Name/Title
1918 First Tank Battn. steel/leather/chain mail "splatter mask"Entry/Object ID
2023.1.2Description
1918 First Tank Battn. steel/leather/chain mail "splatter mask." A steel-plated mask, leather sewn, with two eye coverings for protection. The bottom of the mask is covered with a chain mouth and chin guard, which is attached to two larger rings on both sides of the mask. The mask is attached to cotton tie straps secured on the tanker's head.Context
During the Great War, the "splatter mask" protected tank crews from debris, bullet penetration, shell splinters, and flying shrapnel. Used in 1917, this mask was worn during the Battle of Cambrai when tanks were mobilized for mass development for the first time in the history of warfare. During the battle, 378 tanks were used, and 179 were destroyed. This mask was significant because it protected the user from spalling; when a tank was hit, it sent shock waves throughout the interior and broke metal. Spalling was dangerous to those inside the tank. If the mask is not correctly fitted, the user could be seriously injured from flying shrapnel.
