proving Grounds in November, and in the field in December 1915. An acceptable pattern was developed and approved and production began at Eisen-und Htenwerke, AG Thale/Harz, in the spring of 1916. These first modern M16 helmets evolved into the M18 helmets by the end of WWI. The M16 and M18 helmets remained in usage through-out the Weimar Reichswehr era and on into the early years of the Third Reich. In 1934 as a result of shortages of the M16 and M18 helmets the SS Hauptamt (SS Central Office), in conjunction with the RZM, Reichzeugmeisterei, (National Equipment Quartermaster), began production of a specific helmet for SS personnel. The M34 SS/RZM helmet was similar in style to the M18 and were originally produced with a dark grey/blue colored finish while later models were given an anodized black finish. In mid-May 1939 most of the black finished, M34 SS/RZM helmets were recalled and in March 1941 a directive recalled all M16, M18 and M34 SS/RZM helmets remaining in use, to be melted down and recycled. Originally SS personnel didn utilized any helmet insignia until the first pattern runic SS helmet decals with silver runes on a black field were introduced on February 23RD 1934, but were only worn for a short time by SS-VT, SS-Verfungstruppe, (SS-Special Purpose Troops), personnel. On August 12TH 1935 the black runic SS helmet decal on a silver shield shaped base and the NSDAP party shield decal were both introduced for wear by all SS personnel. Regulations of March 21ST 1940 dictated that the NSDAP party shield decal was to be removed from all helmets and further regulations of November 1ST 1943 abolished the SS runic decal and dictated that it was also to be removed from all helmets although the directives were not completely adhered to. Of Note: The SS runic decal underwent a minor modification sometime early in the war with the runes being somewhat less angular. Of Note: The RZM was officially founded in June 1934 in Munich by the NSDAP as a Reich Hauptamt, (State Central Office), and was based on the earlier SA Quartermaster Department. The functions of the RZM were not only to procure and distribute items to Party formations, but also to approve chosen designs and to act as a quality control supervisor to ensure items manufactured for the Party met required specification and were standardized. Starting in late 1934 items manufactured for the SS came under the quality control of the RZM and were marked by the appropriate RZM/SS approval marking. In 1943 the Waffen-SS assumed full control over their uniform item production and no longer fell under the authority of the RZM. Also Of Note: In June 1935 the army developed the smaller, lighter M35 style helmet and in an effort to reduced construction time and labor costs minor modifications were introduced in March 1940 resulting in the M40 helmet. Further construction modifications were undertaken in August 1942 resulting in the M42 helmet. The Allgemeine-SS, the SS-VT, the SS-TV, SS-Totenkopfverbande, (SS-Death Head Units) and eventually the Waffen-SS, (Armed-SS), were also allocated quantities of the assorted models of helmets through-out the war. The M16, M18, M35, M40 and M42 helmets were all issued from army stocks and therefore were not under control of the RZM and have no SS or RZM markings.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: The stamped, sheet steel construction, M34 SS/RZM pattern helmet retains about 95% of its smooth, black, anodized painted finish with a few small scrapes and scuffs to the base metal and some minor surface spotting bleed through. The helmet has all three, flat headed, hollow core, liner retaining rivets and both of the extended, ventilation, side lugs intact. The helmet has a subtly raised, horizontal ridge positioned just below the domed shaped crown about half way down the flared tail skirt. The interior of the helmet has the distinctive M34 SS/RZM helmet liner which is similar to the WWI pre-May 1917 pattern. The liner features three, two finger, tan leather pads with small, off white, cotton pockets machine stitched to the reverse of each with dual, corresponding, white cotton tie tapes. Each pad has an inset alloy grommet to each finger for the liner tie string, which is absent. The liner pads show light to moderate chafe wear and age and usage toning. The liner pads are secured to the helmet by a wide, thick, tan leather retaining band. The liner retaining band is well marked with the purple inkstamped size numerals, "53", and "56", indicating the head sizes the liner was adjustable to. The interior, right side, apron is stamped with the "RZM", logo within a circular border while the interior, left side, apron is stamped with the "SS" runes within a circular border. Both the "RZM", and the "SS" rune stamps are lightly impressed at both the top and bottom edges. The helmet comes complete with a replaced, blackened leather chinstrap with a matte grey painted, magnetic sheet metal, pronged, length adjustment buckle and retaining studs intact. The chinstrap is in overall very good condition with light chafe wear. The reverse of the chinstrap is in natural tan leather and is well marked with a stamped RB number. Of Note: The RB numbers, Reichsbetriebnummer, (National factory code numbers), were introduced in late 1942 and were intended to replace the manufacturers marks on garments and equipment to conceal the manufactures name and location from the allies, to prevent bombing raids on German industrial factories. RARE, short-lived M34 SS/RZM helmet in overall very good condition.