How would you do Weird War II Spaniards?

[Rigel]

Hi all. Take this opportunity to salute in my first post.

I wanted to make an idea that occurred to me to see the option of the squad of explorers. The Civil Guard could play that role perfectly, it is a body of very rural military police during the first half of the twentieth century (and a little beyond) has been almost the only policeman who had in the villages. In the Spanish Civil War were responsible for cross-country search for escaped partisans (maquis).

A pair of images:





I hope it can be useful.

[Weird WWII]

Those are some sweet hats! 

Brian

[Hat Guy]

Civil War Spain; Mad Stylin' yo!

[Capt. E.W. Brimmage]

I may have tracked down a manufacturer of Gewehr 43s (as the most basic rifle for everybody in SoTR is semi-auto). Bolt Action used to make them, so if I can't get them cast from Warlord I may be able to find somewhere with them still in stock.

For the figures themselves Warlord plastic Germans with Westwind German gas mask heads should be appropriate enough, but painted in the olivey colour of the Spanish uniform. Here's a thread I posted when I first joined, which has some helpful info regarding uniforms: http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=20001

I think they should have some Mech support from the new 28mm Gear Krieg range. I am worried that the German mech would make the force look too much like early war WWWII Germans with all of the German equipment they'll be using. I think the Italian mech would suit best, but that is long into the future. Perhaps the allied one would work, it looks quite different to the allied equipment in SoTR, and they are well equipped with mechs, though problems may arise if Allied players in the gaming group use the Allied mechs from Dust.

If I could just get these damn guns, then this project could go ahead, then all I have to do is decide on a weird unit or two to add some flavour.

[Junkers]

About weapons, maybe could be interesting for you to know that in 1949, the spanish military industries produced the CETME assault rifle (inspired in Stg44) that becomes the infantry assault rifle for spanish military units from 1957 to 1999 (with different variations and upgrades).

This spanish model of assault rifle was very well made and later was the basis of the design of HK G3 assault rifle, based in CETME rifle (that is very similar)

This is the CETME A1, first version of CETME assault rifle, wich prototype was produced in 1949.


This is the CETME L, the last version of CETME produced (in 1999 was replaced in spanish army by HK G36)


You can use G3 rifle to represent CETME in your miniatures.

By the way, about the "cool hats" of the Guardia Civil, are commonly called "tricornio" (in english is like "three-horned") but Guardia Civil agents prefer to name it "sombrero" (hat). It still in use nowadays only in cremonial uniforms (used in parades or similar) and it can be seen used by the agents on guard duty in the doors of government buildings.
Nowadays the Guardia Civil looks very much modern in comparison with Civil-war photos.

Some pics of present day Guardia Civil

- International mission in East-Europe


-Anti-terrorists operation


- Parade

[Capt. E.W. Brimmage]

I was sure I already replied to this. Good to know I can use G3s for assault rifles, however few there will be in my army thanks to using the US platoon as a base.

My plans have been stalled again until probably when uni goes back in March, all my money saved by living at home for some of the holidays will have to be put in to my ****ing mahooosive phone bill I got. I fell asleep on the couch with the bloody thing tethered.  

[SiamTiger]

I love the idea of spaniards for Weird War 2. Everybody has some Nazi Zombies and Wehrmacht Werewolf, but going for spaniards is really unique.

I may be adding a small warband of spaniards to my collection, using the Empress Miniatures (i had them in mind for a while but had no idea what to use them for, now i have an excuse to buy them, yeah!).

The only question, how to get the weird into the spanish? A special unit of spanish inquisition with some henchmen, using bounded demons and holy weapons against their enemies. Or a modern version of don quixote on a motorbike with MP and lance (where as i think of a side car with sancho panza using a light MG).
Or maybe some ghosts of the dark ages, el cid and a few of his soldiers, a little bit like in the lotr return of the king.

So many ideas.

