en
cs
de
Exhibit of the Month 10 / 2018
Russian Steel Helmet Sohlberg M 15/17 for a member of the assault battalion of the Czechoslovak legions in Russia
Exhibit of the month for the 100th anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia
"Red and white ribbon for Czechia, skull for death, there is no life without the Czech state, freedom or death."
Motto of the 1st Czechoslovak Independent Assault Battalion of the Czechoslovak Legions in Russia.
The Russian steel helmet Sohlberg M 15/17 from the Finnish company Holberg et Sohlberg was, alongside the Adrian helmets supplied from France, the first modern steel helmet of the Russian, later Soviet army. This helmet in its original green color bears the so-called lentočka, a painted ribbon in Czech national colors.
The shell of the helmet is pressed from a single piece of steel. The top ventilation hole is covered by a riveted cap. The inner shell of the helmet is lined with cloth and is attached to the shell with a set of four metal rivets.
The assault battalion of the Czechoslovak legions in Russia was formed in Jagotina on September 1, 1918, after the merger of individual assault companies of the Czechoslovak legions. The battalion consisted of four infantry companies, a machine gun company, a trench mortar platoon, and logistical support. All its members were distinguished from other volunteer units of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps by a patch on their left forearm, where they had a red triangle with a skull and bones, all in a striking red color. The 1st Czechoslovak Assault Battalion returned to the homeland only on July 23, 1920, and was stationed in the garrisons of Trutnov and Kutná Hora, where it was reorganized into border guard battalion number 6 in Domažlice, designated for specific combat activities of light infantry in the defense of state borders.