US Marines
Airfix 1:76 Scale Figure Review
The Airfix US Marines are wearing shirts or US Army herringbone twill jackets, herringbone twill trousers, canvas gaiters, and the M1 steel helmet. Six of the 13 poses in this set are actually reproductions of Airfix 1:32 scale US Infantry (AFX107A, A02703). The seven new poses are without field jacket, wearing a shirt with a notched lapel collar very similar to that of the M1941 field jacket. There is no reason why these infantrymen would need to be considered “US Marines”, when they can be painted as US Army or USMC soldiers.
Contents
44 Figures in 13 Poses – 22 mm equal 167 cm Height
- Officer/NCO with M1 Carbine, under arm hang, advancing (4)
- Officer/NCO with M1 Carbine, standing, firing (4)
- Officer/NCO with M1 Carbine, throwing Mk 2 Grenade (4)
- NCO with M3 Submachine Gun, standing, firing (4)
- NCO with M3 Submachine Gun, prone, throwing Mk 2 Grenade (4)
- Rifleman with M1A1 Bazooka, kneeling, firing (2)
- Light Machine Gunner with .30 cal. Browning M1919A6, prone, firing (2)
- Rifleman with M1 Garand Rifle, low port arms, advancing (3)
- Rifleman with M1 Garand Rifle, port arms, running (3)
- Rifleman with M1 Garand Rifle, standing, firing high (4)
- Rifleman with M1 Garand Rifle, kneeling, firing (4)
- Rifleman with M1 Garand Rifle, crawling (4)
- Engineer with M3 Submachine Gun, paddling (2)
- LCR(S) Landing Craft Rubber, Small
Evaluation
Good choice of subject, wargamers and collectors can never have enough US infantry, even if more than half of these figures are wearing a weird hybrid shirt with the notched lapel collar of the M1941 field jacket.
The sculpting is superb, and perfectly to scale. However, the uniform is too slim-fitting to represent the oversized herringbone twill uniform which was to be worn over the field uniform.
The Airfix US infantrymen appear to have been surprised in camp, because they are sculpted with very little field gear, apart from a canteen, intrenching tool, bayonet, and a few ammunition pouches. If they were infantry landing on an enemy shore, we would expect to see braces, packs, complete sets of ammunition pouches, and additional rifle ammunition in bandoliers. What equipment there is, is worn inconsistently, with canteens on the right hip or left hip, as the sculptor saw fit.
The Officer/NCO in the center is wearing late war herringbone twill trousers with thigh cargo pockets, while the other figures in this set have M1943 herringbone twill trousers with high side seam cargo pockets. The HBT trousers may be converted to wool trousers by removing the thigh pockets; s. our tutorial: Converting U.S. Marines to U.S. Army Infantrymen.
The Airfix 2.36 inch M1A1 Bazooka is 149 mm shorter than the original, but looks convincing enough in this scale. Unfortunately, the rifleman wears his .45 Colt pistol on his right hip, like a cowboy. Airfix 1st edition US Marines featured a two-man Bazooka team, including an excellent loader, who was sadly dropped from this 2nd edition.
There are enough riflemen in this set for two infantry squads, but not a single automatic rifleman with Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). Instead, Airfix added a light machine gunner with .30 cal. Browning M1919A6 LMG on bipod, introduced in the fall of 1943.
The inflatable boat in this set is very similar to that included in Airfix 1st edition US Marines, except that it is now operated by two soldiers paddling on the same side. They will be moving in a circle, of course. The inflatable does not look like the LCR(S) – Landing Craft Rubber, Small, used by the US Navy and US Marines, but it appears to have a similar capacity of seven soldiers and their equipment.
Compatible with Fujimi, Matchbox, Milicast, Cromwell Models, Ostmodels, MMS, and Vac-U-Cast.
Noticeable mould lines need to be removed prior to painting.
Historical Employment
- US Infantry wearing Herringbone Twill Uniform
- Olive Drab No 8 (Sage Green), 1941–1944
- Olive Drab No 7, 1943–1945
- Camouflaged HBT Uniform, 1943–1945
- US Infantry in Shirt and M1943 HBT Trousers, 1943–1945
Possible Conversions
- US Infantry in M1941 Field Jacket and Wool Trousers, 1941–1945
- US Infantry in M1943 Field Uniform, 1943–1945
- M1943 Field Trousers, without Thigh Pockets
Airfix US Marines are actually US Infantry in M1943 Herringbone Twill Uniform, many of whom are only wearing a shirt in hot weather. The shirt is modelled incorrectly with a notched lapel collar, which will allow wargamers to paint the shirts as M1941 field jackets, instead. The figures may be backdated by removing the cargo pockets from the HBT trousers, and painting them as wool trousers.