With the new HBO series “The Pacific” now airing on TV I can see a renewed interest in the Pacific arena of WWII, which will no doubt be reflected in the models on offer. So I thought it an apt time to take a look at this set released by Masterbox in 2009, kit number 3 in their “Bloody Atoll Series” which consists of this kit, a set of Japanese Marines, and a set of U.S. Marines.
This set comes on a single dark yellow sprue and contains five figures, three U.S. Marines and two Japanese Imperial Marines. The mouldings are reasonably good with just small ammounts of flash and the usual moulding seam lines. The detail is also very good with things like the belt buckles and webbing clips all well defined. The faces are well done with all five having full heads, four of them bald and one with hair. The poses are very good action poses which fit together well not only with each other but with the other two sets in the Bloody Atoll Series.
The three U.S. Marines all wear helmets with camo covers, ammo pouches, two canteens each and a first aid kit. They also get an unidentified pouch that looks a lot like the shotgun ammo pouch, and one gets a Marine Fighting Knife in a scabbard. Weaponwsise they get an M1 Carbine, An M1 Garand, and a second M1 Garand with attached bayonet, though there is no corresponding bayonet scabbard to go with it.
The two Japanese Imperial Marines each get the Arisaka 99 rifle with bayonets attached, the rifles coming with separately moulded bolt handles. Each also gets a general purpose utility bag, a leather general purpose carry case, two rifle ammo pouches and a canteen, as well as a tied blanket roll and an empty bayonet scabbard. One helmet is bare while the other comes with moulded on cloth cover with small bits of foliage.
As is usual with Masterbox kits the assembly and painting guide are printed on the reverse of the box.
This is an very nice little kit, it does require a little clean-up but nothing that isn’t easily dealt with and these offer a great opportunity to put together a scene of US Marines and Japanese Marines engaged in close combat, especially when combined with the other two sets in the Bloody Atoll Series.
A review of Kit No. 1 in the Bloody Atoll Series, Japanese Marines, can be read HERE A review of Kit No. 2 in the Bloody Atoll Series, U.S. Marines, can be read HERE.
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