Could I use late WWI French as substitute early WWII french ?

[Azalin41]

Hi All

Since o am doing WWII in 1/72 plastics I want to use what I have allready on my attic instead of buying new .
And since I have a box or 2 of the old airfix late WW1 french ( still unpainted) how wrong would the figures be if  paint them up greenish instead blueish. And are they also suitable for Blitzkrieg Belgiums



Thanks

[cuprum]

By means of the translator "google" esteem this branch at Russian forum. There it is told about figures interesting you and about drawing up of divisions of the French army on WW2
http://www.fieldofbattle.ru/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=7054&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

[carlos marighela]

I don't think anyone will mind. There was a considerabkle stock of Great War era weaponry and equipment in use by the French army at the outbreak of the war. Paint 'em khaki and go for it I say.

[Arlequín]

From what I recall of the Airfix figures, you should get away with it, particularly if they are second-line or reservists. The WW2 helmet had a narrower brim and the rifle was shorter, but as Carlos says there would be a lot of obsolete kit in use. I'm not so sure about Belgians though, so a wiser head is needed to answer that one.

Paint them up and 99% of people will instantly recognise them as being what they're supposed to be. 

[DD-Chris]

i agree, a good paintjob is all they will need.
i dont think the basic uniform style changed all that much, and in 28mm, a bolt action rifle is a bolt action rifle.

[Bryanbowdell]

Just bumping this to see if anybody had any thoughts on using 28mm late WW1 French as Early WW2 for bolt action and vice versa. 

Also would WW1 Colonial French troops worn Khaki uniforms?

[Gothic Line]

 Yes they did soon I might have a 28mm WW2 Senegalese range!

[cgh]

It is fine. I use my Scarab WW1 French for both wars and the Russo polish war too. Painted bleu they work for all 3 wars. Remember the blue was issued as standard until 1936 so plenty 2nd line units had it in 1940. The poles had Haller's blue army equipped by the French and in 28mm the differences are negligible to all but the most anal. I mix with warlords French range with no problems. They can also be used for intervention in Café imea in 1919 against the Bolsheviks. 

[Bryanbowdell]

Cheers, I was thinking of using mainly Warlord figures for Bolt Action and maybe small skirmishes at the end of WW1 or in the colonies.

[pacofeanor]

Just bumping this to see if anybody had any thoughts on using 28mm late WW1 French as Early WW2 for bolt action and vice versa. 

Also would WW1 Colonial French troops worn Khaki uniforms?

late wwI frenchare will be nice early WW2, the only difference is gaz mask ( ARS 18  / ANP 31)


By "colonial troops" i mean "troupes coloniales" and "senegaleese tiraileurs" (ie "marines") not FFL or zouaves etc ....

for colonial troops, white colonials  wore horizon blue uniforms(ecxcepte the RICM (regiment d'infanterie coloniale du Maroc)  that is listing in khaki uniform since 1917) , black troops wore khaki ! white troops changed for khaky at the end of WWI beetween 1918 and 1919 .

best regards
paco

[former user]

the idea is how generic You paint them
if You paint them bleu horizon they will be mostly metropolitan troops (and also colonials=marines) in late WW1, but reservists in early WW2 - in this case the skin colour should be european. These should have the long rifles, Lebel or Berthier.

if You paint them khaki, it should be the darker winter cloth, and they will represent mostly colonial and north african troops in WW1 or regular units in WW2. here it also depends on which pants are sculpted on the figures - the wider colonial pants of WW1 can proxy for the pantalons culottes of WW2, so better no tight pants in khaki. Also the skin colour should be more mediterranean to allow for south europeans and north africans alike - so no africans or belgians possible. These versions should have the berthier carbine - the ones with the 5 round magazine, in which case they are dismounted cavalry in WW1 and all others in WW2 .

The helmet is a must for all of them, because the campaign hats is what differentiates the appearance.
What You cannot represent with these solutions is early WW1 and the more specialized units in WW2, who had more modern equipment.

as You can see it is not that easy to keep it authentic, but if You don't care just kick all advice and most people won't notice anyway. Those people who notice it AND object You should definitely kick too, those bloody wiseasses  

[Bryanbowdell]

as You can see it is not that easy to keep it authentic, but if You don't care just kick all advice and most people won't notice anyway. Those people who notice it AND object You should definitely kick too, those bloody wiseasses  


[/quote]

Ha Ha Ha

Cheers for the comprehensive answer, I think I know what I'm looking for now.  Probably going to get a couple of Warlord French platoons, and possibly use them in late WW1 skirmishes (adding more figures at some point).

[former user]

sorry, I just realised I overlooked the actual question about the Warlord french

apparently they have the long rifles and the pantalons culottes, so it's difficult - for WW1 these would be colonials or armee d'afrique, in WW2 Vichyists (old armament stocks due to armistice restrictions), so don't paint them too fair-skinned.
And no WW1 western front because - no gasmasks.....

[Bryanbowdell]

Vichy French and WW1 colonials were exactly what I was thinking!!

[former user]

against what opponent?
let me guess, You want to play french protectorate d'outremer, so arabs and turks and commonwealth and haganah and.... FFL

well then, don't forget the Legion d'Outremer and Cherkassian irregulars