Verlinden Productions
2191

This pair of GIs complement's Verlinden's "U.S. Gun Crew WWII" quartet. The kneeling soldier is adjusting the fuze on a 105mm round, while the other totes a round over to a Priest, Sherman howitzer, or M101 artillery piece. You could also have these boys preparing 75mm, 76mm, or 90mm rounds for medium or heavy U.S. tanks, or the M1 3" anti-tank gun, provided you have those rounds on hand. Smaller rounds, like 37mm or 57mm, would take some adjustment of the figures arms, and the walking soldier might not be straining under the comparatively light weight of these lesser calibers.

The VP sculptor has given the kneeling figure an OD flannel shirt, which is a nice change of pace. You'll want to paint this a field drab color. The other soldier wears the common winter combat jacket. Both figures have the canvas leggings, which make them versatile for any WWII location or time frame (except winter, given the soldier in shirtsleeves).

The sculpting is on par with other VP figures, and they require the typical clean-up for resin parts. There are no errors in detailing the uniforms, and even the box art is accurate. There is no additional gear for the figures, but you could add some canteens and pistols from your spares box if you wish.

The natural accessory for these figures is Verlinden's "105mm Howitzer Ammo" (#0093), which includes complete rounds, empty casings, fuzes, wooden boxes, and fiberboard and metal tubes. There are 105mm ammo boxes available from Elefant (#35023) and the former Tank Workshop line (TWS1008) now produced as TWS by Tiger Model Designs. Tiger also offers "105mm Packing Tubes" (#353153); these are nicely detailed empty tubes that require a bit of drilling for best effect.

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