1:35 U.S. Paratrooper No.1 - Normandy 1944

1:35 U.S. Paratrooper No.1 - Normandy 1944 from Dynamo-Models

A figure in 1:35 scale from Dynamo-Models, defined in the name as an American paratrooper in Normandy in 1944. It is the first figure of a numbered pair and suits dioramas as well as a display of its own in a cabinet.

The real subject

The American airborne troops were committed in Normandy on the night before the landings, when they were to seize bridges, road junctions and the exits from the beaches before the main forces reached the interior. The drops took place in poor visibility and under anti-aircraft fire, so the units were scattered over a large area and fought the first hours in improvised groups. You can tell a paratrooper by the combat jacket and trousers with large patch pockets, the helmet with its modified chin strap and the amount of equipment carried on the body. For a diorama this is an extremely rewarding subject, because the figure has a richly broken-up surface.

Painting tips and placing in a diorama

Before painting, wash the parts in lukewarm water with detergent and let them dry. Build the uniform from a darker base, bring out the pockets and folds with a thinned dark shade and lighten the edges of the cloth. Make the webbing equipment a shade different from the uniform, otherwise the figure will visually merge into one mass. Give the helmet a matte surface, because a sheen on it looks out of place. The figure suits a hedgerow, a signpost, the wall of a farm or a position beside Allied vehicles.

Who the figure is for

• Builders of dioramas from the Normandy landings
• Modelers building scenes with Allied vehicles
• Collectors of figures in 1:35 scale
• Anyone interested in a figure with richly broken-up equipment