UNKNOWN

Italy Steel Helmet M-33

• A steel combat helmet designed in the 1930s in Italy, and was the standard combat helmet of the Regio Esercito up to World War II, and of the Esercito Italiano well into the Cold War
• Dating back from 1925, the Italian Army had engaged in experiments to find a new model of combat helmet that could replace the aging and not completely satisfactory Adrian helmet adopted in 1915 upon the country's entry into World War I; coupled to this was that the Adrian was originally a French design, and it was probably felt (under the fascist regime) that an Italian-designed model was more appropriate
• The M33 helmet would first enter use in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War in October 1935, followed by the Spanish Civil War in 1936, with Italy sending aid to the Nationalists under Francisco Franco as military aid. Upon the war's conclusion in 1939, departing Italian volunteers left approximately 50,000-60,000 M33 helmets behind, which saw use with the Spanish Army until the late 1970s when they were sold off following Franco's death
• In 1944–1945 following the Armistice of Cassibile, the British attempted to replace the M33 with the Brodie helmet, however only two divisions had switched by the time the war ended. Meanwhile, the Americans transferred their M1 helmets, but not enough to completely re-equip any large units. After the war, it was decided to retain the M33 in use with the newly formed Italian Army, remaining in use to the end of the 1980s, with production restarting in the 1950s
• Very nice overall condition with liner and chin strap