Dipping my toes in Interwar America

[Thaddeu]

As part of a RPG/Skirmish game set in the late 1930s, I've been lazily converting "interwar" soldiers by doing head-swaps on Warlord Bolt Action plastics. Here are my first two test pieces. The marine has a "campaign hat" that's just an AWI wide-brimmed hat with the dimples cut in. The army infantryman has a Brodie-helmet head from Anvil Industries.

Other than the headgear, the only era-specific thing I'm worrying about is making sure to avoid grease guns and carbines. I've also included a Pulp Figures gangster/armed civilian mini... for scale I guess.



I'll continue to post the reality-based aspects of this project (additional infantry, Renault FTs, artillery pieces, maybe some terrain...) in this thread. The more "speculative" parts of the project will show up in other threads, in the Pulp and Superhero subforums

[SABOT]

A good start with some nice figures.

[jamesmanto]

Pulp Figures does some nice interwar Marines and USN Landing Party types. Including ones in helmets.

[Thaddeu]

Thanks.

Funny thing about the Pulp Figures US military types... I definitely was thinking about buying their marines, but then Warlord had a big sprue sale so I decided to go that route. But last week I put in an order for two packs of Pulp Figures USMC anyway, with the intention of using them as Silver Shirts. So you'll be seeing them... eventually.

[madman]

Thanks.

Funny thing about the Pulp Figures US military types... I definitely was thinking about buying their marines, but then Warlord had a big sprue sale so I decided to go that route. But last week I put in an order for two packs of Pulp Figures USMC anyway, with the intention of using them as Silver Shirts. So you'll be seeing them... eventually.

OK I'll bite. My Googlefu came up empty on "Silver Shirts", other than if I wanted to buy one. Please elaborate. Thank you.

[madman]

OK found the Silver Legion on Wikipedia.

[Thaddeu]

Sorry, I would have gone into more detail, but I was at work on a coffee break, so time was limited. I guess the Silver Legion was their official name, but the [Color] Shirts is such a well-established convention for fascists thugs that it's hard to think of them as anything else.

[commissarmoody]

if you don't mind the Price, Brigade games has some decent figs in there Mob wars range for cops and state troopers. Not forgetting the civilians and mob types. Of course the 1920s flappers would be out of style by then
http://brigadegames.3dcartstores.com/Mob-Wars_c_39.html

I have used some of the U.S. Army from their wild west line. as Silver Shirts. The solders are made for the 1916 Expedition into Mexico.
http://brigadegames.3dcartstores.com/US-Army-II--Firing-5_p_2798.html

And the Caribbean Empire line has tons of 1930s Marines, Haitian Rebels, and Sandinistas.
  http://brigadegames.3dcartstores.com/Caribbean-Empires_c_43-2.html
http://brigadegames.3dcartstores.com/Sandinistas-with-Rifles-5_p_3790.html
http://brigadegames.3dcartstores.com/US-Marines-with-Springfields-in-Heavy-Kit5_p_314.html

If you like Empress miniatures, their SCW line's international Brigade figs provide decent figs who are in a mix of civilian outside work wear and military kit. And it helps that the Spanish Musser and M1903 are pretty much the same rifle so its an easy mix. the biggest problem is getting figs who are not wearing the Spanish or Czech helmets.
And the Footsore lines AVBC figs have some nice civvies to be bystanders in the games. And a few of the not to military armed figs could work to. America produced a little over 2 million M1917 Enfield's and they where still in armors or sold off to the civilian market....Hell some national guard units still had 1895/98 Krag rifles!

[Thaddeu]

Oooh, thanks for all the recommendations, Commissar! So far I'm pretty happy with Pulp Figures cops and civilians, but if I need more I'll come back to these links.

[commissarmoody]

Happy to help.

[vodkafan]

Tiger Minatures have some useful figures. They do two sets of  mounties in the classic uniform and lemon squeezer hat. The trousers/boots and webbing would need to be changed but the tunic has the proper stand up collar. They also do some US troops in cold weather gear. be warned these are all pretty big though

[Kommando_J]

Its ben pointed out that warlord games BUF make for good silver legion minis.

[commissarmoody]

Some more new figs for you to check out.
http://badsquiddogames.com/shop#!/Pre-Order-the-Ladies-of-the-Home-Front/c/25226639/offset=0&sort=addedTimeDesc

Rural and Urban women, some working, some not. Some armed and some not armed. 

[carlos marighela]

Have a look at Brigade Games' Caribbean Empires and Villista ranges. Quite a number of packs of suitable USMC and dismounted US Cavalry.