introduction

During World War II, Germany produced steel helmets in six different sizes marked in even numbers from 60 to 70. Size 64 was medium size considered for an average European in nutritional and health conditions of wartime and it was 40% of total production. Bigger sizes like 66 and 68 were manufactured in 20% and 10% percentages.
Besides camouflaged cloth helmet covers, different types of wiring were used to provide a framework for foliage that will be attached to helmets for camouflage. In many cases, wire itself served as a means of camouflage without the aid of leaves or branches. Both strait bailing wire as well as fencing wire usually named as Chicken wire were used in various gauges. A variety of methods were used to attach wire to a helmet.
Originally, German Bread bag comes with a strap but it is usually used by attaching to the belt. The strap is made of a long adjustable piece and a short piece joined with a buckle. In most cases, breadbag strap was discarded and it is used for other purposes like belts for ammo boxes, replacement to the Y-strap or helmet foliage strap.

Wire types and grades applied to helmets often differed depending on the theater of combat where the helmet was being used. Helmets that used wire for camouflage were typically found in the Italian and French theaters in 1943 and 1944. However as a whole, continental Europe with its strong agrarian base was an abundant source of farm yard and fencing wire.
In most cases it appears as though each individual soldier hand crafted his own wire configuration.

LRE-35286 Big Size M42 WW II German Steel Helmet - Stahlhelm 42 with Chicken wire and Bread bag Strap from Live Resin includes 6 German World War II M42 Steel helmets.

review

The set comes inside a transparent zip-lock bag sandwiched and stapled in a folded hard cardboard cover. Both sides of the cover show information and photos of the content.
There are six 1/35 scale,cast in grey resin M42 German helmets in the kit served with casting blocks. As the edges of the helmets are tiny parts, casting blocks and connector resin pins inside the helmets should be removed carefully. Resin quality is very good, details are very crisp and clean, there is no casting mistakes. Different types of helmets are marked with A,B,C,D letters on the casting blocks.

The set includes 6 helmets of two kinds.

A - Small Hex Full Chicken wire cover - 2 pieces

B - Small Hex Full Chicken wire cover with chinstrap on peak - 1 piece

C – Bread bag strap - 2 pieces

D - Bread bag strap with chinstrap on peak - 1 piece

Helmet details like three liner rivets, two air vents, chicken wire texture, wire twists, bread bag strap details and chinstraps are all well defined.

To compare sizes of Live Resin Big Size and Standard helmets ; you may read LRE-35285 review.

Conclusion

If you need big size German M24 Helmets on your World War II scenes or need high quality helmets for your 1/32 scale or 54 mm size figures, this is a nice kit with well defined, accurate details and different types of camouflage wiring.