WWII Italians for North Africa 1940-41

[Gazza]

I'm considering recreating some of the engagements of Operation Compass in 10mm. At this period in the war the Italians would have been wearing pith helmets and bustina caps, so the helmeted Pendraken models aren't of much use. Any chance of such models appearing? Any interest from other users?

[GrumpyOldMan]

Hello Gazza

Not sure about where they'd be in the Pendraken production line if approved but pretty sure it wouldn't be soon.

I have thought about this before and I made a few notes on proxies:-

Italians in pith helmets - WW1 British Middle East:-
WeeWars brilliantly painted examples,


Italians in bustina - WW1 Serbs

or SCW Legion in Isabelino (officer in Isabelino now available)
Nik Harwood's painting


Blackshirts or Libyans - Moroccan Falange Militia (puttees, shirt sleeves, fez)

Never been able to find a picture unfortunately.

Cheers

GrumpyOldMan

[Gazza]

Thanks for the ideas! It looks like I may have to go down this route. I'll probably mix WW1 Middle East Brits with some early Falangist types, though the shorts of the former are a bit disconcerting! Still, 10mm is a pretty forgiving scale when it comes to such things...

[Gazza]

As an aside, Italians models suitable for the early WWII battles in North Africa (in the head-wear described above) would also be usable in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, if somebody made Ethiopian (Abyssinian) opponents.  Would this be a period/range that anybody would be interested in seeing?

[John Cook]

Gazza, I hesitate to use the other 'P' word here but have you considered Pithead's Italians in tropical helmet, in the absence of anything from Pendraken.

[barbarian]

Somewhere in the Pendraken penthaouse there is Italians with Colonial helmets. (I made conversions) Now, the hard part is knowing when they will be moulded.