Just wondering if it would be safe to assume that M1114's were used in the operation that was portrayed in Black Hawk Down.

I'm still confused what bodyarmor everybody was using then...Alice, Molle etc... I have DML's Delta for Somalia 1993, but what would need to be changed to the Tamiya Desert Modern to be used for this time frame?? (I'm sorry if this is a duplicate question, but I have searched the forums, but haven't found anything conclusive...)

TIA

No M1114's were used in Somalia. As far as gear goes, we used the LBV-88's, ALICE Gear, TP1E Body armor, and Ranger Body Armor (RBA). Some guys also had Eagle gear (which was one of the very few high speed gear makers then).
The DML Delta figs are a good representation of the gear that was used there. The helmets are the correct Protec type of the period. If you are planning on making straight leg soldiers, you can always swap out the torsos from any of DML's other modern figs, with some modding.

No M1114 were used in Operation Gothic Serpent, official name for BHD operation. M1114's were developed in the late '90s from lessons learned in Bosnia and Somalia. For Gothic Serpent, both standard M1025s or M1046s with armored doors (as depicted by Tamiya's) were used.

For Body armor, Rangers wore RBA (Ranger Body Armor) that is simmilar to modern IBA as seen in Iraq, minus all the loops. RBA also had the ceramic plates front and rear as IBA does.

Here is a pic of RBA.


The DML Delta Force Somalia guys have RBA under their Load Bearing Vests(LBV). The LBVs depicted ar not really accurate for Rangers though. The wore the issue LBV as seen here:



The LBV is in a couple of DML sets. It is on a couple of the guys in the Modern US Special Forces set. Their latest modern SEAL set with two guys in uniform and two guys in wetsuits have the LBVs as well. Neither of the above have RBA though.

Unfortunately, there are no figures that I know of that have both RBAs and LBVs on them. Some guys wore standard LCE, ALICE suspenders, over their RBA as well.

Thanks for the quick replys!!

I've downloaded the direct support manuals for all of the humvees and thought that the manual for the M1114 was updated in 1997, but actually it is most likely first published then!!!

Thanks for the help with the armor and stuff. I'm like most others, what I know I have read somewhere, never used any of the things I model myself...

Brian,
The figures that Gino and Arnold listed are great. That is what I used for my dio here. Plus, I added the legs from SOL's SWAT guys, since they had knee pads molded on them. When I built this, those where the only ones available.
Hope this will help you out in getting started.