Korean War
Dated: May 31, 2002.
Often called "The Forgotten War"; on June 25, 1950, the Republic of Korea (ROK) was invaded by the North Korean People's Army (NKPA). Two days later the United Nations authorized member states to send combat forces to Korea. These would be primarily US and British Commonwealth troops, and eventually would include small contingents from thirty other countries. In late November, 1950, the newly established People's Republic of China became concerned about the UN advance toward its own borders. Strong forces of its People's Volunteer Army (PVA) were sent to intervene in the war, and provided the chief opposition to the UN forces for the rest of the war, until 1953. The Republic of (South) Korea was not a member of the United Nations, but placed its forces under UN command.
ALL COLOR NUMBERS REFER TO TESTORS PAINTS. For one shade colors, here are the Testors numbers; Black (1149 or 1749), White (1168 or 1768), Gold (1144 or 1744), Silver (1146), Steel (1180 or 1780), Brass (1182 or 1782), Flesh (flat-various available shades or mixtures). Aircraft Interior Black (2040) referred to below, is a VERY dark matte shade of charcoal gray and perfect for black uniform cloth.
UNITED NATIONS
US ARMY (Summer)
PART/ITEM -- COLOR
Uniform -- Pale Green (1716)
Helmet, bayonet scabbard, shovel handle, MG box and tripod, mortar and
mortar shell, mine detector, grenades, bazooka, flame-thrower -- Faded Olive Drab
(2051)
Belt, straps, pouches, pack, canteen -- Armor Sand (1704)
Boots, officer's pistol holster -- Leather (1736)
Hair, wooden parts of rifle -- Brown, Ital. dark (2111)
Metal parts of weapons , bayonet, -- Gunmetal (1795)
Canteen cap -- Steel
MG belt -- Brass
Hands, face -- Flesh
Base -- Green (2029)
NOTES: All UN contingents, except British Commonwealth units, wore this uniform in summer after 1950. In the Spring of 1953, the US Army experimentally issued body armor "flak jackets" to some of its units. In this scale, this would be indicated by painting the torsos of
figures Medium Green (1713).
Suggested Reference -- Osprey Men At Arms series #174 Korean War 1950-53
Suitable sets for these would be US Marine infantry/US Marines, or "Big Red One".
US MARINES (Summer)
PART/ITEM -- COLOR
Uniform -- Pale Green (1716)
Helmet -- CAMOUFLAGE pattern of OD Green (1164) and Field Drab (1702)
over a Green (2029) base.
Bayonet scabbard, shovel handle, MG box and tripod, mortar and mortar shell, mine detector, grenades, bazooka, flame-thrower -- Faded Olive Drab
(2051)
Leggings*, belt, straps, pouches, pack, canteen -- Armor Sand (1704)
Boots, officer's pistol holster -- Leather (1736)
Hair, wooden parts of rifle -- Brown, Ital. dark (2111)
Metal parts of weapons , bayonet, canteen cap -- Gunmetal (1795)
MG belt -- Brass
Hands, face -- Flesh
Base -- Green (2029)
NOTE: *Leggings were generally worn only during the Summer of 1950. Thereafter only the helmet cover distinguished Marines from other UN or ROK forces.
Suggested Reference -- Osprey Elite # U. S. Marine Corps Since 45.
Suitable sets for these would be US Marineinfanterie/US Marines, "Big Red One".
U.S. TANK CREWS
PART/ITEM -- COLOR
Coveralls -- Pale Green, (1716)
Helmet, Jacket -- Green (2029)
Jacket Cuffs and collar -- Faded Olive Drab (2051)
Goggles lenses -- Silver
Boots, pistol holster -- Leather (1736)
Pistol or submachinegun -- Gunmetal (1795)
Hair, wooden parts of submachinegun -- Brown, Italian dark (2111)
Hands, face -- Flesh
Base -- Green (2029)
REPUBLIC OF KOREA (SOUTH KOREA) Summer
ROK troops wore second-hand WW II US uniforms from the beginning, often with sneakers, Armor Sand (1704) top/Dark Tan (1742) bottom, instead of boots. Hair would be Black.
U.N. FORCES (Winter)
PART/ITEM -- COLOR
Parka, field jackets, trousers -- Green (2029)
Shirts -- SAC Bomber Tan (1792)
Helmet, bayonet scabbard -- Olive Drab (2050)
(U.S. Marines: Helmet CAMOUFLAGE pattern of OD Green (1164) and Field Drab (1702) over a Green (2029) base.)
Shovel handle, MG box and tripod, mortar and mortar shell, mine detector, grenades, bazooka, flame-thrower -- Faded Olive Drab (2051)
Belt, straps, pouches, pack, canteen -- Armor Sand (1704)
Boots, officer's pistol holster -- Leather (1736)
Hair, wooden parts of rifle -- Brown, Ital. dark (2111)
Metal parts of weapons, bayonet -- Gunmetal (1795)
Canteen cap -- Steel
MG belt -- Brass
Hands, face -- Flesh
Base -- Green (2029)
NOTES: All US troops, Army and Marine, the ROKs, as well as all other UN contingents, were issued US Army winter uniforms, starting the first Winter, to simplify logistics.
Suggested Reference -- Osprey Men At Arms series #174 Korean War 1950-53
Suitable sets for these would be US Infanterie/US Infantry. Any overcoats are painted as parkas. There were several kinds of parkas and most, but not all, had an integral hood.
