This document discusses the history of combat helmets used by the U.S. Navy. It begins by noting that steel helmets did not become widespread in the Navy until the late 1930s due to the increasing threat from aircraft. The primary helmets were the M1917 and M1917A1 "Doughboy" helmets from World War I until 1942 when the M1 helmet was adopted. A unique "Telephone Talker" helmet was also developed for sailors using communication headsets. The document outlines the various helmet models tested by the Navy from the 1950s onward as they sought a lighter replacement for the steel helmets.

1. Military Collector
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Academic Honors and Glory: U.S. Senior ROTC Battle Streamers, 1776–1941, by Christopher L. Eger............ 98
xxxxxxxxxxxxx, by yyyyyyyyyy............................................................................................................................. 101
“Plates, once tin but now iron … .”: More Notes on Revolutionary Commanders’ Cooking
and Eating Utensils, by John U. Rees................................................................................................................ 102
Civil War Vignettes: 3d New York Volunteer Cavalry and 29th Connecticut Volunteers (Colored),
Janaury 1864, by Anthony Gero......................................................................................................................... 103
The 1813 U.S. Infantry Soldiers’ Coat, by Greg Legge......................................................................................... 104
Kindrell Lawson Grimmett, Confederate States Marine: his Service and his Photograph,
by David M. Sullivan......................................................................................................................................... 107
“Darkened by the Tides and Time”: The History and Material Culture of His Majesty’s Ship Augusta,
by Tyler Rudd Putman....................................................................................................................................... 110
The Inkerman Zouaves, by Ron Field.................................................................................................................... 125
Officers’ Regulation Uniforms, Compagnies franches de la Marine,
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From the Halls of Montezuma to the Hills of Gettysburg:
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by James E. Marshall and Jeff Snively.............................................................................................................. 146
SC/2c Peter Spiro Calimeris, USNRF:
A Greco-American Odyssey, by John Obed Curtis........................................................................................... 149
U.S. Navy Combat Helmets, by Larry Munnikhuysen........................................................................................... 152
The USS Olympia, by Maj. James B. Ronan II (USAR, Ret.)................................................................................ 162
Bvt. Major Philip Kearny Resigns, 1852, submitted by Will Gorenfeld................................................................ 163
Researching a Ship’s Medicine Chest, by Chuck Veit; research by Lori Veit........................................................ 170
St. Vincent Militia, 1769, submitted by René Chartrand....................................................................................... 173
The First Official Armored Force Uniform, by Larry Munnikhuysen................................................................... 176
The History of the Wyckoff Spotter Tower, Wyckoff, New Jersey, by Jack Goudsward...................................... 177
Montreal, 1760—The Siege That Wasn’t: “Afaith, twas the Highlanmon that still paid the bill,”
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USS Alabama Souvenir, by Daniel Jackson.......................................................................................................... 189
An Ambrotype of a Maine Militiaman, by Daniel J. Binder................................................................................. 190
When I First Viewed Soldiers, by Steven M. Baule............................................................................................... 191
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2. 152
U.S. Navy Combat Helmets
Larry Munnikhuysen
THE use of protective steel helmets aboard U.S. Navy ves-
sels did not become prevalent until the latter part of the
1930s.PriortothistimethestandardU.S.Model1917helmet,
the Doughboy helmet of World War I, would be found only in
limited numbers on vessels whose duties might entail land-
ing parties. The development of military and naval airpower
during World War I, its rapid expansion in the 1920s, and the
increasing range and lethality of military aircraft throughout
the 1930s made it necessary for the Navy to begin adding a
variety of antiaircraft weapons to its vessels. The addition of
multiple antiaircraft guns with more exposed gun crews on
mostship’sweatherdecksmadetheissueofprotectivehelmets
a critical necessity. 1
With the advent of World War II, the is-
sue of the new M–1 steel helmet grew to include shipboard
personnel in most all exposed and topside stations as well as
interior damage control parties. The expanded role of U.S.
Naval personnel in World War II, such as beach master units,
navalaviationunits,constructionbattalions(CBs),andvarious
other specialized detachments which, though belonging to
the U.S. Navy, saw their duties performed mainly on hostile
shores, resulted in many sailors being equipped with the M–1
infantry helmet. Even in today’s Navy the requirement for
protective helmets continues to grow. Increasingly shipboard
personnel are required to perform shipboard security duties
uponexposeddeckareas,aswellasvariousportsecurityfunc-
tions. In addition, there are the famous Naval Special Warfare
units—the SEALs, SDVT (SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team),
and SWCC (Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crew)—all
of which require protective helmets of some type. Little has
been written about the various types of combat helmets the
Navy has used throughout the twentieth century. This article
will correct that.
The Navy uses a helmet nomenclature which is quite dif-
ferent from the Army designations most military historians
are used to. The Navy helmet designations and their Army
equivalent (if any) are shown in TABLE A.
TABLE A. Navy Helmet designations and their Army equivalent
Helmet, Sailor’s Same as Army M1917 helmet. Used from 1918 through 1936.
Helmet, Sailor’s, Steel, Mk1 Same as Army M1917A1 helmet. Used from 1936 through 1942.
Helmet, Sailor’s, Steel, M1 Standard Army M1 helmet. Used from 1942 through the 1980’s.
Helmet, Sailor’s, Steel, Mk2, Mod.0 The Telephone-Talker helmet. Used from 1942 through the 1990’s.
Helmet, Sailor’s, Aluminum, Ex1, Mod.0
Experimental Telephone-Talker
helmet, c. 1957.
