Introducing the US Marines

Latest edit: Added Kozak Miniatures US Marines

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The war in the Pacific was a brutal business. Not only were men fighting each other, but they were also fighting against nature. The jungle, constant rain, mud, tropical diseases, jungle rot -dying of the skin and flesh-, even starvation -or at least having to eat half-rotten food-, when supplies could not reach them. The fighting was also a lot more primal. Tanks were hard to maneuver in the jungle, so infantry did the bulk of the fighting, often in close quarters fighting or hand-to-hand combat, which was made highly treacherous by the large amount of vegetation that allowed combatants to sneak upon each other. Every night the danger of enemy infiltration and being killed in your foxhole was a very real and nerve-racking possibility. The stiff resistance of the Japanese, often fighting to the last man, meant that sometimes they had to be burnt alive or sealed to die in their caves, and virtually no quarter was given by either side. The weather conditions also meant that the dead decomposed very quickly and the men often found themselves fighting next to or on top of rotting corpses filled with maggots, enduring a terrible stench and macabre conditions. This is the world that the leathernecks inhabited in this theater of operations. Yet, perhaps because relatively fewer men were involved in the Pacific campaigns, or perhaps because of its remoteness, or the fact that the fighting happened in places that westerners have difficulties locating on a map, the war on the Pacific has received less attention, and this is also the case in the manufacturing of figure sets representing US Marines. It was not until a few years back that the situation started to improve, as you will see from the pictures below. 

Atlantic US Marine Corps - Part I

This is one of my favorite sets from Atlantic. The figures are posed with enough movement in them and they are well proportioned. The kneeling guy's bazooka is a separate piece, so unless you glue it, you have to put it in place every time you handle him.

Atlantic US Marine Corps - Part II

Here are another 6 figures. If you are counting that makes 11, which is 1 more than the usual in the typical Atlantic set. The highlight of this batch are the flag-raising guys. Again, the flag comes separately and it requires a few tries to assemble the three pieces right, but the effort is well worth it. A mini tribute to the Iwo Jima flag-raising marines.

BMC US Marines - Part 1

BMC released these marines as part of their Iwo Jima set, along with Japanese figures. They were made aroud the time of the movie Flag of our Fathers, when some interest in the Pacific war started to take place. Personally, I find these figures to be very well made, and quite affordable. They are a bit on the larger side for 54mm, but they are very well made.

BMC US Marines - Part 2

As you can see, the men are depicted in nice action/fighting poses which look quite realistic. One thing to point out is that the left most man's bazooka can be removed and it requires a couple tries to set it back in place properly. Not a big deal, but something to be aware of.

BMC US Marines - Part 3

These guys are already primed as I will be painting them soon. Their original color is a light, creamy green. Also with this set you get a flag raising team modeled after the famous photograph, and also a Higgins boat coxswain. The flag raising team is made in a smaller scale as the rest of the figures, and the coxswain has an unusual base that makes him stand about 1 inch taller than the other guys, hence I am not including them in the figures I'll be painting.

Glencoe / Marx US Marines - Part 1

The Marx Marines were released in the 60s I believe, and for many years, they were the only figures of their kind that you could find. They produced 12 poses, and they seem to be meant for a beach landing scene. There are a couple poses in the set that seem a bit awkward, but they are actually a very nice set if you compare them to other figures released at the time.

Glencoe / Marx US Marines - Part 2

I painted these guys about 10 years back, before I had any of the more recent sets. Going back to the point about the poses, the two guys on the right are slightly odd. Maybe it's the way they are leaning, or maybe how the flamethrower guy is bending his knees. On the other hand, the two guys on the left seem just right.

Glencoe / Marx US Marines - Part 3

Remember what I was saying about a beach landing? The running poses and the Mae West would be well suited for it. Even the prone guy trying to determine the best route to get off the beach. Although I really wonder how many Marines actually wore life jackets during landing operations. Maybe this is a rear echelon officer coming ashore once the beach has been secured?

TSSD US Marines - Part 1

Another recent set courtesy of Toy Soldiers of San Diego. These guys are also a nice dynamic bunch which captures well the nature of the fighting in the Pacific. Close quarters combat with bayonets, the wounded having to defend themselves. Their original color is very similar to the BMC guys, so even unpainted they blend well together.

TSSD US Marines - Part 2

Some more nice poses by Toy Soldiers of San Diego. The guy fighting with the shovel is quite dramatic. The other men showing a representative variety of weapons: sub machine gun, Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) & Garand rifle.

