Verlinden Productions
2012

VP has cannibalized the figures from "Consulting the Map" (#2004) to create the basis for this pair of pinned down infantry. Actually, the soldier calling for help on his handie-talkie goes back to both "US Tank Riders 1" (#1683) and "GIs WWII Chow" (#1917). However they work pretty well in this incarnation; you could pair these boys up with the two soldiers from "Trapped" (#1663) to create a compelling action scene.

Both figures are dressed in M1943 jackets, woolen trousers, and the buckled gaiters of the post-autumn 1944 period. The GI on the horn to HQ appears to be an officer, with a pistol, an M1 ammo bag, and no web straps. He's supplied with a Garand, but you might want to fish out a Thompson submachine gun to better match his gear and apparent status. The reclining figure is about to lob a grenade; he doesn't have much of a windup for his pitch, so they're either closed pretty tightly with the enemy or you might want to alter his arm to suggest he's throwing with a little more gusto.

The legs are molded to the torsos of these figures, so you only need to add the arms and heads, which are adequately animated (shouting or snarling heads from Hornet might help create better tension). There are pour plugs along the undersides of the legs and thighs to clean up, but nothing too troublesome. The pieces are cast in the usual Verlinden putt-colored resin.

This set is more accurate and naturally posed than many VP figures and should integrate well with similarly themed GIs from Verlinden or other manufacturers.

-tss-