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 book 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.
 

Brittle Plastic and Head Swaps

Airfix WWI British Infantry in 1/76th scale.

Sadly, many of them have fallen in combat.

They have succumbed to plastic rot.  I have stored them indoors, in a climate controlled area inside a plastic food storage container, out of the sunlight, inside a dark drawer.  

The wheat are separated from the chaff.  All the dead and wounded are evacuated and the rest are returned to duty after the screening.

The unit suffered about 30% casualties. 

Hopefully they will solider on for decades to come.

The heads are removed from the brittle figures and they will be repurposed.  Strangely the thick parts like bodies and heads seem to last longer than the bases and arms and legs.  I will use these for head swaps, but when that happens about 10% will split apart and be discarded like their bodies.

I use these head to make Interwar US Army troops who wore a similar hat to the British service cap.  They also get used as police heads, as this was a common service cap for police from the 1920s and even similar ones are used today by US police.  I take generic civilians and replace their head with these guys and add weapons, billy clubs and other gear and use them as cops.  Some other figures look good with this head, the Matchbox US Army solider in greatcoat firing a .45 semi-automatic pistol and the Airfix WWII US Marine standing and firing a pistol, make good police, or even MPs with this head.
 

Amazons in Vegas

Dark Alliance Modern Amazons.

One of each pose of the infantry figures.  1/72nd scale soft plastic figures.

This pose seems to be of limited utility on the battlefield but is an interesting pose none the less.  So I added a slightly larger base so she would stand up better and disarmed her.

Then sent her and her sister to Las Vegas where they dance two shows a night and an extra matinee on the weekends.

There is also a singer.

In the spotlight with a standing room only crowd.

This large battle ax seems a bit too much as well.  So it went away and the sword was cut down to a knife.  Now in each case, I am keeping representative samples of the original figure so that the Amazons will still have the diversity of pose and weapons as the full set.  Just not as many of some of  the poses.

Maybe pair her with Ka-Zar, Lord of the Hidden Jungle?

Or maybe Lance Hale?

Or maybe Tarzan of the Apes as Jane?
 

Vietnam War US Army

These are great troops.  1/72nd scale soft plastic US Army troops for Vietnam.  Unlike the Esci / Italeri figures which are rather thin, and even sort of comic book looking these guys look like they are in the war.

You get a infantry group and a command group.  43 figures is a perfect size for a Vietnam era plastoon.

First figure has an M14 rifle and a Stetson hat.  A bit Hollywood but a great pose.  Probably do a head swap on a few of these and give them a regular M1 helmet.

Advancing at the ready with an M16 rifle.  Look at all the gear he is packing!

M16 at the hip, fire while advancing, walking fire.  Note the extra canteens.

Radioman with smoke grenades.  I am popping smoke.  I identify yellow smoke.  Roger, yellow smoke.

You discharge a smoke grenade and the helicopter pilot tells you what color smoke he sees.  You confirm he has picked the right color so that if the enemy has also thrown smoke your pilot will still know where to land.

I love the gear on these guys, clearly they did not just dismount from a helicopter unless they are planning to walk back to base.  Note the quality of the casting and depth of detail.  Great figures.
 

GEN Gumm

Airfix 1/72nd scale plastic WWII US Marine Corps figure. 

First released in 1963 these figures are still pretty good.  However, at the time they were the only WWII USMC or US Army figures in about 1/72nd scale except for the very toy like Giant of Hong Kong figures.  So while I have not declared them obsolete, I have declared them limited standard.  That means they can be withdrawn from their regular military service and used for other purposes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_%2766  These figures are being re-purposed as henchmen for COL Gumm, later GEN Gumm, in the Batman 66 universe.

Many of the GEN Gumm henchmen wear a flamethrower type weapon that sprays a thick, sticky glue.  Rather than field a bunch of identical flamethrower figures, I am swapping out the flamethrower upper bodies with lower bodies from other figures from the same Airfix set.  See if you recognize the lower bodies!

GEN also has a large number of goons, a comic book does not have the same financial limitations as a TV show and so 30 goons cost as much as 3 in a comic, so in this version of GEN Gumm he has a small platoon.

The figures will have the seam filled more once I start painting.

I trimmed down the bases a bit to fit into my superhero bases.  Goons get a triangle shaped base.  I think these conversions would work well just for regular troops.
 

More RAF

RAF Personnel guy with a bomb.  1/72nd scale soft plastic from Airfix.  I may use him for WWI US Army Air Corps.  Put an M1917 helmet on him perhaps.

I like that these figures have essentially no flash and the thin bits like the handles here are excellent.

Camera, can be uses for my US Army Air Corps.

These may be used for race cars, they often have big tool chests and other gear containers.

The rockets are cool, but not sure how I will use them, maybe WWII US Army Air Force.  Perhaps swap the headgear to ball caps.

Chocks away, good figure for US Army Air Corps.

If you love your machine gun, give it a hug.

I think this guy is putting air in the tires of a big airplane.  But not really sure.

Pilot and officer, probably US Army Air Corps the officer just US Army WWII, it looks like an Ike jacket.

Fueling and ammo feeding.  These guys will probably become 1938 US Army Air Corps.
 

Japanese Tankers

The uniforms are very Japanese looking.

But tankers of all nations have to lug heavy Jerry cans.

Note the goggles, very nice.  Flags used to communicate without radio.

Even with a radio the flag is instant and not subject to jamming or interception like radio.

Casual moments.

Both are looking, one of the left is leaning on the tank fender.

More action poses, running towards the tank.

Firing the pistol at the enemy.

Seated on the tank, and getting a drink of water.

Seated figures are nice because you can use them on the tank, or in the back of trucks, or in offices, or as vehicle crews.