I was noticing the other day while watching Mail Call that all the US soldiers/marines, were wearing their chin straps buckled. I know my Dad, and several books back this up, always said that US soldiers in WWII never buckled their straps, thinking that a close shell could cause enough concussion to take their heads off. I've read that German soldiers were more likely to wear them. Were there any differences between the different countries straps, or the present day ones, that made injury like this less likely?
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Chin straps
Halfyank
Member Since: February 01, 2003
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Posted: Sunday, September 18, 2005 - 02:04 PM UTC
airwarrior
Member Since: November 21, 2002
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Posted: Sunday, September 18, 2005 - 02:59 PM UTC
in ww2 they invented a chinstrap made of thin sheet metal, that would simply snap off under about 5 lb. of stess, however this did not quell the myth that the chinstrap would decapitate you,and it continued being worn like that through vietnam.The chinstrap is also rather uncomftortable and inadequate in giving support, so it makes wearing the helmet more comfortable by clipping it over the back.
blaster76
Member Since: September 15, 2002
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Posted: Sunday, September 18, 2005 - 05:38 PM UTC
I'll second that !!!!!!!!!!!! as a tanker, we would wear our CVC in lieu of the steel pot if we could get away with it.
jazza
Member Since: August 03, 2005
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Posted: Sunday, September 18, 2005 - 05:49 PM UTC
i can confirm the chin strap was uncomfortable and in some cases not healthy for several reasons. After a lengthy deployment, alot of dirt gets stuck to it so if you dont wash your strap often, you often break out in a rash in your chin area. The strap i used was made of wool. Due to this, the strap was rolled up within the helmet despite getting constant telling off from my superiors. Prior to woolen straps, they were made of hard leather which gave blisters after awhile. I suspect thats why alot of WWII soldiers ended up not wearing it.
The helmet itself is heavy but we have "stress tested" and proven to be very durable. We actually placed a detonator on the ground and covered it with the helmet. After blowing it up, it was still in one piece. Bear in mind, it was only a detonator with no TNT or C4 so the blast was big enough to propel it 5 meters into the air, which is still enough to kill someone in close range.
The helmet itself is heavy but we have "stress tested" and proven to be very durable. We actually placed a detonator on the ground and covered it with the helmet. After blowing it up, it was still in one piece. Bear in mind, it was only a detonator with no TNT or C4 so the blast was big enough to propel it 5 meters into the air, which is still enough to kill someone in close range.
USArmy2534
Member Since: January 28, 2004
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Posted: Monday, September 19, 2005 - 02:20 AM UTC
I couldn't tell you about WWII, but I know that all the modern photos I've seen show US troops - Soldiers and Marines - always with the chin straps on. Training manuals that I've read and training exercises that I've been on, show proper techniques for wearing the Kevlar helmet and securing the chin strap.
Jeff
Jeff
95bravo
Member Since: November 18, 2003
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Posted: Monday, September 19, 2005 - 02:32 AM UTC
Quoted Text
I couldn't tell you about WWII, but I know that all the modern photos I've seen show US troops - Soldiers and Marines - always with the chin straps on. Training manuals that I've read and training exercises that I've been on, show proper techniques for wearing the Kevlar helmet and securing the chin strap.Jeff
This is true, Army regs required that chin straps be secured, but like most regs, when those who enforce them were not around, they were unhooked. The straps for the steel pots were the worst. In the heat and humidity of Ft.Polk, La, those straps would rub your face raw and make you that much more miserable in the field. The ballistic helmets weren't as bad, but you know what happens when you have soldiers with new equipment and old habits.
Steve
eerie
Member Since: September 26, 2004
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Posted: Monday, September 19, 2005 - 03:12 AM UTC
Quoted Text
i can confirm the chin strap was uncomfortable and in some cases not healthy for several reasons. After a lengthy deployment, alot of dirt gets stuck to it so if you dont wash your strap often, you often break out in a rash in your chin area. The strap i used was made of wool. Due to this, the strap was rolled up within the helmet despite getting constant telling off from my superiors. Prior to woolen straps, they were made of hard leather which gave blisters after awhile. I suspect thats why alot of WWII soldiers ended up not wearing it.
