Dan Morton
A Fixture
When I got a copy of Osprey MAA 463, Chinese Warlord Armies 1911-1930, I vaguely thought about doing a figure based on one or more of the illustrations. From e-Bay, I noticed an old Testors 1/16th kit of a Japanese Officer wearing body armor. Can you say "conversion"?
I selected the Japanese Military Advisor [illustration E-2] and will follow the uniform depicted as carefully as possible, but use a different pose. I'm posing the figure holding a map in one hand and gesturing or pointing with a cane. He'll have a pistol case, binoculars case and sword hung from his belt.
The information that goes with illustration E-2 is:
"The warlord Chang Tso-lin employed a number of Japanese military advisors, especially in the technical brances of his army and at his HQ; this artillery captain is in command of a Fengtien field battery during the Second Chihli-Fengtien War. He is wearing a Fengtien Army officer's winter uniform of a peaked cap, padded overcoat with fur collar, padded cotton tunic and trousers; he probably brought his woollen gloves and leather boots from Japan. On the sleeve of his overcoat he has a red-over-white armband, one of the field signs worn by the Fengtien Army. His weapons are his Japanese Imperial Army company officer's kyu-gunto sword, and a Type 26 revolver; the latter had officially been replaced in the Japanese service from 1914, but was used by the Fengtien Army."
I removed the torso armor and the helmet, scrapped the two arms, but retained the sword. I've now sculpted part of the tunic and the belt and part of the cap.
The photo of the figure is a bit misleading. It looks like the figure is leaning a lot, but it actually isn't. It's the angle at which I took the photo - sorry about that.
All the best,
Dan
I selected the Japanese Military Advisor [illustration E-2] and will follow the uniform depicted as carefully as possible, but use a different pose. I'm posing the figure holding a map in one hand and gesturing or pointing with a cane. He'll have a pistol case, binoculars case and sword hung from his belt.
The information that goes with illustration E-2 is:
"The warlord Chang Tso-lin employed a number of Japanese military advisors, especially in the technical brances of his army and at his HQ; this artillery captain is in command of a Fengtien field battery during the Second Chihli-Fengtien War. He is wearing a Fengtien Army officer's winter uniform of a peaked cap, padded overcoat with fur collar, padded cotton tunic and trousers; he probably brought his woollen gloves and leather boots from Japan. On the sleeve of his overcoat he has a red-over-white armband, one of the field signs worn by the Fengtien Army. His weapons are his Japanese Imperial Army company officer's kyu-gunto sword, and a Type 26 revolver; the latter had officially been replaced in the Japanese service from 1914, but was used by the Fengtien Army."
I removed the torso armor and the helmet, scrapped the two arms, but retained the sword. I've now sculpted part of the tunic and the belt and part of the cap.
The photo of the figure is a bit misleading. It looks like the figure is leaning a lot, but it actually isn't. It's the angle at which I took the photo - sorry about that.
All the best,
Dan
