Original
Instruction Sheet
Although not
as obvious as other much pirated figures (Airfix,
Lido Wild West, Elastolin Romans, Britains
animals et al), the original Monogram
set US Army Military Figures, is up
there with them and there are at least three main 'families' of figures to look
at.
Firstly
there is the original 'kit-figure' set and the various derivatives from (in a
possible. vague order of appearance) Pyro,
Renwall, Hawk, Adams, San/Marusan, Revell, SNAP, UPC and Life-Like (among others!) Lesser players include MPC, Strombecker
(four figure set) - and IMC?
Then there
are the soft polyethylene Hong Kong piracies, from around 10-or-so definable
sources, most were sold as generics but one or two can be attributed, not least
a small set carried by Marx. Small
Scale World briefly looked at some of these (the generic carded sets) in the
past.
Note; the
1973 IPMS/MAP kit list is no help at
all in this matter, listing only the Tamiya
set and the Monogram (as 1:32nd
scale!), but most of the sets branded to the above were out (and still around)
at that time, the SNAP/Adams/Hawk set
came with a howitzer and sandbag emplacement and appears separately in the listing
though.
Re-boxing
under Revell ownership
Still the Monogram tool and brand-mark
The final
group contains the ones we're mainly looking at here - the Revell-sculpts' based Roco-Minitanks
copies and their UPC piracies in
nominal HO-Scales. Giant also lifted
them in an HO-compatible size, but we're not looking at them today; they'll go
on the HK Blog . . . one day!
Revell used the Monogram set as a
basis for their own (this box was probably issued sometime between the two
above?), but kneeling-down the radio and flamethrower operator's, straitening a
couple of other poses and both dropping some and adding newer sculpts. It was
this latter set which Roco used as
the basis for three of their 'HO' sets, the only sets they produced in soft
polyethylene.
However, in
the Roco sets, the sculpts were
divided, some duplicated and the sets contain a few other poses, including
original Monogram sculpts, variously taken
from AFV crewmen which can be found in military model-kits (of various scales)
from one or more of the companies (in the first 'family') listed above.
So, set 117 US Soldiers Combat Group was the
first outing, and it contained the fighting 'infantry platoon' poses, along
with the flamethrower, bazooka-man and mine-detector, but not the No.2 on the
bazooka, who would be held over for set 141
US Artillery Group.
This is the
type two packaging with the AHM/Airfix
panels removed and a white panel/flash where the earlier sets had had a blue
one (see below), I think the 'Z' prefix on the codes is the AHM designator for Roco, they used a 'U' prefix for the MinimoverS which were supplied by Umex/Roskopf. Walther's
used similar coding for their suppliers, but only for the Terminal Hobby Shop (and now online) cataloguing . . . I think; not
on actual packaging?
The
14-figure count includes two identical marching poses and an officer we will
return to at the end of the article. The second radio-operator (large set) and
officer are additional to the two donor sets, but I don't know which kits they
are taken from - yet!
The earlier
packaging, seen here on the second polyethylene figure set with the blue-panels
on the obverse and AHM box on the
reverse, they were imported into the UK by Airfix
to begin with (you can - in good light - just read 'Airfix Products' under the
"United Kingdom"), while Roco-Peetzy
handled European sales. I seem to recall Riko
took-over the UK marketing as Airfix
dropped Roco in favour of their own
growing lines of 1:76th scale AFV kits and the more 1:72nd scale ('OO-HO')
readymade polyethylene vehicles?
The larger
figure-25 suffix in the product-code is the US price-designator; twenty-five
cents, US Airfix used the same
system, as did UPC, below.
Again we
have other figures from new sources; the seated figure with the rifle is from
the original Monogram set, but I
suspect the guy holding his 'bum-roll' is a Revell
sculpt, while the various artillerymen will have been taken from various older
1:35, 1:40th or 'box-scale' AFV model-kits from the list of companies above - Adams had the 120mmAA I think?. The MG
and Mortar vignettes are from the Revell
version, and we get the missing bazooka-crew No.2.
I have no
idea if Roco had a licence to
reproduce the figures, or just copied them on-the-fly, I don't think Revell had taken over Monograme at the time they first
appeared, and the fact that Roco
would join Esci in later copying Tamiya sculpts (Esci also plagiarised Airfix
and downscaled their sister company Italeri's
1:35th figures) suggests piracy?
Also neither
Revell nor Monogram showed any interest in the smaller-scales at the time;
although Revell would turn to it
later (with re-boxed Esci!), so may
have turned a blind-eye, or even tipped-a-wink at a toy fair, but equally they
could have been fully-licensed? The figure next to the two seated figures is
Patton.
