Brodie helmet

[deutscherinfanteriest]

Hello, when the Brodie helmet appeared from the first time on the front lines? How reacted the Germans seeing those new helmets? I'm thinking in 1916 or even in Loos attack in 1915?

[FROGSMILE]

Information generally available suggests the following:

”The first delivery of the Brodie to British Army troops took place in September 1915, at the rate of 50 per battalion. Initially, there were far from enough helmets to equip every man, so they were designated as "trench stores", to be kept in the front line and used by each unit that occupied the sector. By early 1916, about a quarter of a million had been made, and the first action in which the Brodie was worn by all ranks was the Battle of St Eloi, in April.”

The first mass scale usage where entire formations of British and Dominion troops were seen in steel helmets was at the opening of the battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916.  I don’t know how it was received by the German Army, but I suspect that their excellent intelligence summaries from that period would tell you.

Perhaps @GreyCand @AOK4and @JWK might know where such archived documents can be accessed.

Edited 5 February , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[GreyC]

1 hour ago, FROGSMILE said:

might know where such archived documents can be accessed

Unfortunately not.

GreyC

[FROGSMILE]

50 minutes ago, GreyC said:

Unfortunately not.

GreyC

No problem.  Thank you for taking the time to reply.

[deutscherinfanteriest]

Ernst Junger wa shocked when he saw a Stahlhelm for the first time. I imagine a German who saw a British with a Brodie for the first time