WWII American reference materials

I wanted to share a few of my favorite reference materials for modelling and painting my American forces for Flames of War. I've accumulated a pretty large library of WWII books over many years. These are my usual "go-to" references.

American Tanks of World War II by Thomas Berndt
While not an exhaustive resource for the model builder, this book contains plenty of information for the gamer. The color plates show a lot of detail and are very crisp. The title is misleading, as the book covers tanks, armored cars, TD's, half-tracks and SP artillery as well.

The World War II GI
US Army Uniforms 1941-45 in Color Photographs
by Richard Windrow and Tim Hawkins
This book is a fantastic resource for painting American uniforms and gear. It covers uniforms and equipment used by GI's in just about every theatre during the war. It shows all original items in use by modern reenactors in realistic settings. One of the important things to remember is not every khaki or OD item was identical in shade. A lot depended on the manufacturer, the dye lot and the type of fabric. I like to show slight variations in color when painting my bedrolls, gear, etc.

The "G.I.- The Illustrated History of The American Soldier, His Uniform and His Equipment" Series by various authors
These books illustrate how GI's looked in combat areas, and how their vehicles were festooned with stowage. It's given me some great ideas for basing, creating stowage, and weathering. Mostly black & white photos, with a handful of color pics.



I hope this info is helpful! Don't hesitate to ask any questions or offer suggestions of your own!

-Rhinexing