These figures are ww2? Army? Marines?

Initially it can be confusing as to what uniforms and equipment were used where and when.  Not to mention what color the items were.  But that's half the fun of figure painting.  Learning about the soldiers(and Marines) and the gear they used, plus the history behind it all.

Hans von Hammer

 

This jarhead just noticed that you seem to know an AWFUL lot about pantyhose...

 

That's cuz this Doggie has actually been with a woman that didn't have to be inflated...

BOO-yaaaa....

roflmao..I just saw that comment..lol 

Hey, I found a *great* book with so much reference material it's incredible. You've probably heard of it, it's called The World War 2 GI Uniforms 1941 to 1945 In Color Photographs by Richard Windrow and Tim Hawkins. I can not believe all the pictures and information in this book.  The pictures in this thing are so good I got itchy from looking at the wool uniforms. It goes through all the different uniforms in all the different theaters from the helmets and the different linings inside the helmets, right down to the different boots. If you haven't seen it, please check it out, as it's great help for noobs like me who have no clue as to what i'm doing.

This is from the section Fall/Winter 1944:

Reversed OD field Jacket; EM's special wood trousers; EM's wool melton overcoat; M1943 field jacket. trousers and cap; M1941 wool toque' M1943 hood, oficers and EM's double texture raincoats; sweaters, long sleeved five button, sleeveless crew neck. long sleeved V neck. first. second and third pattern mackinaws; OD wool and leather gloves, trigger finger mittens; carbine magazine pockets; marching compass and pouch; M;1938 wire cutters; M1936 field bag musette; M1938 dispatch case. M1917 binocular case, SCR 300 radio, M3A1 45 Cal sub machine gun...

And that was all just 1 chapter.I also found another few books that I would also recommend:

The Armed Forces World War 2 Uniforms, Insignia and Organisation by Andrew Mollo

German Army Unfiroms and Insignia 1933 to 1945 by Brian Davis

Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces Uniforms and Insignia 1932 to 1945 by Gary Nila

Those have some good info as well. Hopefully these books will help me get my painting of the uniforms on my figures half way decent.

The two on the right are paratroopers,,they have on jump boots with their trousers bloused, the three on the left are Legs (non paratroopers) and wearing canvas leggings and shoes. Im guessing that pic is from Normandy with the swampy are in the background and the legs are from 4th ID, while the Paras are from 82nd.

Friendly fire? That really blows. Geez.

Something I noticed in the picture below, why are their boot set ups so different? One guy has his pants over the boots and the other guy..I dunno, it's like he has socks over the boots or something.

the Baron

Back to the subject at hand...

Isn't it true that one reason that the Army discontinued use of the camo pattern cloth in the ETO was its similarity to German patterns, that is, when you needed to identify friend of foe in a split second, it was too easy to mistake GIs for Krauts?

Yes, 2nd Armored division issued camo suits to their armored infantry and engineer units during the Normandy fighting.. There were some "friendly fire" incidents and the suits were pulled from use. The camo pattern was easily confused with some SS patterns. They saw much wider use in the PTO but usually with specialized Army units. Not the average line doggies.

Hans von Hammer

This jarhead just noticed that you seem to know an AWFUL lot about pantyhose...

That's cuz this Doggie has actually been with a woman that didn't have to be inflated...

BOO-yaaaa....

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!  You know the reply I am DYING to make, right?  But it would just be so inappropriate...  biting my tongue, biting my tongue!!!

Good one, by the way...

Back to the subject at hand...

Isn't it true that one reason that the Army discontinued use of the camo pattern cloth in the ETO was its similarity to German patterns, that is, when you needed to identify friend of foe in a split second, it was too easy to mistake GIs for Krauts?

This jarhead just noticed that you seem to know an AWFUL lot about pantyhose...

That's cuz this Doggie has actually been with a woman that didn't have to be inflated...

BOO-yaaaa....

bbrowniii

 

Hans von Hammer:

 

BTW... If you want to "net" some other helmets that don't have them, it's pretty easy.. Just get a pair of old panty-hose and stretch a section of it tightly over the helmet. (I mount the helmet on a piece of sprue for this step)

Then, while holding it tight, apply a generous amount of liquid cement (I use Testor's pink-label) over it, and let it dry while holding it in place (about a minute or so).  Then just use your X-acto to trim the excess off. Keep it tight while trimming it. It'll cut easier..

One pair will provide you with enough helmet nets for a brigade...

 

 

Hey Hans,

This jarhead just noticed that you seem to know an AWFUL lot about pantyhose... oh, wait... Army right?  That explains it...

lol... I would have thought that would be aimed more towards the Navy. Just kidding to all you Navy folk out there! My pops was in the Navy!

Hans von Hammer

BTW... If you want to "net" some other helmets that don't have them, it's pretty easy.. Just get a pair of old panty-hose and stretch a section of it tightly over the helmet. (I mount the helmet on a piece of sprue for this step)

Then, while holding it tight, apply a generous amount of liquid cement (I use Testor's pink-label) over it, and let it dry while holding it in place (about a minute or so).  Then just use your X-acto to trim the excess off. Keep it tight while trimming it. It'll cut easier..

One pair will provide you with enough helmet nets for a brigade...

Hey Hans,

This jarhead just noticed that you seem to know an AWFUL lot about pantyhose... oh, wait... Army right?  That explains it...

Thank you! I think I will give that panty hose thing a whirl. I love all this minute detail stuff I'll post pics as I go along.

Thank you!

BTW... If you want to "net" some other helmets that don't have them, it's pretty easy.. Just get a pair of old panty-hose and stretch a section of it tightly over the helmet. (I mount the helmet on a piece of sprue for this step)

Then, while holding it tight, apply a generous amount of liquid cement (I use Testor's pink-label) over it, and let it dry while holding it in place (about a minute or so).  Then just use your X-acto to trim the excess off. Keep it tight while trimming it. It'll cut easier..

One pair will provide you with enough helmet nets for a brigade...

Occasionally, you'll see WW2 Army troops with cloth covers similar to the Marine's covers with the "Beach Camouflage" pattern.  Vic Morrow, as SGT Saunders, in the TV show COMBAT! comes to mind. Lots of folks believed that it was a authenticity error...  This isn't the case, but it's hard to tell the difference in B&W photos... Actually, they weren't camo covers at all..

Lots of GIs, post OPERATION OVERLORD, used swatches of the camouflage cargo parachutes that were found all over the place... Saunders' helmet was correct in this case..

USMC Cover:

 Parasilk Cover:

Here's some 82nd troops with the parasilk.

And some 90th ID troops near St. Lo:

There were also about three different net designs, but as Stik said, these are Army items, rather than Marines...

During WW2, the USMC PTO comabt uniforms were different from the Army in about a dozen ways... The only things that they really shared were helmets, weapons, and (canvas) leggings, although seeing a Marine with "leggin's" was pretty rare after D+1... For some reason, Marines can't keep there trousers bloused outside garrison... Not even today...  I think it's because that ol' bow-knot screws 'em up and they gotta wait until a Sailor gets ashore and shows them again..

*This post is covered under the Interservice Rivalry Act of 1947*

There are plenty of folks here with tons of knowledge. Enjoy!

Thank you !!!

I'll learn... lol...

Those are Army troops. teh Marines did not use helmet nets, they used covers on their steel pots.