British flak mask for tank crews

The battlefields of the First World War presented soldiers with dangers for which they were not equipped. Self-made armor and the introduction of the steel helmet were intended to better protect their bodies. Nevertheless, they were virtually unprotected on the open battlefield and when leaving the trenches. The newly developed armored vehicles seemed to offer a better chance of survival: Encased in steel, the soldiers crossed the battlefield in a moving shelter.

However, the bodies of the tank soldiers were not invulnerable inside these steel colossi: Anti-tank weapons and tactics also emerged and developed rapidly. It was not only larger artillery shells, newly developed armor-piercing hard-core ammunition and targeted hits against hatches and viewing slits that threatened the vehicles. Even hits that did not penetrate the armor could explode rivets and screw connections and/or shoot through into the interior and cause small metal splinters to flake off inside. The lead core of rifle ammunition melted on impact with the armor, allowing hot “splashes” (also known as lead mist) to penetrate the interior. All these actually small particles could cause devastating injuries to the face and eyes due to their speed, hardness and heat. When the crews of the first German assault armored cars were deployed, there was no special clothing: they wore the normal field suit and field caps, later at least some were given a linen overall with fire-retardant asbestos fibers knitted into it. The steel helmet or padded helmets worn by airmen and motorcyclists protected the head from impacts and splinters, but not the face and eyes.

These injuries were common to all nations that used tanks. British tank crews received a new piece of equipment at the end of 1916: a splinter protection mask. The mask for tank crews consisted of a thin steel plate that covered half of the face up to the nose and could be adjusted to the shape of the face. For maximum protection, it only has thin slits in the eye area. The outside is covered with leather, the inside is padded with wool felt to absorb shocks and make the fit more comfortable. A chain mesh is attached to the lower part of the mask, which is reminiscent of medieval chain mail and was intended to protect the lower part of the face. The mask was fastened with a head strap, which was knotted and is missing on this mask. It was subsequently replaced by an adjustable strap. German tankers also obtained these masks when they captured British tanks or British prisoners of war. There are indications that such masks were later also produced in Germany. Even though some photos exist showing German tankers wearing these masks posing in front of A7V tanks and the British Mark IV loot tanks, it is not certain whether they were actually worn in action. Both the German A7Vs and the British booty tanks were very hot and noisy, very cramped and visibility was restricted by darkness, engine and powder gases – wearing this heavy mask must have been an additional burden under operational conditions. In addition, gas masks could not be pulled over the shrapnel protection masks, which is why the soldiers may have decided against wearing the shrapnel protection mask after weighing up the situation so that they could put on the gas mask in good time in the event of a gas attack. However, British soldiers in particular kept the masks after the war as a symbol of their special use as the first tank soldiers.

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