USMC 1920's

[ushistoryprof]

I am looking for 28mm US Marines in the soft hat, often called a "Montana."

Does anyone make these besides Pulp Figures?

[traveller]

Brigade Games has them in their Caribbean range. They mix well with Pulp figures

[Smokeyrone]

Brigade Games has them in their Caribbean range. They mix well with Pulp figures

yeppers.   And while there, don't forget  to take a gander at their sandanistas, Haitians and haitian Zombies.

Do I sense a  Chesty Puller or Smedley Butler scenario in the works, professor?   

[ushistoryprof]

yeppers.   And while there, don't forget  to take a gander at their sandanistas, Haitians and haitian Zombies.

Do I sense a  Chesty Puller or Smedley Butler scenario in the works, professor?   

Yes I was looking a some Banana Wars island actions in the Caribbean, Dan Daly, Butler and the like. Thanks for the idea about the other figures.

[carlos marighela]

A couple more to add to the mix. I suspect some of the figures in Old Glory's 'Poncho Villa' [sic] range would work. They are in shirtsleeves and Montana Hat and allegedly are some of the best OG figures has ever cast. The photos on their site do seem to bear this out.

Greg Blake sculpted some fairly indifferent USMC figures for China between the wars but they do have some unique items like mounted Marines, which you probably want for Nicaragua. These are now available through Blaze Away miniatures. On balance I think the Brigade figures look the best although some of the hats have brims like traffic cones and they are sold in silly and expensively sized packs, still always good to have some variety.

I used to have a link to a report by a very young Matthew Ridgway who was serving as an observer of the Marines operations in Nicaragua. I lost it when my old hard drive died but if you like I'll have a look for it. Gives some interesting detail on the breakdown and TO&E of USMC battalions down to company level and you can extrapolate the data for smaller sub-units.

[Smokeyrone]

You know, that's where the first "dive bombing" by aircraft was invented, by the Marines, no less, at least according to John Keegan and others.

I love the whole banana wars gaming.  I even bought a freind "Savage Wars of Peace" in hopes of luring him into future games, and it worked.

(I LOL when I watch "Up In Smoke" and Chong's dad says "I can get you a job with United Fruit Company.  You can start by picking bananas, and maybe you can move up to strawberries!" ) 

I think it's "Outpost" miniatures, that has a new 15mm range of Pacific War figs, that intrigues me.

[ushistoryprof]

Thanks for all the great ideas!  I hadn't thought of Marine bi-wing divebombers, cool. 

[ushistoryprof]

A couple more to add to the mix. I suspect some of the figures in Old Glory's 'Poncho Villa' [sic] range would work. They are in shirtsleeves and Montana Hat and allegedly are some of the best OG figures has ever cast. The photos on their site do seem to bear this out.

Greg Blake sculpted some fairly indifferent USMC figures for China between the wars but they do have some unique items like mounted Marines, which you probably want for Nicaragua. These are now available through Blaze Away miniatures. On balance I think the Brigade figures look the best although some of the hats have brims like traffic cones and they are sold in silly and expensively sized packs, still always good to have some variety.

I used to have a link to a report by a very young Matthew Ridgway who was serving as an observer of the Marines operations in Nicaragua. I lost it when my old hard drive died but if you like I'll have a look for it. Gives some interesting detail on the breakdown and TO&E of USMC battalions down to company level and you can extrapolate the data for smaller sub-units.

Thanks for the info Carlos, the TO&E info would be very helpful if it's not too much of a hassle.

[Cory]

We've done some skirmishing using the late Nicaraguan period 4 man Marine squad with 1 BAR, 1 Tommy gun, 1 rifle, and one shotgun. Definitely gives the Marines a different feel than their opponents.

[postal]

I love to see people doing more MARINES in thier games SEMPER FI.Yeah were the first to use combine arms.

[Smokeyrone]

I love to see people doing more MARINES in thier games SEMPER FI.Yeah were the first to use combine arms.

