Hi All,

I've recently bought two Master Box sets containing U.S. paratroopers, one "US and German paratroops-South Europe 1944"and the other "US paratroops-1944". Both sets are very crisply moulded, well detailed and of a high standadr, yet all the paratroopers are wearing the US army jackets, not the iconic M42 Jump jackets (the ones with four large slanting pockets on the front)?

Unfortunately I can't post a decent close-up photo, but does anybody have any input on why they seem to be wearing the wrong jackets?

Thanks!

I noticed something wrong with their jackets, too. Looks like a combination of old and new styles, or something. The best part of the set is the two bathing girls!

Haha...they're the most accurate part of the set! It looks like the US troopers are wearing M43 jackets but with funny collars...really disappointing because they are in really useful poses for a diorama.

I was planning to use them in conjunction with Dragon's US tank riders, but their not compatible with them either.

It's a real pity...the detail on the MasterBox figures is very crisp and the moulds are clean, not many seam lines. I've subsequently opened my MasterBox "move move move!" set of U.S. operation overlord figures and I see all of them are wearing trousers with large hip pockets. I'll have to research this as I've only ever seen rangers of the June 1944 period wearing this pattern, not infantry.

Maybe you can still use the bathing girls in conjunction with your Dragon US tank rifders!

I am surprised here as I have to agree with the other comments about the accuracy. MB has really stepped up the figgy game recently which is why I am surprised that they muffed this up here. The figs are not accurate for any branch of USForcesEurope but a miss mash of uniforms. I suppose you could use bits and pieces to modify them with other kits?
The female collaborator is interesting though.
J

One of the problems with the uniforms could be the common use of U.S. troops to use what ever was available. Begining to the end in many pic's you will see a mix match of uniforms. Even pic's of paratroopers and glider troops on D-Day show this ad hoc of uniforms from one unit to another. Can't say one way or the other as to the right pockets on pants or jackets on some figures, I don't have the reff. on them for a total yea or na.

In an airborne division, the parachute regiment wore the jump suit, but the glider regiments wore the regular (Parsons Jacket) infantry uniforms - at D-Day.

Masterbox has had a problem with the length of the Parsons Jacket in a past set and mixing features of M43 jackets and the Parsons jacket on the same figure.



What is the evidence for the cross snapped canteen covers used by the Army? My refs always said it was USMC only with a few rare pieces migrating into Army issue. Not universal as MB has it?

I'll use the set anyway and then take the file to the figure to fix the uniforms like I've been doing for decades.