Pulp Cops - Shanghai Municipal Police?

[Wirelizard]

Lurk Mode: OFF

Been visiting here for a while now, thinking of things pulpish and admiring the painting skills...

Bob Murch (Pulp Figures) finally lured me into pulp last weekend at Vancouver's Trumpeter Salute con, mostly by putting on a spectacular six-way game set in "China Station" somewhere in southern China in the 1930s. Several of us picked up packs of his figures, scenery building has already started, and fiendish plots are being plotted.

I've also been doing a lot of reading online about the 1920s/1930s in general, and China & Shanghai in particular. I knew the whole International Zone setup in Shanghai was strange, but hadn't realized just how peculiar and pulpish it was! The colonial powers, multiple factions of Chinese, Russians both White & Red, Indian nationalists, the Japanese... everyone had a finger in Shanghai...

So, that said: Does anyone make 28mm figures suitable for the International Shanghai Municipal Police force? I didn't see anything on Pulp Figures or Copplestone's site, but there's other pulp companies out there I haven't discovered yet, I'm sure...

[Hammers]

So, that said: Does anyone make 28mm figures suitable for the International Shanghai Municipal Police force? I didn't see anything on Pulp Figures or Copplestone's site, but there's other pulp companies out there I haven't discovered yet, I'm sure...

I've always thought they'd be like MPs in the respective gear of which ever army uniform the protectorate was (french, US etc.), with the addition of civilin clad criminal detectives.

[Gundamentalist 5.56]

So, that said: Does anyone make 28mm figures suitable for the International Shanghai Municipal Police force? I didn't see anything on Pulp Figures or Copplestone's site, but there's other pulp companies out there I haven't discovered yet, I'm sure...

I've been considering a similar idea and did a similar search. I couldn't find anything out there either. In my opinion it's the next best Pulp setting outside Prohibition US and I've no idea why no one's released any figures for it. If you want to bother manufacturers Artizan and Brigade seem quite receptive to suggestions.

I've always thought they'd be like MPs in the respective gear of which ever army uniform the protectorate was (french, US etc.), with the addition of civilin clad criminal detectives.

From the limited photos I've found its more a British-style police uniform but with a flat hat instead of helmet, Sam Browne belt and holster. The French-zone police will be different yet again but I'm guessing essentially French in style.

You could convert British soldiers and police (if you can find them) but I think it might be quite hard work.

[zebcook]

A quick Google image search turned up few good pics:

It looks like an combo of everything -- British, Indian, and more.

http://www.jamd.com/image/g/3320786

http://www.tankmuseum.ru/mp.html

http://www.jamd.com/image/g/3329244

http://www.jamd.com/image/g/3305701

[Dan]

I asked the same thing on TMP ages ago and reached the same consensus about them being a mix of Military or Para Military forces    and then I Goggled a few photos which I dont seem to be able to post in this thread .
I have a photo of some Shanghai Police in a very dark uniform and flat topped peak caps with some sort of protective vest. Some 1932 Police in a Khaki looking uniform fighting the Japanese. Some Indians in British Uniforms etc.

http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=87462

[Bullshott]

I'm not sure if it was Shanghai, but I seem to remember that a British ex-police officer from China was enrolled to train British secret service types in WW2. Why? Because he had developed the quick draw technique for use in close and nasty urban combat situations.

Rather than the normal military/police technique of taking deliberate aim with your service revolver, this chap perfected the technique of rapid draw from a holster and blasting off as many shots as possible, having realised that if you take time to aim your pistol the irate Chinaman charging you is going to kill you with a big cleaver or somesuch before you can fire a single shot. For some reason this was regarded as a useful skill to be taught to agents being dropped into occupied territory in WW2....

So how many sets of Pulp rules allow (European) Shanghai police officers and WW2 British agents to have the skill of 'Quick Draw'?

[Gluteus Maximus]

Maybe RN Officers would do for British, with French Officers in Tunic & Kepi for the French?
Or, how about early WW1 Officers [ pre- Tin Lid uniform] which might do for other Nations?

The descriptions of flat-top caps would seem to fit the bill - or am I talking out of my posterior, as usual?  ::

[Plynkes]

I seem to remember from "The Blue Lotus" Sikhs in army-style uniforms with truncheons beating up Tintin. I also have a vague memory of Tommies in tin hats with puttees. In later years Hergé was a stickler for accuracy, but this book is an early one, so he might not be a reliable source.

But anyway, my memory may be playing me false, and I'm not sure where my copy of that book is to check.

