Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Upon reviewing pictures of actual US army uniforms I made a shocking discovery. They are not, in fact, Khaki. The way Warlord Games paints them isn't accurate at all. I don't know how to quite paint the real deal, though. They're an olive green color. Does anyone have any paint matches

Here is a linky to a reproduction uniform page.


http://www.atthefrontshop.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=USUJM41

Here's a guide:
http://www.usarmymodels.com/guidetopainting.html

That said, painting the jackets tan with a nice wash brings a 'good enough' for that light shade of OD for me.

I thought they had khaki uniforms as well? Or at least trousers?

I looked at the Warlord Games website and the color of the jackets on their miniatures looks pretty close to the color of the jacket you posted.

 Hordini wrote:
I thought they had khaki uniforms as well? Or at least trousers?

I looked at the Warlord Games website and the color of the jackets on their miniatures looks pretty close to the color of the jacket you posted.

The original jackets apparently were a very light shade of OD - that to many folks including me looks like khaki/beige.
It's technically olive drab but darned if I can tell the difference when it's on a 25mm soldier.

Yeah, it's a hard to distinguish it but the color is a little different. It is distinctly green. A very light olive green but it is green. Thanks for the link to the painting guide!

All depends at what stage in the war your guys are fighting. The most common combo at the time of D-day was the M1941 uniform. That is the Khaki waist length jacket with the woolen brown trousers. However from about September 44 onwards the newer M1943 uniform started to appear. This is the Olive Green uniform with the longer jacket. It was however phased in gradually so even by the wars end some units would still be wearing the Khaki jackets.

 LuciusAR wrote:
All depends at what stage in the war your guys are fighting. The most common combo at the time of D-day was the M1941 uniform. That is the Khaki waist length jacket with the woolen brown trousers. However from about September 44 onwards the newer M1943 uniform started to appear. This is the Olive Green uniform with the longer jacket. It was however phased in gradually so even by the wars end some units would still be wearing the Khaki jackets.

That's right! Thanks! I knew I remembered there being more than one uniform, I just couldn't remember the specifics.

This is a photo from around D-Day 1944, I can't remember which beach though. Even though it's in black and white; look at the variation in shades on the uniforms. I think you'll be alright with a variant of khaki or faded OD. Because there's quite a variety of shades in just this picture!

B&W is difficult to judge any colour as light effects the image.

These may help...









Here is a good one as its shows the usual jacket and some wearing the HBT...

It's interesting to see that WW2 players can be as picky and precise about colours as Napoleonics players.

If you're gonna do it... may as well do it right.

 LuciusAR wrote:
All depends at what stage in the war your guys are fighting.

I think it depends what war you're talking about. Obviously WWII, upon reading the topic, but come on, guys! There are a couple other years covered by the banner of 'historical gaming'.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
It's interesting to see that WW2 players can be as picky and precise about colours as Napoleonics players.

t
I was a WW2 reenactor before this. I think I got finicky about uniform colors from that. Thanks for the info you guys! It looks like the uniforms were a very light olive green that faded to a khaki over time. Maybe a khaki paint mixed with a olive green would get a good color.

Aww man he's taken his rant down. The internet archive has it but some of the pictures are missing.

http://web.archive.org/web/20090930203420/http://www.atthefront.com/khaki.htm

That's the article that made me doubt the way I was painting my Americans!

So, maybe a Vallejo Olive-brown mixed with a Khaki would get the right tone?