artillery crewman with netting on their helmets?

Post by **aferguson** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 7:41 pm

how come you rarely see US artillery crewman with netting on their helmets?

I'm finishing off a 203mm howtizer (from the PTE howitzer) and i'm making the crewman (from BOB Mackinaw coated guys). I don't want to use the white covered helmet the mackinaw guy comes with but the only spare helmets i have, have netting on them. I was researching and have yet to find a picture of a US artilleryman during wwii with netting on his helmet.

Is this just bad luck on my part or was it rare for artillerymen to wear helmets with netting on them?

tmanthegreat · Post by **tmanthegreat** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:08 pm

To me, it really wouldn't matter for diorama purposes whether or not the artillery crew had netted helmets. Here's my theory: The helmet netting was often used (I think) so that frontline troops could place cammoflauge items (twigs, cammo netting, etc.) on the helmets, like the US Paratroopers often did. Artillery crews, usually at some distance from the front lines, would have had no need for helmet cammo, and hence no netting.

digger · Post by **digger** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:09 pm

EDIT - Tman had the same idea it seems.

Not sure, but if you are a couple of miles away from your target you would be less likely to need camo netting on your helmet. Also probably some bad luck in your searches. Someone in the reference forum may have a better idea.

KAMIKAZE · Post by **KAMIKAZE** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:59 pm

I had the same thought. Alot of the pictures I have show the crews with no helmets, no shirts, and minimal gear. It had to be pretty miserable hauling shells and cordite bags all day.

Mark

tko211 · Post by **tko211** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:10 pm

I heard it was because they were fetching hefty prices by selling the netting on Ebay!

As indicated in the above posts, some men didn't stop with the selling of netting but also sold shirts and other gear. There was also a standing contest among the men to see who would be first to become a "star" level seller!

momaw nadon · Post by **momaw nadon** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:54 pm

aferguson,
US Officer, Infantry, Bazooka Soldier, US Halftrack Driver, and Para Jennings have no netting on the helmets. If that is what you are looking for. Also you could use the stowage helmets from the Shermans too. Just some ideas for you. I might have some of the helmets from the Sherman if you are interested. Let me know.
momaw nadon

tmanthegreat · Post by **tmanthegreat** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 10:56 pm

The gun crew figures that come with the new FOV U.S. M2A1 105mm Howitzer do not have netting on their helmets

Post by **aferguson** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 4:58 am

ha.....i forgot i bought an extra 21c sherman to convert into a Firefly....i'll use the helmets from there.

oh goody....

lsc1002 · Post by **lsc1002** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:25 am

Afer- Do notice that a lot the arty guys don't even were coats, but sport brown t-shirts or brown "wife beaters" aka tank tops. This of course depends on their AO

Post by **aferguson** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:38 am

well, the 203 i'm doing is going to be in italy and so i chose to use the mackinaw bob guys i have as crewman, having no tshirted or wife beater wearing guys.

tmanthegreat · Post by **tmanthegreat** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:22 am

Actually, in Italy, you would want to be wearing the tank tops, as its pretty hot and humid there during the summer, save in the alpine country in the north - but the allies never quite got there

Post by **aferguson** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:31 am

it was freezing in the winter in Italy......especially in the more northern parts. Cold and wet. Nasty.

digger · Post by **digger** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:31 pm

Anything to avoid a dremmel is easier imo..but I thought those helmets on the Sherman were German helmets? Trophy pieces, no?

You should buy some of bbi's WWII guys - a couple of them come with helmets with no netting.

Post by **aferguson** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 6:48 pm

the helmet's netting is molded on.....painting over them would do no good as you'd still be able to see the netting texture underneath the paint.

I didn't dremel out the sherman helmets i just sliced off the top of the heads of the crewman and glued the helmets on.

Qoick.

digger · Post by **digger** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 6:52 pm

Now they're wearing Kraut helmets and their heads are bleeding!

Post by **aferguson** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 6:54 pm

they're not german helmets...they're just not great molds of US helmets.

And they're heads are plastic, they don't bleed...

zonetoys · Post by **zonetoys** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 8:00 pm

Sure! That's what Dr. Frankenstein tried to convince the villagers!

Igor is on line 2! Something about heads from M.A.S.H. figures!
He said Hawkeye was not co-operating!

mediump · Post by **mediump** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 8:02 pm

Here's a pic of a hollowed out sherman helmet...

and a pic of the xd net helmet...

digger · Post by **digger** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 8:22 pm

That top pic of the helmet sure does look German..and the fact that they are originally grey only suggests the same.

Post by **aferguson** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 8:35 pm

they're not frikin frakin frukin german. If anything, they look a bit like the german paratrooper helmet but they're just un-perfectly molded US helmets. Mine were OD though, i got them from the latest sherman repaint.

Anyways....they worked well enough for my purposes, for my crew guys for my 8 inch howitzer. Look damn fine in fact, in their mackinaws and all.

mediump · Post by **mediump** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 8:37 pm

One way the troops used to differentiate the helmets was that the german helmets were "square" and the US were "round" in that the german helmets had flat sides when looking at the profile

Small Scale Military Headquarters

artillery crewman with netting on their helmets?

artillery crewman with netting on their helmets?

well..

yup

ouch

um..