1/6 Ujindou UD9031 US-Canadian First Special Service Force Bar Gunner

[Asta]

 

[Asta]

UJINDOU 1/6 First Special Service Force - BAR Gunner NO.UD9031

- M1 Helmet x1
- 1942 Mountain Jacket x1 (The precursor to the M43 jacket)
- Army Mountain Troop Trousers x1
- 1942 Parka (Third Type) x1
- US Army poncho x1
- Captured German Fallschirmjager scarf x1
- M43 Wool Gloves (Genuine Leather) x1
- M1943 US Two-Buckle Boots (Genuine Leather) x1 pair

- M1942 Mountain Backpack (Genuine Leather) x1
- M1937 BAR Ammunition Belt x1
- M1918 BAR Shoulder Ammunition Bandoleer x1
- US Machete x1
- US Machete sleeve x1
- Colt M1911A1 .45 holster (genuine leather) x1
- M1936 sling x1

- BAR automatic rifle (gun With genuine leather) x1
- BAR magazines x4
- Colt M1911A1 .45 pistol x1

- M14 Thermite Incendiary Grenade x1
- CN-DM Gas Grenade x1

- First Special Service Force badge

- NEW BOND HEAD SCULPTURE
- BODY W/ RELAXED HANDS
- GUN HOLDING HANDS

 

[MeatHookGekko]

Woody Harrelson? Thin Red Line?

BAR bipod doesn't look like it detaches. Which I think would be a detractor for some. I enjoy the BAR belt, extra ammo pouch and poncho, lots of cross over appeal to all of that.

Quite a nice figure. He's not a squad builder, but you can buy multiples of this guy if you are making squads and need BAR guys. From a historical standpoint, who ended up with 1911s is always interesting. IIRC, the standard BAR gunner in a squad was not issued one. However, this is a Special Service guy and you have to figure on D Day or other mass engagements, with, tragically, so many of the dead around you, that weapons were co-opted. Some also had personal pistols on them.

If I was issued a M1 Garand and I saw a 1911 pistol that I could pick up ( again tragically obviously) with a belt holster or shoulder holster, I'd say doing so is a nobrainer. But what about if I ran into a Thompson instead? The Thompson is heavy as hell. The BAR is heavy as hell. For Germans, it might have been simpler. I had a choice between an MP40 and a KAR98, I'd rather have the MP40 in general.

I remember reading long ago, might have been Jon Gawne, can't remember, about dedicated corps designed to go through the dead and repurpose the equipment they found. I mean, on D Day, on the beach, good God, how much equipment must have been recovered on site for how many weeks after the initial engagement.... Just some thoughts...

 

[Asta]

Woody Harrelson? Thin Red Line?

Definitely looks like Woody, though I didn't know what war movie he was in that might've inspired Ujindou.

BAR bipod doesn't look like it detaches. Which I think would be a detractor for some. I enjoy the BAR belt, extra ammo pouch and poncho, lots of cross over appeal to all of that.

Quite a nice figure. He's not a squad builder, but you can buy multiples of this guy if you are making squads and need BAR guys. From a historical standpoint, who ended up with 1911s is always interesting. IIRC, the standard BAR gunner in a squad was not issued one. However, this is a Special Service guy and you have to figure on D Day or other mass engagements, with, tragically, so many of the dead around you, that weapons were co-opted. Some also had personal pistols on them.

I downloaded Osprey's First Special Service Force 1942-44 after the figure announcement, and it does state that, "Every member of the original Force combat echelon was issued with the M1911A1 semi-automatic pistol."

And, "The M1 semi-automatic rifle - or "Garand", after its inventor - was the most commonly used rifle in the Force, as throughout the US infantry."

"The M1A1 semi-automatic carbine was used by officers, service personnel and heavy weapons crews in the Force; this was the version also issued to airborne troops, with a pistol grip and a folding skeleton butt."



When I saw the photos I knew I wanted two figures - one to show off the parka, and the other to show off the rare 1942 mountain jacket. But then there was the obvious issue of having two BARs.

I can solve it by switching the BAR and associated gear with the M1 and associated gear from one of Facepool's upcoming USMC Eugene Sledge figures, as I ordered two of them.

