Hi Brian,
Thank you for the reply. The critique is that you did (at least revision 8) where you presented ET and ckl lot numbers, then notes, then SE and hkp lot numbers, then notes, etc. Also, the notes should have been provided with each an index in my view, as you have many interesting headlines in your notes under each manufacturer. It is primarily the notes which are confusing to read, as there is a lot of information all lumped together under each maker. An index on the notes would certainly help navigating the information.
As for the ET M40 lot numbers, there is a great gap from M40 lot numbers from 1500 to 9999 (quoting from page 651). It seems unological that so many lot numbers should have vanished on the East Front, as we now that a great majority of the M35 helmets also participated on the Eastern Front. When Germany invaded Russia in June 1941, the majority of the helmets worn by the 3 million soldiers of the Wehrmacht was M35 helmets, as M40 was being issued to the training battalions back in Germany. The combat divisions did only get replacement helmets. Whole units only got supplied with new helmets when being rebuilt or new units being raised.
The only plausible explanation for a great many M40 ET lot numbers missing, would be the huge numbers of helmets captured by the Russians in Stalingrad. But it is difficult to believe, as one would think that there would be gaps in the other manufacturers lot numbers as well. This theory would hinge on that the majority of the divisions in the 6th army was equipped with M40 ET helmets, which seems a bit unlikely.
Another aspect of the lot numbers which I find puzzling, is the number of total produced WW2 german combat helmets. According to Baer, he states in his book that the surviving records show that 25 million helmets were produced, but he does not refer to any specific document. Based on the fact that the Wehrmacht was at the maximum a total of 10 million men during the war, it seems a very high number of helmets being produced in a nation struggling with raw materials and production output. We know that the germans refurbished a lot of M35 and M40 helmets during the war, basically recycled them as re-issued helmets. They also recycled a lot of WWI helmets, which to me indicate a shortage of helmets to the Wehrmacht throughout the war.
The documents Baer do quote and include in his book, which show the shortfall of helmets prior to the war does indicate that the Wehrmacht was expanding faster than the factories could supply.
Do you know if there is a real documentation of the figure 25 million quoted by Baer, or is this something we only have from him in his rather short explanation in his book? The reason I ask, is that I took the other production figures he provides, both in his book and SS-Steel and put them into a spread sheet. This is quotes where he states the output in specific time frames, which I could put into the spreadsheet.
I put all the months from June 1935 until May 1945 on the Y axis, and the manufacturers on the X axis. Then I entered in all the information provided in the books by Baer, and did some assumptions on production increase for all five factories. The sum I ended up with was far from 25 million. It was around 16 million, which is a figure more logical if you take into account all the recycling of helmets and the overall strength of the Wehrmacht and factoring in the losses it suffered during the war.
It would be good to know some more on where the figure 25 million helmets produced is actually derived from, as I have a hard time believing in it.
Regards,
Rune