page_title: Soviet helmets during World War II
section_title: SSh-40
hierarchical_section_title: Soviet helmets during World War II / SSh-40
caption_attribution_description: English: The 45th Separate Engineer-Camouflage Regiment of Russia.
context_page_description: Over the course of World War II the Soviet Union employed three main helmet designs; the SSh-36, the SSh-39, and the SSh-40, each being designated with the year in which they were introduced. Standard practice was to stamp the size, location, and year of manufacturing on the interior of the helmet.
context_section_description: The SSh-40 was the last and most commonly seen in-service helmet used by the Soviet Union during World War II.  The only external difference between the SSh-39 and the SSh-40 were the six rivets near the bottom of the helmet, as opposed to the three near the top of the SSh-39 shell.  Rivet placement of the SSh-40 was due to a newly introduced liner, simpler and more sturdy than the previous versions.  The liner consisted of three (later four during post-war) cloth or oilcloth pads connected with a cotton drawstring for size adjustment.  The chinstrap was cloth and connected to d-rings on each side of the shell by tabs.  The chinstrap ends were connected with a slip buckle, and a semi-circular metal piece was clamped to the end of the long chinstrap. Unlike the SSh-36 and SSh-39, the SSh-40 was only manufactured in three sizes, 1–3. The SSh-40 was supplemented by the SSh-60 and finally replaced by the SSh-68, though many remained in use throughout the Soviet period and beyond. The SSh-40 is commonly confused with the Czechoslovakian Vz. 53 helmet.
caption: Russian soldiers in SSh-40 helmets
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