What was the purpose of the spike on German Helmets?

Nope, just national aesthetics. In fact the pickelhaube started off as a civil/paramilitary forces uniform before becoming mainstream in the army.
 
Of course it has a practical purpose - butting enemies in the stomach and killing them stone dead. Very useful for getting rid of unwanted archbishops.
 
Good question, I have discussed that in my History class. A Majority had the opinion that it was only for aesthetical reasons. But a loud minority had heard that it was practical an anti saber protector. How that should have worked, well I think there are better designs for protection from a cavalry attack.
 
Good question, I have discussed that in my History class. A Majority had the opinion that it was only for aesthetical reasons. But a loud minority had heard that it was practical an anti saber protector. How that should have worked, well I think there are better designs for protection from a cavalry attack.

I think they have half a point, actually, in the sense that all conical or spheroconical helmets historically had the added benefir of deflecting blows from directly above, directing the weapon sideways and away from the head.

This came at the price of having a taller helmet that was easier knocked off with a hit from the side.

The spike may have helped with that somewhat, hard to say...but first off, sabres are fairly light, can't cut through metal helmets anyway, and cavalry rarely did sabre attacks by the time this helmet became popular.
 
Of course it has a practical purpose - butting enemies in the stomach and killing them stone dead. Very useful for getting rid of unwanted archbishops.

Harry: You see, Archbishop Godfrey was coming out of the Duke of Winchester's room--
Edmund: ...who had just died, leaving all his lands to the Church?
Harry: Well, as a matter of fact, yes.
Edmund: And so the King was really after his blood, presumably.
Harry: Well, I dare say, but the point of the matter is that, at that moment, round the corner, came Sir Mortimer.
Edmund: The King's hired killer...
Harry: - No, no, no. Mortimer: that tall, rather striking fellow with no ears.
Edmund: Yes, that's him.
Harry: Well, he saw the Archbishop and rushed towards him with his head bowed, in order to receive his blessing, and, er, unfortunately, killed him stone dead.
Edmund: How?
Harry: Mortimer was wearing a Turkish helmet.
Edmund: Oh, I see, yes: one of those with the two feet spike coming out of the top?
Harry: It's one of those things they normally use for butting their enemies in the stomach and (Edmund joins in) killing them stone dead.
 
I think it's for ornamentation primarily, but there's also an element of battlefield identification. If you're the only people with spikes on your hats, you're going to be a lot easier to identify as friendly.

sabres are fairly light, can't cut through metal helmets anyway

I seem to recall that the pickelhaube is made primarily of leather, with only the spike and ornamentation being metal.
 
When I read about the pickelhaube, I am always reminded of Tolkien's story The Fall of Gondolin, where the Elf lord Ecthelion rams Gothmog, lord of Balrogs with his pickelhaube-like helmet spike and kills him (dying himself in the process).

ecthelion_gothmog_zpsfcd99cf0.jpg


So the purpose of the pickelhaube is obvious: a method of self-defence against any eldrich horrors that may threaten you.
 
Last edited:

Anaxagoras

Banned
I think it's for ornamentation primarily, but there's also an element of battlefield identification. If you're the only people with spikes on your hats, you're going to be a lot easier to identify as friendly.

The other side of the coin is that the enemy can more easily identify who they are supposed to be shooting at.
 

Tyr Anazasi

Banned
Indeed the Pickel on the Pickelhaube was used as anti sabre protection. The Pickelhaube was used to defend the troops against cavalry. It was well suited for that. But much less suited for ww1 combat. That's why it was quickly replaced by the steel helmet, as the old Pickelhauben were not well suited against shrapnels of artillery, which caused 80% of all wounds in that time.

Indeed the French were the first, who issued their Adrian helmet in 1915. The Germans introduced their helmet in 1916, which was the predecessor of most helmets of today.

Later the famous M35 came, the helmet of the Wehrmacht. When the USA entered the war, they had no adequate helmet as their M1917 helmet was no longer sufficient. The first design was mainly a copy of the German M35 and rejected as too similar with the German one and a good chance for friendly fire.

The last German helmet, M45, was a completely other design than the predecessors M35, M40 and M42, which were only simplifications. This helmet was the prototype of the East German helmets.

The Bundeswehr did not introduce the M35 again, like the Bundesgrenzschutz, but used a slightly modified US M1 helmet. This was done after controversial discussions, as the M35 was considered superior in several ways.

In 1992 finally the M92 was introduced. Made out of synthetic fibres and followed like the PASGT helmet of the USA the M35 design.

Most modern forces use helmets, which design is based upon the M35 and so the M16 of 1915. One exception is Britain.
 
Or a way to make sure young snots (2Lts) didn't loose their written orders.

It's not just the Germans that had spikes though. Look at a Victorian Policemans helmet. The Royal Marines sun helemets have a small one as well. (Though I wouldn't recommend telling a Marine he has a small one. You'll probably wind up in casualty)
 
The other side of the coin is that the enemy can more easily identify who they are supposed to be shooting at.

Would I look silly if I said that the first time I watched the bridge battle near the end of Saving Private Ryan, I had a hard time telling the American and German forces apart, when it was only the soldiers themselves visible (no tanks or other obvious identifiers)? The main difference was the slightly different colours of their uniforms. I could easily see that 'friendly fire' would be a problem, especially given the fear and uncertainty of close combat.
 
It use to hold a horsehair Plume, if I remember things right.

the Plume fell out of favor, and the spike became more stylized.

I think that as Fenrir says, the spike was originally a place to attach a plume and then became simply an adornment and was enhanced and enlarged.

Military headgear goes through fashion cycles. Helmets with spikes go back to Napoleonic times and were adoped by a number of countries and are still in use today as part of ceremonial uniforms. Making headgear taller and more fierce looking has long been part of military haberdashery as witnessed by things like bearskins and shakos. I'm pretty sure that the spike was simply someones idea of making soldiers look tougher and more meanacing.
 
Top