GI Down, Europe 1944
Modeling the U.S. Army in WWII

Verlinden Productions
1930

Snipers are the bane of any soldier, and this pair of figures suggests what can happen if you step into one's sight.

There are a couple of quirks with the unlucky figure in this set, however. He wears the high Corcoran boots that were standard for U.S. airborne troops, but the rest of his uniform, including the M1941 OD jacket, is clearly that of an infantry soldier. Did he swap his footwear with a paratrooper buddy? Did he win them in a crap game? Or pick them up from a casualty? Or is he really a paratrooper who lost the rest of his uniform and…well, you'll have to come up with your own story for this guy, or find him some canvas leggings or buckle boots like his friend has. The other thing to be aware of is the color of his jacket, as portrayed in the box art. It should be a tan or khaki color, as opposed to reed green.

The other GI wears the M1943 jacket, which appeared in the autumn of 1944. There are a handful of standard Verlinden accessories for the figures, included the oversized M1 Garands. The hands are molded onto the rifle held by the observing soldier, so it will be difficult to swap out with a Tamiya Garand, which is in scale.

There is no flash or mold seams on the figures, but the detail is softer than one finds with offerings from Warriors or even DML. The hands of the injured soldiers are particularly stiff and could be replaced. I didn't assemble the figures but expect them to be oversized, as is typical with Verlinden's soldiers.

This is an interesting set, even with its anomalies.

-tss-

 

Modeling the U.S. Army in WWII © 2002—2007 Timothy S. Streeter