Never accepted for use.
Helmet, Sailor’s, DORON, Ex2, Mod.0.
Experimental Telephone-Talker
helmet made from DORON a glass
- cloth laminate, c. 1957.
Never accepted for use.
Helmet, Sailor’s, Mk3, Mod.0
Experimental DORON Telephone-
Talker helmet, c. 1959.
Never accepted for use.
Helmet, Phonetalker, Mk4, Mod.0.
Phonetalker helmet made of GRP
(glass reinforced plastic).
Adopted for use in 1981 and still in use.
Helmet, NBH-1
Gentex concept helmet made of glass
reinforced plastic.
Issued for extended sea tests 1984–1986
but never adopted for use.
Helmet, NBH-2
Gentex concept helmet made of glass
reinforced plastic.
Issued for extended sea tests 1984–1986
but never adopted for use.
Helmet, NBH-3
Gentex concept helmet made of glass
reinforced plastic.
Issued for extended sea tests 1984–1986
but never adopted for use.
Helmet, Naval Battle, Mk.5, Mod.0.
Project helmet to replace the Helmet,
Sailor’s Steel, M1.
Initiated in 1981 the project was soon
cancelled.
Helmet, Naval Battle, Mk.6, Mod.0.
No information available but this may
have been the Army’s new PASGT
infantry helmet.
Helmet, Naval Battle, Mk.7
Similar in shape to the Army MICH
helmet but has a one size fits all liner.
Adopted for use in 1994.

3. 153
ThefirstwidespreaduseofsteelhelmetsintheNavybegan
in the late 1930s. World War I stocks of M1917 helmets were
pressedintoserviceaswellasthenewer1917A1helmet.(FIG
1) These type helmets would see use well into 1942 because
supplies of the newly developed M–1 helmets went first to the
Army and the Marine Corps and then to the Navy. On most
U.S.navalvesselshelmetswerenotissuedtoindividualsailors.
Because crews at general quarters positions rotated over the
course of a duty day, helmets were assigned to the particular
duty station such as a gun position or a repair locker. The hel-
mets would be stored at these duty stations and returned there
after use. The exceptions to this rule were officers, bridge and
fire control personnel, look outs, signalmen, etc. Generally
if a general quarter’s duty station was an exposed position it
would be issued helmets. If the station was within the ship it
would not; however, there were and are many different types
of ships in the Navy and a myriad of specialties so this is very
much a generalization.
ThevastscopeofWorldWarIIsawNavypersonnelinmany
new and not necessarily shipboard duties. While the newly
developed M–1 helmet continued to be the primary protective
helmet for Navy personnel, at sea and on shore, a unique new
helmetwasalsobeingissuedtosailors.Thishelmetwascalled
the Mk 2 Mod 0 Telephone-Talkers Helmet and was a very
distinctive design. The helmet Mk 2 Mod 0 fulfilled a need
for a special protective helmet for personnel designated as
telephone-talkers or “talkers” who were stationed on a ship’s
bridge; at all gun positions; in engineering; and in all critical
positions within a ship. These “talkers” were equipped with
the MI–2454–B sound-powered headphone system. (FIG
2) This headphone system was made up of earphones con-
nected to a chest mounted microphone, which plugged into
the shipboard sound powered communications system.3
The
largeheadphonesofthesystem,called“cans”becauseoftheir
size, were too large to fit under the M–1 helmet. Therefore, a
special helmet was needed for these “talkers.” The Mk 2 Mod
0 helmet was designed to fill this need. (FIG 3)
The Mk 2 Mod 0, or “talker’s helmet,” was designed by
Detroit sculptor Beaver Edwards for the McCord Radiator
Company, the maker of the M–1 helmet. Edwards received
the basic specification needs for this helmet from the Navy
and, from scratch, modeled in clay the now classic design of
the Mk 2 Mod 0 helmet in his studio.4
The McCord Company
filed a patent for this helmet in May, 1942 and immediately
produced 400,000 for the Navy. 5
The helmet was based on
FIG 1. M1917A1 helmet, painted in haze-gray. This helmet is
named to S2c Garth M. Baird (1921–1999) who wore this hel-
met while serving on the fleet oiler USS Guadalupe (AO-32) in
August 1942 during the Midway and Guadalcanal campaigns.
Courtesy the author.
FIG 2. The standard U.S. Navy sound-powered headphone
set, the MI–2454–B. Note the large receivers called “cans” by
sailors due to their large size. Courtesy the author.
LARRY MUNNIKHUYSEN has been a member of the Com-
pany since 1997. He is a graduate of Christopher Newport
University with a BA in history and has done graduate level
work in American history at Virginia Commonwealth Univer-
sity. A veteran of the United States Air Force, he is one of
the founders and current president of the Greater Tidewater
Chapter of the Company. Larry is also a member of the board
of directors of the Virginia War Museum, which is the official
repository of the Company uniform collection and Secretary
of the Company’s Board of Governors.

4. 154
the design of the M–1 helmet however the overall volume
of the helmet shell was much larger in order to comfortably
accept the telephone-talker headphone system and also cover
the sides of the wearer’s head. A thick, foamed rubber, yoke-
shaped pad, covered in fabric was glued directly to the inside
of the helmet shell forming a “one size fits all” lining. The Mk
2 Mod 0 helmet had no brim and was cut high in the front to
allow a wearer to use binoculars and scan the sky for enemy
aircraft. The Mk 2 Mod 0 helmet was originally produced
with the same olive drab color and finish as the M–1 helmet;
however, this color scheme was almost immediately changed
to a color called “haze-gray” by the Navy.6
The helmet was
pressed from .031 inch, nonmagnetic, Hadfield steel and
weighed 4.25 pounds.7
The Mk 2 Mod 0 Telephone-Talker
helmet remained in use well into the 1990s.
