Seated Infantry?

[jefferysl]

How do you model the loaded and unloaded halftracks? I really like the look of the loaded halftrack with seated infantry, but I don't want to double up on buying half tracks (loaded and unloaded). Also, given the size of normal GHQ infantry, how do they fit in the vehicle? Just curious.

[jb]

How do you model the loaded and unloaded halftracks? I really like the look of the loaded halftrack with seated infantry, but I don't want to double up on buying half tracks (loaded and unloaded). Also, given the size of normal GHQ infantry, how do they fit in the vehicle? Just curious.

The German loads fit down the center line in two peices. These look really good.
The allied on the other hand resemble the Infantry that are in the "attention" packs of company infantry. One single figure looks just like the buddy next to him and he looks like the one next to him, and so on, and so on. They are seated hands on their laps all looking forward, and are in rows of 4 or 5 togehter.
You are right that in the fact of cost that for looks it will cost almost twice as much per veihcle.

[Mk 1]

How do you model the loaded and unloaded halftracks? I really like the look of the loaded halftrack with seated infantry, but I don't want to double up on buying half tracks (loaded and unloaded). Also, given the size of normal GHQ infantry, how do they fit in the vehicle? Just curious.

I have never placed the seated infantry in my halftracks as "passangers" in the standard seated sense.

But this is not because I would be concerned about modelling them loaded AND unloaded. Rather, the seated infantry wasn't available (or I didn't know about it) when I did most of my halftracks. And the ones I have done since I've found these little gems (the halftrack passenger figures) were not done as standard infantry transports.

However, I have used the figures quite liberally in my forces. Here, for example ...


These are the guncrew for a 75mm M3 Gun, Motor Carriage (a tank destroyer) prior to mounting in their vehicle. For this vehilce, I've chosen a crew of two seated figures (cut from the larger set of seated figures for riding in halftracks), and one standing figure from the US Artillery Crew set.


Here they are mounted in the track.


Each track gets a different set of figures. No need for all tracks to have two guys sitting and one guy standing. They are crew, and they do stuff in the vehicle. By putting in a variety of poses it makes them look like they are busy moving around doing their jobs.


Most of the gunners in my T19 SPG battery come from the artillery crew figures set, but the MG gunner in the battery CO's track comes from the halftrack crew figures.


I've also used the figures to equip my M3 scout cars, and several of my Jeeps, both for my tank destroyers company (shown here) and for my Tunisian campaign armored cavalry squadron (no seperate photos... sorry. But look at the scout cars and jeeps here and you get the general picture).

I say put some crew figures in your tracks. Don't fill 'em all up with identical seated guys on each side in neat little rows. Cut 'em up a bit, and scatter 'em around, and make your models come alive, and don't worry about doing full and empty versions. Just "lively" versions.

Or don't. Ignore my rantings at your discretion. I can be ignored in complete safety. No penalties apply.