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US uniforms

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  • Member since
    December 2003
  • From: Los Angeles
US uniforms
Posted by dostacos on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 2:05 AM

I am so confused, what would be the proper color for US uniforms?

I look at Tamiya and they have dark earth for pants and other times it says olive drab or even khak drab XF-51

then jackets can be dark green {med jacket} or dark yellow on a short jacket and the LONG overcoat is 1/2 flat earth and 1/2 khaki

can someone un-confuse me please 

   

Dan support your 2nd amendment rights to keep and arm bears!
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: phoenix
Posted by grandadjohn on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 9:09 AM
While I am no expert on US uniforms, the time period and the theater(ETO, PTO) did dicate uniforms. It would also be common to see mixed uniforms also has new issues were given out
  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 7:24 PM

Look on this website:

www.usarmymodels.com 

 

They have a good rundown on uniforms worn in WWII by the US Army. The wool pants issued to us troops varied from a greenish to brownish OD shade. The wool shirt worn with it was closer to the green OD shade. The M-1941 field jacket varied from a khaki olive to khaki shade. The m-1943 field jacket and field trousers were olive green in color. The wool overcoats were a brownish OD or a khaki tan.

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

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  • Member since
    November 2005
  • From: Formerly Bryan, now Arlington, Texas
Posted by CapnMac82 on Friday, January 18, 2008 6:27 PM

 dostacos wrote:
can someone un-confuse me please

Stikpusher is leading you rightly.

Sometimes (only sometimes) if you surf the net for US reenactors, you can find some good info, too.

The speed at which things were done in the face of great need meant that corners got taken with not all the wheels firmly on the ground.   Which was not helped by either the War or Navy Department changing the standards during the process.

Which is why you can find US khaki items trimmed in OD (or, very rarely, the reverse).  Add in that some of the items issued changed color more rapidly than expected (or replaced).  Which means there is no good answer to "What color should US M-1936 leggings be?"  I've seen them from "unbleached linen" to a stone-ground brown mustard color. 

The when and where is what you almost have to start with.  1944-45 was one of the coldest years in Europe, wool was a lot more comfortable than HBT.  The reverse would be generally true of the Pacific.

Then, there's a rather large gap between items purchased by the Navy Department and those ordered by the War Department.  Not always did those twain well meet.  So, the Marines 'kept' tan/khaki web gear through the war (did not really change until 54 or so, IIRC).  But the MC did go to an OD utility uniform very early on (only to start issuing camo uniforms shortly thereafter--go figure).  Oh yeah, the Marines also had a habit (even if officially frowned upon) of towing uniforms behind troop ships to get them to fade faster and look more "salty."  So MC HBT can be about any color (within reason) and be accurate.

So, the answer is, check your references, then make a choice you are comfortable with. 

  • Member since
    April 2004
Posted by BigDuke634 on Friday, January 18, 2008 11:18 PM
Modeling the U.S. Army in WWII      This site has always helped me out.
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