Uniforms in the Twilight War

[Ironside]

I imagine that part of the agriculture in some rear areas would be the growing of dye plants.

[dragoon500ly]

My guess is that commanders would try their best to ensure all their soldiers were wearing similar clothing if they couldn't get exactly the same to reduce the chance of fratricide. More importantly, helmets and other easily recognisable shapes would be important - using captured enemy helmets and weapons is a recipe for getting shot in poor light conditions.

In Europe this may mean that camp followers are employed sewing uniforms, dying cloth, reloading precious brass for the standard issue weapons, raising sheep, scavenging cloth, etc.

In my mind if armies 200+ years ago could provide uniforms for their troops while on campaign, why shouldn't units in 2000 be able to employ similar techniques after a period of adjustment

And its a "gimme" that those soldiers too badly wounded for field service would be used to oversee or take part in this process....and free up an able-bodied soldier for the front line.

[dragoon500ly]

Remember some of those who died with the 7th Cavalry Regiment were more or less civilian contractors in this day and age. The Indian Scouts, there was a reporter, just to name of them.

It has been well documented in these forums that in many cases, the support units function including those of quartermaster, cooking, medical, and mechanical/maintenance would be taken over by more and more civilians as well general laborers for Engineering units would be more and more civilians. While more and more troops would take on combat roles in the field, and help out in their former MOS as needed, when the situation dictated. Another thing is one could see local scouts being employed more and more much like they used way back when.

There were twenty guides, interpreters and packers and fifty one Indian Scouts that took part in the Little Big Horn...and one correspondent, ten were killed and three wounded.

[pmulcahy11b]

I remember a piece from MSNBC a few years ago when the then-new MARPAT had not yet been introduced to Iraq. MARPAT was supposedly uncopyable due to its digital design. The reporter took a brand-new MARPAT uniform to a tailor in Baghdad specializing in uniforms, and asked him to reproduce it. The tailor had an almost-perfect copy for the reporter when he came back an hour later.

Good uniforms can be made under relatively-primitive conditions,

[James Langham]

A couple of bits with some of my thoughts that I may have posted before but added here for completeness.

As ever thoughts and comments welcomed.

[Jason Weiser]

James,
Do you mind if I post this here: guildwargamers.com giving you full credit of course...I think it would be of great value to the guys there.

[Ironside]

Excellent work as usual James. I particularly liked the 98 pattern uniform and the complete mish-mash of uniforms worn by the Marine patrol.

[Rainbow Six]

Cracking job James - well done. Loved the rundown on which colour wooly pulleys different Regiments / Corps wear. Just one small suggestion if you do a second draft - maybe do the same thing for the different colours of berets

Cheers

[James Langham]

James,
Do you mind if I post this here: guildwargamers.com giving you full credit of course...I think it would be of great value to the guys there.

No problem, if you wait a few days I will try and update the article to add the beret details requested and a few other bits.

[Medic]

The Finnish Defence Forces in Twilight 2nd edition would probably be using the old pattern (m/62, m/91 and m/95) camo that has been replaced in the real world by the new (m/05) combat outfit, which would probably be in use with most of the troops in the 2013 timeline. However some variations of the m/91-95 models would have probably been made even in the 2nd edition, based on the experiences in the peace keeping missions abroad prior to the war.

The combat webbing would most probably be the old m/85 with older reserve units using even older models and the special forces being the only ones to use some kind of a modular system (except in the 2013, where the first line troops would probably have the m/05 vest with modular components and reserve units using the m/85). Some reserve units could possibly use the old m/83-85 grays (practically completely dismissed dress/leave uniform) for garrison duty, though they'd be pretty poor for any kind of combat duty.

Low ranking reserve units would still have to resort to using only steel helmets and no ballistic vests while the first line units would wear the anti-shrapnel (flak) vest with or without inserts and ballistic composite helmets or, in 2013, the combat armour of m/05 (actually, it was used already in 2000 by some, especially MP-units). Most useful headgear in this country, especially in the winter, would still be the 'elephant c*nt' - the fur hat, which has its nickname from the m/83 gray synthetic fur cap with some similarities to the Soviet fur service caps like the down-foldable earmuffs and so on.

[Targan]

Most useful headgear in this country, especially in the winter, would still be the 'elephant c*nt' - the fur hat, which has its nickname from the m/83 gray synthetic fur cap with some similarities to the Soviet fur service caps like the down-foldable earmuffs and so on.

Hilarious! Up to you, but you might want to use an asterisk somewhere in the more offensive words (in the way that I've altered your quote above). It tones down the offensiveness marginally. I can totally imagine how that headgear got its nickname though. I LOL'd!

[Medic]

Sorry about the offensive words, but yes, I'm sure you can image a fur cap, moist from sweat and snow. Do I need to say more