Mk II talker helmet | |
---|---|
Type | Combat helmet |
Place of origin | United States of America |
Service history | |
In service | 1942–1980s |
Used by | US Navy, US Coast Guard [1] |
Wars | World War II |
Production history | |
Designer | Beaver Edwards [2] |
Designed | 1942 |
Manufacturer | McCord Radiators Company [2] [3] |
Specifications | |
Width | 28.6 cm [1] |
Height | 21.6 cm [1] |
Diameter | 32.4 cm [1] |
The US Navy Mk II talker helmet was a combat helmet used by the US Navy from the Second World War and into the 1980s. [3] [4]
In 1942, the US Navy decided to commission a special helmet for sailors posted on decks and tasked with transmitting orders by sound-powered telephone. The new helmet was to protect "exposed deck personnel" and accommodate a telephone headset; furthermore, it had to be usable while wearing a gas mask and binoculars. [2]
The helmet was made of non-magnetic Hadefield manganese steel. [3] Designated "USN MK-2", [4] was at the time the largest helmet ever used in US service. [2]