Saturday 15 January 2022

Rapid Fire! Western Desert 1940-43 in 20mm - Ariete Division nearing completion


A number of Ariete units meet at Ras-el-Donnarumma oasis and prepares to defend it. This lot of models is one of the last for the Ariete armored division as this big unit is almost complete, only missing a few trucks and two artillery pieces. The models are Ace, StreletsR, MiniGeneral 3d prints and my own conversions and castings. 


Lets start with my own conversions. The decision of improvising - again - came after checking the Mirliton website. They have everything you need for WW2 Italian figures with beautiful detail and reasonably priced at around 1 euro per figure. The exception being the motorcyclists with each costing almost 10 euros, and two companies are necessary for the Bersaglieri regiment! Some quick maths made realize I would have to spend almost 200 euros for the 16 motorcyclists plus P&P. 


So I grabbed the French motorcyclist I converted from Airfix and converted it again this time into a Bersaglieri. The trousers were carved in order to show the boots, a new Strelets head was pinned to the body and some details were added in the moto for it to look like a Moto Guzzi.



The first to come out made of GreenStuff in a BlueStuff mould. The right arm and the rifle or Breda LMG were added later. 


After moulding the arm and gluing a rifle on the back you have a reasonable Bersaglieri motociclisti. 


The handlebar was also added after casting for a better detail. 



After painting, these Bersaglieri motociclisti became quite close to the original and somehow unique.  


Master Colin mentions one side-car per company in its first Desert supplement (Feb/June 41). I looked a bit everywhere for pictures of  Bersaglieri side-cars and only miniature brands have them which is strange as Bersaglieri side-cars would have caught the photographers attention for sure. What the Bersaglieri of the compagnia moto had were motorcycles for one (monoposto, 28 of them) and two people (biposto, 44 of them) and here might be the cause of the side-car indication. 


The only side-car used in these two companies was again the French one, this time the matrix model directly as I have enough French side-cars already. 


These last 8 MiniGeneral M13-40 concludes the tank regiment which now counts 30 models.


The models have some nasty printing lines specially at the front and turret top which had to be covered with PVA+acrylic paint. Stowage, antennas, sand bags, scratch built MGs and foot steps and CP models from Mark Brown were added to the originals. 


Thin armor but very brave men!


Two Schneider-Ansaldo 105mm guns were also added together with a few FO and command stands. All models are StreletsR. Another group like this is still missing to complete the division. 


Lastly some badly needed Fiat 508 Coloniales from ACE joined the division not before many hours spent gluing tiny pieces and picking many others from the floor. The figures are again Retrokit/Mark Brown models from the Netherlands.

Next: maybe a video on the Ariete division or a few more models for the division if mail allows.  Or some more French 1940, lets see. 

Tuesday 4 January 2022

1st US Armored Division in Tunisia, 1943, in 20mm size and for RF! rules


The green 1st US Armored Division (the "Old Ironsides") is famous for its action - and losses - around mid February 1943 in Tunisia against the DAK veterans. In time the division will become much better and won´t "charge across the planes" as it was taught to do in exercises, only to be picked by flanking fire and became an important unit in the fighting in Italy until the enemy's surrender. The models are: Tanks- Hasegawa, Matchbox, MiniGeneral, Esci and Airfix; M7s - Matchbox; M3 GMC - Airfix conversions; Dodge HMC - Esci.