HA9622 WWII U.S. Gas Mask and Small Arms Box Markings Decals

WWII U.S Gas Mask & Small Arms Box Markings Decals

1:35/1:32 scale

Hudson & Allen Studio waterslide decals are unsurpassed in quality and grade. The film itself is thick enough not to tear on application yet thin enough to lie flat over surface details. The printing is rich and opaque allowing for full coverage of the underlying model color. Printed in the USA.

This sheet contains markings for metal .30 cal. ammo boxes, metal packing cans for .30 cal carbine and .30 cal. Garand rounds. Included as well are common wooden small arms ammunition box markings, rifle & fragmentation grenade box markings and markings for the most common gas mask used by G.I.s during WWII.

The supplies needed to sustain any modern large army in the field is almost beyond calculation. In the first two weeks after D-Day, over 200,000 tons of supplies were landed and it was calculated that the attacking Allied army would burn about 1 million gallons of gasoline a day. In surveying almost any wartime photos you will be sure to see many varieties of boxes in and about the vehicles and littering the battlefields. Huge amounts of small arms ammo was consumed and now you can accurately model many of the most common types. All of our markings were taken directly from surviving WWII specimens and most of the lettering can be read under magnification.

Supplied markings for some of the inner sealed metal cans that go in the wooden crates. We have parts boxes full of .30 cal. metal ammo cans so we included a dozen of the white stencils that commonly appeared on them. The black stenciling usually appeared on unpainted containers and yellow markings on the O.D. painted containers. Refer to the insert and period photos for box type and placement.

Also supplied are four of the most common markings for U.S. gas mask bags. The allied staff feared the use of gas by the Germans and the anxiety was even higher as the German fronts collapsed. As fast as G.I.s would discard them, they would be reissued. Any D-Day or Rhine crossing photo will show every man with one of the various types.

By far the most common was the Army Lightweight Service gas mask and we provided 24 of these in two styles. These 3 snap canvas bags would usually contain 1 M5 or M3 gas mask. Also included are markings for the black waterproofed bag and examples examined ranged from dark O.D. to golden yellow. Some paratroopers were known to use the noncombatant style mask bag and so these were also included.

Anyone who has ever used water slide decals is familiar with the procedure for using Hudson & Allen decals. The area to receive the decal should be coated with a clear gloss to give a good surface for the decal to adhere to. This will also help to hide the decal film. After consulting your references to determine the decal’s correct placement, carefully cut the desired part out of the decal sheet. Soak the cut out decal in warm water until the decal can be easily slid off the paper backing. Do not slide the decal off the paper backing until you have removed the decal and backing paper from the water and are ready to position the decal. You may wish to moisten the area of the model that is to receive the decal. You may also wish to use one of the several decal setting solutions available to help the decal lie flat on the model and to conform to the surface of any curves or wrinkles. Now carefully slide the decal from the paper backing and onto the model. Discard the paper backing and gently pat the excess water from the surface of the decal and model using a cotton swab, a lint free cloth or a piece of tissue. While patting the decal and model make sure that no air bubbles are trapped under the surface of the decal. If air bubbles are present, carefully work them to the edge of the decal and out from under it. Be careful not to move the decal out of position while patting it, although at this stage it is easy to push back into place. Wait at least 24 hours before handling your model to proceed to the next step.

After the decals are completely dry, they should be covered with a clear flat paint to protect the decal and to hide the decal carrier film. We have chosen to manufacture our decals using the thinnest film possible but you must still build up a thin layer of clear flat thick enough to hide the carrier or the effect of having U.S. markings stenciled on the equipment will be lost. With a little patience and a little practice you will soon be comfortable with the process and will be producing beautifully detailed models.

Hudson & Allen Studio: When It Absolutely, Positively Has To Look Real!