"Boxer Sailors question" Topic

So, in the new Blue Moon range there are several packs of sailors. For those with an interest in the period, which of the available packs of sailors would be most useful for the following nationalities' sailors?

Germany
United States
Russia
Great Britain

Within the range the Germans have See Battalion, US have Marines, Russians have Infantry, and British have Marines – but none of those four nations have sailors listed. I'm figuring some of the available sailors should be workable for those nations. Just looking for the opinions of others.

Thanks for your constructive input.

Oh, here's a link to the various European forces, most with photos up now.

link

Maybe add in Japanese sailors????

The US sailors were likely wearing "dixie cups" but with the brim rolled lower than the present. I have seen a photo of US sailors wearing same at a train station in China mixing with foreign troops during the Boxer Rebellion. I have some 15mm (not 18mm) US sailors from the Span-Am War which I picked up for just this purpose. I don't remember who made them but I think that it was someone in the UK. IMHO, they are too small to mix with 18's.

So in answer to your question regards US sailors and Blue Moon, I'd say none will work.

Which leads me to ask if the WWII sailors from Eureka might fit the bill since they are in the Cracker Jack uniform – including a version of the dixie cup? For the US.

If there is nothing else, i would use them. However, the hat is in the later fashion, the rifle is the 1903 Springfield ( as if one could tell in 15mm) and they are 15mm rather than 18mm. You would have to see how they stack up sizewise to your minis.

Having studied this very point at some length, my conclusion, FWIW, is that the sailors of all the navies involved (and the rest of the world's too) all looked more or less like the RN! The various navies all based their uniforms to a great extent on that of the RN, differing in small details like the exact shade of blue for the sailor's collar, number of edge tapes on it etc. Other details like colour of gaiters and equipment also varied.

All wore the sailor's peakless cap in some orders of dress, including shore rig. The only rally distinctive one was that of the French, which had a red central pompom, and a chin strap that was often worn up over the top of the cap. Otherwise the only differences were in the length of, or absence of, a hanging end to the cap band ribbon.

Some had a form of straw hat like the RN Sennet hat (BTW, the RN sailors in Tientsin had grey covers made locally to make them less conspicuous to snipers.)

AH wore a pith helmet with a neckcloth.

So, and especially in 15mm, RN sailors painted in various combinations of blue and white could serve for any country.

I could give more details if they are of any interest.

Yes, more details would be good. I do believe there is some substantial difference in the shirts worn. Some had horizontal striping, some didn't, etc. And, as referenced above, the US sailors were pretty distinctive.

Botch, ideally you can link to some period illustrations (or contemporary artwork showing the period uniforms, especially if in appropriate colors).

I did a sketch of all the navies (except the Chinese, see below), trying to differentiate between each using combinations of headgear/coat or jumper colour/trouser colour/gaiter colour/equipment colour. This was to enable me to have a unit of each and be able to tell the difference. I will see if I can find it.

The Chinese navy was involved too, of course, and they also had 'Marines'…

The Royal Navy landed several detachments of sailors from China Station warships as part of the Seymour relief attempt. Both Beatty and Jellicoe both served a commanders on the ground. Both were wounded in action.

B