Classic Toy Soldiers US Infantry (as Marines) - Part 1

These guys are not really Marines. They are recently released US Infantry troops by CTS, but I thought I would add them to the Marines to get a few more poses, plus the fact that they come with a flamethrower guy and a guy having to fight with both hands, makes them good candidates to fight on places like Peleliu or Iwo Jima.

 Classic Toy Soldiers US Infantry (as Marines) - Part 2

I like the guy standing with the bazooka. Most of the times they are depicted kneeling. The BAR guy could be firing through the dense jungle foliage at some unseen enemy in the distance while on patrol. 

TSSD US Infantry (as Marine)

This guy is also a regular Army guy, but since the Marines don't have any heavy MGs of their own (OK, the Marx/Glencoe guys have one guy running carrying a MG, but it is not mounted) I've decided to reinforce them with this TSSD guy. He could be gunny Sergeant Basilone fighting on Guadalcanal, earning his Congressional Medal of Honor.

Austin Miniatures Marines

This is a fairly recent release from a new US firm. They are made in the style and size of CTS and Conte figures. A nice level of detail and good sculpting. The poses also depict a good degree of action and intensity. And they are all good basic fighting poses. They will certainly blend in well with the rest of the unit. And if you want you can probably paint them as regular GIs, and they will fit right in as well. 

Plastic Platoon US Marines

The perfect complement to PP's Japanese Infantry set. These guys remind me a bit of Austin Miniatures' marines in the shape of the bodies and heads, slim and tall figures, but with nicer sculpting and detailing. The six poses are good fighting poses, and they cover a nice range of headgear (covered helmet, with netting, plain), clothing styles (tucked vs loose pant bottoms, rolled up sleeves, shirtless, ripped pants, etc.), weapons (Thompson sub mgs, BAR, rifle/bayonet, shotgun w/bayonet(!) and my favorite, the flamethrower) and equipment (backpack, pouches, bandoliers, etc.) I also enjoyed the facial expressions. I am not surprised anymore by the fury and intensity displayed by a couple of them. This time I was more impressed by how the BAR gunner seems so concentrated. Is he aiming at something in the distance, or is he simply laying down covering fire with determination? You'll need to figure that one out yourself when you setup your scene :-) 

Plastic Platoon US Paramarines

These guys are a nice complement to the first set of Marines. Initially I thought that other than the fact that there's a 7th man with them who clearly is a pilot -maybe he crashed or had to bail out on the same mission that dropped the Paramarines- there wasn't much to indicate that these guys were paratroopers, but then it hit me that they are clearly wearing jump boots. I wonder if after the jump that was still a good type of footwear for tropical islands. Maybe it was better at keeping the sand out, but if it did get in, I would have hated having to undo the shoe laces every so often to empty the sand. Anyhow, great poses as usual, with good variety of weaponry. The machete guy is a nice touch. And in terms of detail, look at the ding on the helmet of the second guy from the left. Looks like he literally dodged a bullet! The pilot is one guy that I probably won't have a lot of use for. I might have preferred another Paramarine, but I won't complain. Another great set.  

Plastic Platoon US Marines Heavy Weapons

This is a very nice set. It contains a crew for a Browning Heavy MG, a bazooka team, a BAR man, and an officer coordinating the action through a radio. The center piece of this set is the heavy machine gun itself, and not just the gun, but the base. I know that some folks prefer plain/neutral bases so that they can be placed in a variety of settings, but in the case of these marines, I do think that the heavily detailed base adds to the set. The other figures are nicely sculpted, as usual, with a high degree of action in them. A couple of them show bullet dents in the helmet, which is a nice bit of detail. The other creative touch is the trophy sword tucked away in the backpack of the BAR man. Lastly, the expression on the officer captures very well the intensity of battle without overdoing it as was the case with some of the prior German sets. Overall a great addition to the WWII range, and a great support unit for the other Marines.

Mars US Marines

It's nice to see Mars cover this service branch. Not that it had been neglected by previous manufacturers, but for the sake of Mars collectors having a more complete range, it is good to see this set hit the market. Overall it is a good set, with nice action poses, and a good variety of weapons, including a flamethrower and two heavy machine guns. The larger one is a Browning M1917, and the smaller one is a Browning M1919. Unfortunately, this set suffers more noticeably from what I've been referring to as the tucked arm issue. I know that it has to do with the challenges imposed by two-part molds, but it still makes this set have several figures with right arms that are in very unnatural positions. Other than that, the sculpting is pretty good, so if you look at the figures from the right angle, you can avoid seeing the tucked arms. But all in all a good set.

