Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => The Second World War => Topic started by: lou passejaire on December 18, 2018, 06:15:39 PM
-
Plastic WW2 US Infantry update
The next 28mm plastic project after the Agincourt mounted knights are Michael's WW2 US Infantry. We don't have a release date for these yet as they have just been sent to Renedra. They represent standard American GI's from Tunisia to D Day. There will be 42 figures in a box which will allow you to build a full strength platoon and HQ with additional fire power of two .30 cals supplied, should you need it. There are 15 different body positions, including 3 kneeling and 2 prone, all with separate heads. There will be 37 x Garands, 3 x Springfields, 6 x BARs (double the amount you need but encase you want to up gun your platoon as some did later in the war), 8 x Thompson SMGs, 6 x M1 Carbines, 2 x Springfield sniper rifles, 2 x M1A1 Bazookas, 2 x Grease guns and 2 x pistols. Rifle ammo pouches are attached to some bodies but others are left without and separate pouches for each gun supplied. Not all the bodies and arms are shown in these photos.
(https://i.servimg.com/u/f98/18/75/34/56/48366110.jpg)
(https://i.servimg.com/u/f98/18/75/34/56/48366210.jpg)
(https://i.servimg.com/u/f98/18/75/34/56/48389910.jpg)
enjoy
-
Interesting.
They might tempt me for some action in North Africa (assuming they are size compatible with their existing DAK and Eighth Army).
-
i hope so ... been quite useable as French if Michael release some heads ... for Corsica, Italy, and Provence .
-
I had a look at some of these 3 ups while on a visit to the Perry Twins last month ;D
It promises to be quite a set - so whereas typically you might get 5 or 6 body types on other manufacturers' sprues these Perry ones will offer 10 standing, 3 kneeling and 2 prone. There's lots of extra weapons too. You can do a whole platoon with one box too. It will be interesting to see their price point.
Very nice if you like realistically proportioned troops - a surprisingly rare commodity in the 28mm WW2 market.
Can't wait,
EC
-
They're pretty special in all, a really good mix of bits and bobs too. Everything is there for a rifle platoon, as far as I can tell from the info given at least.
-
For plastic they are very nice.
I esp like the Bazooka team - a realistic pose
-
Absolutely fabulous. Will definitely be getting these :)
-
Like them alot!
-
Gorgeous stuff. Definitely want.
-
While great for WW2 I'm thinking Korean War too, possibly even early Vietnam?
-
While great for WW2 I'm thinking Korean War too, possibly even early Vietnam?
Not with those uniforms. (Warlord made this spurious claim on their old box of plastic GI's, but have apparently since done some research, and do not include it on the new set.) Empress's US infantry will work for Korea, but the weapons are wrong for Vietnam, quite apart from the uniforms.
http://www.empressminiatures.com/userimages/procart81.htm
If by 'early Vietnam', however, you mean the French war in Indo-China, Empress have French paras, Vietminh, and water buffalo:
http://www.empressminiatures.com/userimages/procart56.htm
-
Not with those uniforms. (Warlord made this spurious claim on their old box of plastic GI's, but have apparenlty since done some research, and do not include it on the new set.) Empress's US infantry will work for Korea, but the weapons are wrong for Vietnam, quite part from the uniforms.
http://www.empressminiatures.com/userimages/procart81.htm
If by 'early Vietnam', however, you mean the French war in Indo-China, Empress have French paras, Vietminh, and water buffalo:
http://www.empressminiatures.com/userimages/procart56.htm
Agree with Andrew. Even Empress uniforms are wrong for Vietnam (for the US Army ground involvement was 1965... full 20 years after the end of WW2!). Then you have M14 and M16 as standard weapons, different helmet cover, different webbing and so on... as for the French war in Indochina... yes some WW2 items were used, but in the first few years before US support kicked in US equipment was often mixed with original French, British, and Japanese equipment, British uniform's part being the more common (due to local supplies from the British temporary occupation force, and later on demobilizing SEAC troops). Empress (FNG) French are best for 1950 onward.
I would say that this new great set is spot on (as the twins say...) for the period Torch to D-day before the later WW2 uniforms started to appear in numbers (then go to Empress).
-
It will be interesting to see their price point.
Considering that the Perry plastic sets are very consistently priced at £20 (except for a few buildings), I do not think that we are in for any surprises when it comes to pricing. The release date is another issue - a lot of people (Perry twins probably included) are probably wishing for a Salute release, which might be a bit tight if the figures have been just sent to Renedra for tooling.
In any case, the amount of figures is actually more than you need for putting together an infantry rifle platoon, which to my knowledge was at full strenght 41 figures (while this set contains 42 figures). Plus enough Garands to actually arm everyone except the BAR gunners and platoon leader with them.
With the two .30 cal MGs included, it would also be possible to use these as a basis for a US ranger platoon, though converters might want to add some special kit (or even convince Perry twins to crank out some suitable add-on bits or extra models for this).
Dismounted armoured infantry platoon could also be possible, though you might need some more models, as well as extra bazookas and MGs. It sounds like the bazookas and MGs are included in a command sprue (with 2 per box, in addition to 3 grunt sprues), and Perrys have traditionally made those available separately a while after initial release. However, the 60 mm mortar and the ATG (initially a platoon level asset, later centralised on company level) would likely need to be obtained in metal - presumably the Perrys will release a bunch of supplemental packs providing such weapons. Halftracks themselves can be otained in plastic or resin from a number of manufacturers.
-
If anyone fancies the Cuban Revolution, they would work very well for Batista's Army. Although some units used the Garand, most used the Springfield, so acquiring more of those is the main task.