[Le matou rouge]

In later years Hergé was a stickler for accuracy

Yep, and all the early black and with editions  were re-drawn for their colour edition (the current ones) with a lot of variation (almost all vehicles have been "modernized", for exemple)
But the Lotus Bleu should be accurate for the area in wich the story is supposed to happen

meow,
Matt

[Gundamentalist 5.56]

I'm not sure if it was Shanghai, but I seem to remember that a British ex-police officer from China was enrolled to train British secret service types in WW2. Why? Because he had developed the quick draw technique for use in close and nasty urban combat situations.

W.E. Fairbairn is the chap you mean.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_E._Fairbairn

Apparently in SOE training he ended every description of nasty HTH moves with "and then kick them in the nuts".  :roll:

[Spooner6wa]

Wirelizard, I played in the game that Bob put on.  It was lots of fun.  I was the American Sailors.  What was funny about that game is with all the shooting taking place at the end no one that I remember even suffered a wound.  Everyone was suppressed/forced back.  The only wound suffered the whole game was by my Hero, the Naval Officer who of all things suffered the wound from the Dragon Ladies hair pick!  LOL too funny.

Good luck finding suitable figures.

[Wirelizard]

The only wound suffered the whole game was by my Hero, the Naval Officer who of all things suffered the wound from the Dragon Ladies hair pick!  LOL too funny.

I remember someone did a header over the waterfall into the pool below, but can't remember if it was because they were wounded or if they just blew a Luck roll badly.

It was a grand climactic battle, anyway - Bob runs a great game.

We're considering making funny hats mandatory in our own local pulp games - it seems to work for others!

I was the German Seebattalion officer, the terribly egotistical Prussian.

[Wirelizard]

Some Shanghai links that might be of interest:

Streets of Shanghai wiki: http://streetsofshanghai.pbwiki.com/
Virtual Shanghai: http://virtualshanghai.ish-lyon.cnrs.fr/Repository.php?ID=45
Wikipedia on Shanghai Municipal Police: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_municipal_police

The Streets of Shanghai wiki has an SMP article and another Reserve Unit article - the RU was basically one of the first SWAT type units in the world. "Its officers include Chinese, Britons, Japanese, Russians and Sikhs", according to that first article.

Photos I've found online seem to show a mix of English "Bobby" style uniforms and more millitary uniforms on other officers. Sikh police wore orange turbans, apparently.

Could be an interesting pack from Pulp Figures or one of the other companies - 1 or 2 each of European, Sikh & Chinese SMP officers; possibly a second pack of Reserve Unit types (all European? None of the sources I've seen so far say, but it's not a bad way to bet...).

There were plainclothes CID (Criminal Investigation) and Special Branch (political investigation) arms as well... all in all, a wealth of pulpish opportunities!

[warrenpeace]

This is a fantastic thread!!! I suppose we knew instinctively that Shanghai would be a cool setting for Pulp Adventure, but all these great links really prove that.

This thread got me to go back to the library to check out "Shanghai" a novel by Christopher New.  I had already read the first two parts of that book, but didn't finish it.  As soon as I started part 3 last night I was running into events from the Shanghai historical timeline.  This novel starts shortly after the Boxer Uprising when a young English man ships out for Shanghai to work in the customs service.  It's sort of a rise and fall of a taipan story.  It probably has more sexual angst than action, but there is some action and intrigue.  I don't quite know where the book is heading, in terms of plot, but I expect it will end with the Japanese occupation of Shanghai.  Many major characters in the Shanghai history appear in the novel.  At the very least it seems to describe the Shanghai scene well.

Next I'd like to get copies of the Bartle Bull novels about White Russians in Shanghai.

[Gundamentalist 5.56]

This topic is certainly stimulating me as well.  

After further probing on Google, I have found this:
http://www.ju-jitsu.no/index.php?name=Artikler%2FHistorien_om_William_Fairbairn.html

It's in Norweigian, so I suppose that's why its not at the top of the hits. However from this page, I can surmise there was a summer and winter SMP uniform - shorts and pith helmet in the summer (I'm assuming khaki), and black trousers, jacket and flat hat in the winter.

It also shows the Reserve Unit's Red Marias, and Fairbairn demonstrating the use of the RU's shield with the standard issue automatic pistol.

I've ordered "Gentleman & Warrior, The Legend of W.E.Fairbairn" by Peter Robins (2005) in the hope there will be a lot more interesting photos.

Next book to track down is "Razziaer i Shaghai" by Haakon Schønning (1929) which is where the very interesting photos seem to be sourced, and of course if I can get an original the photos are now out of copyright...