Austin Miniatures Marines Set 2

It only took me about 10 years to get my hands on Set 2, but I finally did it! This set gives us a few more poses, but I have to say that most of them feel very similar to each other. Maybe it is because of their stance - they are all standing with legs apart and bent knees. Their weaponry is OK. We get one BAR man, one Tommy gun and the rest are rifle men. Perhaps the most interesting feature of this set is the fact that two of the men give us the option to insert either a backpack or a radio set. You get two of each in the bag in case you want to have two radio men or all backpacks. I recommend you glue them so that they stay in place. In terms of detail, that's also OK, although some of the faces and hands could have used a bit more love and care. Overall, this is a set I value more in terms of filling a hole in the collection than because of the figures themselves. 

Kozak Miniatures US Marines by TS Central - Part I

This Marine set contains a generous 16 poses. I like that many of them are wearing cammo cover on their helmets and most are wearing their trousers untucked and have rolled up their sleeves as they'd do in the jungle weather of the pacific. In this first picture I included the shooters. I find 4 out of the 5 guys pretty good. Can you guess which one I am less excited about? Yes, the second man from the left. For some odd reason he is standing with his feet parallel to each other and facing the same direction as his rifle. I prefer firing poses that look more like the guy in the middle. 

Kozak Miniatures US Marines by TS Central - Part II

These next 5 guys are the ones standing or advancing quite cautiously. Again, I find 4 out of these 5 guys fairly acceptable. The one who feels a bit odd is the man on the right. He seems about to hug his rifle. Not the most useful pose. The other 4 guys would be very useful when placed around a Japanese bunker, or cave, waiting for anyone to come out while another one of their buddies throws a grenade into it. The guy with the BAR certainly could do some damage.

Kozak Miniatures US Marines by TS Central - Part III

And in this batch we have what may be the most interesting poses. One of them is the grenade thrower that we were just talking about. And we also have the 2 most dynamic poses in the set rushing forward with intense facial expressions. One guy even has to hold his helmet! We also have a couple other poses that every squad needs: an officer and a radio man. The officer feels a bit stiff. Less of a combat pose and more like the stance that he would have if he were threatening someone. Maybe keeping a prisoner in check? The radio man is a nice solid pose, although I wonder why he is carrying that equipment in the back if he is speaking into a walkie-talkie. And to round off the set we also have a prone shooter. Not much special about him. Just a nice useful combat pose. 

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Click here if you want to see a really cool post of the Marines in action.

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Introducing the ANZAC Infantry

Latest Addition: Kozak Miniatures Australian Infantry

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The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps fought in many theaters during the War, starting in the Greek mainland, then the defense of Crete, and moving on to North Africa from where they helped expel the Axis forces after their victory at El Alamein. From there they fought multiple campaigns in the Pacific, much of it around New Guinea. The New Zealanders also fought in Italy, and took part in the bloody battles around Monte Cassino. In terms of ANZAC figures, there aren't that many manufacturers that have tackled these them. The only ones that I am aware of are Airfix and Lone Star. Take a closer look below.

Airfix Australian Infantry - Part 1

As usual, a well sculpted set with dynamic poses from Airfix. These guys are wearing the tropical uniform so they would most likely be limited to the Pacific theater. Even though they are supposed to be Australians, I was hoping that they might pass for New Zealanders although I recently learned that might be a bit of a stretch, particularly if you are from either nation ;-) Seriously, according to Peter Darman's Uniforms of World War II, the Kiwi hat was smaller, the crown was pointed, and indented on four sides. Plus the brim was never officially folded up. It also had a cap badge worn in front and a puggaree with the regimental colors was worn around the base of the hat. On formal occasions, Australians wore their slouch with the brim folded up and fastened with a metal badge.

Airfix Australian Infantry - Part 2

I really like the crouching Bren gunner, as well as the grenade throwing guy in the middle. The marching guy is nicely done, but if you've read some of my other posts you might know that I have a bias for action poses.

Lone Star ANZAC Infantry - Part 1

The sculpting on these figures is a bit coarse, but it's nice that they provide a bit more variety and poses. Luckily they are also wearing a tropical uniform. I am sure that once they are painted they will blend in acceptably with the Airfix guys. This set includes an officer with a cap, which looks a bit more official than the Airfix commander.

