HATS

[Yushal]

Something that has always bothered me about the military.

Whats up with all the stupid hats?? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-jester.gif

Even some helmet designs I think have been obviously silly (french/german above-ear spiked type esp), and not functional. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-builder.gif

But the hats My God, why do they all need to wear the different hats??

I dont buy that its for recognition. That is what epaulets, armbands etc are for. And you dont really want rank recognized in the field either, do you? At least not by the enemy. Besides, the most blatant abuse of fashionable hats is with the dress uniform.

What originally got me to wondering as a kid about it was my fathers officers hat with the round plastic tube in the top that puffs it out. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-toff.gif WTF? Is this supposed to denote the extra large brainpan of the officer corps or something? I notice that the enlisted men generally only get those thin angular hats that makes it look like they have a long sharp ridge running along the skull. You cannot tell me this keeps the rain out, it only covers 1/5 of the area of the skull and has no brim.

Berets are similarly silly. It seems like, if I were at war, the first thing I would do was chuck the stupid hat in a hole somewhere in order to never again be bothered with it.

Probably the only decent military hat I have ever noticed is that australian bush hat, the floppy one with the wide saggy brim. The utility actually lends it some credibility.

And who is it that designs these things? This is a great mystery to me. Like the different dress uniforms, which seemeingly have gotten more gaudy over time, from the quietly understated but solidly military army green uniform, to the OMG_ITS_SO_BRIGHT_AND COLORFUL marine uniform... Do generals wives sit around thinking up ways to humiliate their husbands with these things?

[Doug-Thompson]

Well, this is a curious subject.

Actually, peaked caps have a purpose -- to make the wearer look taller.

It's hard to look intimidating to a professional killer who's four inches taller than you.

[Fanty]

Zitat[/b] ]Even some helmet designs I think have been obviously silly (french/german above-ear spiked type esp), and not functional.

Spiked helmets have a functionality if you fight with blade weapons, like swords, rapiers or sabers.

The spikes are suposed to block blows from overhead. HOw they often apear if saberwielding cavalry attacks.

The spike is metal, while the helm is just hardened leather.

GErman Army command changed helmets after the statistics said, that the most head-wounds are from bullets and not from sabers.

So, at least from the Prussian Pickelhaube this is the official reason for the spike. Eagle and Spike are metal, rest is leather....
http://www.zoll-d.de/z1_bilder/a1_wir_ueber_uns/pickelhaube.jpeg

Another reason from the middle ages was, that the topstuff on the helmet is like a coat of arms. Every family had a different one.

So larger the stuff on the head, so higher the ranking.

This guy here, wears the unicorn, wuich is his coat of arms also on the helmet, for example:
In German its called a Zimier and can be put and removed to the helmet how you like. In turnaments there had been games in wich you need to chop this thing from the helm of your oponement.

http://www.tjoster.de/Einleitung/Filmpferd/Mittelalter1/aist/aist.jpg

Here a medieval painting (Sir Wolfram von Eschenbach):
http://www.historiavivens1300.at/helme/wolfram.jpg

And a try to replicate that:
http://www.historiavivens1300.at/helme/helm-15.jpg

Hornet helms similiar to these
http://www.salue.de/aktionen2003/mittelalter/img/21.jpg had been used as the helm of the commanding officer in Teutonic knigts armies for example. A ranking sign.
Where is your commander? Ah there A paitr of horns sticking out of a crowd of enemies. Maybe he needs help? ;)


The posibly also make the morale of the enemy drop a point or 2 *LOL*

other medieval paintings that show soem craisy zimiers:

Sir Heinrich (Henry) of XXXX (cannot read the surname)
A Griffon as coat of Arms. The claws of it on the helm:
http://www.tempora-nostra.de/manesse/img/025.jpg

This must have maid some enemies lough to dead:
FISHES LOL

http://www.tempora-nostra.de/manesse/img/050.jpg

Look at me, I am an eagle.....

http://www.tempora-nostra.de/manesse/img/060.jpg

Well, think you got an impression....

ok one more..

Count Albrecht of Hergerld:
I am going to chop ya head har har Look at my scary helmet. LOL

http://www.tempora-nostra.de/manesse/img/018.jpg

[Tricky Lady]

Quote[/b] (Fanty @ April 20 2004,19:19)]This must have maid some enemies lough to dead:
FISHES LOL
Or perhaps the disgusting smell of the rotten fishes caused the enemy to rout quicker than they ever did before http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wacko.gif

Quite interesting reply, Fanty.

[squippy]

Excellent images, where did you get those?

[Fanty]

Here is the whole series of these drawings (137 pieces):

http://www.tempora-nostra.de/index_f_neu.shtml?manesse0-9

The pictures had been drawn between 1300 and 1330 AD

[Erik Skallesmækker]

Another reason why the Prussian Pickelhaube had the spike removed: it got stuck when crawling under barbwire....