Italians in North Africa

[seamoose]

What is that transport vehicle? I never knew the italians had any for of armored transport.

[Sinewgrab]

It's an Autoblindo AS37 Troop Carrier from Blitzkrieg - they only got a few in Africa, as they mostly went to the Eastern front, as far as I can tell.  I just loved the look of them.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

It's an Autoblindo AS37 Troop Carrier from Blitzkrieg - they only got a few in Africa, as they mostly went to the Eastern front, as far as I can tell.  I just loved the look of them.

Very modern looking.

[seamoose]

They're so damn nifty looking I may have to acquire a few dozen for myself!

[Sinewgrab]

Nice discussion of it, though brief, here: www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/italy/Fiat_SPA_Autoprotetto_S-37.php

[njetkulturny]

For a good account of the italians in North Africa try Greene/Massignani "Rommels North Africa Campaign", which despite its title starts in September 1940 and gives more information about italian background.

Otherwise it depends how historically correct you want to play. A lot of vehicles came to late or were never used together. A good source (in french by all means  ) is the italie 1935 - 43 site with a lot of information on vehicles, etc.

Hope it helps

Cheers njetkulturny

[Sinewgrab]

Excellent site - thank you.  It blows me away how much I think I know only to again realize how little I know when I get going on a historical project.

[archiduque]

Great stuff!

[James Morris]

Another vote for 'Iron Hulls, Iron Hearts.' An excellent book that takes a hard look at the usual '6 gears for reverse' joke.

[Sinewgrab]

Just got Iron Hulls - bloody good read. 

As a question - and I hope I don't offend anyone here - but I am working my way through the Warlord Bersaglieri figures right, and it really feels like I am painting caricatures, instead of models.  The rest of their stuff tends to be realistic, but these just don't feel correct - too large of noses, no chin to speak of, very thin necks, shorter than other figures in the same range, just feels like I am painting animated figures from a propaganda film...

I also have my base troops from Askari Miniatures, and I much prefer these sculpts (in fact, I would never have ordered the Warlord if I had realized Askari had Italian Bersaglieri in the first place) - am I off base here, or does anyone else get that vibe from these?

[Sinewgrab]

And the first of my Bersaglieri - these are going at a glacial speed, but summers are harder to paint in for me.  Too much yard work and too many outdoor activities...

[Helen]

Nice work - Marching onto victory!

[italwars]

but were there really many L6-40s in North Africa?  The things I am reading seem to differ heavily on that?

they were ...but the campaign were they saw more action was at the very end in Tunisia
i suppose that your nice collection has been put together for the sake of representing all the exotic and nice stuff that inspire your iconic view of the conflict...so , in this case, also if not historical you can mix all the vehicles...
in fact the 90mm self propelled gun was employed..or at least tried to go in action..only in sicily and with non more than 2 pieces...and , unfortunatly, the Bersaglieri in Africa never received the rare and interesting armoured troop carrier that you showed us...very saw service in the Balcans in anti partisan duties...then a pair went into service, after 1944,  with RSI fascist troops and the few remaining ones were captured and employed by Police German units...you know the doctrine of Italian Armed Forces was, and still is, do not waste modern and updated materials if you can field old ones...after the armistice the Germans captures enormous quantities of brand news very performing Beretta SMG (practically distributed only to police units and never to first line units), brand new modern trucks and off roads vehicles that had been desperatly need in Africa, entire depots gallons and gallons of precious petrol that had not even accounted for, modern artillery A/A pieces and P40 modern tanks ....Albert Speer report about the material find, in fact cautiosly hidden,  in Italian depots and barracks is, in my opinion, the most important document to understand why Italy lost the War...

[Poiter50]

I can testify to the quality of Post War Beretta production which probably stemmed from that elusive WW2 production. When firearms were still legally and simply obtained in Western Australia for legitimate hunting purposes, my father purchaased a very nice .22 calibre Beretta rifle which was both semi automatic and bolt action by changing the bolt position. It was a sweet, well balanced rifle which eliminated many a pesky bunny and roo on a friend's large expanse of farmland.

they were ...but the campaign were they saw more action was at the very end in Tunisia
i suppose that your nice collection has been put together for the sake of representing all the exotic and nice stuff that inspire your iconic view of the conflict...so , in this case, also if not historical you can mix all the vehicles...
in fact the 90mm self propelled gun was employed..or at least tried to go in action..only in sicily and with non more than 2 pieces...and , unfortunatly, the Bersaglieri in Africa never received the rare and interesting armoured troop carrier that you showed us...very saw service in the Balcans in anti partisan duties...then a pair went into service, after 1944,  with RSI fascist troops and the few remaining ones were captured and employed by Police German units...you know the doctrine of Italian Armed Forces was, and still is, do not waste modern and updated materials if you can field old ones...after the armistice the Germans captures enormous quantities of brand news very performing Beretta SMG (practically distributed only to police units and never to first line units), brand new modern trucks and off roads vehicles that had been desperatly need in Africa, entire depots gallons and gallons of precious petrol that had not even accounted for, modern artillery A/A pieces and P40 modern tanks ....Albert Speer report about the material find, in fact cautiosly hidden,  in Italian depots and barracks is, in my opinion, the most important document to understand why Italy lost the War...

[Sinewgrab]

they were ...but the campaign were they saw more action was at the very end in Tunisia
i suppose that your nice collection has been put together for the sake of representing all the exotic and nice stuff that inspire your iconic view of the conflict...so , in this case, also if not historical you can mix all the vehicles...
in fact the 90mm self propelled gun was employed..or at least tried to go in action..only in sicily and with non more than 2 pieces...and , unfortunatly, the Bersaglieri in Africa never received the rare and interesting armoured troop carrier that you showed us...very saw service in the Balcans in anti partisan duties...then a pair went into service, after 1944,  with RSI fascist troops and the few remaining ones were captured and employed by Police German units...you know the doctrine of Italian Armed Forces was, and still is, do not waste modern and updated materials if you can field old ones...after the armistice the Germans captures enormous quantities of brand news very performing Beretta SMG (practically distributed only to police units and never to first line units), brand new modern trucks and off roads vehicles that had been desperatly need in Africa, entire depots gallons and gallons of precious petrol that had not even accounted for, modern artillery A/A pieces and P40 modern tanks ....Albert Speer report about the material find, in fact cautiosly hidden,  in Italian depots and barracks is, in my opinion, the most important document to understand why Italy lost the War...

Can you point me at sources?  I have been trying to find what vehicles were available where for a few months, and I am getting very contradictory data.