9-561: The SSh-60 (СШ-60 (Russian: стальной шлем образца 1960 года/stalnoy shlyem, or steel helmet) was a product improvement of the Soviet SSh-40 steel helmet of the Soviet Army and entered production around 1960. It was not fundamentally different from the previous World War 2 era SSh-40, the primary difference being an updated liner/suspension system. The overall form and shell of the helmet remained unchanged. The internal harness
18-551: The Russian Army in the 2010s. 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 between them. The SSh-39
27-585: The SSh-40. An export version of the SSh-60 exists, designed for sale and exportation to other countries outside of the Soviet Union. It differs from the main issue helmet only with a change to the color of the helmet liner. The SSh-60 was subsequently developed into the model SSh-68 . Quantities of both SSh-40s and SSh-60s remained in use throughout the Soviet period and beyond: some examples were still being used by
36-780: The ink stamp), the Red October Factory (ЗКО) also in Stalingrad , and the Lysva Metallurgical Factory (LMZ). 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
45-404: 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. The SSh-40 was the most commonly seen in-service helmet used by the Soviet Union during World War II. The only external difference between the SSh-39 and the SSh-40
54-600: 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 . The SSh-40
63-460: Was modified to include four stuffed leather pads (rather than three as with the SSh-40) attached to the dome rivets. The petals were moved to the top of the helmet along with two rivets and the chin strap. As the SSh-60 looks identical to the SSh-40 externally when worn, photos don't indicate how many were in use. The short time of manufacture suggests that these were limited in numbers when compared to
72-712: 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
81-427: 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
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