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Miniatures Adventure => The Second World War => Topic started by: Hidalgo on March 06, 2014, 03:33:06 PM

Title: Freies Indien Legion
Post by: Hidalgo on March 06, 2014, 03:33:06 PM
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-TsSba5y6vR8/UxNDLiXW5RI/AAAAAAAABYc/knAxAY17NyY/s800/ee23beea980885c9ffff80c2ac14421f.JPG) (https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/n9dMB9yVy8K4PPZG10KkbtMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite)

In 1941, with some thousands of volunteers coming from the indian troops captured in North Afrika was created the Indisches. Inf. Regt. 950. They wore tropical uniforms and many of them wore turbants instead of helmets or caps.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-hTA_Ie-EZwk/UxNDLkDMhCI/AAAAAAAABYg/wJA7B1S9ixw/s800/indios.jpg) (https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ByGn4qksAZWKPWdPUwF_eNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite)

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ZXiZhR8qXWU/UxNDUW83FwI/AAAAAAAABYo/D1rseHp5Zqg/s800/Freies_Indien_Legion_Soldier.jpg) (https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/z33pzuD5kfR-ZaN6AoIjtNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite)

The Indian legion was deployed in southern France until 1944, but after the D-Day they were re-deployed in germany.

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ohMivATnWGk/UxNAODHUQvI/AAAAAAAABYA/ouU_BbzaQNk/s640/IMG_9339.JPG) (https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/sl8kdE7tPqw8p6cTLXMKCNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite)

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Mcw2KpWdX6g/UxNAOLOCyfI/AAAAAAAABYE/7pmqEKM0xHA/s640/IMG_9341.JPG) (https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/1Y4o5nDtR4UvNz3or-OEUNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite)

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-sDFuu_xZjW4/UxNAOw_bxUI/AAAAAAAABYM/j9_Svn3lU7I/s640/IMG_9343.JPG) (https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/jIvkLrOBYbldk2YgeWSWFtMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J4JsY1F1IEc/UxNAOMw_qUI/AAAAAAAABX8/K-S4tn2G6Ng/s640/IMG_9342.JPG) (https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/u_Zo4X0zXzAM6WbEHckRCtMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite)

This conversion was did with german soldiers and indian heads coming from the british-indian blister. They represent the Indian Legion sometime in 1944 in a rural road of France.
Title: Re: Freies Indien Legion
Post by: Arthur on March 06, 2014, 11:55:50 PM
Now there's quite an unusual unit. In 28mm, it could very easily be done by glueing the Perry metal Sikh heads on the plastic DAK figures.
Title: Re: Freies Indien Legion
Post by: Mad Doc Morris on March 07, 2014, 06:57:44 AM
Nice work. Not the most prolific of all WW2 units but interesting story nevertheless. ;) Would've thought they had changed to Feldgrau by 1944, still the tropical kit nicely underlines their exotic origin.
You might reconsider the traffic sign, though, since this particular one was only introduced in the 1950s. Here is a collection (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bildtafel_der_Verkehrszeichen_im_Deutschen_Reich_von_1938_bis_1945) of what's in store for Third Reich Germany.
Title: Re: Freies Indien Legion
Post by: von Lucky on March 07, 2014, 09:02:44 AM
Very nice. Already had a friend share a link to 15mm.se with these. Just as cute the second time around.
Title: Re: Freies Indien Legion
Post by: Doomhippie on March 07, 2014, 03:52:29 PM
As the Wehrmacht was officially only allowed to use German soldiers the Indian Legion ended up as part of the Waffen-SS. I've never heard what became of  them and if they ever really took part in any action.
Title: Re: Freies Indien Legion
Post by: Belgian on March 07, 2014, 04:13:41 PM
Just checked a reference book and they haven't seen much combat but were used as a garrison in the Netherlands (HQ in Haarlem) on the Atlantic Wall at the end of the year they were transferred to the south-west of France because of the climate. In april 1944 they were tasked with the coastal defence of the area around Lacanau near Bordeaux. There they were inspected by Rommel. In autumn 1944 they were transferred to the SS.

After D-Day on the 15th of August they were commanded to retreat to Germany by train. Near Poitiers they were attacked by the french resistance and suffered some wounded. The resistance remained to harass them untill De Allier. In early september they stumbled up the French regular army and suffered their first dead in combat, an officer called Ali Khan. Then they marched towards Dijon and lost 40 men while 250 members deserted or surrendered. Then they were based in Hagenau, Germany. During the winter they were transferred to Heuberg because of the climate and better living conditions and remained there untill March 1945. Then they were transferred to Radolfzell near the Bodensee and in April 1945 they surrendered.