The helmet itself is heavy but we have "stress tested" and proven to be very durable. We actually placed a detonator on the ground and covered it with the helmet. After blowing it up, it was still in one piece. Bear in mind, it was only a detonator with no TNT or C4 so the blast was big enough to propel it 5 meters into the air, which is still enough to kill someone in close range.
The detonator story was told to me in SISPEC (School Of Infantry Specialist) but we didn't get to try that. Anyway, my intake we were on the transition stage. Most of the helmets had the quick release clips on both sides of the jaw line. And we were issued with the first generation of GORTEX boots.
The mod on the current standard issues, are, the kevlar material on the helmet was changed and a newer material is used.. i heard its lighter. And the chip strap had only 1 quick release. Cos my chin strap version got so much complains from recruits who thinks it effects their [email protected] wore that same helmet and i am still a marksman. As for boots which is not related to this topic, they are using the "hybrid" boots.
Henk
Member Since: August 07, 2004
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Posted: Monday, September 19, 2005 - 03:31 AM UTC
In the Dutch Army the chinstrap had to be done up at all times. Hooking it over the rim would give our CO a fit, shouting things like " this is not Vietnam" and " you think you're an extra in 'Tour of Duty' ?? "....
I don't know how you stop the bl$$%%^ thing from falling off anyway , without the strap done up..
Cheers
Henk
I don't know how you stop the bl$$%%^ thing from falling off anyway , without the strap done up..
Cheers
Henk
airwarrior
Member Since: November 21, 2002
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Posted: Monday, September 19, 2005 - 07:18 AM UTC
Yeah, the only way to keep the helmet down is with the chinstrap clipped, and whenever it does fall off, it doesn't just pop off and land on the ground, it curls around, smacks you in the face, and then lands on the ground. :-)
jazza
Member Since: August 03, 2005
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Posted: Monday, September 19, 2005 - 04:32 PM UTC
Quoted Text
The detonator story was told to me in SISPEC (School Of Infantry Specialist) but we didn't get to try that.
Pity we didnt take a video of it but we had new found respect for those darn things after that.
eerie
Member Since: September 26, 2004
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Posted: Saturday, October 01, 2005 - 02:42 AM UTC
Yeah i use to wear my helmet and seldom took it off during exercise. I even slept with my helmet on. I think its good practice and it does protect. And there are many incidents where the helmet does it job. Once i was digging a shell scrap when i was a recruit and the Chang Kol(a Hoe or the Singapore substitute for a Spade) came off its stick and flew onto my head. than god...we have kevlar
jazza
Member Since: August 03, 2005
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Posted: Saturday, October 01, 2005 - 12:24 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Yeah i use to wear my helmet and seldom took it off during exercise. I even slept with my helmet on. I think its good practice and it does protect. And there are many incidents where the helmet does it job. Once i was digging a shell scrap when i was a recruit and the Chang Kol(a Hoe or the Singapore substitute for a Spade) came off its stick and flew onto my head. than god...we have kevlar
Geez they still havent found better replacements for those chang kol huh? Same thing used to occur when i was in there too.
All i can say is, im sure glad we have the plant divisions to do the digging for us once we became operational.
eerie
Member Since: September 26, 2004
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Posted: Monday, October 03, 2005 - 02:45 AM UTC
Yeah its easy when u are in the combat engineers. In the infantry, we make do what we have and we dont stop digging. Shell scrape, Fire Trench, OP, Command Trench..and the list goes on.
jazza
Member Since: August 03, 2005
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Posted: Monday, October 03, 2005 - 12:33 PM UTC
Our amphibious vehicle spent most of its operational deployment in the water anyway so we hardly ever wore our kevlar helmets let alone put on the chin straps.
The engines were often hot enough to warm up our rations which was a plus.
The engines were often hot enough to warm up our rations which was a plus.
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