US Paras, 15mm PBI

For the painting challenge and because Peter Pig have bought out version 3 of PBI. I have done some 15mm WW2 Us Paras. I have never mentioned which regiment these are from but I have called them dog company. All the names are made up and I will probably repaint the names if the stand of figures dies in a game.

So starting with Captain Brown the leader of Dog company. You will note the white rank marking on the back of the helmet and along with every other figure the US flag on the Right arm. Not an actual US Flag I may be quite a good painter but there is no way I will paint all the 13 stripes and all the 50 stars on a figure this small. Sorry that is just not going to happen but what I have managed on 15mm figures is close enough for me!


The Ist Platoon is commanded (in my world) by Lt Cole. Consisting of 10 stands in all. A command stand a Bazooka stand (Directly behind the command stand|) 1 smg stand, 3 Lmg (BAR) stands and 4 Garand Rifle stands. Originally they did not issure Browning Automatic Rifles (BAR) to paratroopers thinking at 48 inches it was too long a weapon for them. Each of the Bar stands has a yellow tuft on the base to clearly identify them on the table top. After all I might need all the fire power I can get, you never know it might make a difference.

 2nd Platoon Currently Under Lt Powell, but likely to change to Lt Spiers (Thanks Dave Docherty you scoundrel), is not equipped with BARs but with .30 Cal Light Machine guns. These have a higher rate of fire and need more ammunition! They are designated with red  tufts. Again so when on the table top I am able to see where they are and then attempt to use them appropriately. Despite the Battlefront miniatures showing a tripod with these figures again originally a bi pod was used for Paratroopers. As wargamers we can easily quibble over such things but as in the rules they are all treated as LMGs is there much point arguing
about it? So moving on.

3rd Platoon is of a similar make up to the first 2 platoons but this time with BARs instead of  .30's. So back to the yellow tufts. As with the other two Bazooka antitank is included in the platoon and a stand of SMGs. By keeping Bazookas in every platoon I hope to give them enough integrated anti-tank weapons that they can keep the Germans at bay. Or at least make any German tanks weary of getting too close. Well that's the idea anyway. It may now work at all.

In the next few weeks I will add extra stands to swap out the SMGs for Garand's if need be. I am not sure if it will be better in the game but it should provide all the options I need.

I will be splitting this post over several days as I am still beavering away at the Engineer platoon so I will expect to show that by this time next week.

In the Challenge I have received much high praise for my basing so if you can let me know if you would like to see a basing walk-through and I will try to do one in a couple of weeks.

Well that's part 1 done, parts 2 and 3 to follow later on. But this is the bulk of the fighting troops. Which is not to say the others don't fight just that these are in most cases the front line troops.

Thanks for looking I will post again soon all the best Clint.