In the USMC the M1 Carbine was the regulation PDW of all but riflemen in Vietnam (including rifle company officers), at least until the M16 became widely available. The M2 Carbine and the Grease Gun were widely used by U.S. Army Special Forces between 1962-65 and occasionally appeared later due to personal preference over the M16 and a variety of 9mm SMGs.
Otherwise though, as stated, the uniform barely made it to the end of WWII and those units that had fought in Italy had been wearing the 1943 OG fatigues since they arrived in theatre. Only in Northern Europe was there a drive to preserve the 'old gear' in use.
-
I am very interested! They look really promising.
-Michael
-
While great for WW2 I'm thinking Korean War too, possibly even early Vietnam?
Definitely. Who cares if a few details are wrong.
An American is an American
-
I was mainly looking at the weapons, which should be good until early vietnam war, at least for some units. I hadnt given much thought to the uniforms. Doh!.
Did the uniform see use with other nations armies after WWII?
-
Definitely. Who cares if a few details are wrong.
An American is an American
I think the difference between the M41 uniform (as worn by these Perry figures) and the M43 uniform (worn by the US forces in late WWII and post-war) is noticeable enough, with the biggest visual difference being the lenght of the jacket, which reaches much lower on the M43 uniform (and probably makes it much more convenient to the wearer during the colder months). For those interested in plastic figures with the M43 uniform, Wargames Factory released a set several years ago - though I have no idea how many retailers still have those in stock.
As for weapons, the Perry kit would of course be fine for Korea, though it does not include M2 carbine and the bazooka is 2.35" inch version that replaced with 3.5" model quite early during the Korean war. Also recoilless rifles that would be available in Korea only saw limited use by US forces in very late WWII.
-
The other major difference is that the 1943 uniform replaced shoes and spats with the combat boot.
Who cares if a few details are wrong.
The only constant is that it's the same helmet. You might just as well use modern U.S. figures for WWII on the basis that an 'American is an American'.
-
On the other hand, what about the post-WWII US national guard - is there a chance that some of those units would have been issued with surplus M41 uniforms in the late 40's and early 50's?
While the national guard would not get deployed overseas to Korea or Germany, they would likely get mobilised to defend the homeland from any threats making it to the US soil. As a good number of period movies will testify, in the early Cold War years US was under a constant threat from communist uprisings, hordes of giant ants, radioactive monsters from the Nevadan desert, zombie plagues, Canadian werewolves, deep ones, Mexican vampires and invading Martians.
-
Definitely. Who cares if a few details are wrong.
An American is an American
It's just a pity there's such a dearth of North Koreans and Chinese, though I'm sure WWII Japanese would do just as well.
-
On the other hand, what about the post-WWII US national guard - is there a chance that some of those units would have been issued with surplus M41 uniforms in the late 40's and early 50's?
There was a lot of resistance in Eisenhower's command to the new uniform and the old stock was exhausted by units in that command. Troops from Italy on the other hand embraced the new uniform, but by the end of the war pretty much everyone was in OG and boots.
Some Latin American countries retained it, Cuba for sure, but then they were wearing the Pre-1941 uniform, complete with 'Smokie the Bear' hats, quite late too.
-
It's just a pity there's such a dearth of North Koreans and Chinese, though I'm sure WWII Japanese would do just as well.
Slap a few Russians in for China as well. They seem to have padded jackets.
It does the job on a model 3 feet away barely over am inch tall.
-
Very nice looking figures.
Will be very interested as to their size.
Will they be the same as their 8th Army and Germans?
-
Very nice looking figures.
Will be very interested as to their size.
Will they be the same as their 8th Army and Germans?
I imagine they'll be a little larger to reflect North American eating habits: supersized portions = supersized figures. Possibly.
-
Very nice looking figures.
Will be very interested as to their size.
Will they be the same as their 8th Army and Germans?
I’m sure they will be.
-
I imagine they'll be a little larger to reflect North American eating habits: supersized portions = supersized figures. Possibly.
Supersized portions tends to be post-war phenomenon, back in the days of WWII things were a bit more spartan - especially during the depression years of the early 30's.
This probably means that these Perry figures will be too slim to pass for modern US WWII re-enactors...
-
This probably means that these Perry figures will be too slim to pass for modern US WWII re-enactors...
Ouch lol
-
This probably means that these Perry figures will be too slim to pass for modern US WWII re-enactors...
They're not fat, they're just "heroically scaled". ;)
-
Thanks for sharing the preview, I have been anxiously awaiting these since the teaser three ups from last sping! A very generous box with the sure to be coming metal support units I, will finally have the Americans to face off against my Perry Afrika Korps and Ramcke Brigade!
-
If they did some of those funny forage caps they would be great for the atomic age 50s.
-
It's just a pity there's such a dearth of North Koreans and Chinese, though I'm sure WWII Japanese would do just as well.
Warlord have a new campaign book coming out this year for the Korean War so I would think there will be some Chinese and PRNK along soon.
-
Interesting. That suggests they'll also be bringing out another set of US infantry, as they've now - at least by inference - accepted that the WWII set isn't appropriate.
-
Andrew,
I suppose it's conceivable that Warlord may reissue the Wargames Factory US infantry plastics, who were in the later uniforms,
EC
-
Ah, I'd forgotten about those. That does seem probable. I have the WF German set, which isn't bad, other than the bland faces, but not the Americans.
-
I have the WF German set, which isn't bad, other than the bland faces.
I have them also, but have put the Gripping beast WW1 ottoman heads on them, they are a good match. 10 with fez's and 10 with the German syle helmet.
-
Hmmm....that hadn't occurred to me, but then mine aren't destined to be Handschar. I did think of using some Warlord plastic heads, but they looked sort of freakish on top of the WF bodies.