Free French & French Foreign Legion WIP (Updated 19/11/16)

[Chico]

'ello my fellow Laffers, welcome to my thread which will detail my ongoing efforts to finish my latest project Free French & French Foreign Legion for Bolt Action.

Now I'm a tad out of my comfort zone with this project as while it's my 4th 28mm WW2 army I do tend to focus on the Winter themed/Eastern Front.

Anyway enough babling from me as it's time for some pictures,

Perry Miniatures Canon de 75 modèle





Artizan FFL Captain & Perry Miniatures Desert Rat FO





Artizan FFL





Please forgive the bad pictures, as for the painting I've gone for a quick to tabletop standard with the above figures only taking a week to knock out.

Anyway thanks for looking and comments welcome, even if it is too tell me I didn't use the correct colours for bags/belts/ect (Which I didn't hehe)

Thanks
- Chico

[wolfkarl]

Excellent! It's good to see the FFL get some WW2 love. I believe I read somewhere that a majority of the men serving in the desert were ex-pat Germans and Poles.

[Chico]

Excellent! It's good to see the FFL get some WW2 love. I believe I read somewhere that a majority of the men serving in the desert were ex-pat Germans and Poles.

Thankies

Yeah before the War many Germans joined the FFL, it was stated that half the Privates and 80% of the Officers were German. Propaganda Minister Josef Goebbels’ department claimed that innocent young Germans were being hypnotised into joining, of course this turned out to be a problem when the war broke out. It was also planned by the German higher ups to plant their men in such numbers to to cause disruption in the FFL which almost worked.

Large numbers of German legionnaires were shipped off to desert outposts, and the ranks were filled with additional non-German refugees. But the French authorities still thought that there were too many Germans in the ranks, many possibly loyal Nazis, to risk sending the Legion to fight in Europe. Instead, four more foreign regiments were raised in France and trained by veteran Legion officers from North Africa.

In spite of the general reluctance to send entire Legion units to France, the French authorities decided that something had to be done with those loyal elements of the Legion that were still marking time in North Africa and itching for a fight. In early 1940, the old Legion was given an active role. Volunteers were called for, and two battalions of 1,000 men each were assembled–one in Fez, Morocco, and the other in Sidi Bel Abbès. Volunteers for those units were carefully screened, and the only Germans left them were veteran Legionnaires of unquestioned loyalty. Those men were given new non-German names and false identity papers to protect them in case they were captured by the Germans.

I also love the fact that FFL was on both sides when France fell, and they even faced off in Levant. SWould love to recreate that battle

[Chico]

Small update:

Still grinding on with the Artizan FFL to bulk out the force, thankfully only another 3 to finish. Then it's on to some more Perry FFL (Another 75 and a MMG team).

Also bought some Perry's Desert Rats to use as British equipped Free French and a Mad Bob Berliet VUBD, so plenty more too do.





Thanks for looking and comments always welcome.

[grant]

Looks great!

I wonder if someone does goumiers 15mm or 28mm? I think Artizan? Fow but they are poopy.

If only Forged in Battle did Sikhs, Goumiers, and other more desert types.

 I like that movie Days of Glory in French with English subtitles.

Sorry for the detail. Lovely minis.

[Chico]

Thanks very much, Artizan does indeed have a small range of  28mm Goumiers and I do have some somewhere that I planned to do a Vichy force with at some point (Read: At the end of long list of other stuff first)

If I'm honest the ranges from Artizan are my favourite WW2 figures but boy could they do with fleshing out with support options.

I just love the chunky style as it's easier to paint.

[Chico]

Update time:

Not only did I get a 750pts game of Bolt Action this week using the Free French for the first time (Against Yanks and it ended up a draw) I've still been painting at a fairly fast pace.







Mostly Perry's FFL & a couple of Desert Rats but also a Berliet VUBD from Mad Bob's as well

Thanks for looking

[Chico]

Update and Army shot time:

I'd now say they are around 50% of what I want is now painted. Up next to paint is a Warlords FT-17 and Lledo  Mack Truck before moving on to some Perry Senegalese.













Thanks for lookings C&C always welcome

[lou passejaire]

As i have said elsewhere, it's best to cut the upper and mower parts of the Perry's 75mm Gun Shield.
In the desert, low profile was favoured ...






nice paint job 

[Chico]

Thanks , honestly I don't have much knowledge in this era/Theatre (I tend to stick with the Late Eastern Front) so I love learning more and with pictures it's just the icing on the cake.

I may just have to get another one now and do that mod

[Helen]

Lovely work on the French.

[Arteis]

Very nice worm indeed, speaking as someone who is painting a similar force. I really like the way your figures and vehicles have come out. Bravo!