Bolt Action Indian Army and Partisan Lists

[tp_1983]

Hi all,

I'm just looking at getting into Bolt Action and fancy putting s couple of small forces together. I am thinking Indian army in Italy and Italian partisans.

Which books have the relevant lists in? I've looked through on the Warlord website and can't quite work it out

Cheers

[Mark M Down]

I am not sure there are particular lists yet. There is an Italian Campaign book coming out shortly.
The Indian army seems to be largely based on the British list but may re roll failed morale tests and gets a free 10 man regular squad armed with rifles.
In the Duel in the sun book it suggests using the French partisan lists for Italian partisans but with the Avanti Savoia special rule.
I hope that helps.

[malto cortese]

I am facing a similar problem with my Italian partisans and Allied Special forces (SAS/SOE/OSS). So far I have used the "Liberation 1942-1945" theatre selector from the "Armies of France and the Allies"  army book (p.106).  I would be happy to exchange ideas and suggestions here or privately if you are interested and obviously I am curious to see the new book which is coming out. As for adopting the Avanti Savoia rule, it really depends about your style of playing - while it may be fun, I am not so sure it makes much of a sense historically for the partisans - it really depends on how much of a nitpicker/hairsplitter you are 

As for your combined force with Indian units, I got a similar idea after reading about the Wigforce, the combined unit created by Major Lionel Wigram and Italian lawyer Ettore Troilo, the leader of the "Maiella" partisan brigade. I do remember reading stories about combined actions with Indians and Italian partisans, If you can read Italian I can point out a number of sites with additional information, while in English your best bet is probably Denis Forman's autobiography To Reason Why, which is mostly about his time with Wigram. Hope this helps!

[voltan]

There's also the selector in the d day us sector books which is maquis which can be backed up by SAS and jedburgh teams, don't know if it'll fit for the Italians or not but do keep us updated on your progress with this.
It might just be easier to wait for the specific campaign book if it's not far off.

[tp_1983]

Thanks everyone, some good advise to get started there.

I don't read Italian, malto, but will definitely give that autobiography a read.

I'll start a thread when I get started properly on this project (probably end of September) and will definitely have more questions.

Cheers

[malto cortese]

Looking forward to seeing the results of your work!

[italwars]

Hi all,

I'm just looking at getting into Bolt Action and fancy putting s couple of small forces together. I am thinking Indian army in Italy and Italian partisans.

Which books have the relevant lists in? I've looked through on the Warlord website and can't quite work it out

Cheers

Maiella partisans it s a small but interesting episode cause those few and honest partisans took arms against the Germans totally alone and before the allied tide had submerged the Axis front .and reached them...and that, believe me,was nt certainly the case of the quasi totality of last minute partisan bands in Italy ..once the allied had reached the maiella  band they unwillingly accepted their collaboration but, at this point, those partisans were merged among the regular collaborator Italian  forces equipped, uniformed and armed by the Allies. So I cannot see how you can employ together British, New Zealand or Indian minis along partisans in plain clothes.

After the Interallied Malta Conference and finally in Caserta Conference the supposed to be contribution of the “partisans” to the allied military effort in Italy was considered unecessary and according to the final statements those irregular formations had to be considered not only unreliable but also unfit for the job and not only for political reasons but above all from a military point of view so they had, according to the Allies, to be disbanded at once…it’s interesting to note that jugoslavian Tito s partisans, even if comunist,were, contrary to the Italian ones, treated with admiration and better supplied by the British SOE..

during the fight around the  Gothic Line (Garfagnana Front) the allied HQ  asked the self appointed local partisans chiefs to stay away from the firing line  cause they represented with their continuos request of supplies and poor accomplishment of intelligence or reconnaissance missions…not to say, according to one source, their "ungentleman" behavior against civilians…..just a nuisance
and even in 1945, the fighting or political value of  the Piedmontese partisans  was so despised by their Free French supposed to be allies coming down east from the alpine border that they confronted at gun point the bands and asked them to leave the field  in favour of the coming French columns.

In short therms the Allied as soon as they reached the partisans they preferred to disarm them or offer to some of them to join  uniformed brigades  of Italians under allied supervision and, with a few exceptions, employed in secondary roles  ..that was the main contact between the 2.

So I really do not see as possible a collaboration between formed/conventional  Allied units and Italian irregular bands with the typical look and armament of the partisans  …if you really want those type of castings  in a realistic and more rewarding wargame  scenario maybe better go with French maquisards or  Balcan  partisans.

[Blackwolf]

Italian partisans certainly fought with the SAS.

[italwars]

Italian partisans certainly fought with the SAS.

Yes they did ..but i don't think it was the most iconic kind of joint operations  ..
Here you can find some colour plates of partisan s uniforms/equipment :

https://anpi.it/media/uploads/patria/2008/4/08-17_Colombara.pdf

[Blackwolf]

How iconic do you want? I would’ve thought that just about tops the list.

[italwars]

what i want? tops the list? .sorry but i prefer to take my coffee 

[tp_1983]

Hi ital wars, thanks for all your info. At the moment I am still at the planning and research stage of this project. It is quite possible my Indian army and Italian partisans won't ever be fielded on the same force. The are both forces I find very interesting, as well as visually appealing on the tabletop. And of course being from the same theatre will only require one lot of terrain.
Adding SAS on to the mix is certainly an interesting idea.