1:48 Vietnam Serie - M55 Reloading

The crew of the M55 mount replenishing ammunition

This figure from the series with a Vietnam subject represents one man of the crew at the moment he is passing up or loading ammunition. In a tableau such a figure is valuable because it explains what is going on: without it the position looks like a mere assembly of parts, while with it a story arises about routine work between two engagements.

What the M55 was

The M55 designation was carried by a trailer mount with four .50 caliber heavy machine guns on a common traversing carriage. It originally served for defense against aircraft, but in Vietnam it was used mainly to support ground units and to protect supply routes, often on the bed of a truck. Work with ammunition on it was continuous, because four barrels used up belts very quickly.

Painting and setting

The American field uniform of this period carries an olive green tone that faded quickly with washing and sun; feel free, then, to brighten it on the shoulders and the back. Ammunition crates tend to be a darker green with stenciled lettering. We recommend setting the figure on a sandy surface or one recalling laterite, because reddish soil is typical of positions there.

What builds it is intended for

• Tableaux with a firing position or with a truck
• Models of American hardware of the late 1960s and early 1970s
• Display compositions where the work of a crew is to be visible
• Collectors of a figure line with a common subject