Lone Star ANZAC Infantry - Part 2

This other set contains a bazooka guy, which is a welcome heavy weapon addition, as well as a radio man, which is also not present in the Airfix set. These Lone Star guys are sold in a blister pack which is branded as both Lone Star and Timpo, so if you look for them you might find them under either brand, however my understanding is that they were originally released by Lone Star.

Lone Star ANZAC Infantry - Originals - Part 1

I got lucky and found some original figures in a large batch that I bought. I only got 5 of the poses, but I think they give a good idea of how the set used to look. Several of the guys still retain their original paint. It looks like the commander got a bit of a 'touch up'. Also, note how they were issued in tan uniforms. Compared to the green, new production figures, I think I like the originals better, even with some of the paint missing.

Lone Star ANZAC Infantry - Originals - Part 2

Here is one more pose in the original color scheme. Again, much better than the recasts.

Lone Star ANZAC Infantry - Originals - Part 3

Two more down. Unfortunately, with the weapon tips broken off. 

Trojan ANZAC Infantry - Part 1

These guys are hard to come by. A nice figure which adds variety to the ANZAC troops of which there are not that many options. I think I will have to touch up the paint, but once that's taken care of, he will be a fine looking trooper.

Trojan ANZAC Infantry - Part 2

Another lucky find. I seem to be getting them a drop at a time. I just wished it had been an action pose, instead of a wounded guy, but well, it is still good to gradually assemble the set, and this guy is in better condition than his mate.

Trojan ANZAC Infantry - Part 3

Here are three more guys that I was able to get a hold of. They came in a mixed bag of figures, so initially I did not realize that I had bought something special. I like these mostly because of their collectible value. The sculpting is OK, but you can tell that the manufacturing techniques of the time imposed certain constraints, like the man on the right holding his knife against his body. Not a very likely pose in reality. But still happy to have found them and enhanced the collection!

In terms of ANZAC troops dressed up for North Africa, I think that British 8th Army troops would fit better than these guys. And for Italy, I would probably use regular British Infantry. However if you want to be unambiguous about the origin of these troops, then going with these guys with their distinctive ANZAC head gear will let everyone know without a doubt who they are!

Expeditionary Force Australian Assault Section - Pacific War

It's nice to see a new set of Australian figures being released. It's been decades since we've had a new set of Australian troops. At first I was a bit skeptical about the extent that different headgear could make them feel really like their own set, and I must say that they do pass the test. In addition to the hats, the set also comes with a couple of machete knives and an ammo bandolier for one of the shooting figures that also make them look more authentic. And I am sure that once they are painted, it will be even better. In terms of the poses, you do have to try to make them a bit different by gluing the arms at slightly different angles, and making the heads face different directions. All in all, very exciting to see a new set of ANZAC troops arrive on the jungle scene!

Expeditionary Force Australian Defense Section - Pacific War

These guys would go well providing support to the MG team, as they all come in poses suitable to be firing behind cover. One of the most interesting figures in this set is the man firing the Lewis machine gun on top of the tree stump. Two other men are firing sub machine guns and the rest, aside from the officer, are riflemen. One of them throwing a grenade. I do have to say that the Expeditionary Force grenade throwers are some of the least exciting. Perhaps it is because they are assembled on top of a base body that is also used for firing/advancing poses, but they lack sufficient momentum in their body movement. But I don't think the body is the limiting factor. I think that by stretching the arms a bit, some of this could be addressed. 

Expeditionary Force Australian Machine Gun Section - Pacific War

In this other MG set, I chose to have all the men in the MG teams kneeling, and the three support troops standing. Note also that you can glue the ammo box to the base of the ammo handles in a slightly different way, with the lid opening forwards or backwards. This gives them just enough variation to avoid making them feel like clones. Note also that the weapons on two of the three support men are different in each of the sets (Australian, Indian, and British). The third guy is either holding a set of binoculars, or pointing, depending on which arms you use for the machine gun team lead.

Expeditionary Force Australian HQ Section - Pacific War - Part I

The HQ sections are probably my favorite ones. I really like the mix of poses and weaponry. All of them come with a radio man, a piat anti-tank gun, and a light mortar. From there, there the other 6 poses are pretty versatile, as you can attach a variety of upper arms and weapons to the base bodies of which you get a good mix of standing and kneeling poses. Note also that the radio man comes with a listening headset or you can also attach a head with regular headgear. 