In the 1950s the Navy began looking for a replacement for
the Mk 2 Mod 0 helmet, A helmet of lesser weight and one
that would be less subject to the rust and corrosion caused by
sea spray was the objective. New materials developed during
World War II were thought to be ideal for this new helmet.
Several helmet designs were tested during the 1950s, the
first being an experimental helmet designed in 1957 called
the “Helmet, Sailors, Aluminum, Ex 1 Mod 0” was pressed
from a nonmagnetic aluminum alloy called 2024-T4. It was
painted the same haze-gray color as the Mk 2 Mod 0 Tele-
phone-Talker helmet and was designed to be worn with the
Air Force P-4A Flyers Sun Visor assembly, chin strap, and
rubber covered head pads. The overall size and weight of
this helmet was less than the Mk 2 Mod 0 helmet.8
Although
testedthishelmetwasnotadoptedforgeneralservice.In1957
another replacement for the Mk 2 Mod 0 Telephone-Talker
helmet was also developed, the “Helmet, Sailor’s, DORON,
Ex 2 Mod 0.” DORON was a lightweight fiberglass-plastic
combination invented by Brig. Gen. Georges F. Doriot, USA,
and named for him. Doriot invented DORON in 1942 while
he was serving as chief of the Military Planning Division of
the Army’s Office of the Quartermaster General. DORON
was used extensively in light body armor during the Korean
War.9
The DORON helmet was also not adopted for service.10
The DORON application to a Telephone-Talker helmet was
evidentlyrevisitedin1959.AnotherTelephone-Talkerhelmet
was tested, also made from DORON, this helmet was called
the “Helmet, Sailor’s, Mk 3 Mod 0 (DORON).” This helmet
mayhavebeenamodificationofthepreviousDORONhelmet,
but as no examples are known to exist this is conjectural. This
helmet was also not adopted for service.11
A complete reevaluation of the Navy battle dress was be-
gun in 1977 on the orders of Adm. J. L. Holloway, III. This
reevaluation project was eventually turned over to the Naval
Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), which initiated it as the
Shipboard Personnel Protection Program. In 1980 this pro-
gram office was directed to design and procure replacements
for the M–1 helmet and the Mk 2 Mod 0 Telephone-Talker
helmet. These steel helmets had always effectively provided
fragmentation protection but due to their steel construction
were not conducive to operations in a maritime environment.
This design project intended to utilize Dupont Chemical’s
newly discovered aramid fiber, which it called “Kevlar.”
NAVSEAset the following requirements for the new helmets:
(1) must meet salt air and ocean environment standards; (2)
must have no metal parts; and (3) stop 17-grain (.22 cal.)
fragmentation simulated projectile (FSP) with a V50 of 2,000
feet per second. The Navy hoped to have these new designs
in use by 1987.12
TheNAVSEAprogramdevelopedseveralnewdesignsthat
appearedtomeetalltherequirementsforthenewreplacement
helmets.In1981anewdesignfortheTelephone-Talkerhelmet
was tested and accepted. The new helmet, produced by the
Bell Helmet Company, also carried a new designation—Pho-
netalker replaced the previous Telephone-Talker designation
in the helmet nomenclature. The new helmet was called the
“Helmet,Phonetalker,Mark4Mod0.”(FIG4)Constructedof
GlassReinforcedPlastic(GRP),thenewhelmetwasdesigned
to be worn with the sound-powered telephone headset model
H200/U aboard ship. The new helmet is constructed of eight
plies of laminated GRP(.28 inches thick), which insulated the
head,providedfragmentationandballisticprotection,and“…
self extinguishes after exposure to fire.”13
The Mark 4 Mod 0
helmet weighs fifty-three ounces and is able to be worn with
the MK 5 gas mask and shipboard oxygen breathing equip-
ment.14
The Mark 4 Mod 0 helmet does not have an internal
suspension or liner, but instead has a series of foam blocks,
suppliedwitheachnewhelmet,forindividualsizing.Oneside
of each sizing block is coated with a self adhesive material.
The wearer fits as many of these sizing blocks as are needed
FIG 3. The Mk 2 Telephone-Talker Helmet designed specifically to fit
over the MI–2454–B headphone set. This helmet entered service in
1942 and continued in use well into the 1980s. Courtesy the author.

5. 155
to the inside of the helmet shell to establish a comfortable fit.
Users of the Mark 4 Mod 0 helmet have reported problems
withthismannerofsuspensionbecausebypermanentlyfixing
the sizing blocks to the helmet shell it becomes difficult to
haveonehelmetformultipleusersasiscommonpracticewith
the Mark 4 Mod 0.Another reported problem is that repeated
exposure to salt water spray appears to cause the foam blocks
to deteriorate.15
The Mark 4 Mod 0 helmet comes in a factory
applied haze-gray color and has a thick, black rubber edging
around the circumference of the helmet. The Mark 4 Mod
0 helmet is still a regular issue item today. The next helmet
considered for replacement by the Navy, the venerable M–1
helmet, would prove to be more of a challenge than replacing
the Mk 2 Mod 0 helmet had been.
