Japanese Infantry
Matchbox 1:76 Scale Miniatures Review
Matchbox Japanese Infantry offers an amazing 20 different poses, adding even more variety to the popular Airfix Japanese Infantry in 1:76 scale. In direct comparison, the Matchbox figures are slightly taller and heftier, and most are sculpted with their legs further apart, making them look stiffer and less lively than their Airfix counterparts. The folds in the clothing appear less natural, perhaps because there are so many of them and so many sharp creases among them, which make the transition between the trousers and the puttees difficult to discern. When it comes to personal equipment, Matchbox has avoided many of the typical mistakes and actually delivered some of the most convincing Japanese infantrymen.
Contents
45 Figures in 20 Poses – 23 mm equal 174 cm Height
- Japanese Officer with »Shin-Guntō« Army Sword (1)
- Japanese Officer with Pistol, kniend (1)
- Japanese Soldier with »Buun-Tchokyu« Good Luck Flag (2)
- Japanese Soldier shouting »Banzai!« (2)
- Japanese No. 1 Mortarman with Type 89 Mortar (2)
- Japanese No. 1 Gunner with Nambu Type 92 »Woodpecker« HMG (2)
- Japanese No. 1 Gunner with Nambu Type 96 LMG (3)
- Japanese Sniper, kneeling, firing (2)
- Japanese Bomber, throwing Hand Grenade (2)
- Japanese Soldier with Type 38 Arisaka Rifle, Steel Helmet, advancing (4)
- Japanese Soldier with Type 38 Arisaka Rifle, Field Cap, advancing (3)
- Japanese Soldier with Type 38 Arisaka Rifle and Bayonet, crawling (2)
- Japanese Soldier with Type 38 Arisaka Rifle and Bayonet, charging (2)
- Japanese Soldier with Type 38 Arisaka Rifle and levelled Bayonet, standing (3)
- Japanese Soldier with Type 38 Arisaka Rifle and Bayonet, fencing (1)
- Japanese Soldier with Type 38 Arisaka Rifle, standing, firing (4)
- Japanese Soldier with Type 38 Arisaka Rifle, kneeling, firing (3)
- Japanese Soldier with Type 38 Arisaka Rifle, kneeling, loading (2)
- Japanese Soldier with Type 38 Arisaka Rifle, prone, firing (3)
- Japanese Soldier, falling (1)
Evaluation
Excellent choice of subject, Matchbox took the opportunity to significantly expand the selection of 1:76 scale Japanese infantry with this valuable figure set published circa 1979. For the first time, Japanese infantry equipment was sculpted almost entirely correctly in this scale. While these Matchbox soldier are a bit beefier than their Airfix equivalents, and their large figure bases require twice as much ground space, both sets are compatibel enough for dioramas and wargame formations.
Five riflemen are shown in full marching gear, the remaining soldiers carry at least the three typical cartridge pouches, namely two small pouches for 30 cartridges each at the front right and left of the waistbelt, and a larger one for 60 reserve cartridges at the back. Unfortunately, the smaller cartridge pouches a little wider and deeper than the single large cartridge pouch, but at least all three are there and that‘s a win. While the prone rifleman is missing the two front cartridge pouches, this omission goes unnoticed in his case. The bomber has replaced his front right cartridge pouch with a cotton grenade pouch, just like the infantryman in figure No. 155 of Andrew Mollo’s book “Army Uniforms of World War 2”. The infantry equipment corresponds almost exactly to the pattern presented in figure No. 235. It‘s good that there are books on uniformology, and it‘s even better if figure designers and sculptors are guided by them.
Weapons are predominantly the Type 38 Arisaka Rifle with Type 30 Bayonet, the blade of which is as wide as the rifle in this scale, for production reasons. Despite this necessary compromise, some bayonets are still short-shot, and the figure painter will have to decide to either replace these with 0.3 mm piano wire or a paint brush bristle, or to simply remove short bayonets entirely. The sniper, camouflaged with grass mats (Mollo, Fig. 156), is armed with the Type 97 Arisaka sniper rifle with telescopic sight, the long barrel of which, and the use of smokeless ammunition, even suppressed the telltale muzzle flash and made detecting the sniper considerably more difficult. Unfortunately, the machine gunner is without the Type 30 Bayonet for his Nambu Type 96 light machine gun. He probably gave it to his Airfix colleague, who carries a Type 30 Bayonet on his belt, even though his Type 11 Nambu LMG does not have the necessary bayonet lug for it.
The 50 mm Type 89 Grenade Launcher completes the armament of the Japanese infantry company. The Nambu Type 92 »Woodpecker« heavy machine gun, successor to the Type Taisho 3 HMG, belongs to the two machine gun platoons of the heavy weapons company of the infantry battalion. All that is missing is the 70 mm Type 92 battalion gun, and the heavy weapons company would be complete.
The enlisted men are wearing the peculiar crossed cotton straps over their puttees, which is why these figure require some conversion before they can be painted as Italian infantry of African Askaris.
Possible Conversions
Matchbox Japanese Infantry are nicely compatible with Japanese Infantry available from Airfix, Atlantic, ESCI, HäT, Mars, Revell, or Waterloo 1815.