GREAT BRITAIN AND COMMONWEALTH
INFANTRY (Summer)
PART/ITEM -- COLOR
Uniform, headgear -- Pale Green (1716)
Helmet, straps, pouches, packs, haversacks, gaiters, grenades, radio, Vickers MG, ammo box, mortars, mortar ammo - Faded Olive Drab (2051)
Canteen -- Dark Tan (1742)
Boots, bayonet scabbard, pistol -- Black
Metal parts of weapons, bayonet -- Gunmetal (1795)
MG belt -- Brass
Hair, rifle stocks -- Brown, Italian dark (2111)
Hands, face -- Flesh
Base -- Green (2029)
NOTES: British Commonwealth ground troops serving in Korea included
British, Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand contingents. In this
scale,
the difference would be that the British wore "bush shirts",
the
Australians and New Zealanders, "bush jackets", and the
Canadians issued both. In 1952 the British contingent were issued a
prototype of the 1958 Combat Dress of jacket and trousers. All of these
uniforms were Pale Green (1716), but shirts in Sand (1706) could also be
worn. All contingents wore the postwar British steel helmet. Out of the
line, headgear depended on national origin. British troops wore berets,
Dark Blue for most units, with silver or gold Regimental cap badges.
Green
(1171) berets were worn by the Royal Marines and Black (2040) by tank
crews. Scottish Regiments wore tams (SAC Bomber Tan 1792). Canadian
troops
also wore berets, maroon for paratroops, black for tank crews and Khaki
(Faded Olive Drab 2051) for everyone else. The Canadians also had a
field
cap, sort of like a ski cap, in the same Khaki color in winter and in
Pale
Green (1716) in summer. Australian troops wore their distinctive hat in
SAC Bomber Tan (1792) with Sand (1706) hatband.
INFANTRY (Winter)
During the winter of 1950-51, Commonwealth troops changed over to wool
battledress uniforms, Faded Olive Drab (2051) for the Canadians, Field
Drab (1702) for the others. With this issue came sweaters in Dark Tan
(1742) and knit wool caps in Faded Olive Drab (2051). In addition to US
parkas, the British also received a supply of WW II
"windproof"
camouflage smocks, with VERY large Dark Tan (1742) and Medium Green
(1713)
segments over a Flat Tan (1167) base. Many officers adopted U.S. field
jackets too. After 1950-51, winter uniforms were generally as for other
UN
forces except that British Commonwealth troops retained their own
helmets,
gaiters and webgear.
Suggested Reference -- Osprey Men At Arms series #174 Korean War 1950-53
Suitable sets for these would be Britische Infanterie/British Infantry
WW
II. and HaT WW II Australian Infantry - #7016
COMMUNIST FORCES
NORTH KOREAN PEOPLE'S ARMY
PART/ITEM -- COLOR
Shirt, trousers, cap -- Armor Sand (1704)
Necktab* -- Blue
Straps, ammunition pouches -- Leather (1736)
Sneakers -- Armor Sand (1704) top/Faded Olive Drab (2051) bottom
Officer's Boots -- Black
Haversack -- Sand (1706)
Pack -- Dark Tan (1742)
Canteen -- Dark tan (1742
Metal parts of weapons -- Gunmetal metal (1795)
Wooden parts of weapons -- Brown, Italian dark (2111)
Hands, face -- Flesh
Hair -- Black
Base, helmet camouflage -- Green (2029)
NOTES: The NKPA was trained by the Russians and officers wore Russian
uniforms and insignia, with a sort of ski cap head gear. This cap was
also
worn by enlisted men. The NKPA was effectively destroyed in the Fall of
1950, and took little further role in the war.
*The "necktab" actually was an internal gasflap to the
shirt.
Suggested Reference -- Osprey Men At Arms series #174 Korean War 1950-53
Suggested figures -- WWII Japanese Army. The NKPA did not wear puttees
or
steel helmets.
NKPA TANK CREWS (1950)
PART/ITEM -- COLOR
Coveralls -- Armor Sand (1704) or Aircraft Interior Black (2040)
Helmet -- European Gray (1740) or Field Drab (1702).
Boots, Belt, officer's straps, pistol holster - Leather (1736)
Pistol, submachinegun, binoculars -- Gunmetal (1795)
Wooden parts of submachinegun -- Brown, Italian dark (2111)
Hands, face -- Flesh
Hair -- Black
Base -- Green (2029)
CHINESE PEOPLE'S VOLUNTEER ARMY (Winter)
PART/ITEM -- COLOR
Padded Winter Uniform and hat -- Sand (1706)
Fur parts of hat -- Flat Gull Gray (1730)
Sneakers -- Armor Sand (1704) top/Dark Tan (1742) bottom
Blanket roll, pouches, haversack, pack -- Faded Olive Drab (2051)
Canteen, mortar, mortar shells -- Green (2029)
Belt, straps, mapcase and pistol holster - Leather (1736)
Wooden parts of weapons -- Brown, Italian dark (2111)
Bayonets, binoculars, metal parts of shovel or weapons -- Gunmetal
(1795)
Shovel and grenade handles -- Wood (1735)
Hair -- Black
Hands, face -- Flesh
Base -- White
NOTES: The CPVA went to Korea armed with a variety of weapons. Most
were
captured from the Nationalists during the Chinese Civil War, and of
American, British, German and Czech origin. Many were Japanese, turned
over to them after WW II by the Russians. After the winter of 1950-51,
Russian weapons were used exclusively.
In Summer the Chinese PVA wore tunic and trousers in Armor Sand (1704).
Caps were "Mao" - style caps rather than the NKPA's
"ski" type. Supply being a problem, many People's Volunteers
continued to wear their winter hats in summer too.
The CPVA did not have conventional ranks or rank insignia, and uniforms
were identical for all personnel.
Suggested Reference -- Osprey Men At Arms series #174 Korean War 1950-53
Suggested figures -- Sibirische Schutzen/Siberian Riflemen WW II.
(Winter)
WWII Japanese Army (Summer) Again, neither puttees nor steel helmets
were
worn.