Sol
3115

This is a fine set of a paratrooper sitting behind an M2 .50 machine gun, ready to blaze away.

There are a few idiosyncracies with this kit, however. The "Ma Deuce" was not, to my knowledge, part of the weaponry of the airborne who landed in Normandy because of its size and weight. They did jump with .30 MGs, however. Is it possible this GI procured his weapon from another source? Well, you can make anything up to suit your own needs.

Another significant problem: as with SOL's other paratrooper set, the soldier is wearing the wrong boots. Outfitted in the tan M1942 uniform, this figure is best suited (so to speak) for a June, 1944 setting. The problem is he's wearing the M1943 buckle boots with leather gaiters that weren't readily available in Europe until late summer and early fall, when they replaced the canvas leggings for infantry and the Corcoran jump boots for the paratroopers. At the same time, the paratroopers traded their distinctive jump uniforms for the olive drab M1943 jacket of the same style that the infantry was also adopting. So if you're a stickler for realism and plan to put this fellow in a D-Day or Carentan setting, you'll need to swap his boots with a spare DML figure. On the other hand, some diehard paras did hold onto their M1942 uniform even after the introduction of the new version, through the Bulge and some until the end of the war. So, if you didn't want to mess around with new boots, the figure would not be inaccurate in later stages of the war.

The soldier is equipped with a pair of canteens and an M1911A1 Colt .45 pistol. He wears a netted M1C helmet with a bandage roll affixed to its front. His face is expressive and molded with the strap and chin cup in place.

Otherwise, this is a pretty good figure, nicely sculpted and molded without any real flash or seams to contend with. There are some casting plugs to remove, and one on the rim of the helmet could be troublesome unless care is taken. The fit of the arms to the torso seems good, and the gunner has the .50 handles molded into his hands; however, since I haven't constructed the figure yet I can comment on how well everything comes together.

The .50 and M3 tripod are also nicely crafted from 18 resin and brass pieces. The gun's hollow perforated cooling sleeve is actually a delicate piece of resin! A long band of ammo and two boxes are also on the photo etch fret. A clear instruction sheet aids assembly. And finally there are three sandbags, damaged with bullet holes.

Because this soldier is in a firing stance—or at least very, very alert—you'll be a bit limited in what other paratroop figures you can surround him with to flesh out a diorama. But he has enough good qualities to justify a nicely crafted vignette. Just make sure you ditch the boots.

-tss-