[Patrick Lefèvre]

I've got no knowledge about the SCW other than it had a dictator called Franco and that it took place in the 1940's.
A renewal af the Spanish Inquistion sounds great however, if you need names for vehicles I'll gladly give you some: Don Quichote heavy walker/tank, Franco heavy cannon, Alvarez medium tank/walker http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_%C3%81lvarez_de_Toledo,_3rd_Duke_of_Alba, Toro (bull) heavy armour infantery,...
Maybe I could do something similar with the French 

[KeyanSark]

Hi all:

I am also spanish, and I remember writing a lot of mad ideas within the SOTR forums (I, in fact, was the translator for the Incursion rulebook to Spanish)

I'll try not to stick too much into reality... But for "weirdness" and keeping in flavour, I think that the main "flavours" of a Spanish Faction should be a) Very Catholic - Crusade and b) Totally anti-comunist. Point a) is a weakness, as I cannot envision spanish armies of the era fighting alongside werewolves or zombies: these should be considered as "demons" by the troops. This should add a nice background to army compositions...

On the other side, having chaplains or exorcists may be a nice touch. Very fanatic guys that may inspire troops to insane acts of valour, and also counter weird allied creatures such as the wendigo.

History is full of facts detailing the extreme valour and dedication of the spanish volunteers in the OstFront. To add flavour to a spanish force, I'd mark them as a small and elite army. The country was utterly devastated after the civil war, so I cannot envision a regular army marching in Europe, although I do envision elite volunteers.

In addition, I don't remember now the SOTR timeline, but Spanish troops should be ideal for retaking Italy. Taking the Vaticane and Rome from the Allies should be a question of honour for them (remember, I am being Pulpy, archeotypical and weird, don't take me too seriously here - hey! we are talking about zombies!)

Spanish mythology is very rich, and plenty of creatures should be summoned to the battlefield. However, Point a) arises again. I cannot envision regular troops fighting alongisde "demons", but if we count them as special operation, volunteer guys, maybe some exceptions can be done.

And depending on the Weirdness level you want to take, I think that "The Cid" should be an ideal character. He was a famous historical warrior during the arab wars, and his figure was overly used by Franco as a sign of the Crusade.

So,
- Honour
- Elite
- Catholic-religious - no zombies! no demons!
- Anti-communist

More ideas soon...

Remember also that there were a strong partisan resistance in the North of Spain since the end of the war to the mid-40s (when the allies did not grant them support to overthrown Franco, they had to disappear) - this can also be used to create additional troops, here equipped by the allies, who do not care to use weird things if reinstating the Old Republic was a possibility...

[KeyanSark]

As usual, the wikipedia is your friend.

El Cid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Cid

Santiago Matamoros
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_James_the_Greater

Hercules's tomb is located in Galicia, in Spain. Maybe the Axis is trying to "resurrect" him and the Allies want that too for their forces
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules

And the Holy Company... a symbol of death, but they may be coming back to help the country against our foes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Compa%C3%B1a

[SiamTiger]

Thanks a lot for the big load of inspiration.

As i am only half-spaniard (the other half is german and i grew up in germany) is my knowledge of Myths rather humble.

I could imagine something close to the Occidentaux from Hell Dorado.
http://www.helldorado.fr/factions/les-occidentaux/index.php

As from the inquisition part, these are almost a must have;
http://www.victorialamb.com/wugs/original%20miniatures/inquisition/spanishinquisition.html

I understand the point of very catholic and therefore having problems fighting side by side with demons, but how if they were bounded like the ones radical 40k inquisitors use?

[KeyanSark]

Definitely, and that's why I consider that a weird spanish army should be an elite one. The common army or militias should be too frightened to fight alongside "demons", to the point of even rebel. Dust Tactics says something similar related to their zombies. Only the "Blutkreuz" troops are able to fight with zombies. The rest just run!

As per uniforms, standard germans should be valid. The helmets were a little different, but...

http://www.minecreek.org/legion-condor/images/8825_11_34-spanish-legion-uniforms.jpg

Here are some Blue Division members in clearly German outfit with a spanish banner

http://militarescw.blogspot.com.es/2009/05/spanish-military-during-world-war-ii.html

In fact, this last article shows the poor situation of the army after the SCW... However, for weird purposes, we can clearly overlook this and move Axis factories to Spain to increase productivity far from allied bombers, thus creating new walkers and better equipment for them.