What would be the colors to use on US Army uniforms in NW Europe?
I normally do not build US stuff so your help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Mike

Mike,

Give us a time frame. The uniform would be different colors for different periods.

Cold War - OD (60s to mid 80s)

Mid 80s to mid 90s - BDU four color

Mid 90s to now - New digital colors

I'm sure others can help you more if we just know when you are trying to model.

Dvae

Hi Mike,

For WW2, it depends on whether your yank wears the M1941 or M1943 uniform. The M1941 had a tannish jacket and brownish trousers (all coded "olive drab") while the M1943 was greener.

Then there were the paratrooper uniforms...

The time frame would be late summer/fall of 1944.

Mike

Actually, the newer UCP digital grey/green pattern uniform was not fielded until 2006.

Before then, the Woodland BDU was worn from the mid-'80s on.

From the 1950s up until the 1980s various types of green fatigue uniforms were worn.

That time frame was kind of a transition from the M1941 to the M1943 so it would depend on the unit,etc. Newer replacements would wear the 43s as would the newer divisions. Even the 82nd Abn converted to the 1943 but some guys still had the older jump suits. It can get complicated if you want it to. A safe bet though,would be the 43. It was uniform olive green and the webgear was kind of a middle khaki but faded to almost buff sometimes. Some webgear was more green,depended on the contractor.
J

Maybe this site will be of help;

http://www.usarmymodels.com/guidetopainting.html

Here's another source with color photos:

https://www.atthefrontshop.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=51

Especially helpful is the section called "What is Khaki?". The humor is a bit irreverent but the point is well made...there were several shades of olive drab and none of them were khaki!

You should also look carefully at your figures and determine which uniform they are wearing before choosing your paint colors. If you tell us what models you are using (Manufacturer and kit name/number) it would probably be pretty easy to tell you what they are wearing. Also, the box art should give you some clue.

Osprey Publishing has a good reference book, http://www.ospreypublishing.com/store/The-US-Army-in-World-War-II-(3)_9781841760865 I hope the link works.

Khaki? That's easy... It's what a Bostonian uses to start his car...

I had this exact same issue, what paints are you planning on using?