The World War II German steel combat helmet was manufactured in 3 different variations. The first model which appeared in 1935 (M35) was a sophisticated craftwork and the M40 was an improved version. The last model, the M42 was simplified to make it faster and easier to manufacture larger numbers of helmets to compensate the huge losses of helmets during the last years of the war. The number refers to the year eg. M40 = 19407296. German Military Army Helmet. Damaged. Cracked and holed in the crown. No webbing or straps.