TheNAVSEAhelmetprojectdevelopedseveralinnovative
design concepts to replace the M–1 steel helmet and went so
far as to designate the anticipated replacement helmet the
Mark 5 Mod 0. Three concept helmets were produced by the
Gentex Corporation between 1984 and 1986 all in sufficient
quantity to enable extended tests at sea. These experimental
“Naval Battle Helmets” or NBH helmets were the NBH–1
(FIG 5), NBH–2, and NBH–3 (FIG 6). The NBH test helmets
were similar to the new Mk 4 Mod 0 helmet in contour and
GPR construction and, like the Mark 4 Mod 0 helmet, they
came with a factory applied haze-gray paint and black rubber
edging.Originallythesuspensiononallofthese experimental
helmets relied on the same foam sizing blocks as found in the
Mark 4 Mod 0 helmet (FIG 7). Late production models of the
NBH-1 helmet had a factory-installed adjustable headband
suspensionwhiletheNBH-3helmetwasfittedwithastripped-
out M–1 helmet liner into which foam sizing blocks were
attached. The project to replace the M–1 helmet with a Mark
FIG 4.The Mk 4 Mod 0 Phonetalker Helmet, made by the Bell Helmet
Companyenteredservicein1981asareplacementfortheMk2helmet
and is still current issue today. Courtesy the author.
FIG 5. The NBH–1 Naval Battle Helmet produced by Bell
Helmet Company was tested in the early 1980s as a possible
replacement for the steel M–1 helmet. It was not adopted for
service. Courtesy Roger Lucy.
FIG 6. The NBH–3 Naval Battle Helmet, also produced by
Bell Helmet Company was tested in the 1980s as a possible
replacement for the M–1 helmet.It was not adopted for service.
Courtesy the author.

6. 156
5 Mod 0 helmet eventually fell victim to the increasing cold
war tensions of the 1980s as funding and resources became
diverted to more pressing needs. The test results on the NBH
experimental helmets had not been as good as hoped for and
the Navy decided to stop the Mark 5 Mod 0 project, instead
issuing the Army version of the PASGT infantry helmet as
ships stocks of M–1 helmets became depleted.16
Although it provided excellent fragmentation and ballis-
tic protection, the PASGT helmet had one major fault—the
suspension lining. Aboard Navy ships helmets are usually
worn by more than one person so a ‘”one size fits all” liner
or an easily adjustable liner is necessary and, unfortunately,
the PASGT helmet did not have this.17
Although the PASGT
helmet continued to provide good service on many ships
the Navy decided to again begin the process of designing a
replacement for the both the M–1 and PASGT helmets in the
1990s. Requirements for the new replacement helmet were
developed under the direction of the Chief of Naval Opera-
tions who in 1997 directed that a new Naval Battle Helmet
(NBH) and Naval Flak Vest (NFV) be obtained “… which
offered protection to topside personnel standing watch ...
from medium velocity fragmentation. The purpose of NBH
and NFV is for use by personnel assigned to landing parties,
personnel manning selected battle stations and personnel
exposed topside ...”18
This new helmet was designated the
Naval Battle Helmet (NBH) MK–7 (FIG 8A). The MK-7
helmet was designed and produced by Gentex Corporation of
Carbondale, Pennsylvania. The helmet (FIG 8B) is described
as a “… universally sized, fragmentation protective helmet
featuring a headband adjustable by a turn knob at the wearer’s
nape and an impact helmet liner. The adjustable chinstrap
offers a quick release buckle on one side for donning and
doffing.”19
The MK-7 helmet is constructed of ballistic Kev-
lar and initially cost $150 each.20
The contour of the MK-7
helmet differs from the PASGT helmet in that it is brimless
and somewhat smaller, rather resembling the Army MICH21
helmet in its shape. The helmet is issued in an olive green
FIG 7. Interior of the NBH–3 helmet showing the foam sizing
blocks which were glued to the inside of a stripped out infantry
helmetlinerwhichwasthenputinsidetheshelloftheNBH–3,a
cumbersome and unsuccessful design. Courtesy the author.
FIG8a. NavalbattleHelmet(NBH)MK–7.ClassifiedaGeneral
Use Helmet, the MK–7 was adopted for service in 1998 as
the replacement for most shipboard helmets.Produced by the
Gentex Corporation it featured an adjustable “one size fits all”
suspension. Courtesy the author.
FIG 8b. Interior of the MK–7 Naval Battle Helmet showing the
adjustable liner with adjustment knob at the rear of the helmet
interior. Courtesy the author.
color finish. The Mark 7 was fielded in 1998 and continues
in use along with the PASGT helmet today.
U.S. Navy helmets are known to have borne a wide variety
of colors, paint schemes, insignias, and letter/number codes
throughouttheyears.TheoriginalM1917,M1917A1,andM–1

7. 157
helmets worn during World War II were all initially issued
to naval supply activities in their original olive green color
paint. Once delivered to a shore facility or issued to a naval
vessel the helmets would either remain in their original olive
green color or be painted a more “Navy” color. The decision
to paint helmets or not to paint helmets was left entirely to the
facility commander or ship’s captain. Photographs from the
early months of World War II show both the M1917A1 and
M–1 helmetsbeingworn incombatandtheyusuallyappearto
be in the olive green color.As the war progressed and supplies
of the M–1 helmet filled the supply chain the M1917A1 was
removed from service and the M–1 helmets on board ships
appeartobecomepaintedinsomeshadeofhaze–grayordeck-
blue. This was not universal however, and the exact color of
thecrew’shelmetswouldbedecidedbytheship’scaptain.The
helmets on board U.S. Navy vessels were normally painted
by crewmembers assigned this duty who used paint mixed
in the ship’s paint locker. As a very broad generalization it
appears from period photographs most helmets, if painted at
all, tried to approximate the overall color of the ship. It is not
unusualtofindNavyhelmets,particularlyfromtheWorldWar
II period, with a number or numbers stenciled on the front in
either yellow or white paint. These numbers could stand for
anything from a gun position to a landing craft number or a
ship’snumber.Therewasnouniformruleaboutthis.Thereare
many examples known where the helmet’s owner painted his
name or rank or some other personal marking on his helmet.