The only issue is that the USMC didn't have 'US' on their ammo pouches, and Facepool may be correcting their error by removing them. One of Ujindou's BAR pouches has 'US' on it, but depending on the pose it needn't be on show.

 

[MeatHookGekko]

Definitely looks like Woody, though I didn't know what war movie he was in that might've inspired Ujindou.

The only issue is that the USMC didn't have 'US' on their ammo pouches, and Facepool may be correcting their error by removing them. One of Ujindou's BAR pouches has 'US' on it, but depending on the pose it needn't be on show.

The only thing close is Thin Red Line IMHO. How accurate this figure might be to translate, I just don't know.

I actually prefer no emblems or designations on the pouches. This helps with crossover use. And, from what I've been told, but I can't be sure, some people who do Warhammer like 1/6th pouches, plain as possible, to help customize some of their figures. ( McFarlane scale)

I've actually looked through some of my old 1/6th webgear stuff to see what might translate to Star Wars Black Series ( i.e. the larger pouches might convert to backpacks, etc, etc)

Thin Red Line is fertile with lots of potential celebrity headsculpts that we won't get otherwise in the hobby. I don't see another chance to get a young John Cusack or a middle aged Elias Koteas again.

 

[Asta]

The only thing close is Thin Red Line IMHO. How accurate this figure might be to translate, I just don't know.

I actually prefer no emblems or designations on the pouches. This helps with crossover use. And, from what I've been told, but I can't be sure, some people who do Warhammer like 1/6th pouches, plain as possible, to help customize some of their figures. ( McFarlane scale)

I've actually looked through some of my old 1/6th webgear stuff to see what might translate to Star Wars Black Series ( i.e. the larger pouches might convert to backpacks, etc, etc)

Thin Red Line is fertile with lots of potential celebrity headsculpts that we won't get otherwise in the hobby. I don't see another chance to get a young John Cusack or a middle aged Elias Koteas again.

I've never seen The Thin Red Line, nor know anything about it, so I'm downloading at the moment.

 

[ArtDamage]

There's some unique pieces here but I would have really liked to see a V-42...

 

[DrWeaponX]

I've never seen The Thin Red Line, nor know anything about it, so I'm downloading at the moment.

Good, but meandering. Looooooooooong.

 

[Asta]

Good, but meandering. Looooooooooong.

I skipped through it but it didn't grab me.

It confirmed there was no Woody Harrelson connection to the figure beyond the fact he appeared in a WWII movie. Ujindou followed the path of DML and DID in using celebrity likenesses for inspiration, and often applying them to figures randomly.

 

[Asta]

There's some unique pieces here but I would have really liked to see a V-42...

That would definitely make more sense than a machete, since the FSSF was deployed to Alaska, Italy and France rather than Burma or the Pacific. Also, being designed for the FSSF, it was a signature weapon as the Fairbairn-Sykes was to the Commandos and SAS.

Ujindou did the same with one of their North Africa SAS figures: they gave him a machete along with a life belt (no doubt so he could cut his way to the oasis and not drown when he got there!)

 

[Asta]

Price isn't bad:

https://onesixthkit.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=5073

 

[Horsa]

That would definitely make more sense than a machete, since the FSSF was deployed to Alaska, Italy and France rather than Burma or the Pacific. Also, being designed for the FSSF, it was a signature weapon as the Fairbairn-Sykes was to the Commandos and SAS.

Ujindou did the same with one of their North Africa SAS figures: they gave him a machete along with a life belt (no doubt so he could cut his way to the oasis and not drown when he got there!)

Interesting figure and tempting since i got rid of my DML/BBI kitbashed FSSF versions years ago. I would have preferred a V-42 also, not to mention paratrooper boots instead of the M43s. The uniform is nice and bridges until the end of the war, plus you can mix in an M41 jacket for an Anzio version, along with Para boots

For what it’s worth, it was not uncommon for LMG team members and those with squad support weapons, like a BAR, to have machetes to quickly clear fields of fire. On a side note, the inclusion of the life belt with their SAS member (looks more like a period commando) wasn’t out of line. BBI’s Peter Keyes had one too. It is based on the seaborne raids of North Africa…Operation: Flipper (Rommel Raid), Raid on Bardia, Raid on Tobruk (as a part of Operation: Agreement [IIRC]), etc..