Expeditionary Force Australian HQ Section - Pacific War - Part II

These are the rest of the set. Sometimes I like to attach the heads at a bit of an angle to show that need to communicate with the rest of the unit, and also to show that the men need to be watchful of what's happening all around them. Note also that the headgear for these Aussie troops comes in a couple of variations, with the folded brim (slouch hat) or without it. BTW, the way that these guys turned out, I feel that they could very well be the assault section.

Expeditionary Force Australian Mortar Section - Pacific War - Part I

The mortar set is composed of 9 figures. It comes with 3 mortars, 3 loaders and 3 ammo handlers. The other 3 figures can be either officers/NCOs coordinating the firing, or some other free standing figure as you will see throughout the rest of these pictures. The set comes with 3 kneeling figures for the ammo handlers and 3 standing figures for the loaders, but I tried to mix it up a bit so that not all the crews would look the same. For example, here the loader is kneeling and the ammo handler is standing. 

Expeditionary Force Australian Mortar Section - Pacific War - Part II

Here the loader is standing and the ammo handler is kneeling. These guys also got the officer to coordinate the action. You can tell that he is the officer because he has a side arm and he's also not wearing a backpack as the NCO in the previous picture. 

Expeditionary Force Australian Mortar Section - Pacific War - Part III

This third crew got a radio man as the free standing figure. I also switched it up a bit by having the loader hold the shell at the waist, and use his other arm to adjust the mortar. This also allows him to stand on the right side of the mortar.

Kozak Miniatures Australian Infantry by TS Central - Part I

This is another generous set in terms of the number of poses. Several of them resemble the figures in the British 8th army set with the main difference being the headgear. Speaking of headgear, I bought these guys as Australian infantry, but later I read something about the brim folding on the left side for New Zealanders, and the right side for Australians (at least in Tasmania and Victoria). If that's true, then these guys could also be from New Zealand if you ignore the fact that their hat is not as pointy as it should be for New Zealanders. In terms of the poses in this picture, I would prefer to see more action in them. These are the guys showing the most movement in the set and only one guy has a foot off the ground. Whether they are attacking or defending, it's going to be hard to overrun the enemy or find cover when you are moving at that pace!  

Kozak Miniatures Australian Infantry by TS Central - Part II

Here's a group of mostly firing poses. Better suited for combat, but again, not very dynamic. But I suppose you can place them behind sandbags or some other protective rampart and they would do just fine. Among this guys, I tend to like the guys with the submachine guns better than the rifle men. Of course, the guy who is advancing would have to abandon his defensive position and venture out into the open. But hey, he could be firing behind a Matilda tank as they advance! BTW, I should also point out that based on their short sleeves and short trousers, I decided that these guys would be deployed to the  North African theater of operations.

Kozak Miniatures Australian Infantry by TS Central - Part III

And here you have the kneeling and prone firing poses. The same that we got with the B8A set. As you can tell, two of them on the left are identical, except for the fact that one of them has a scope on his rifle, so we got ourselves a sniper. In terms of the prone men, one of them is firing a Bren gun, while the other one aims his Boys anti-tank rifle at some unsuspecting Panzer III. Speaking of the Boys AT rifle, the armor of later Panzer IIIs and subsequent Panzer IVs proved too thick for this weapon, and you also had to be within 300 yards. Then again, that's nothing compared to how close you had to get with a panzerfaust, but in the open desert I bet that could be easier said than done. 

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Introducing the US Paratroops

