Upcoming 1/35 Guadalcanal Marines

'Bout time... Only early Jarhead figures I've ever had before were the Italeri figgies.  I've used a lot of GIs for Marines in the past, but itll be nice not to have to putty over leggins and sand off pockets...

I see a good diorama possibility witht hese guys and a M3 Light Tank...

Same here... One Tenaru River Battle dio has already popped into m' head... Bloody Ridge too...

Also gives me a reason finally to buy some Jap infantry figures...

The Pacific theater saw a lot more variety in US uniforms and equipment than the ETO, from khakis and doughboy helmets to steel pots and arctic gear to camo uniforms and soft caps. But the Marines in particular are sadly under represented in plastic figures. I've already built the old Italeri set and am currently painting the Hasegawa/Fine Molds set. This is Dragon's third (if you dont count the "Windtalkers" release of the combined Iwo Jima Marines and IJA) Marine figure set, and I will defintely pick this one up too. Hans, the Tenaru river battle is exactly what I had in mind for these figures with a M3 light.

Now, for their next set I nominate either some Marine Raiders or Paras. Perfect for Bloody Ridge.

Tenaru riverbattle? never heard of... well, I am all blank when it comes to the pacific.. but indeed a very nice set! 

agentg wrote:

At least they got the weapons right. 03's, BAR's and Reisings, only Marine M1's on the 'canal were stolen borrowed from the Army.

Really? They didn't get Garands issued? 

The Tenaru River Battle was the first major fight on Guadalcanal proper after the landings-which had been unopposed. Neighboring Tulagi, Florida, Gavutu, and Tonambago (sp?) were opposed landings also made on by the Marines August 7th, 1942. But back to Tenaru, the Japanese landed a force under the command of one Col Ichiki in preperation to counterattack and retake the airfield. He had roughly a battalion size element under his command. He was to assess the Marine positions and wait for the remainder of his Regiemnt before making the attack. Instead, on August 21st, he attacked the superior Marine force in prepared positions along the Tenaru River with his battalion and was majorly defeated, losing some 800 men. Col. Ichiki retreated with his survivors into the jungle, burned his colors, and committed suicide. During the battle Marine tanks, M2 and M3 lights, were used to eliminate the Japanese pockets along the beach area.

I must disagree on some of your points TacoBuff. The Pacific War certainly was racist, on both sides. But the troops there were equipped very similarly to their ETO counterparts at the same time. The WWI equipment was mainly because they were in action first with what they had. US Rangers going in to action at Dieppe a few weeks after August 7th were similarly equipped and armed (but not uniformed) as their Marine counterparts. As far as tanks go, all US armor was superior to anything used by the Japanese so there was not the pressing need for the more heavily armored, upgunned tanks that there was in the ETO. The M4 75mm and US armored doctrine was a good match for the needs of the PTO. As has been stated in so many places, both the US and GB decided on a Europe first stategy at the outbreak of the war. But, the overwhelming Japanese victories at the outset of the Pacific War, the manner in which Japan commenced the war incensing US public opinion, and the actual threat posed by Japan, forced a greater commitment to the PTO than was orginally intended early on. Numericly less ground forces and equipment were used in the PTO, at least until late 1944, but qualitatively they were pretty much on par with their ETO comrades.

stikpusher wrote:

The Tenaru River Battle was the first major fight on Guadalcanal proper after the landings-which had been unopposed. Neighboring Tulagi, Florida, Gavutu, and Tonambago (sp?) were opposed landings also made on by the Marines August 7th, 1942. But back to Tenaru, the Japanese landed a force under the command of one Col Ichiki in preperation to counterattack and retake the airfield. He had roughly a battalion size element under his command. He was to assess the Marine positions and wait for the remainder of his Regiemnt before making the attack. Instead, on August 21st, he attacked the superior Marine force in prepared positions along the Tenaru River with his battalion and was majorly defeated, losing some 800 men. Col. Ichiki retreated with his survivors into the jungle, burned his colors, and committed suicide. During the battle Marine tanks, M2 and M3 lights, were used to eliminate the Japanese pockets along the beach area.

Thanks!  Yet another thing learned.. 

Huxy wrote:

agentg wrote: At least they got the weapons right. 03's, BAR's and Reisings, only Marine M1's on the 'canal were stolen borrowed from the Army.   Really? They didn't get Garands issued?

Garands were just starting to get issued (in any real numbers) to the Marines in mid-1942.  The Army had dibs on the M-1 production prior to 1942 initially, doing a complete change-out by regiment... The Marine Corps policy prior to 7 Dec 41 was to change to the M-1 individually as the '03s wore out...  The typical Marine's "attitude" towards the M-1 (in the early days) was that it was a "Buck Rogers P.O.S. and REAL rifles had bolt-actions"... Considering the general consensus among the other world-armies (equipped with K-98, Lee-Enfields, and Arisakas) they weren't alone...

I felt the same way about the M-16A1 vs A2 until I got (and fired) an A-2...  (I still feel that way about the M-4...)

Sweet -- bare pots, boondockers, Springfields and a "POS" Reising...

Reminds me of Tom O'Reilly, the old 1st Mar Div gyrene I knew who had been on the 'Canal and showed me how they developed a "rapid-fire" technique with their Springfields...

They pulled the trigger with their middle finger, hooked the bolt, threw it up, and pulled it to the rear with the index finger, then threw the bolt back home and down with the thumb, pulling the trigger again with the middle finger...

The five rounds go out one after the other, as fast as possible, "rapid fire"-style...