TL-191: Yankee Joe - Uniforms, Weapons, and Vehicles of the U.S. Armed Forces

[cortz#9]

Any consensus yet on what the basic American infantryman looks like? I plan on ordering some German infantry models to make some Yankee Joes, and I’m wondering what bits of kit can be used to differentiate them from the OTL Wehrmacht.

Below is a US Army WWI infantry kit, several companies including Tamiya make kits of WWII Us gear. Swap the German gear with the US gear and maybe keep a few German items like the German gas-mask container, your call.

You could mix n match some German gear too.

You could also toss in some Italian or other nation's kit for variety, use your imagination.

You could also try cutting sections of weapons (rifles, sub-guns) to make new guns.
Good luck and looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

 

[Alterwright]

Any consensus yet on what the basic American infantryman looks like? I plan on ordering some German infantry models to make some Yankee Joes, and I’m wondering what bits of kit can be used to differentiate them from the OTL Wehrmacht.

The German Stahlhelm from both WWI and WWII in OTL is almost universally accepted as the helmet of the US Army for TL-191, at least that's the impression I get from most fans here on this thread and on others as well. It is also my belief too.

The Springfield M1903 also seems to be an accepted standard rifle by fans and is also canon. Although, if you ask any of us here we seriously wish they had a semi-auto rifle at the least.

As for uniform and kit - there is no clear consensus yet. Some lean toward a more German look, others toward a more American look, others toward a mix of several other sources, but definitely from any of the Central Powers, such as Austria, Hungary, and perhaps even Italy, though they are belligerent.

Personally, I'd go for anything green, green-gray, or olive green, to contrast with that of the Confederates use of khaki and butternut. For the uniform I tend to imagine the US infantryman with an M1943 jacket, Stahlhelm, and an M1903 Springfield, with leather ammo pouches akin to what the germans italians had, and "double buckle" combat boots. This is admittedly a mid-war to late war look though.

But other than that I'd go for what you have in mind. Variety and interpretation is always good.

 

[Marc Pasquin]

US pork pie hat

 

[Alterwright]

US pork pie hat

So that's what they're called huh? They're the German style forages caps.

 

[Marc Pasquin]

So that's what they're called huh? They're the German style forages caps.

yup. It looks like a pork pie and so designers picked the name and took the rest of the day off.

 

[rvbomally]

Below is a US Army WWI infantry kit, several companies including Tamiya make kits of WWII Us gear. Swap the German gear with the US gear and maybe keep a few German items like the German gas-mask container, your call.

You could mix n match some German gear too.

You could also toss in some Italian or other nation's kit for variety, use your imagination.

You could also try cutting sections of weapons (rifles, sub-guns) to make new guns.
Good luck and looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

The German Stahlhelm from both WWI and WWII in OTL is almost universally accepted as the helmet of the US Army for TL-191, at least that's the impression I get from most fans here on this thread and on others as well. It is also my belief too.

The Springfield M1903 also seems to be an accepted standard rifle by fans and is also canon. Although, if you ask any of us here we seriously wish they had a semi-auto rifle at the least.

As for uniform and kit - there is no clear consensus yet. Some lean toward a more German look, others toward a more American look, others toward a mix of several other sources, but definitely from any of the Central Powers, such as Austria, Hungary, and perhaps even Italy, though they are belligerent.

Personally, I'd go for anything green, green-gray, or olive green, to contrast with that of the Confederates use of khaki and butternut. For the uniform I tend to imagine the US infantryman with an M1943 jacket, Stahlhelm, and an M1903 Springfield, with leather ammo pouches akin to what the germans italians had, and "double buckle" combat boots. This is admittedly a mid-war to late war look though.

But other than that I'd go for what you have in mind. Variety and interpretation is always good.

Thanks for the feedback. My design choices will likely be influenced by necessity more than anything else; I already have some American kits lying around to make Confederate infantry, so I’ll likely cannibalize those. If necessary, I could sculpt parts in epoxy putty, but my sculpting skills still need work.

As for Union semi-automatics, perhaps they are rolled out later in the war as it becomes clear the Confederacy’s Tredegars are putting far more lead out and that discrepancy needs to be fixed.

 

[cortz#9]

Thanks for the feedback. My design choices will likely be influenced by necessity more than anything else; I already have some American kits lying around to make Confederate infantry, so I’ll likely cannibalize those. If necessary, I could sculpt parts in epoxy putty, but my sculpting skills still need work.

As for Union semi-automatics, perhaps they are rolled out later in the war as it becomes clear the Confederacy’s Tredegars are putting far more lead out and that discrepancy needs to be fixed.

Sounds interesting and like I said you could use kits of other nations, if funds allow.

 

[Alterwright]

Maybe something like this? Late war Thompson variant with stamped parts and wood stock from an MP-18 and a barrel shroud from a PPSH-41.

