The helmet was intended to protect the soldier from artillery shell shrapnel from above, hence the deflector crest. Like most helmets of this era, it was never designed to protect from the direct impact of rifle or machine gun bullets. It was made of mild steel and weighed only .765kg (1lb.11oz.) which made it lighter than the British Brodie helmet and the German Stahlhelm. More than three million Adrians were produced, and they were widely adopted by other countries including Mexico, Italy, Belgium, Thailand, Russia and Serbia. The Soviet model with a large red star became a classic symbol of the frontline soldier of the USSR.

M1 Helmet