Mike is Collecting Troops

For the last couple years I have been sorting out my collection of US Army figures from the period 1898 to 1998.  I am doing American Army troops that work for that whole period with touch points at 1898, 1918, 1938, 1958, 1978, 1998.  These periods essentially conform to our involvement in several wars.

I got some trays from Dollar General stores and I am using them to help me sort the troops by one platoon per tray, four platoons per company.  Sadly, hundreds of my Esci, and Airfix troops went brittle and will have to be replaced.

The cost of getting replacement troops has slowed the project by years.  I am also arranging them into companies, battalions, regiments, with the over all plan to be able to field the combat elements of an infantry division.

I am very vaguely, basing these troops on actual units.  The little photos are paintings of actual US Army units from these eras showing their uniforms, headgear and personal equipment.

All these Esci Zulu Wars British Infantry figures went brittle and will need replacement.  It's at least 8 boxes of figures.  The Italeri version of these troops have about a dozen fewer troops per set than the Esci figures sets and fewer riflemen.  So I anticipate having to buy 10 to 12 Italeri sets.

I am using this book as a guide to uniforms and equipment at the small unit level for each era.  This group is a great resource.  The collection will include private, local, and state militias, organized guard units and other militarized groups.  The US Army actually used saucer caps, Montana Peak hats, garrison caps, M1917 helmets, M1 helmets, pith helmets, pickelhaube helmets, and several other types.

My plan includes Boy Scouts, and US Forest Service men.  The Boy Scouts often performed search and rescue, and other auxiliary duties in the World Wars.  The US Army guarded the US Forests in World War One because wood was a strategic asset in World War One for airplane building and light ships.  They were special units that were the only US Army Federal troops issued lever action units.