Latest Update: Kozak Miniatures US Paratroops Set 2

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The United States raised 5 airborne divisions during WWII. The two most famous ones are the 82nd and the 101st -a.k.a. 'The Screaming Eagles'. Three lesser known airborne divisions were the 11th, 13th and 17th. The 82nd and the 101st were both activated in August of '42, and by July of '43 they conducted the first combat drop in the history of the US, parachuting one regiment into Sicily. A couple months later, they participated in the Salerno campaign, although they were brought ashore by landing craft. By January of '44 one of its regiments was detached to help with the fighting at Anzio. By the the time Operation Overlord came by, the 82nd, the only US airborne division to have seen combat, was joined by the 101st and the 6th British Airborne Division for what was up to that point the largest airborne operation in history, involving both glider and parachute landings. The 82nd remained in combat for 33 days, suffering over 5000 casualties of all kinds during that time. After a couple months of rest and refit, the 82nd and the 101st next saw action as part of Operation Market Garden, which was even larger than the Normandy landings in scale and complexity. The 82nd fought around Nijmegen and the 101st around Eindhoven. The 82nd had a challenging time capturing the bridge at Nijmegen and distinguished itself performing a battalion-size river crossing under fire using canvas boats. The 101st was also unable to capture a couple of bridges before they were demolished. All this caused serious delays for the ground troops moving up what came to be known as 'Hell's Highway', eventually leading up to the destruction or capture of most of the 1st British Airborne Division at Arnhem. It should be pointed out that this had a lot more to do with inadequate and far too optimistic planning and less with the paratroopers' execution. In the meantime, the 11th Division, which had been activated in February of '43, was now ready for its baptism of fire, which began in the Philippines in the form of a ground attack on Leyte in November of '44. Then suddenly, while the 101st and the 82nd were recovering from Market Garden, the Germans broke through the Ardennes and both divisions along with the 17th which had been activated in April of '43 and had not yet seen combat, were thrown into the fray. The 101st's fame increased during this time, when they defended a surrounded town of Bastogne against far superior forces for 6 weeks, and when the Germans asked for their surrender their reply was 'NUTS!', and even after Patton's troops broke the encirclement, they never acknowledged that they needed rescuing. The 17th Division fought in the Battle of the Bulge for about a month, and in just a 3 day period suffered close to 1000 casualties trying to hold 'Dead Man's Ridge' northwest of Bastogne. The 82nd and the 101st saw no further significant action. Both divisions lost approximately 2000 killed and 6500 wounded during the course of the war. The 11th took part in a couple more operations in the Philippines in January and February of '45: a regiment-size action, landing from the sea at Luzon, and a company-size drop with a battalion providing ground support to liberate a POW camp at Los Baños. The 17th Division saw its last action as part of Operation Varsity, the crossing of the Rhine in March of '45, arguably an operation that could have been carried out without airborne troops and which cost them an additional 1346 casualties in 6 days of fighting. Lastly, the 13th Division, which was raised in august of '43 never got to see combat. Lack of supplies and transport, or the fast pace of the ground troops, often sidelined it or canceled the operations in which it was supposed to participate. As far as toy soldiers go, for many years there was only one set of figures available, but in recent years the situation has improved. Let's see what we have now.

Airfix US Paratroops - Part 1

Usually I have nothing but good things to say about the Airfix figures, however with the US paratroopers I do have mixed feelings. It's great that they produced 13 poses -almost twice as for most other WWII sets, and for the most part, the figures are OK.

Airfix US Paratroops - Part 2

There are however a couple of things that could have been better. One is the scale. These guys are really closer to 1/35. The other is the posing of some of the figures which in some cases feels a bit unnatural. 

Airfix US Paratroops - Part 3

Maybe it's just that I've come to expect a certain standard from Airfix, but for instance, the guy on the far right, throwing the grenade really looks strange to me. But don't get me wrong, for a good 30 years, these were the only US paratroopers around and I am quite glad they made them.

Conte Collectibles US Paratroops - Part 1

Conte released their US paratroopers as part of their D-Day set that represented the landing at Sainte-Mère-Église, and as was the case with all his other figures, he gave us quite a treat.

Conte Collectibles US Paratroops - Part 2

We have a total of 15 figures, all in nice action poses. A couple of the guys have detachable arms which made their manufacturing possible without that awkward plastic filler that earlier methods would leave between the arms and the body.

Conte Collectibles US Paratroops - Part 3

Other than the Lone Star and Deetail British paras and a Polystil infantry guy (thanks RoberTB for pointing them out!), for decades, bazooka guys had traditionally been kneeling. Since then CTS has incorporated a similar pose into their GIs set and Forces of Valor also included one with one of its Halftracks. The only tricky thing with Conte's guys is that a couple need a bit of hot water treatment to get them to remain standing, like the guy on the right. 

ESCI 1/35 US Paratroops

These are some hard to find guys. I actually had to order them from a hobby shop in Greece. For being 1/35 they are actually really close in size to the 1/32 guys. The poses are a bit too straight in my opinion, but the level of detail is nice. The commander reminds me of the one in the Airfix set.

Forces of Valor US 82nd Airborne Division - Part 1

Forces of Valor released these over the past few years in two or three different series, each with 4 or 5 guys, with some poses being repeated across sets. Similar to their other figures, their hands and facial features are a bit thick.

Forces of Valor US 82nd Airborne Division - Part 2

If I remember correctly, the guy on the right was the guard who came in a set with the three German prisoners. That would explain why his uniform and sculpting look a bit different. The other thing about the FOV figures, is that they come with these detachable bases, which are a bit tricky to keep on them, particularly when you store them.

