1940 French Infantry

[realthing]

Here are some pix of a small batch of French WWII Infantry that I've been working on for a test set of rules that uses 2 figures per base.







For reference, the riflemen are FRE8. The figure with his arm raised is the platoon leader (FRE10), demoted to section (groupe) commander. The top photo has a kneeling FM24/29 machine gunner (FRE9) with a loader from the gun crew set with FRE6. I've added a back pack and a few other bits to the latter. To the left is the Hotchkiss MG in helmet from the WWI set (F4). One change is that the loader has been switched to the left hand side of the HMG, which I believe is more accurate. The other two photos include an officer converted from the French WWI officer. The original figure was wearing a tunic but I wanted him in a greatcoat and with some more kit, added using green stuff. Not perfect but rings the changes.

I have a few more figures and some vehicles underway and will post those in due course. Still missing some rifle grenade launchers - hopefully they'll be out soon, at least for the WWI variant. More green stuff needed but it will be good to add them into the mix.

Hope this is of interest; thanks for stopping by

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Really nice work there chap!
Nice conversions too.

[Fenton]

Nice   Carry on the good work

[toxicpixie]

Lovely! Heartily approve

[Ithoriel]

Ooh! I like those!

[paulr]

Very very nice 
The conversions fit in really well, very very well done 

[GrumpyOldMan]

Hello realthing

Very nice, alwys like the 1940 French.

Tell us about the rules you're testing. It's cruel to flaunt untried rules in front of rules junkies  .

Cheers

GrumpyOldMan

[toxicpixie]

They'd go nicely for Peter Pigs PBI... But is it Command Decision recommends two infantry per?

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

You can smell the garlic and cheese.

IanS

[Hertsblue]

Very nice, realthing. Early war French seem to be flavour of the month at the moment - or should that be plat du jour?

[realthing]

Plat du jour indeed? Good one Hertsblue!

Many thanks for the kind comments everyone. As for the rules, they are an experimental set being worked on by a couple of wargaming colleagues. I think the rules are reinforced platoon to company level. Although not really a wargamer, I offered to paint up some early War French to add to the mix and these are the result. I have a couple of Hotchkiss 25mm AT guns and some mortars on the go and will have about a platoon's worth of infantry by the time they're all painted.

[realthing]

Some reinforcements have arrived.

60mm mortars with 2 crew, both the kneeling figure from FRE6 (the mortar, I think, is the one from the US Airborne):



Hotchkiss 25mm AT guns with 2 crew. The gun comes from FRE6. The kneeling figure on the far side in each case is from FRE6; the other figure (loader and man with raised arm) are conversions made by mating the upper bodies of the standing figures in FRE6 with the lower half of the kneeling figure from FRE6. The few photos of the gun I'd seen suggested that the crew knelt or even lay down while operating the gun, hence the changes.





Hope they're of interest. Vehicles up next when I get my head around French 1940 camouflage schemes (lot to be said for Panzer grey!)

[toxicpixie]

Handy little beasts and very nicely done! Tasty little figures and reminds me I must do the ones I got AVBCW ages ago

[Techno]

Like 'em lots !!
Cheers - Phil.

[Derek H]

Thanks for this.  It's very useful as I plan my own France 1940 project.