French Korea battalion equipment

[seamoose]

What uniforms and equipment did the french volunteers in korea wear/use? We're they issued the French 1947 uniform and carry French small arms or were they issued entirely with US gear in theater?

[88D]

From what I remember reading about them in street without joy they where american equipped and supplied in Korea which caused them quite a shock when they where sent to Indochina and had to make do with French supplys.

[seamoose]

I recently finished street without joy and I sort of question some of his accuracy but I do believe he described them as lavishly equipped but considering the situation in Indochina that could mean a great many things.

[carlos marighela]

All the photos I've seen suggest US equipment and uniforms including small arms. About the only distinguishing feature is their beret and arm patch. Given that they were a volunteer battalion attached to US command, this makes perfect sense. Empress late war GIs if you are looking for something in 28mm.

[seamoose]

Did they keep that equipment when they were sent to indochina or was it likely it returned to US quartermasters? Also can the late war paratroops from warlord games be used? I have a box of those somewhere already

[commissarmoody]

The French supply chain was crazy. With the US giving France some thing like 230,000+ M1 Garand rifles in the 50s alone.
Some units should be completely kited out with American equipment and uniforms. To the point units would request resupply and get ammo for the wrong countries arms!

The battalion was expanded into a 2 battalion regiment when it first arrived in Indo-chain before casualties and attrition forced the unit back down to one battalion before it was shipped to North Africa in 1955. So you could have units with American kit and weapons mixed in with unit fully kited out  with French equipment and gear depending on the individual battles fought.

Also don't forget that after China joined the war in Korea, that the US decided to start arming the west again so many French metropolitan units in France and in north Africa where fully uniformed and equipped with US weapons. So the likely hood of a few M1s being kept by them is actually pretty good. but how long they would still have them after getting in country is the issue. For it would seem that most of the m1s gerands going to Indo china seemed to be put into the hand of the local French union troops who would later turn into the ARVAN.

I am not to sure on the American paras though. Photos from the Korean war seems to show the Airborne looking like regular GIs.
But that could be some interesting conversion with say some of the ww2 US Airborne with say M1/M2 carbines (M1 carbines especially the para version where very popular and a prized rifle) being painted up as French paras. I would think a French beret head or the soft caps along with the paras camo might integrate the minature nicely into your existing force.

[seamoose]

I don't suppose they may have been issued with Mas 49s when they arrived in Indochina?

[carlos marighela]

Did they keep that equipment when they were sent to indochina or was it likely it returned to US quartermasters? Also can the late war paratroops from warlord games be used? I have a box of those somewhere already

If you carved off the cargo pockets on their trousers, yeah probably. Mostly unadorned tin hats in the photos.

I doubt they took much, if anything, in the way of US weapons back to Indochina. .30-06 ammunition would have just added to the logistics nightmare and by late in the war the French were pretty much settled on 7.5 X 54 as their standard small arms calibre, MMGs aside that is.

There were French battalions in the Algerian war equipped with M1 Garands. They were Metropolitan battalions with arms supplied for NATO under MAP. Mostly used as static garrisons with literally a handful of ammo supplied per man.

[commissarmoody]

Ok seems that I was off, I am reading my book on the Algerian war and what Carlos says is correct.
I was geting my indo-China and North African info a little mixed up.
But the M1 carbine was still used in small numbers and yes the MAS-49 also was used to. But not sure how wide spread it was seeing as some thing like only 20,000 where made b3fore the MAS-49/56 got mass produced and issued around 1957.

[seamoose]

What this is sounding like is that if I build some French troops for Korea they wouldn't fit with my stuff for Indochina, which is okay. Thanks for the info fellas.

[commissarmoody]

Sadly that might be the case, at least when it comes to weapons. 
Speaking of Mas-49s do you know of some one who makes them?

[carlos marighela]

Sadly that might be the case, at least when it comes to weapons. 
Speaking of Mas-49s do you know of some one who makes them?

TAG produce a MAS-36 in their equipment range. If you filed off the bolt handle and added a green stuff or plasticard magazine, you'd have a decent representation. MAS-49/56 would take a bit more work obviously.

[commissarmoody]

TAG produce a MAS-36 in their equipment range. If you filed off the bolt handle and added a green stuff or plasticard magazine, you'd have a decent representation. MAS-49/56 would take a bit more work obviously.

Derp, now why didn't I think of that.  

Here are some videos I found about the Korean Battalion. First one is news and personal film footage.


The 2nd one I am just started, but it a combination of interviews of living members of the battalion and the history of its time in Korea.


both are French with English subtitles.

[seamoose]

I'm just quietly waiting for Paul hicks to sculpt a couple guys with them for the FNG range. Make my favorite line of figures even better.