Marx US Paratroops

These are some old production US paras. They might be among the first ever made to represent this service branch. Unfortunately I do not have the canopies that came with them originally. They were hollow semi-spheres made out of hard plastic. I'd say the fully extended parachute would be more appropriate for the man on the right who is still floating down, than for the one on the left who already landed and you'd expect his parachute to be mostly crumpled up. Anyhow, It's probably not too hard to make some cloth parachutes for them and they would probably look more realistic. A couple of good guys to add to the unit in case you want to represent a drop/landing scene.

Unknown US Paratrooper - Part I

This guy came in a large batch of mixed figures. The detail and quality are not the best, but he gets points for being so unusual that I can't figure out who made it. The sculpting style reminds me of the FOV figures. Not the ones that come with the vehicles, but the 4 or 5 figure sets. The hands and upper body are large and the waist and lower body seem a bit smaller, but I already checked and he is not a clone of those. If you happen to know, please leave a comment!

Unknown US Paratroopers - Part II

I found a few more of his buddies. They are clearly not WWII figures as their weapons are more modern. But I think that painted the right way, they might still pass as WWI guys. The medical kit on the helmet will tie them together with the WWII style figures. And I still don't know who makes them...

Mars US Paratroops - Set 1

D-Day is a pivotal event in WWII, and the saga of D-Day would be incomplete without the US Paras. Mars has more than checked that box with this set. Great action poses, which can be used both for offensive and defensive situations (holding the Eindhoven bridge?). And very nicely sculpted for the most part. I add that caveat only because of the guy in the middle of the picture who is running with his sub machine gun and his right arm is unnaturally tucked into his chest, but that's easy to overlook, when the rest of the set is so well done. The bazooka team is also a nice touch for a Para set. Something that should be noted about this set is that it fits really well next to the Airfix and ESCI Paratroops. Conte Paras are a bit larger, but if you are not too picky about scale, they can blend with them as well. 

WW23D US Paratroops

The uniforms on these guys are probably the most detailed across all the sets I got from this vendor. They did a good job with all the pockets, the equipment straps, the bandages on the helmets, etc. The only detail missing is that on the faces, but that is true for all their sets. They will go quite well with the Airfix guys. My only wish is that they hadn't made the two poses on the left so similar to each other. With only six figures in the set, it would be good to try something different. 

Plastic Platoon US Paratroopers 82nd Division, Operation Overlord

US Paras are also some of my favorite toy soldiers. Plastic Platoon has gifted us representatives from both the 82nd and the 101st divisions, and you can tell which unit they belong to thanks to their nicely detailed shoulder patches. Regarding the troopers from the 82nd, there are several interesting bits, starting with the fact that there is a chaplain in the set administering the last rites to a wounded man. I usually prefer fighting poses, but given the uniqueness of the characters, I will take them. Another interesting pose is the man with the machete or whatever you call that weapon that he is wielding. I would not want to catch the sharp end of that thing! I also like the fact that among the weapons you see a grease gun being fired by the man on the left. Overall, lots of good detail and touches everywhere you look. 

Plastic Platoon US Paratroopers 101st Division, Operation Overlord

The screaming eagles from the 101st are also ready to fight. Just look at the guy with the mohawk! That's a fierce looking warrior right there. His expression and the fact that he is ready to stab you and shot you simultaneously make him a fearsome opponent. Another interesting guy is the medic who apparently has taken up arms. You can tell he is the medic because of the big cross on the front of his helmet. And these guys have also liberated what looks like a German MG42 being carried by the guy on the right. The officer issuing the hand signals is also a nice touch. Lastly I also like how they gave us three different styles of helmet. Bare, with net covering, and with cammo inserted into the net. And speaking of helmets, there's also a German helmet with cammo cover on the base of the man carrying the MG42. Another great set!

Plastic Platoon US Paratroopers Heavy Weapons 101st Division, Operation Overlord

In case you are worried that your paratroopers are going to be outgunned, here are a few more guys to upgrade your squad! You get a bazooka man, a BAR, a rifle grenade, a 30 cal MG and then there's this guy who seems to be holding a mortar round, but there's no mortar to go with it :-) this had me a bit puzzled until it hit me that he is holding a bazooka round. I should have placed him next to the bazooka guy so he could assist him! BTW, another clue is that he has a bazooka rocket tube lying next to his right foot. Initially, I did not know what that was either. In fact in another picture that I found online, they had chopped it off the figure! Luckily, I left it there :-) One last interesting detail is the fact that despite their heavy weapons, all these guys have a big bad knife tied to their leg. I guess you never know when you are going to need it so better safe than sorry!