View attachment 445193

Oh! I like the look of this one! Has a very rugged and heavy feel to it, like the receiver and barrel are quite heavy to old, just like in the descriptions in the book. Just like the PPsH-41 and Thompson OTL, this one also looks like it could support a drum magazine, which would at least give the Americans some firepower parity with the Confederates. So would this one also just be called the "M1A1 Thompson" as well?

 

[Alterwright]

Or how about a bullpup Tommy?

View attachment 445208

BULL-PUP. THOMPSON.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. HHNNNNNNNGGGGG.

Oh, I really like the look of this gun!! I love it! But would a bull-pup design even be possible in the 1930s-1940s?

 

[cortz#9]

BULL-PUP. THOMPSON.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. HHNNNNNNNGGGGG.

Oh, I really like the look of this gun!! I love it! But would a bull-pup design even be possible in the 1930s-1940s?

There were a couple of bullpup designs back then including a bolt action bullpup rifle but none were accepted into service.
The bullpup Thompson I made was for an ISOT TL, I posted it here for fun.

 

[Alterwright]

There were a couple of bullpup designs back then including a bolt action bullpup rifle but none were accepted into service.
The bullpup Thompson I made was for an ISOT TL, I posted it here for fun.

What's ISOT? Too many acronyms I don't know...

Oh okay then. Question is why weren't they accepted into service at the time then. Too expensive or too experimental?

 

[cortz#9]

What's ISOT? Too many acronyms I don't know...

Oh okay then. Question is why weren't they accepted into service at the time then. Too expensive or too experimental?

ISOT is the term we use here for TL's where a person or place from one time is transported to another time.
I think most of the bullpup designs weren't accepted because they had a few bugs that couldn't be worked out and also because to concept was just too new and strange a concept for conventional military thinking back then. Just my opinion.

 

[pattontank12]

You know Wolfenstein would actually be a good source for uniform inspiration for Yankee Joe during the 60-70's. When the Union really starts entering the modern military age, minus the more outlandish elements and nazi symbolism off course.

 

[Alterwright]

You know Wolfenstein would actually be a good source for uniform inspiration for Yankee Joe during the 60-70's. When the Union really starts entering the modern military age, minus the more outlandish elements and nazi symbolism off course.

Hm. Maybe tone down the sci-fi elements too . Although I really like the style and the shade of green for the last two pictures here. Anything post-1944 tends to get me a bit uneasy when it comes to uniform interpretation, but in general I'd say green uniform, like one here, with a simple kevlar vest and a more modernized helmet, and finally a decent assault/battle rifle for the US Army.

 

[pattontank12]

The best idea I could come up with for a Union assault rifle could best be destroying as the unholy love child of the MKB. 42 and the AK-47.

Which could have been a joint project between the United States and German Empire.

 

[cortz#9]

The best idea I could come up with for a Union assault rifle could best be destroying as the unholy love child of the MKB. 42 and the AK-47.

Which could have been a joint project between the United States and German Empire.

Needs work,open to suggestions.

 

[Alterwright]

View attachment 445762

Needs work,open to suggestions.

Not bad! Not bad at all. The receiver, barrel, and grip are good with me honestly. A good blend of the STG and AK. However, perhaps a different butt-stock would do? The AK-47 butt-stocks looks off to me here. Maybe and FG-42 style buttstock? Perhaps widening the casing ejection port too would help as well, looks a bit too small compared to the magazine.

Overall, I do like it though! I'll call it the XM1

 

[pattontank12]

View attachment 445762

Needs work,open to suggestions.

Looks like a solid blend between the AK-47 and STG to me. Though the stock looks a bit off maybe an FN FAL or an FG-42 buttstock would work better. The grip kinda also looks a bit odd to.

 

[cortz#9]

Not bad! Not bad at all. The receiver, barrel, and grip are good with me honestly. A good blend of the STG and AK. However, perhaps a different butt-stock would do? The AK-47 butt-stocks looks off to me here. Maybe and FG-42 style buttstock? Perhaps widening the casing ejection port too would help as well, looks a bit too small compared to the magazine.

Overall, I do like it though! I'll call it the XM1

Looks like a solid blend between the AK-47 and STG to me. Though the stock looks a bit off maybe an FN FAL or an FG-42 buttstock would work better. The grip kinda also looks a bit odd to.

Funny I wasn't that happy with that pic (why I asked for suggestions) but it didn't occur to me it was the butt-stock that was off. I'll try some others.

 

[cortz#9]

Take two for the XM1. Tried the FN-FAL stock but it didn't look right to me either nor did the FG-42 so I tried the stock from the HK-G-1 and I liked that one the best. I also extended the length of the barrel because the US Army seems to prefer longer barrels on its standard issued rifles, the shortest barrel on a US rifle was 18 inches and that was on the M1 Carbine which wasn't a standard issued rifle, more of a back-up arm for non front-line troops. I know the M4 carbines have short barrels today but I don't think the US Army in the 40's or 50's would have gone that route.

The barrel here is about 18 inches and the stock is wood not plastic like today's HK's.