Type 92 Helmet

The Type 92 Helemt (1932). It was officially called tetsubo (steel cap) but was called tetsukabuto (Steel Helmet) by troops. It was made in the shape of a dome with a short protruding rim all the way around it (the paratroop version only had a short brim in the front). This helmet was made of a thin inferior chrome-molybdenum steel with many proving to be very fragile, being easily pierced by shrapnel and/or gunfire. A star (or anchor for the IJN) was soldered to the front and the helmet and star were painted mustard khaki. They were sometimes whitewashed in the winter. A tan, khaki or olive-green two layer, fiber reinforced linen cover was available with a yellow star sewn on the front. The helmet was secured to the head by an elaborate set of straps descended from those of the Kabuto samurai helmet. It was also able to be worn over a reversed field cap. Camouflage nets were widely worn over the helmet especially in the Southern theatre and Pacific island campaign.

Type 92 Helmet in Days of Infamy
Many people, including the Japanese, thought that new American helmet looked similar to the Type 92 Helmet in it's design. This sometimes led to Hawaiian civilians mistaking the American’s who returned in 1943 for Japanese until they got closer.