In the years after World War II the Navy changed the primary
color of its vessels several times, from the darker gray of the
1940s to a much lighter gray in the 1950s and then back to a
slightly darker gray in the 1960s through the 1980s (FIG 9).
Many times collectors will try and date a helmet by compar-
ing the helmet color to the ship color used in a particular time
period. Though a fairly good way to date a helmet’s time of
use—at least its most recent time of use—this method is not
entirelyaccurate.Collectorsshouldrememberahelmetstayed
with the ship and could be painted and repainted many times
during the course of its service. Also, as stated before, the
helmets were painted on board the ship and were subject to
the vagaries of whatever paints could be mixed.
There are helmets used on U.S. Navy ships which, though
again at the discretion of the captain, did have some degree of
uniformityfromshiptoship.Thesewerethehelmetsassigned
tothedamagecontrolsections.Ashipwasnormallydividedinto
variouszonesfordamagecontrol,repair,andcommunication.
Repair lockers were located in each of these zones—either
an actual locker, a larger tool locker, or a caged supply area.
Within these repair lockers were stored the helmets, oxygen
breathing apparatus, special tools, etc., for the teams assigned
emergency damage control duties. The damage control teams
would vary in size and composition based on the area of their
responsibility,butwouldnormallybemadeupofspecialistsor
specialty teams such as fire parties, electrical parties, medical
parties, etc. Generally the helmets used by these specialties
would be painted a specific color for easy identification, such
as white for a team leader; white with red or green crosses for
medical and safety; red for fire party or nuclear repair party;
blue for electrical; and yellow for investigator. Most repair
partiesorteamswouldbeledbyanofficerandbeaccompanied
by a medical corpsman and a radio-telephone communicator.
The various repair parties were trained to act as independent
FIG 9.Two M–1 helmets, painted for U.S. Navy service show-
ing the variety of color hues found in these type helmets. The
helmet on the left dates to World War II and shows the darker
haze-blue or deck-blue color predominant in that period. The
right hand helmet is painted in the grayer shade which adheres
to the change in U.S. Navy ship’s basic color scheme during
the Korean War period. Courtesy the author.
FIG 10. M–1 Damage Control helmet. Typical of the M–1 hel-
mets used by damage control parties aboard ship from World
War II into the 1990s. The lettering on the front indicates the
helmet would have been stored in “Rep–2,” which would have
been one of the repair party storage lockers for the forward
below decks repair party. Courtesy Tom Buck.

8. 158
units communicating through sound-powered telephones
back to the ship’s damage control section. In addition to its
unique color the helmets worn by repair party personnel are
normally marked with the repair locker number from which
the helmet was drawn and would be returned, such as “REP
2” (FIG 10). In World War II, a large ship would be divided
into the following damage control zones:
HQ or Damage–Control Station;
Repair 1 Deck or topside repair party;
Repair 2 Forward below decks repair party;
Repair 3 After below decks repair party;
Repair 4 Amidships below decks repair party;
Repair 5 Engineering repair party;
Repair 6 Ordnance repair party.
And on aircraft carriers:
Repair 7 Gasoline repair party;
Repair 8 Flight deck repair party.
A smaller vessel such as a destroyer might have only three
zones for the entire ship:
Repair I Forward;
Repair II Amidships;
Repair III Aft.22
In addition to the painted helmets of the repair parties,
the helmets of Telephone-Talkers are also found in similar
uniform colors. The MK 2 Mod 0 and the Mk 4 Mod 0 talker
helmets when used in topside or weather deck positions were,
and still are, generally used in the haze-gray color in which
they were issued. An exception to this is the signalman and
Telephone-Talkers assigned to the RAS (Replenishment At
Sea)teamwhoweargreen-paintedTelephone-Talkerhelmets.23
The helmets of Telephone-Talkers assigned to repair parties
may be painted red but may also be in the original haze-gray
color, The helmets are generally marked with a series of
numbers to identify the position to which they are assigned
and where they should be returned. The letters on the front
of the talker helmets, such as JA through JZ , identify which
jack-box (phone position) the helmet and Telephone-Talker
are assigned to. Letters and numbers identify the circuit line
the phone talker is assigned to, such as 1JV which is the main
maneuver line.24
(FIG 11.)
InthelastseventyyearstheNavyhasissuedhelmetstoper-
sonnel in what may be considered non-traditional Navy roles.
In World War II the United States Marine Corps, as a branch
of the United States Navy, relied on the U.S. Navy Medical
Corps for its medical needs. Navy pharmacists mates, after
special training, were assigned to Marine ground units in the
role of combat medics. These medical personnel, corpsmen,
were uniformed and equipped with standard USMC combat
gear including the M–1 helmet. In the Pacific Theater of Op-
erations it was common practice for these medical personnel
to paint a large white disk on the back of their helmets as an
easy means of identification.
World War II saw the Navy involved in amphibious opera-
tions in all theaters of operation. In the European Theater of
FIG 11. A MK4 Mod 0 Phonetalker helmet used by the
phonetalker assigned to one of a ship’s repair parties. The
lettering on the front designates which of the ships internal
communications networks the phonetalker would be assigned.
