At the beginning of World War I, none of the combatants were issued with any form of protection for the head other than cloth and leather caps. As the war entered trench warfare phase, the number of casualties on all sides suffering from severe head wounds increased dramatically. The French were the first to see a real need for more effective protection — in late 1915 they began to issue Adrian Helmets to their troops. The British followed with the Brodie Helmet, which was also worn by U.S. forces, and the Germans with the Stahlhelm (German for “steel helmet”).