UPC's
box-art; above (large scale, channelling the Revell artwork) supplied by Gisby, below (small scale) from my
collection appears to show basic training helmet markings and an oversized
Hotchkiss on a Vickers' tripod!
I fired a Vickers
once; I must have been five or six? Dad woke us in the middle of the night
and drove us to the School of Infantry
at Brecon, where his staff (he was commandant) had set up the gun on the small
pistol range/SMG butts at the back of the old wooden barracks (which would be
unchanged fifteen-odd-years later when I stayed in them, winter 1984/5!), he
then had my brother (four or five?) and I fire a 50-round belt each into the
sand to wake the garrison - all totally illegal; even in those days! I coughed
in the fog and nearly broke my teeth on the firing handles!
They (UPC) copy both the previously seen sets
for a 27-figure count (even to the duplicate marchers!), probably pantographed;
all the detail is there, but they are a tad-smaller, they are also the only
polyethylene set in a polystyrene line-up, and the funny little bases (more Revell than Monogram, but all Roco) were
copied as well.
#3039-29 -
US Combat Group Soldiers, miss-attributed elsewhere to 3022
(actually a crewless/figureless artillery kit); I have set them out in the
photograph as they are laid-out on the
instruction sheet - numbered top-left to bottom-right from No. 1 Bazooka man, to No. 28
seated, with the machine-gun as No.
26 and the mortar unnumbered/un-illustrated on the sheet. Full US catalogue listing with price in cents; 29¢
The third
and last set manufactured in the soft polyethylene by Roco was 154 US Parade Group,
16 figures, but only a few new sculpts, again taken from Revell or Monogram (I
assume) and probably from the various Jeep kits available in the larger sizes.
Contents
give us a fourth 'George C Patton'esque officer standing, a variation of the
'actual' Patton figure from 141, but
with standard combat trousers instead of the cavalry jodhpurs, two drivers and
seated solder and officer, I guess the officer is the one in a side-hat,
pointing?
On the far
left (where Mr. O'Connell puts me!) is the 154
version, you can see he's been pantograph-copied from the larger 141 figure to his right. In the other
shot is a usable miss-mould on the left, next to the standard figure. I could
probably get him back with a bit of hot water, but I like to keep them, in
hundreds of figures he's the only one who's turned-up! He looks like he's just
spotted something dodgy and is about to un-shoulder his rifle?
Returning to
the officers, there must be one [early?] Roco
AFV which came with a crew-figure (US half-track?) as two of these (left hand
figure) slightly larger versions have turned-up in polystyrene, but they could
be further piracies? The base seems to be Roco,
but could have been added by the owner, and I've found no other poses (from all
three sets) in the same material.
Standard Roco-Minitanks in the middle and UPC copy to the right.
One day I
will tackle the big-job properly, but for now, just a couple of shots which
have been in Picasa for a year or three since a sorting-out. I have dozens of
samples of this type of thing, along with one boxed set (may be Adams or SNAP?)
still in the garage somewhere, and they range from the big 60+mm box-scale 1:24/5th
or 1:30th figures from . . . not sure; Aurora,
Pyro (?) or Renwall, through the standard 'early kit' sizes equating to 1:35 or
1:40th and the smaller 1:48th or 1:50th of the late Aurora and others, but with
dozens of copies - sometimes in different sizes - it will be a major
undertaking!
What we have
here is - I think - on the left: Revell
late/reissue in paler green marked (1) and 1st generation copy (Hawk/Adams/SNAP ?) at (2), with the same
copies to the right compared to sub-piracies (Marusan/UPC ?) numbered (3). But - and I stress; they could
all be by other people!
You can see
that each copying reduces the size slightly, and the detail noticeably,
especially on the 3's, it doesn't help that the pale flamethrower isn't
in-line, but I can assure you the 2's are slightly smaller, the 3's measurably
so!
Like I say;
it's a big job, but not impossible! All the Aurora
and Bandai 1:48th-scale smallies are
elsewhere and a few are ID'd and in their company's box or tub, but these are
the bulk of those early US model-kit makers' US troops. 30 to properly
attribute, the supposed Stromberg set (I can only find die-cast Landser and a plastic pit-crew!) may be
the pale grey-green foursome, bottom right?
-------------------------------
As well as
the three polyethylene sets seen above, Roco-Minitanks
produced a number of figure sets in the harder, glue'able polystyrene, and
therefore I've put together a quick listing of those non-vehicular sets that might be most
use to 1:76/72nd gamers, HO gamers should already be familiar with them . . .