Courtesy the author.
FIG 12. This M–1 helmet shows the distinctive paint scheme
used by the Navy’s 7th Beach Battalion specifically for the
Normandy invasion. The wide gray band on the lower part of
the helmet was required of all Navy personnel having duties
on the invasion beaches. Courtesy Dave Powers

9. 159
Operations(ETO)Navypersonnelwereutilizedextensivelyin
the landings in Normandy and the coast of southern France. In
both of these operations special helmet markings were autho-
rized so that Navy personnel would not be mistaken forArmy
personnel in the confusion inherent on an invasion beach.The
most common helmet markings used by Navy personnel was
a 2 to 3-inch wide gray band painted around the lower portion
of the standard M–1 helmet. This was often augmented with
a large USN in black or white paint on the front or back of
the helmet. Sailors whose duties did not require them to go
ashore normally wore the standard M–1 helmet in either the
original issue olive drab or some shade of gray or blue-gray.
A unique Navy unit organized specifically for amphibious
assault operations was the “Naval Beach Battalion.” These
beach battalions were responsible for the traffic management
and control of the invasion beach. Their special units handled
ordnance and beach obstacle demolition, communications,
security, and medical evacuation. The 6th and 7th Naval
Beach Battalions painted a red arc over the gray band on the
front of their helmets (FIG 12); however, the 2d Naval Beach
Battalion did not use an arc.25
Navy Construction Battalions,
the famous CBs of the Pacific campaign, wore the M–1 hel-
met extensively due to the hazardous nature of their duties.
These helmets were sometimes painted in some shade of gray
or blue-gray but was by no means universal. Most war-time
photographs show members of the CB units wearing regular
olive drab M–1 helmets.
During the Vietnam War, the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast
Guard were tasked with securing the inland waterways of
South Vietnam. Between 1965 and 1970 the U.S. Navy Mo-
bile Riverine Force conducted very successful interdiction
operations against the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese. The
sailorsandcoastguardsmenassignedtothisbrown-waternavy
wore the standard M–1 style helmet equipped with newer,
upgraded helmet liners. While it was normal for Army and
Marine personnel in South Vietnam to wear Mitchell Pattern
or ERDL Pattern camouflage helmet covers on their M–1
helmets, the practice in the Riverine Force was apparently
not to wear any type of camouflage cover. Period photographs
show someboatcrewswithgraypaintedhelmetsbutthenorm
appears to have been the standard lighter shade olive green
painted helmet shell. The decoration or personalization of
individual helmets is known to have been rather frequent.
(FIG 13.) The Navy stood down the Riverine Force in 1970
and turned the fleet of PBRs and Swift Boats over to the South
Vietnamese Navy.
In 2006, the Navy would once again find itself in need of
a brown–water navy. Combat operations in Iraq had shown
the need for an inland riverine force that could undertake of-
fensive operations in Iraq’s river systems as well as provide
port and waterways security. In May, 2006, the Navy estab-
lished Riverine Squadron 1, quickly followed by a further two
squadrons so by July, 2006 a total of three squadrons had been
established, trained, equipped, and deployed to Iraq.26
The
helmets used by these boat crews appear from photographs
to include a wide selection of the types of helmets available
to most special warfare units.At various times riverine sailors
have appeared wearing the standard Army ACH (Advanced
FIG 13. A fairly typical M–1 helmet used by a member of the
Navy’s 51st Assault Squadron (Riverine) during the Vietnam
War. This example has been painted a dark navy-blue and
the squadron insignia hand painted on the front. Courtesy
the author.
FIG 14. Navy special operation’s member wearing the Gen-
tex-produced DH132–RHIB helmet. Based on the DH–132
series armored vehicle helmets this version had enhanced
and waterproofed electronics and communications features.It
was specially designed for the use of special forces operating
in a maritime environment. U.S. Navy photograph.

