WWII GERMAN DAK TROPICAL HELMET
The German Afrika Korps, Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK), was the German expeditionary force in Libya
and Tunisia during the North African Campaign of World War II. The force was kept as a distinct
formation and became the main German contribution to Panzer Army Africa which evolved into the
German-Italian Panzer Army (Deutsch-Italienische Panzerarmee) and Army Group Africa.
The Afrikakorps is one of the most legendary fighting units of the third reich. Lead by Field Marshall Rommel, this unit carved itself a place
in history by its cunning fighting techniques.
The pith helmet is one of the best well known trademarks of the combat division. The example displayed on this page is an early version.
The helmet comes with two emblems, a flag and an eagle. The emblems are located to each side.
This section of the website provides information that allows to identify these type of hats
of the Third Reich. At the same time provides information regarding its present worth.
The helmet would have been worn with the
tropical uniform.
A closeup of the eagle emblem can be seen here (bottom-left).
The helmets were built with a leather sweat band. Also typical of the helmets is the red material on the inside top.
The spring on the top attachement of the helmet is displayed on the picture below.
The leather chinstrap is secured by a hook on the inside of the helmet.
The sweatband is attached via clips. Also notice the black string stiching used to put together
the sweatband.
|
This page is a recognition and identification guide for WWII German hats. Multiple
detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out clearly defined points
that should be noted.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my WWII German hat worth?". A price
guide is included here to address this question. The value of the hats is reviewed
over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth of the German
headgear in the collector's market is illustrated.
This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of
MilitaryItems.com,
a company dedicated to the preservation of military history and to providing quality military
antiques and collectibles to museums, institutions and the general public.
|
|
The inside of the sweatband is branded with the date and size of the helmet. This sample is dated
1941. The outside of the band is marked with the letters JHS. What is interesting is the stamp of the word
"GERMANY". Normally this is an export symbol implying that at one point the helmet was exported.
|
WE BUY German Hats and Eagles - All types of German headgear and accessories. Whether it is for military use or a civilian
application.
The process gets started by you sending us an
Email .
We will respond to your inquiry normally within 24 hours and in many cases much faster.
We can tell you what you have, what it is worth and how much we can pay you.
One item or an entire collection -
Email Us .
|
 |
This hat is currently being reproduced.
It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because the quality
of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with the construction style
and materials employed in the manufacturing of this hat. Attention to the details is critical in
order to be able to determine the authenticity of the headgear.
If you have an interest is seeing other headgear of the Third Reich, you can do so by going
to our WWII German Headgear
identification guide. Where we cover Heer (Army), Navy (Kriegsmarine),
Air Force (Luftwaffe), political and other organizations.
| 
Swat the Shopping Bug to view related military items!
