Copyright 2008 T. Sheil & A. Sheil All Rights Reserved
Comet Authenticast Soldiers and Tanks
Authenticast packaged by Argentine Company
Comet began producing its Authenticast line of
miniature tanks, aircraft, and ships as recognition models for the
armed forces. Based in Brooklyn, NY at the time, it made its tank
models in 1/108 scale. The scale was described in their catalogue
as "1 inch = 9 feet." The company began selling its miniature models to
civilian hobbyists at the end of World War II. Comet supplemented its
line of military vehicles with an assortment of miniature soldiers.
From what we have been able to discern so far, the troop types were
models of American, German and Soviet infantry. The basic set for
each army had seven poses: prone rifleman, kneeling rifleman, charging
rifleman, advancing submachine gunner, soldier with bazooka or
panzerfaust anti-tank weapon, one-piece casting of a two man machine
gun team with weapon, and a one-piece casting of a two-man anti-tank
gun team with anti-tank gun. Comet also produced seated American
soldiers, a tank crewman, a marching soldier and a soldier with a
minesweeper All four were for U.S. forces. We are uncertain if they
produced British troops. Comet soldiers are close to 20mm / HO scale.
A notable thing about Comet solder sets is the similarity in poses of the single figures. They may have been converted from one another. The look of the Soviet and US helmets also makes us wonder if they were all clones of a basic set of figures. Which set came first? That would likely be the set from which the others were converted..
Comet soldiers were sculpted at least 15 years before Airfix's first 20mm figures. The Comet figures have better detail that the first series of Airfix releases, namely the German Infantry, Infantry Combat Group, Afrika Korps, 8th Army and US Marines. Airfix has the advantage of more poses per set.
We Need your Help!
At this time, all of the Authenticast in our inventory is limited to the figures you see here. We would like to have at least one of each pose in good shape. The paint job is less important than the figure itself. We need the German soldier with Panzerfaust, German kneeling shooter, US kneeling shooter, US marching man, US minesweeper, US seated guys and crewmen, Soviet gun and crew, Soviet meachien gun and crew, prove Soviet shooter, kneeling Soviet shooter and advancing Soviet submachine gunner. If you have nay Comet / Authenticast tanks you can spare,we would enjoy using them, too. Paint work is not important. It doesn't matter how bad the paint held up on soldiers to vehicles. It doesn't matter of the vehicles are in pieces. I can work with that. Email me if you can help us. thortrains@comcast.net milihistriot@comcast.net
Thanks! We appreciate all the help we can get.
U. S. Infantry
US Infantry: advancing submachine gunner, charging rifleman, bazooka man |
US Infantry: anti-tank gun and crew, machine gun team and prone rifleman |
Back view |
Bottom view |
German Infantry
German infantry. Charging rifleman, kneeling shooter (broken rifle), submachine gunner |
German machine gun team, 37mm PAK anti-tank gun with crew, prone rifleman |
Rear view |
Bottom view |
German Infantry
Soviet (Russian) Infantry
Russian charging rifleman, front and rear. |  Soviet rifleman and submachine gunner |
 Soviet machien gun |  Spvoiet 37mm antitank gun |
Tanks and Vehicles
Panzerr IV F2 and F |
Panzer IV with Comet / Authenticast Box |
US M6 Heavy Tank (There were only 6 made. None were shipped overseas for combat) |
British Churchill Heavy Tank |
US M4 Sherman (Gun barrel is missing) |
US M3 Half Track |
Comparing the Comet / Authenticast M4 with an Airfix 1/76 soldier and a ROCO 1/90 M4  |
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