US Motorpool – Part II

I got around to build the transporters for my late war US Americans. The latest addition were these kits, build around the half tracks and a "heavier Jeep" if you want.

As Tabletopper.nl carries Empress Miniatures as well, I got myself some matching crew for the kits. I'm not a huge fan of the infantry by Rubicon, they are to slender for my taste and with the option to get some Paul Hicks sculpted minis, the choice for me was easy. Going with the Empress codes. As you can see, they fit very well with the plastic kits and are not just generic drivers, but wearing the matching winter gear.

As a light vehicle, optional tow, I went with the WC 52 Beep. I like the design, it looks offroady and just what you would need to move across Northern France towards the Rhine. The kit covers options for WC-51 as well, and I was unsure, if I should go for the tarpaulin cover or not, but decided against it, as it would make the vehicle more flexible and I could use the cool M24A1 gun mount. Obviously needs more stowage.

This one is a bit tricky, I bought the M3A1 Scout Car for the model and while researching how to build the kit, I came aware that by 1943 most US Army units replaced it with the M8 Greyhound or M20 Utility car. Yet a small number of M3A1 were employed in the Normandy campaign and I saw multiple vehicles either captured by Germans or used to transport POW. And with its occassional role as rear area security or convoy escort car, I thought it would make for a proper command vehicle. Again, of course with tarpaulin.

And I got myself two Halftrack kits and the upgrade set. With the Warlord Games M3 Halftrack that makes three for the motor pool.

With the Warlord Games kit and a spare tarpaulin from the Rubicon Upgrade kit for an early vehicle, I was thinking if I could combine these. Removing the MGs made a good alignment. The question was just, how would that "hybrid" vehicle fit in this very late war motor pool (as all the M3 were upgraded to M3A1 with the MG ring), and I found pictures of an M3A1 ambulance, which would be a great fit.

I went for the upgrade set with the tarpaulins, as that would be a reasonable upgrade to vehicles used in winter and snow, and the Rubicon upgrade kit came with the parts for a M21 MMC, so building one late war M3A1 and the mentioned M21 MMC. The later is a great fit, as it was mainly in service in the Western Front, and then especially in the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge, so a more than perfect fit. The M21 will receive a rolled-up tarpaulin as well.

That gives me access in total to these:

• 2x Deuce 2 1/2t Truck (41 to 61 pts, capacity up to 18 soldiers)
• 3x M3 / M3A1 Half Track (79 to 119 pts, up to 12 soldiers)
• 1x M3A1 Scout Car (69 to 103, up to 8 soldiers)
• 1x Dodge 3/4t Truck aka WC52 Beep (25 to 37, (up to 8 soldiers)

And I'm happy. With olive drab and some white wash these shouldn't take that long to paint up, just waiting for the 2nd stowage set to go a bit bananas on these, along with some inspiration from 1:35 and 1:48.

Along with the vehicles from the first post, this is a closed scope on the motor pool. Unless I come along some "proper" late war models, like a T30, or T28/T95 tank destroyers in 1:56.