Rapid Fire! Normandy 1944 in 20mm - The Italian Trucks of 12th Pz SS 'Hitlerjugend'

At the crossroads of La Petite Italie, right in the middle of the Caen sector, a group of Italian trucks from the SS Pz Gren.Reg.25 try to negotiate the hedgerows in order to hide from the roaming Jabos. All models are MiniGeneral even if originally produced by Fiat. 

The Fiat Dovunque 35 is a beautiful model with very few printing lines and with a total of 12 pieces - not bad for a 3d print model. 

I added a Ben Hur captured trailer from Airfix to one of them just to look cool. 

All these trucks and trailers received gauze camouflage nets and foliage made from two component paste. In fact you can use whatever paste, Milliput, GreenStuff, etc. You just need a drop of superglue, place a blob of paste and attack it with a toothpick, an X-Acto or any other weapon you have around. The paste when in contact with the superglue will create some nice "foliage" effects, get very hard and be part of the model. 

The whole model before painting  The two component paste on these ones are from Pattex which produces a paste with some kind of diluted metal which makes the mixture very hard. 

I'm still not sure of the existence of this particular model, the AS.37, in the ranks of the 12th SS HJ.  Its older brother, the TL.37, for sure was with the HJ as it towed at least some of its 75mm AT guns. My guessing is based on the production numbers with 800 AS.37 produced (against only 200 TL.37) and my hope that some got to the HJ ranks. Against my wish is the fact that the AS.37 was produced for the North African theater and maybe most of them stayed there...

Regarding the AS.37 with the 20mm AA gun this is a true machine as you can see by this very old B/W picture taken in eeer ... June 1944 by the mother of that beautiful lady with melon boobies that I told you in the last post. According to eye witnesses, while taking the picture, she was using an even shorter mini skirt than the daughter as it was June, obviously (if the story of the lady with the melon boobies is successful in terms of audience, I can continue, if not I'll just get back to models which may be better).  Only one was produced and according to my records in the Baukommando Johann Peixotund. This was a very large and secret atelier affiliated to the more famous Baukommando Becker but this time situated in Salazar's country, Portugal. As usual the Portuguese dictator played on both sides of the war: he let the Allies use the Azorian Lajes base in the middle of the Atlantic ocean and gave Volframium and lots of food to the Germans (while the people starved) ... as well as letting the thing of the Baukommando Peixotund.

Well, the previous story was bullshit and this is an imaginary vehicle. Even so it wouldn't be difficult for the Germans to mount its 20mm Flak 38 gun in the rear of the AS.37 as the Italians used to do with the 20mm Breda gun.Jabo view of the imaginary Sd.kfz.569WaffenträgerFlugabwehrkanoneMit20mmKrankenwagenAuf AS.37 (I), also known as the 'Pipi'.

 

The figures are a mixture of Esci, Atlantic and Caesar. The trailer is from the venerable Airfix RAF. I imagine that the British left behind some in 1940 and this one is here serving as an ammunition trailer. 

Some parts where the printing lines are still visible were painted with a mix of PVA and Acrylic Paint as you can see in some bluish areas. 

Another view of the finished lot. 

Some nice profiles from Militaria that served as inspiration. 

Next: BEF reinforcements from Anyscale models.