Tamiya 35013 - 1:35 U.S.Army Infantry

Plastic model figures: U.S. Army Infantry in 1:35 scale

Tamiya 35013 is a set of four US infantry figures fighting on the Western Front from June 1944 — from the Normandy landings to the drive into Europe. The figures are caught in motion: one throws a grenade, another reloads his weapon, a third operates a flamethrower. Poses like these let you build a readable scene of an assault rather than a static group.

The kit captures the armament of a typical US rifle squad: it includes the M1 Garand semi-automatic rifle, the Thompson submachine gun, the BAR M1918 automatic rifle, grenades, a flamethrower and an entrenching tool. A detail appreciated by modellers is the varied legwear — three figures wear puttees, one wears leggings. The tooling dates from 1972.

What's in the box:

• Plastic sprues with the parts for four US infantry figures
• Poses: soldier throwing a grenade, soldier reloading, soldier with a flamethrower
• Weapons: M1 Garand rifle, Thompson submachine gun, BAR M1918 automatic rifle, grenades, flamethrower
• Equipment: entrenching tool
• Three figures in puttees, one in leggings
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Kit specifications:

• Scale: 1:35
• Catalogue number: 35013
• Manufacturer: Tamiya
• Series: Military Miniature Series
• Number of figures: 4
• Tooling: 1972
• Skill level: beginner

Note: The kit does not include cement, paints or modelling tools. The figures are supplied for self-assembly and painting.

Assembly and painting:

Assembly is simple — the figures consist of only a few parts, and the weapons and equipment come as separate pieces, which makes painting easier. It is best to remove gate marks and mould parting lines first and only then reach for the paints; on a face or a uniform any unfinished detail is clearly visible later.

Figure painting is a skill in its own right, but this set is a relaxed place to practise it. The base for US infantry of 1944 is the olive drab of the field uniform (e.g. Tamiya XF-62 Olive Drab) and the lighter khaki of the M1943 field jacket, complemented by leather browns, canvas equipment and the steel of the M1 helmet. A wash brings out the folds of the cloth, while dry-brushing highlights raised areas. The instructions provide Tamiya paint codes.

Tools you will need:

• Modelling side cutters for removing parts from the sprues
• Hobby knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding paper for cleaning up gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Brushes in various sizes, including fine ones for faces and details
• Modelling paints (acrylic or enamel)
• A wash to emphasise uniform folds and equipment
• Optional: pigments for dust and mud effects

About the soldiers – US infantry on the Western Front:

After the landings in Normandy on 6 June 1944 the American infantry went through the hardest period of its war in Europe: fighting in the bocage, the breakout at Saint-Lô, the pursuit across France and, in the winter of 1944/45, the defensive battles in the Ardennes. The basic tactical unit was the twelve-man rifle squad, whose firepower was built around the BAR automatic rifle.

The American infantryman was the only one in this war to use a semi-automatic rifle on a mass scale — the M1 Garand, fed by an eight-round clip, allowed a markedly higher rate of fire than the enemy's bolt-action rifles. It was supplemented by Thompson submachine guns and hand grenades, and in assaults on fortifications by flamethrowers, among the most effective and most dangerous of infantry weapons.

The equipment shows a moment of transition: older uniforms and puttees appeared alongside leggings and new field jackets. It is precisely this variety that the figures in this set reproduce.

Historical background:

• Formation: US Army infantry, Western Front, from June 1944
• Weapons represented in the kit: M1 Garand, Thompson, BAR M1918, grenades, flamethrower, entrenching tool
• M1 Garand — the first semi-automatic rifle in mass service, .30-06 calibre (7.62 mm), eight-round clip
• Thompson — .45 ACP (11.43 mm) submachine gun, effective at close range
• BAR M1918 — .30 calibre automatic rifle, the core of the US rifle squad's firepower
• Flamethrower — a weapon used above all against fortifications and bunkers

About the manufacturer – Tamiya:

Tamiya Corporation is a Japanese model company founded in 1946 by Yoshio Tamiya in Shizuoka, regarded as the centre of the Japanese model industry. The business began in the timber trade, moved on to wooden models in the late 1940s and released its first plastic model kit in 1960. In 1968 it launched the 1:35 Military Miniature Series, to which this figure set also belongs. The brand is known for precise injection moulds and excellent parts fit, which makes its kits a popular choice for beginners and experienced modellers alike. Tamiya figures are valued for their natural poses and clearly rendered uniforms and equipment. Besides plastic kits the company offers a full range of modelling accessories: paints, cements, tools and brushes. Today Tamiya is present in dozens of countries and remains one of the most recognisable brands in the hobby.