10. 160
CombatHelmet),severalversionsofMSAproducedTC–2002
helmets,27
the GentexTCH helmet (Tactical Communications
Helmet), the Gentex TBH-II SC (a high side and back helmet
designed for snipers),28
and the Gentex produced DH–132
AS/RHIB helmet—a helmet with special, waterproofed,
communications initially designed for Navy and Coast Guard
crews of rigid hull inflatable boats.29
(FIG 14.) Another spe-
cialized duty organization now operating on most U.S. Navy
and Coast Guard vessels is the VBSS/EMIO teams (Visit,
Board, Search and Seizure/Enhanced Maritime Interception
Operations),whicharetaskedwithboarding,andifnecessary,
seizing foreign vessels in international waters. Latest reports
indicatethesailorsandcoastguardsmenassignedtotheseteams
are equipped with the RBR helmet produced by the North
American branch of the Israeli company Rabintex.30
A helmet which is uniquely U.S. Navy is the flight deck
crewman’s helmet worn by all sailors tasked with working,
fueling, moving, arming, launching, and recovering the
aircraft from the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. Normally
referred to as a “cranial,” this protective helmet evolved from
the varicolored cloth hats worn by early aircraft carrier flight
deckpersonnel.IntheearlydaysofU.S.Navalaviationarigid
system developed for organizing and managing the various
tasks found on the busy and very small confines of a carrier
flight deck. To better control the flight deck operations colors
were assigned to the various flight deck teams. The crew
members assigned to the various teams wore shirts, vests,
and cloth caps in their respective team colors. This system of
personnel and task management continues into today’s flight
deck operations. The colored caps were worn from the 1930s
well into the 1960s until replaced by a semi-hard, high-impact
flightdeckhelmet.DesignedandproducedbytheDavid-Clark
Company the flight deck helmet was introduced in 1971 and
is still in use today. The flight deck helmet comes in three
versions. The HGU–24(V)2/P is a soft cloth helmet with two
detachable hard plastic plates, one on the frontal portion of
the head and a second larger plate covering the top and rear of
the skull.This version includes a sound-powered microphone
and headset assembly for communications and is normally
wornwithprotectivegoggles(FIG15).TheHGU–25(V)2/Pis
identicaltotheHGU–24butdoesnothavethesound-powered
microphone and headset assembly and is worn with the USN
SoundAuralProtection(Earmuffs)hearingprotectorandpro-
tective goggles. The third type flight deck helmet is based on
the David-Clark produced K10 flight helmet and is called the
Radio Cranial and is a hard shell helmet incorporating regular
electronic radio communication microphone and headset. 31
The flight deck helmets are a one-size-fits-all helmet. The
hard plates of the HGU–24 and HGU–25 are factory colored
and reflect the flight deck color assignments used by both the
Navy and Coast Guard. The basic color codes found on flight
deck helmets today are:
Blue : Aircraft Handling Crew and Chockmen;
FIG 15. A typical flight deck “cranial” as found on all current
aircraft carriers. This particular example is the HGU–24(V)
2/P model. The brown color of the protective cranial plates
designates the wearer as a “plane captain” who coordinates
all the activities occurring with his assigned plane while it is
preparing for launch. Courtesy the author.
FIG 16.This MSA GalletTC–2001 helmet is a good example of
thetypehelmetfavoredbyNavySpecialWarfareoperators. This
particular helmet is of special significance as it was worn by a
member of the elite DevGru Unit of the SEALs while on active
duty.The United States Navy SEAL who allowed this helmet to
be photographed by CMH member Robert House specifically
for this article was killed in action in Afghanistan shortly after
the photographs were taken. Courtesy Robert House.

11. 161
tractor driver;
Yellow: Aircraft Handling Officers, CPO, & LPO;
LSE Crew Director;
White: Elevator Operators, Medical, Messengers,
Telephone-Talkers, Combat Cargo,
Safety;
Green: Maintenance Crews, Photographers;
Brown: Plane Captains;
Red: Ordnance, Crash, and Salvage Crews;
Purple: Aviation Fuel Crew, Aviation Fuel Officer.
These color coded helmets are used in conjunction with
colored jerseys stenciled with various symbols and letters
to identify the many specialties.32
ThefinalchapterinthestoryofU.S.Navyhelmetspertains
to the various units falling under the auspices of the Naval
Special Warfare Command. These organizations have their
origins in the special units developed during World War II
such as Underwater Demolition, OSS, Marine Corps Scouts
and Raiders, Rangers, etc. The Naval Special Warfare Com-
mand is most commonly identified with the famous SEAL
teams. SEAL (Sea, Air, Land) teams were first established
in 1962, and later the SDVT (SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team)
units were initiated and in recent years the SWCC (Special
Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen) specialty was added to
the SpecialWarfare Command.All of these groups are special
operations units and are used by the Navy as the first choice
option in most high-risk maritime oriented operations.
ThevariousNavyspecialwarfareorganizationshavealways
been allowed to purchase specialized equipment, including
helmets, from sources other than the regular Navy or Depart-
ment of Defense supply network. Due to the special nature
of the missions they are tasked with and the high security
under which they operate they have access to a multitude
of various helmet manufacturers and are free to purchase,
off the shelf, whatever helmets are thought individually or
mission critical. It is not unusual to see a variety of helmet
types worn within the same unit at the same time. It is also
not unusual for these units to contact a helmet manufacturer
directly,explainthebasicspecificationsneededinahelmetfor
a particular task, and then purchase a small number of these
specially designed helmets directly. These special helmets
may, or may not, ever enter the Navy supply system.33
The
following are a selection of helmets and their makers, known
from photographic or other sources, to have been used by
Navy special warfare personnel at one time or another. This
list is by no means complete for many Navy SEAL personnel
have in recent years begun constructing their own personal
helmets. By taking the shells of other ballistic helmet types
and adding commercially produced liners and suspensions,
as well as night-vision device mounting arms, lights, and a
variety of mission specific communication devices they are
able to produce a helmet specifically tailored to their personal
needs34
(FIG 16):
HALO helmet: High Altitude, Low Opening parachutist.
Gentex;
DH132- AS/RHIB: small boat crews. Gentex;
TBH-II SC: High sides and back, designed for snipers.
Gentex;
TCH helmet: Tactical Communications Helmet. Gentex;
TBH helmet: Tactical Ballistic Helmet. Gentex;
ACH helmet: Advanced Combat Helmet. Army design,
multiple makers;
MICH helmet: Modular Integrated Communications
Helmet, multiple makers;
TC-2000 helmet: high side helmet. Mine Safety
Appliance Co. (MSA);
TC-2001 helmet: improved TC-2000. MSA;
RBH helmet: Rabintex Ballistic Helmet. Rabintex North
America;
Pro-Tec helmet: essentially a sports helmet. Pro-Tec
Corp. though widely copied;
Gallet CGF helmet: French design produced under
license by MSA;
MICH 2000 helmet: improved version of original MICH
helmet. MSA.
ThehelmetsoftheU.S.Navyhaveundergonemanychanges
over the years and are still changing today. As missions and
requirements change so do helmet designs and construction.