That's what I heard in a Keegan inteview, when he said that three of the five great modern concepts of war were "developed"  (not the best word IMO, I think he mean't "Popularized"/"put into practice"?) by US Marines (Dive Bombing, Amphibious Invasion and helicopters)

I know William the Conquerer might have a thing or two to say to Keegan about amphib operations?   

Yes Postal, Marines rock!   

[ushistoryprof]

Thanks for all the great input guys.  Below are two links for those interested in US Marines, the first is a photo of my son a pfc (soon to be lance corporal) and the second is a unit of WWI Marines I painted last week. 

http://worldhistoryprof.blogspot.com/2010/03/pfc-thomas-wall.html

http://worldhistoryprof.blogspot.com/2010/03/1918-us-marine-devil-dogs-going-through.html

[Smokeyrone]

Thanks for all the great input guys.  Below are two links for those interested in US Marines, the first is a photo of my son a pfc (soon to be lance corporal) and the second is a unit of WWI Marines I painted last week. 

http://worldhistoryprof.blogspot.com/2010/03/pfc-thomas-wall.html

http://worldhistoryprof.blogspot.com/2010/03/1918-us-marine-devil-dogs-going-through.html

That's great, prof.  Congratulations on your son!

 Pensacola, eh?  That's Seminole territory 

And nice paint job.

[carlos marighela]

Ok so it took some time. Frustratingly the bookmark at the Army Historical Centre has moved but here are some notes I made on another forum:

After the better part of two years I have re discovered a document on the web that provides a great deal of organisational detail for the USMC in Nicaragua.  Notes on Operations in Nicaragua, July 1927 - October 1928 by a certain Captain Matthew Ridgway is instructive reading, confirming some of the detail Greg put into his article on the Marines in CPQ12.  The document is an official report made by Ridgway to the Chief of Infantry, detailing the nature and conduct of operations.Whilst unfortunately the document is missing the appendices detailing the official peace strength regimental and brigade TOEs the text in the body makes fascinating reading, including the observation that the USMC battalions were similarly configured to US army battalions at peace strengths.
 
For those interested the USMC forces involved in the Nicaraguan expedition consisted of the USMC 2nd Brigade, made up of the 5th Marines, the 11th Marines and a 'Battle Fleet Regiment (Provisional)" drawn from the fleet units supporting the occupation. The 5th and 11th Regiments each consisted of 3 battalions, each of 3 rifle companies and an MG company. the 2nd battalion of the 5th Marines being drawn from fleet detachments of the Scouting Fleet. The Battle Fleet Provisonal Regiment consisted of 2 battalions, each of 4 rifle companies.
 
Ridgway goes on to detail the rifle companies right down to the distribution of weapons . The rifle companies were of 2 platoons each of 4 squads. Ridgeway lists the weapons distribution of a typical company, the 45th Company, which interestingly enough as well as the 8 BARs and 8 Thompson SMGs (one each per squad) includes 4 Browning MMGs , 1 3" trench Mortar and one 1 Pdr (AKA the 37mm Infantry Gun). he further notes that the Machine gun company had a provisional organisation of  a four gun MMG platoon plus a "howitzer section'' of  one 3" trench mortar and one 1 Pdr (37mm IG).
 
It seems, perhaps not surpsrisingly, that on actual operations the 37mm gun was largely deployed in static garrison locations and that only the 3" trench mortar was utilised, accompanying 'strong patrols' presumably for planned assaults.
 
All this seems to suggest on the basis of the battalion holdings (12 MMG, 4  3" Stokes mortars and 4 37mm Infantry guns) that the USMC battalions (and presumably from Ridgway's remarks concerning the similarity of organisation) US Army battalions.

[carlos marighela]

And here is the original link: http://www.carlisle.army.mil/cgi-bin/usamhi/DL/showdoc.pl?docnum=7. Alas it just takes you to the general CMH site now. I've searched without joy for the document but it's somewhere on their files.

Orginal document is Notes on Operations in Nicaragua, July 1927 - October 1928. As I pointed out in my earlier post it's a fairly faint copy of the original and alas missing the tables at the end but it is a fascinating read. Hopefully someone will have more jo y than me and can post a direct link to the document.