Bulgarian M36 helmet

File:King Boris III of Bulgaria with M36 helmet.jpg

Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria with Bulgarian M36 helmet, 1941

The Bulgarian M36 helmet (in Bulgarian: Каска М36) was the basic helmet of the Bulgarian Army prior to the outbreak of World War II and during the Bulgarian participation in the war. Its latest variant is still in service along with several different modern helmets.

History and variants

During the World War I the Bulgarian soldiers were equipped with the German Stahlhelm M1916, which remained in service up to the end of 1930s. The restrictions upon the Bulgarian Army, imposed by the Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine in 1919, were surmounted in the middle of 1930s and in 1935 the high command announced project for a new army helmet. In the end of 1935 first sample was ready and was approved in 1936.^[1]

In its main elements it lightly reminded of Stahlhelm and had some considerable differences. The general structure and depth were similar, but the brim was shortened, opened wider and fluently tourned. The ventilator holes were retained, however, but were set in smaller rounded fittings. The angles of the side and upper surfaces were conically increased with aim to cause ricochettes through hits over 90^o. From the middle of the front part to the middle of the rear part well marked projecting rib was shaped. As a result its outline was quite specific and had only a distant likeness to Stahlhelm.^[2] It was made of steel but some small quantity of the first model was made of lighter laminated iron, exclusively as officer's parade gear. The edges of the shell were rolled over in the earliest type known as A, although these of the later type known as B had straight cut. In 1939 a new redesigned version with shallowed shell and shortened brim, known as type C, was brought into use.^[3] Probably about 70% of all production was of this model. Factory-issued helmets were at first dark greyish-green in colour with small shield in Bulgarian flag colours on the right. Later new brighter pea-green shade was introduced.^[4] The leather suspension, or liner, varied in several different variants. The M36 helmet design became lighter, more compact, and more comfortable than the First World War-era designs and provided excellent protection.

It was introduced in regular service in 1936. Initially the production began outside Bulgaria in three foreign factories: Sandrik - Dolne Hamre and Bruder Gottlieb und Brauchbar - Brun, Moravia (Bratri G&B - Brno) in Czechoslovakia and Eisenhuttenwerk Thale - Thale, Harz, Germany.^[5] In the end of 1935 a punching press was imported from Germany and installed in Military plant in the town of Kazanlak, thereby subsequently the production continued in Bulgaria as well. The earlier bigger and heavier types A and B went out of use in the beginning of the 1950ies, but the latest type C is still in service in the Bulgarian army.^[6]