
https://www.themilitarymark.com/us-navy-in-wwii/blog-post-title-one-2znax-r3g8s
Is run by this fellow, as quoted by his own site:
"Mark Stone
Retired Commercial Fisherman, Studies Military History, Military Uniform Collector."
It is a "bit haphazard," but there is info there. His own explanation:
"The site was set up through a blog type of format, so may seem not in order, thats just how it turns out, and I havent been able to remidy that, they didnt go in in any particular order, its how the sections came together, and finished that sort of order, I’m just happy I’ve got this far, using the 4th different rebuild of the site, so thats my excuse and I’m sticking to it, thanks for looking at my site."
If you look over the page just linked above, you find this very ubiquitous image:
https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61355b53c1baef12641a2de9/1649742192248-R3ZGKHTTGEASVIUTHD2T/40mm_gun_practice_on_USS_Alaska_%28CB-1%29%2C_1945.jpg?format=500w
It is a 40 mm gun crew aboard USS Alaska in 1945. It is very common on the internet.
The green helmets are genuine, and "optional." About a year back, I read a discussion to the effect that early in the war, some logistical functions were assigned to either the Army or the Navy to keep factories from being flooded with multiple competing orders. Each service would order their assigned things "for everyone." The Army was in charge of helmets, and ordered for themselves, and the Navy (hence to the Marines, also.) I even read the Army got all its helmets from one company. The Army contract specified the helmets be green, and were then distributed that way. When they arrived aboard ship, the captain had the authority to paint them any color he desired. Many/most were painted blue. Some were painted light gray. If you scroll around the site I have linked, you'll find a helmet in red for a damage controlman. You'll also find green for a PT boat crew, and he mentions some PT helmets were even painted in camouflage. By late war, some skippers had "better things to do" than issue orders for helmet colors, or were more tolerant of accepting delays in getting them painted. So, "green is real." However, blue was more common.
If you go to near the bottom of each page, you find the ability to scroll to either the next page, or the previous page. Here is his "Battle dress unforms" page. I would note that the captions for each set of uniforms or collection of images are BENEATH those images. Kind of disconcerting to read something, then scroll down and the images don't match what you read. Then, at the bottom, you find text matching what you just saw:
https://www.themilitarymark.com/us-navy-in-wwii/blog-post-title-two-4mmzp
Previous Message
I have just recently purchased the Zimi Models US Navy 40mm Quad Bofors AA Gun Mount( ZM35001 ). More recently I purchased a 3D printed gun crew from Toucan that comprises four men, both left and right gun layers and two standing crewmembers.
My question is what colours are the uniforms of the crew. Long trousers, long sleeve shirts with two pockets and a regular steel helmet, sleeves rolled up with no floatation vests.
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