Roco Minitanks Listing - Figures & Accessories Only
117
- USA Infantry Combat Group (polyethylene, ex-Revell/Monogram)
118 - US Assault Craft/Raft (Hong Kong piracies exist, same as 239? See also 363)
118A - Life Buoys/Floatation Rings (dealer's-list foul-up or late-90's reuse of the code with different contents? See also 363)
118 - US Assault Craft/Raft (Hong Kong piracies exist, same as 239? See also 363)
118A - Life Buoys/Floatation Rings (dealer's-list foul-up or late-90's reuse of the code with different contents? See also 363)
132
- Anti-Tank Obstacles ('Dragons Teeth' in various sizes + barriers)
141
- US Artillery Personnel Support Group (polyethylene, ex-Revell/Monogram)
154
- US Infantry Parade Group (polyethylene, ex-Revell/Monogram)
185
- Pine Tree Assortment (6 trees, like Faller,
Merit et al)
218 - Tents & Cargo/Supplies (German WWII Zeltbahnen,
copied by Eidai)
- single tent (four-joined Zeltbahn)
- double tent (eight-joined Zeltbahn)
- 2 drums
- barrel
- 2 different boxes/crates
- sack
233 - 2 Motorcycles (one with dispatch satchels, one without)
238 - BMW Motorcycle with Sidecar
239 - Large Rubber Dinghy (Hong Kong piracies exist, same as 118? See also 363))
249 - Bases for Battle Scenes (supplied by Bellona/Micromould)
251 - USSR/East German Tank Crewmen (10 figures)
252 - USA/NATO Tank Crewmen (10 figures, ex-Tamiya)
252 - USA/NATO Tank Crewmen (10 figures, ex-Tamiya)
255 - 10-Man Tent (NATO 12x12)
258 - Guardhouse with Gate (figure, sentry-box and barrier, also issued as 851?)
261 - 20-Man Tent (two NATO 12x12's joined, many Hong Kong piaracies)
263 - WW II German Soldiers (15 figures seated and marching)
264 - US/NATO/Bundeswehr Soldiers (15 figures seated and marching)
265 - Russian Soldiers (marching, 2 officers, 8 soldiers, side-caps)
258 - Guardhouse with Gate (figure, sentry-box and barrier, also issued as 851?)
261 - 20-Man Tent (two NATO 12x12's joined, many Hong Kong piaracies)
263 - WW II German Soldiers (15 figures seated and marching)
264 - US/NATO/Bundeswehr Soldiers (15 figures seated and marching)
265 - Russian Soldiers (marching, 2 officers, 8 soldiers, side-caps)
271 - Set of WWII Personalities (9 figures, 2 Goring's)
272 - US/NATO/ Bundeswehr Soldiers (20 marching GI's, ex-264, small set, off the runner)
272 - US/NATO/ Bundeswehr Soldiers (20 marching GI's, ex-264, small set, off the runner)
272 - US/NATO/ Bundeswehr Soldiers (20 marching GI's, ex-264, large set, on the runner)
288 - Assorted Sheets of Modeller's Plastic
298 - US/NATO/Bundeswehr Soldiers [sitting] (, ex-264
299 - German WWII Soldiers
299 - German WWII Soldiers
300 - 8 Officers, 2
Map Tables and Chairs (6 standing, 2 seated/stools, Vietnam-era, ex-Tamiya)
301 - British WWII Gun Crew (6 kneeling/squatting, ex-Tamiya)
302 - 16 Soldiers Infantry Group (Bundeswehr types)
301 - British WWII Gun Crew (6 kneeling/squatting, ex-Tamiya)
302 - 16 Soldiers Infantry Group (Bundeswehr types)
308 - US Gun Crew (6
figures)
309 - 16 Tank Commanders/Drivers (NATO/Bundeswehr types, upper-torso's only; for hatches)
310S - Infantry Group 'Afrika' (German WWII Afrika Korps - limited edition)
309 - 16 Tank Commanders/Drivers (NATO/Bundeswehr types, upper-torso's only; for hatches)
310S - Infantry Group 'Afrika' (German WWII Afrika Korps - limited edition)
317 - Barbed Wire
319 - 28pc Set of Ammo Boxes
319 - 28pc Set of Ammo Boxes
342 - Fence and Gates
363 - Assault Rafts with
Life Rings
450 - WW II
Personalities (set 271 reproduced in
1:35th scale)
463 - US / NATO Tank
Commander Figures (Gulf War? ex-Tamiya?)
