Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => The Conflicts that came in from the Cold => Topic started by: traveller on March 07, 2019, 07:48:25 AM
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Discussion continues from Silent invaders excellent building thread:
https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=115439.0
Don't see why not, quite a lot of vehicles of French origin show up in photos from Vietnam.
https://www.goldismoney2.com/threads/old-photos-of-horse-carts-on-the-streets-of-saigon-vietnam-in-the-1950s-and-1960s.79876/
https://www.goldismoney2.com/threads/street-scenes-of-saigon-vietnam-from-between-1970-1975-in-color.78522/
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9UeyhW6hbp4/VSnwF8ANESI/AAAAAAABa58/5xUFo5WCg80/s1600/Saigon%2C%2B1970-75%2B(26).jpg)
A bit of a challenge! I think there's a Citroen truck under that.
(https://i.postimg.cc/HnqJy0KB/AB4-AC4-BC-7-F50-4963-8-BA6-16-E477-D39559.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/kRyXrS7b)
It does look similar under all that disguise...
So there is this truck from Solido and 1st Corps, and a Citroen 2CV from Welly, what else is there for the streets of Hue?
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On the way I have a Siku 1/55 1960s VW Beetle and a 1/55 1950s/60s looking Citroen-esque “Geartrude” character from Disney Cars. I’ll post scale pics when they arrive.
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There are one or two useful 1/55 scale American sedans in the Disney Pixar Cars range. There’s also a useful Ford pick up truck
If you are looking to populate streets the really you want a few motorscooters and those Japanese three wheeler mini trucks. Not sure if anyone makes in-scale scooters but Tomica made some of the mini trucks/ vans. IIRC they are somewhere between 1/60 and 1/55 in scale. They also make/ made Japanese sedans of the period.
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Great!
Are motorcycles WW2 vintage something that would work?
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Nah, classic Vespas and a lot of ‘60s Japanese bikes. Honda, step thrus, Super Cubs and the like.
Here’s a couple of photos of war era bikes I took at a museum in Saigon.
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Very useful.
I have got a couple of Project Z Motorbikes to assemble. Not sure if they are suitable for 60s and Nam.
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Crooked Dice Scooter Gang: http://www.crooked-dice.co.uk/wp/product/scooter-gang/
(http://www.crooked-dice.co.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/cd-scooter-gang-group-pic.jpg)
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Can't say where to get them - except try French language sites but a die-cast Citroen 4 would be a classic period vehicle. They were the main Taxi and sedan type in South Vietnam.
Cheers
John
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Found a few images that may be useful?
(http://farm9.static.flickr.com/8318/7934415668_2834b70f57.jpg)
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/23/46/1c/23461c6c909d100dfff85acc0c45f9bf.jpg)
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I just picked up a 1/50 Solido M35 2 1/2 ton kaiser truck from ebay. The plan is to convert it into a gun truck for Hue. There are a lot of photos of individualised gun trucks but I have failed to find one that was involved in the battle. Any ideas of an M35 that was there? Below is a list from Osprey of named trucks:
(https://i.postimg.cc/Pr0rH0yq/A88-D4-A4-F-1737-4822-B380-097-B48638-CA3.png) (https://postimg.cc/D8dKdjtV)
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Gun trucks weren't really a USMC thing, being semi-official additions to the strength of US Army Transport Groups & used escorting convoys.
As such it's unlikely that one would just turn up in a street fight, but I'm sure they saw plenty of action in the Tet offensive.
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Word of warning for the rivet counter. Strictly speaking the Solido ‘Kaiser Jeep’ is actually an M-34 as it has only six wheels as opposed to the ten of the actual M-35 and the headlight/ grill arrangement is slightly different. I suspect Solido nicked the details from the old Monogram truck.
For the purists, fear not, as the M-34 seems to have served in Vietnam. For the rest of us, it looks close enough and given the price disparity with the Corgi version (which actually is an M-35) near enough is quite good enough in my books.
As for gun truck names, no idea but there is a website which might provide some pointers, once you know which transportation company it was.
http://grambo.us/atav/
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Crooked Dice Scooter Gang: http://www.crooked-dice.co.uk/wp/product/scooter-gang/
(http://www.crooked-dice.co.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/cd-scooter-gang-group-pic.jpg)
The middle one is a figure and a scooter (available separately), the other two are scooter plus legs, and an upper body.
The bike gang is probably not so useful.
http://www.crooked-dice.co.uk/wp/product/bike-gang/ (http://www.crooked-dice.co.uk/wp/product/bike-gang/)
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Thanks for your comments! Damn, you cannot trust the French with diecasting! Carlos, great link!