After lengthy development work, which included testing a selection of German and Allied headgear, the first "stahlhelm" were tested in November 1915 at the Kummersdorf Proving Ground and then field tested by the 1st Assault Battalion. Thirty thousand examples were ordered, but it was not approved for general issue until New Year of 1916, hence it is most usually referred to as the "Model 1916". In February 1916 it was distributed to troops at Verdun, following which the incidence of serious head injuries fell dramatically. The first German troops to use this helmet were the stormtroopers of the "Sturm-Bataillon Nr. 5 (Rohr)", which was commanded by captain Willy Rohr.