"1/144th Proxies for Cold War Danish Troops?" Topic

In looking at some photos of earlier Cold War Danish troops, it appears that their uniforms and equipment webbing look decidedly British, as in WWII era uniforms, right down to the color of them as well, e.g. a milk-chocolate brown color, with green helmets.

Their helmets look like they could be American, M-1 steel pots, but perhaps they are the later, British WWII, airborne helmets, which seem to be somewhat similar in shape, e.g. deeper than your standard, British WWII helmet, and more round like the American ones.

Anyone know if they used British/Canadian uniforms and helmets, and/or American ones, and if both, when they switched over from one to the other?

Pendraken offers a few British airborne figs with Enfield rifles, and/or brens, as well as SMGs.

I recall hearing from someone here on TMP that the Danish reserve troops were equipped with Enfields until fairly late, if not throughout the entirety of the Cold War, so I'm thinking these guys might be good proxies for Danes, in the interim.

May go with Falklands Argies, with slightly shortened FAL barrels for the 1st line Danish troops, carrying West German G3s, but am not sure if their uniforms are as good a match as those mentioned above. Perhaps the 1st line troops did get American kit later in the Cold War, since the very late Cold War figs certainly look like the troops are wearing American M-1 steel pot helmets, and American-style uniforms, though some seem to have the Flecktarn pattern to them, instead of US issue patterns.

Also, can't recall, do they use American, British, or West German light machineguns, and medium/heavy machineguns, e.g. .30 and .50 cal air-cooled or water-cooled guns, Vickers, Brens (seem to recall their 2nd line troops probably used the Brens still), British GPMGs, and/or West German MG3s, or old ex-WWII surplus MG42s?

I'm interested in fielding Danish forces from the 1950s – 1989.

Thoughts?

By the late end of that period, it's G3's and MG3 or MG42.

I'm not sure about MG's early on.
Grandpa had an M1 when he did his mandatory time in the 50's or thereabouts.

In smaller scales, I'd just go with cold war West Germans as being "close enough".

Uniform wise, they used the Danish designed M/58 combat uniform with black boots and US M1 helmets in the early part of your period. 1st line infantry switched to the Danish designed M/84 camouflaged unifor in the mid-80'ties. Gradually, the M/84 replaces the M758 uniform, with rear services and signals being issued the 'new' uniforms as late as the early 90'ties!

Weapon wise, the Danes used the M1 Garand, locally known as the M/50, until it was replaced with the German G3. As with the uniform, replacement was gradual, with rear services getting the upgrade as late af around 1990!

Section and platoon commanders were issued the Carl-Gustav SMG, known as either the MP M/44 (Wooden stock) or the MP M/49 (Folding metal stock). This was retained until the mid-90'ties.

The section support consisted of the German MG3, known locally af the LMG M/62. (This weapon was widely available, including rear services.) Each section would have a tri-pod, on which the LMG could be mounted.
In addition, each section would have a Carl-Gustav 84mm RCL rifle,either the M/79, with was mainly made of metal, or the M/84, with had more composite parts (And thus was lighter).

As HMG the Danes used (And use!) the venerable M2 HB .50 cal. An armored infantry platoon would have three, one pr. M113 APC. A motorised (Truck mounted) platoon would have one, with the platoon HQ.

All infantry platoons would have a US WW2-vintage 60mm mortar, with be used by the platoon Sgt in support of the sections as needed (Mainly to deploy smoke)

At the Coy level, in the latter part of your period of interest, you would to see a mortar suppport section, with two M125 81mm mortar carriers in an armored infantry coy, three 81mm mortars mounted in three off-roaders (Either land rovers, or Mercedes GD 240) with one trailer for the section in the motorised coy.

A typical 1st line batallion in this period would have a HQ company, and four combat companies. These would be either one motorised infantry company, one tank squadron (Leopard 1s) and two armored infantry companies, or one more tank squadron and one less armored infantry company. The batallion with two squadrons would be classified as a panser bataljon (Tank battalion), the one with two armored infantry coys as an Panserinfanteri bataljon (armored infantry battalion).

In addition, a Panserinfanteri bataljon would have two anti-tank sections with TOW, one armoured (M106 APC based) and one mounted on off-roaders. One heavy mortar platoon with four 120mm mortars mounted on trucks. One recce section mounted on off-roaders.

A Panser bataljon would have the same set-up, minus the un-armored TOW section.

Hope this helps, but as I have served for an extended period of time in the Danish Army, including the last part of your period of interest, I might be able to dig out specific info, should you need it.

Clip from vintage Danish comedy, but with quite good view of the M/58 uniform system:

YouTube link

I knew it'd be a "Soldaterkammerater" clip :D

Good info here:

PDF link

Thanks for all the replies, details, links, and tips.

Found an old e-mail from History PhD, which listed a bunch of weapons info too. That, paired with the info here, and some other pics I found makes it appear that I can use WWII Americans or British, and/or early Cold War Americans for the Danish Home Guard and second line troops, since they used a variety of weapons, e.g. SMLEs, M-1 Garands, actual surplus MG42s, .30 and .50 cal American MGs, SMGs, etc., etc..

So, I may go that route.

No one makes Brits in this scale with M-1 helmets, but to my eyes the WWII British airborne troops will work in 1/144th scale, since their helmets are very similar to the M-1s.

WWII, British uniform camo brown for the Brits, with Green helmets, and dark olive green, or olive drab for American uniforms.