Mars US Paratroops - Set 2

Here we have some reinforcements for Mars' prior set of US paras. A good set of fighting poses. Something interesting about this guys is that several of them have their first aid kit on the side of their helmets. I am used to seeing them on the front. In terms of the poses, the most interesting guy is the one who is lying on the ground shooting at something likely coming at him after he fell backwards. I know... I am imagining a whole scene here. Another interesting guy is the one with the flamethrower. Other than the Lone Star British para (thanks RoberTB for pointing him out!) I don't recall seeing any other paras equipped with one. I even wonder if it's possible to safely jump off a plane with one. Or maybe he just found it on the ground. The mortar team is also nice as is the guy firing the 30 cal mg off the hip. One thing that was not so great about this set is that the bottom of the bases is a bit warped and has extra bits of plastic that have to be cut off or sanded off to get them to stand straight and without wobbling. It's doable, but it can take an extra 30-60 mins to do so.

Kozak Miniatures US Paratroops TS Central - Part I

A nice set of 14 US paras to expand my ranks even if 5 of them seem to be repeated from the WW23D set. The scale is pretty much spot on 1/32 so they will complement the previous set and the Airfix guys quite well. In addition to the figures, you also get a couple of steel obstacles (Czech Hedgehogs) and a sandbag position to protect your guys. The detail on the poses is crisp and the uniforms have a good amount of gear. My only wish is that the poses were a bit more dynamic. I still feel that most of the poses are too 'vertical' even though they are firing, allegedly under enemy fire, but they are either standing or walking. I suspect that this is a design choice because the figures are not guaranteed to be printed with a base, so this makes it easier to get them to stand, but I would prefer if they were to impose a base on their figures if that allowed them to be more fluid in their movements. Of the seven guys in this first picture, the kneeling guy is my favorite, precisely because he is not standing. The prone guy is second. 

Kozak Miniatures US Paratroops TS Central - Part II

These guys are a bit better. Most of them are marching and their stance seems adequate for it. The guy on the far left who is about to throw a grenade is the exception. He seems too relaxed to be holding something about to blow up in his hand. But at least we have one guy running in this batch. That's progress. As far as the material in which they are printed, I found it pretty good. Better than some of the other more brittle resins. Speaking of breaking, an unfortunate thing that happened is that the sandbags appear to have been broken and glued back together. That left a white line of glue residue. Of course, that is something to do with the vendor and not Kozak and once I paint them it won't be noticeable.

Kozak Miniatures US Paratroops Set 2 by TS Central - Part I

When I saw that there was a second set of Kozak US Paras for sale, I assumed that many of the poses would be duplicates from Set 1, as both sets contain 14 poses. After careful examination I realized that all the figures in set 2 are new poses, so I went ahead and got them. As you can tell in this first pic, this set has a few more men in more dynamic poses. In fact, perhaps my two favorite poses in the set are the second and third guys from the right. They remind me of a scene in Band of Brothers in which Lt Speirs runs through the German-occupied town of Foy in the midst of a battle to relay an order to one of Easy company's platoons - and then runs back! The two other guys firing on the go are also good additions.

Kozak Miniatures US Paratroops Set 2 by TS Central - Part II

Here we have a few less dynamic poses. The two men on the left are almost identical, except for their sub machinegun. I placed them next to each other so that you can compare them. And then you also have the most officer-looking figure, assessing the situation through his binoculars. This set comes with two small sandbag walls. If you already have other sandbag walls, like the ones that came with the FOV figures, or some 21C toys sets, let's just say that these sandbags are not the reason to buy this set. 

Kozak Miniatures US Paratroops Set 2 by TS Central - Part III

Here we have 5 other poses in various firing poses. Most interesting to me are the bazooka man, and the machine gunner, although I am having a hard time determining what exact model of MG that is. As far as I know, the only belt-fed MG that the US Paras used was the M1919 Browning MG, but the barrel is lacking the cooling perforations. Perhaps that was a simplification required in order to make them via 3D printing? Another interesting bit about this picture is that for some reason, the second guy from the right is about a head taller than the guy next to him. In the end I actually prefer this as it represents better what happens in real life. In terms of dynamism, the guy on the far right takes the prize. He just needs a log or a small wall to scoot around to fire.

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Here you can see pictures og GIs in action.