Science and industry continue to develop new and improved
ballistic materials thus making lighter and more protective
helmets possible thereby insuring that the combat helmets of
the U.S. Navy will continue to be an ever evolving develop-
ment process.
Theauthorhumblydedicatesthisarticletothatbravefamily
of American warriors who make up the United States Navy
Special Warfare Command.
Notes
1. Weather deck—the exposed deck or duty positions on a naval vessel.
2. Ron Laubach. Naval Procurement Branch, Indian Head, MD. 13 De-
cember 1996. USN Mark and Model Assignment Request Forms.
3. The sound-powered system did not rely on electricity to operate and was
therefore ideal for ship board use where electrical power was apt to be
lost during combat.
4. Life Magazine feature article in issue dated 10 August 1942.
5. ChrisArmold,SteelPots,TheHistoryofAmerica’sSteelCombatHelmets
(San Jose, CA: R. James Bender Publishing, 1997), 144–148.
6. ColorSpecificationMIL-P-15130,HazeGray.U.S.NavyMarkandMod
Assignment Request; Helmet, Sailors, Steel, Mk2 Mod 0; 20 February
1957.
7. Ibid.
8. U.S. Navy Mark and Mod Assignment Request; Helmet, Sailor’s, Alu-
minum, Ex1, Mod 0; 8 February 1957.
9. Ludlow King, “Lightweight Body Armor,” The Quartermaster Review
(March–April 1953). http://www.qmmuseum.lee.army.mil/korea/light-
weight_armor.htm. Accessed 23 July 2005.
10. U.S. Navy Mark and Mod Assignment Request; Helmet, Sailor’s, DO-
RON, Ex 2 Mod 0; 13 February 1957.
11. Ibid. 31 August 1959.
12. Alan J. Baribeau, Naval Sea Systems Command, Office of Corporate
Communication. E-mail to the author, 22 March 2011.
13. U.S. Navy Mark and Mod Assignment Request; Helmet, Phonetalker,
Mark 4 Mod 0.; 28 January 1981.

12. 162
14. Ibid.
15. Anecdotal reports from former Navy personnel to the author.
16. Baribeau E-mail.
17. Ibid.
18. NAVSEA Damage Control News, 1. Battle Dress Protective Clothing
Program, Naval Battle Helmets (NBH) and Naval Flak Vests (NFV).
http://www.dcfp.navy.mil/library/dcnews/NBH-NFV.htm.Accessed 20
July, 2005.
19. Gentex Product Overview. MK-7 Product Overview. http://www.gen-
texcorp.com/default.aspx?pageid=958. Accessed 17 March 2011.
20. NAVSEA Damage Control News, 1– 5.
21. MICH is the acronym for Modulated Integrated Communication Hel-
met.
22. NavPers 16191, Handbook of Damage Control (San Francisco, CA:
Naval Training School (Damage Control), May,1945.), 175–178.
23. U.S. Navy. Introduction To STREAM, Information Sheet 1.10, 1–7,
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/navy/docs/swos/deck/STU10~2.html.
Accessede 23 July 2005.
24. Telephone-Talkers’Manual (Washington, DC: Department of the Navy,
1 April,1945).
25. Jonathan Gawne, Spearheading D-Day, American Special Units of
the Normandy Invasion (Paris, France: Histoire et Collections, 1998),
234.
26. Navy Expeditionary Combat Command. NECC Establishes River-
ine Squadron 3. 10 July, 2007. http://www.navy.mil/search/display.
asp?story_id=30481. Accessed 19 March 2011.
27. A MICH style helmet with the sides upraised for earphones, a helmet
widely used by special warfare units. Produced by the Mine Safety Ap-
pliance Company.
28. Megan Bowman, Gentex Corporation. E-mail to the author, 25 May
2006.
29. Rick Long,Gentex Corporation. E-mail to the author, 18 October
2004.
30. RogerM.Smith,NavyPersonalEquipmentForceProtection.Testimony
given before the House Armed Services Committee, 15 June 2006,
5–8. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/congress/2006_
hr/060615-smith.pdf Accessed 25 March 2011.
31. U.S. Navy: Report No: NAWCADPAX/TR-2006/73 Technical Report:
U.S. Navy Flight Deck Hearing Protection Use Trends: Survey Results
(Patuxent River, MD: Naval Air Warfare Center, 18 May, 2006).
32. Flight Deck Clothing and Duties, Appendix F, 1–2, http://www.glo-
balsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/1-56.Accessed 23 July
2005.
33. Rick Long, Gentex Corporation. E-mail to the author, October 2004.
34. Information via G. Robert House from SEAL team members who wish
to remain anonymous.
The USS Olympia
Maj. James B. Ronan II (USAR, Ret.)
THEstoriedprotectedcruiser,USSOlympia,isshownhere
at the 1899 Dewey Parade in New York Harbor.
Known for her service as Admiral Dewey’s flagship at
Manila Bay, the Olympia served from her 1895 launch until
decommissioning in 1922. Among her many missions was
the return the body of the WW I Unknown Soldier to the
United States.
Her armament consisted of four turret-mounted 8-inch
guns, ten casemate-mounted 5-inch guns, fourteen 6-pdr and
six 1-pdr guns, four Gatling guns, and six 18-inch torpedo
tubes.Herconningtower,deck,mainandsecondaryarmament
are all protected by armor plate.
Her status as a museum ship in Philadelphia is presently
in doubt due to a lack of funding.
FIG 1. U.S.S. Olympia. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.