[Watermoon]

What the net used for?

[Zyx]

Don't you mean "What's the helmet used for?"

[Watermoon]

I mean the net on the helmet, which has a lot of holes. That one.

[Igor Antunov]

The helmet serves to protect soldiers skull from shrapnel.

The net is camouflage. It works by distorting a smooth and obviously artificial surface, thus serving to help the helmet blend into the surrounding terrain/vegetation.

[ThereBeDragons]

As above; it also reduces the shininess of a wet helmet and you can use it to hold down camouflage fabrics or vegetation for blending in.

[Wolfman]

And with some practice, you use it to make a rudimentary ghillie suit

[GandalfTheGrey]

It works by distorting a smooth and obviously artificial surface, thus serving to help the helmet blend into the surrounding terrain/vegetation

I thought the netting was for threading in twigs and branches to help them camoflage in bush terrain.

[Tigerlily]

It's for fashion and only fashion.

[Igor Antunov]

I thought the netting was for threading in twigs and branches to help them camoflage in bush terrain.

Where did I say it wasn't used in that way? It does exactly what I said it does.

[Kaspar]

It conveniently holds a pack of cigarettes

[GandalfTheGrey]

No need to be a smartarse Igor, I was just asking a question

[Red_Army]

And a tiny bottle of tabasco sauce Kaspar!

[Oxymoron]

Obviously it is used to catch fish and Gypsys.

[Tigerlily]

Obviously! And for the vegetarian soldiers, it makes a great make-shift strainer for straining canned beans.

[Khalq]

And with some practice, you use it to make a rudimentary ghillie suit

albeit a very "slim" one

It's for fashion and only fashion.

Muhaha, you nailed it! It's the military version of fence net stockings.

[Mazhi]

But is it European?

[Douglas]

But is it European?

Nope it's an American M1 helmet with a half inch net.