542 - Sandbags
550 -
Artillery/Munitions Accessories Set
614 - Nissan-hut (US;
'Quonset-Shelter', standard accommodation hut)
615 - Nissan-hut (US; 'Quonset-Shelter', extended administration/facility/classroom building)
615 - Nissan-hut (US; 'Quonset-Shelter', extended administration/facility/classroom building)
851 - See 258
Roco Railways
40000 - Station (24
undecorated civilian figures, also supplied to/issued by Kibri)
40001 - Loco Crew (painted
engineer and fireman from the steam-age)
Might as well do the UPC as well . . .
'HO Pocket Combat Series' Military Vehicles (definite pirates of Roco Minitanks, not sure if Marusan
carried the whole line, and supplied UPC
or if UPC were the pirates; supplying
Marusan with a limited range?)
#3011-29 - German Armored Car
234/2 (also ex-Marusan)
#3012-29 - German Armored Car 234/1 (also ex-Marusan)
#3013-29 - U.S. 2 1/2 Ton Truck 6x6
#3014-29 - U.S. 2 1/2 Ton Truck
#3015-29 - Self-Propelled Howitzer
#3016-29 - General Patton M-48
#3017-29 - Self-Propelled 155-mm Gun, T-245
#3018-29 - Tank Medium PzKfw.V Panther (also ex-Marusan)
#3019-29 - General Patton M-47
#3020-29 - Half-Track Rocket Carrier
#3021-29 - General Sherman Tank M-4
#3022-29 - 120-mm Anti-Aircraft Gun M1A3 (not US Combat Group Soldiers, see #3034)
#3023-29 - German AA Gun 37mm
#3024-29 - German Tank Mark IV/Fl (also ex-Marusan)
#3025-29 - German Tank Mark IV/F2 (also ex-Marusan)
#3026-29 - German Tank Mark IV/H
#3027-29 - German 20mm Quad AA Gun
#3028-29 - Half-Track Munitions Carrier
#3029-29 - Sound Detector (also ex-Marusan)
#3030-29 - Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Guns (also ex-Marusan)
#3031-29 - Half-Track Quad AA Gun
#3032-29 - 2 Jeeps M38A1
#3033-29 - 155mm Gun M2
#3034-29 - US Combat Group Soldiers (combined contents of Roco sets 117 & 141)
#3035-29 - Honest John Rocket
#3036-29 - Tiger II
#3037-29 - Self-Propelled 8-inch Howitzer
#3012-29 - German Armored Car 234/1 (also ex-Marusan)
#3013-29 - U.S. 2 1/2 Ton Truck 6x6
#3014-29 - U.S. 2 1/2 Ton Truck
#3015-29 - Self-Propelled Howitzer
#3016-29 - General Patton M-48
#3017-29 - Self-Propelled 155-mm Gun, T-245
#3018-29 - Tank Medium PzKfw.V Panther (also ex-Marusan)
#3019-29 - General Patton M-47
#3020-29 - Half-Track Rocket Carrier
#3021-29 - General Sherman Tank M-4
#3022-29 - 120-mm Anti-Aircraft Gun M1A3 (not US Combat Group Soldiers, see #3034)
#3023-29 - German AA Gun 37mm
#3024-29 - German Tank Mark IV/Fl (also ex-Marusan)
#3025-29 - German Tank Mark IV/F2 (also ex-Marusan)
#3026-29 - German Tank Mark IV/H
#3027-29 - German 20mm Quad AA Gun
#3028-29 - Half-Track Munitions Carrier
#3029-29 - Sound Detector (also ex-Marusan)
#3030-29 - Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Guns (also ex-Marusan)
#3031-29 - Half-Track Quad AA Gun
#3032-29 - 2 Jeeps M38A1
#3033-29 - 155mm Gun M2
#3034-29 - US Combat Group Soldiers (combined contents of Roco sets 117 & 141)
#3035-29 - Honest John Rocket
#3036-29 - Tiger II
#3037-29 - Self-Propelled 8-inch Howitzer
3 comments:
Thanks for putting this information together - trusting soul that I am, I always assumed that the various copies were in some way licensed and the level of outright piracy still amazes me. I recall reviews in MilMod. and Airfix Magazine of the Eidai 1/76 sets in 1972-73 IRRC that openly called out and derided Eidai's pirating of various Airfix and Roco kits and figures, but never knew until now that Roco themselves were in the piracy game ! Talking of Eidai, I still have a couple of their military sets, purely for the seriously good box art.
They were all pirating each other!!!! A lot of people consider the 'Iconic' Airfix Spitfix to be an Aurora copy, Peter evans has just sent me an armyman set with five Reisler prone sculpts; China; Today!
I think I've put the Eidai hill on here somewhere, I seem to recall taking the photo's? And there may be one or two figure comparisons on the Airfix Blog? Along with a Kfz. 'Boxer' conversion or two back at the start of the blog....
H
Spitfire!
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