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I bought the infantry box before (I think it was two infantry platoons and a
command section) for the US, and 1-2 Ranger blisters. What else should
I pick up for a varied force? I just want to paint them and worry about rules
later. Which tanks/blisters/etc to pick up for midwar?

well that depends of what you would like to model?

Do you have a theme? of certain brance of the serive youd like to play?

<h1>Heres an example of a cool themed army........</h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1>100th Infantry Battalion </h1> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" width="100%" background="" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td></td> <td>

100th Infantry Battalion
Nisei and Rules for Using Them in Flames of War

By Sonny Smith

After the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 an air of distrust arose regarding people of Japanese ancestry in the United States.  By mid 1942 most Japanese-Americans in the continental U.S. were put into internment camps by the government. 

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On Hawaii over a fourth of the population was of Japanese ancestry and the National Guard units there were staffed by a large number of second generation Japanese-Americans referred to as Nisei.

Fearing that if Hawaii was invaded the Nisei in the National Guard would not remain loyal to the U.S., General Emmons, Commander of the U.S. Army in Hawaii, requested that the Japanese-American Soldiers be formed into a Hawaiian Provisional Battalion and sent to the mainland. The Nisei, now the 100th Infantry Battalion, did so well in training that President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized the formation of a Japanese-American segregated combat unit.

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Two Nisei prepare to fire a 60mm mortar

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Nisei during training at Camp Shelby

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This unit would eventually become known as the 442nd Infantry Regimental Combat Team whose motto became “Go For Broke”.

The 442nd was a fully self-sufficient fighting force consisting of 1st, 2nd, 3rd Infantry Battalions, the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion, the 232nd Engineering Company, an Anti-Tank Company, a Cannon Company, and non-combat support. They began training in Camp Shelby, Mississippi.

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By September 26, 1943, the 100th Infantry Battalion entered combat in Italy where they lead the advance on Monte Milleto. The 100th Battalion was attached to the 34th Infantry Division where the 100th facing heavy resistance captured their first objective the capture of Benevento, an important rail center and road intersection. The men of the 100th Battalion advanced 15 miles in 24 hours fighting both day and night against heavy enemy resistance.

Right: Nisei man a 37mm anti-tank gun.

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Nisei man a .30cal Machine-gun during woodland training

</td> <td>As they pushed the Germans further north the Nisei faced their next challenge, they would need to cross the strong currents of the twisting Volturno River. On the other bank of the Volturno the Germans waited overlooking the river from the hilly countryside. The 100th Battalion would eventually cross the river in three places. The first men to cross the river faced withering machine-gun fire as they waded across the water. The Germans who held the high ground continuously shot down on the GIs as they came ashore, and it wasn’t until they reached dry land that they were able to return fire on the Germans. In their first week of combat the men of the 100th Battalion had taken 26 combat casualties and lost 13 men to accidents.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" width="100%" background="" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td>

At the second crossing, the men of the 100th faced waters that in places, was over the heads of some of the men. They came ashore facing minefields, fortified machine gun nests, artillery fire, Nebelwerfers and Panzer Grenadiers from the 29th Panzer Grenadier Regiment. 

It was during the fighting that took place near the second crossing that Private Masao Awakuni earned the Distinguished Service Cross for charging and destroying a tank with a Bazooka single-handedly.

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Men of the 100th escort German prisoners to the rear

</td> <td>On November 3rd the 100th crossed the river for the third time. The Luftwaffe strafed the Nisei as they battled the entrenched German defenders. The next day word reached Staff Sergeant Ozaki that a highly respected officer of the battalion had been wounded and captured. Upon hearing the news Sergeant Ozaki ordered his platoon to fix bayonets and charge. The GIs yelled “Banzai” as they overran the defenders.  </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" width="100%" background="" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td>

The news that prompted the charge was mistaken, but such was the Nisei’s concern for one another that they never left a man behind (most of them had known each other since childhood).

The 100th Battalion had earned a reputation as some of the best assault troops in the U.S. army. By the time they were relieved on November 11, the men of the 100th had earned 19 Silver Stars, but casualties were high. Eighteen officers and 239 enlisted men were wounded, three officers and 75 enlisted men died. The 100th Battalion would from then on and forever be known as “The Purple Heart Battalion”.

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Using Nisei in Flames of War

You may field a Nisei Rifle Company from Afrika using the US Rifle Company (Pages 165-168) by upgrading the Company HQ for +10 points and all Combat Platoons and Weapons Platoons to Nisei for +40 points per platoon. 

In addition the following Support choices if used must be upgraded to Nisei for +30 points per platoon: Intelligence and Recon Platoons and Cannon Platoons.

All platoons upgraded to Nisei become Fearless Trained. 

Anti-tank platoons may not be equipped with 57mm Anti-tank guns. A single Nisei Rifle Platoon may be attached to a normal Rifle Company as a Support Platoon (a Nisei Rifle Platoon attached in this way does not grant two additional Support Platoons).

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Special Rules

Use all normal US special rules with the addition of:

Go For Broke!
More than one officer commanding them stated that the Nisei were the best assault troops that they had ever seen.

Any Nisei Platoon that is Pinned Down by Defensive Fire while assaulting may immediately take a Motivation test.
• If the test is passed, then they rally from Pinned Down and immediately launch a new assault against the same enemy platoons. Treat this as an entirely new assault, so the defenders conduct defensive fire again as if assaulted by a new platoon.
• If the Motivation check fails then the Nisei platoon becomes Pinned Down as normal.

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If I were to do FOW, I'd probably base it on my grandfather's service (he was in the 78th Inf. Division: http://www.78thinfantry.com/home.htm), so that's another angle.

EDIT: i.e. basing off family experience, not my family's experience per se   

I was thinking regular US midwar. No clue on theme, just a force to paint.

Maybe some shermans, m-10's, priests. All three of those tank types are very playable in FOW and are common in many lists I've seen.

Neat. Thanks for all the help.

One of the U.S.'s biggest strengths is its artillery.  I would definitely look at picking up a field artillery battery of 105mm howitzers, and/or 4.2'' chemical mortars.  MG, weapons, and regular mortar platoons are also useful.

For AT work, I'd try 37mm AT guns (for light tanks) or 57mm guns (for medium tanks.)


Another tank option is Stuarts.  They aren't going to do well tangling with medium tanks, but they are good against infantry.

Sweetness.

I still hate you, Hordak.

Posted By malfred on 01/19/2007 6:25 AM
Sweetness.

I still hate you, Hordak.

More pics coming soon!