 

[Asta]

Interesting figure and tempting since i got rid of my DML/BBI kitbashed FSSF versions years ago. I would have preferred a V-42 also, not to mention paratrooper boots instead of the M43s. The uniform is nice and bridges until the end of the war, plus you can mix in an M41 jacket for an Anzio version, along with Para boots

For what it’s worth, it was not uncommon for LMG team members and those with squad support weapons, like a BAR, to have machetes to quickly clear fields of fire.

That makes practical sense for a BAR gunner, and a reason to keep it on that figure.

On a side note, the inclusion of the life belt with their SAS member (looks more like a period commando) wasn’t out of line. BBI’s Peter Keyes had one too. It is based on the seaborne raids of North Africa…Operation: Flipper (Rommel Raid), Raid on Bardia, Raid on Tobruk (as a part of Operation: Agreement [IIRC]), etc..

The set was a useful collection of parts, except they replaced the Fairbairn-Sykes with a machete and axed the Thompson.

I mixed in leftovers from their previous commandos and made two SAS and two that were either SAS or Commando - I still haven't decided what they are, except they're operating somewhere in North Africa or Italy.

 

[Asta]

They've arrived.

Haven't been feeling very enthusiastic about Ujindou recently and wasn't looking forward to these, especially after the overall higher quality and appearance of Facepool's Buck.

The sculpt isn't bad.

As expected, the BAR feels fragile, as did their Sten which was made from the same kind of plastic. It reminds me of an old DML firearm.

 

[Asta]

It didn't take long to find the first issue.

The head sculpt is on the smaller side, which is typical for Ujindou, but even so the helmet webbing is a tight fit. It can be forced onto the head, but then getting the 'leather' chin strap up onto the brow of the helmet seems impossible.

The solution I found that didn't risk breaking the strap was to put the webbing inside the helmet with the strap over the brow, and then push the whole lot onto the sculpt without even attempting to put the head inside it.

It also means you can put the helmet onto a bigger sculpt, as with this Facepool Stauffenberg Tom Cruise:

The downside is that everything becomes a movable feast. The helmet is just perched, and the front and rears straps are liable to fall off, as they did after the last photo when the head fell over.


Anyway, the first one's finished and isn't too bad.

I used one of QOrange's 'going to the dentist' sculpts that came with their ACW Union Iowa sets, and for this I think it worked.

As always I find US webbing fiddly, but once all the suspender clips are attached to the belt the whole system is very secure and can be assembled in one piece onto the figure.

The only thing I diverged from the photos was shifting the machete scabbard to the next set of holes, so that the hilt sat more comfortably between the ammo pouches, rather than sticking over the top of the rear one.

Blousing the trousers isn't easy as they have stirrups under the feet, so you can't pull the material out to create an excess above the boots. I didn't want to take the boots off since the laces and anklets were already factory tightened and I didn't want to bother messing with them.

Putting the hood over the head was out of necessity rather than original intention, as it was hard folding the hood back neatly with the backpack in the way. However, I really like the look of it.

EDIT:

Not quite done.

I forgot to put the FSSF patch on his sleeve. He also has the pair of grenades, that I just discovered are actually metal.

I wanted to use up one of the QOrange sculpts on this figure, but there was the question of the beard.

This photo sealed the deal:

"Canadian personnel of the First Special Service Force awaiting medical evacuation, near Venafro, Italy, January 1944."

https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/campaigns/italiancampaign/battlesofthefssf.htm

 

[Asta]

This set won me over.

And mean really won me over.

I was apathetic looking at the promo photos while awaiting its arrival, but seeing the parts in hand and putting them together gave me a renewed appreciation for Ujindou's capabilities.

As soon as I got the parka on him he was giving me The Thing from Another World vibes.

 

[Chambea1114]

Good set Asta they look more like Korean War soldiers than WW2. I'm still super iffy on this brand some stuff looks good but other stuff looks super cheap. the fabric they use for the pouches looks like old 21st Century toys stuff. We shall see how I feel about them when I get the LRRP Vietnam war figure.