Rapid Fire! Western Desert 1940-43 in 20mm - First battalions of Australians

 

Two Australian Infantry battalions get ready to defend the bridge at the Lybian Wadi of Al-Kangaroo. These are my first Australian Infantry units I´ve ever painted even if I collected and stored them for many years. A problem with the Airfix, Revell and Esci figures was the lack of support weapons but you can easily convert them. This issue was solved recently by StreletsR releasing a box with support weapons (and also another one with rifle-armed figures). 

Dressed in Mediterranean uniforms they are essential for the North African campaigns as well as Italy. In the recent leaked information from the Rapid Fire HQ we all will be forced to make Crete's Mercury operation (I mean, Masters know, right?) and that was also another push for me to paint and model these.  Also the great articles by Mark Piper on the Greek campaign and other Mediterranean action also boosted this idea. 

The figures for the command and support weapons are StreletsR. The exception are the ones manning the 2'' mortar which are Hat conversions with bush hats from Airfix and the Esci radioman which also was entitled to a bush hat.

The infantry companies are (L to R) Airfix copy; Esci; Esci, Revell; Esci; Revell; Revell and Airfix copy. The mix of uniforms makes this units very versatile. The bush hat should have been replaced by the steel helmet but like this they really look like Australians. This is the principle I also followed for the Hindu and Scottish infantry to make them look their specific origin. 

In the first picture you can find also some Airfix copies with helmets as I used its heads for the Portuguese campaign in Mozambique 1895. The Airfix copies were used here as they are true 1/72nd figures and go along very well with the other mentioned brands while the original are 1/76th and distinctively smaller. 

Now for the bridge. Of  course its not intended for NA but for Northern Europe, with France/Belgium 1940 and Market Garden as prime targets. Its a 1/72nd scale model that came from Aliexpress and it resembles pretty much the  28mm  canal bridge by Arcane, probably being the same just resized.  

This was my first MDF kit but, after watching a nice YouTube video, you find its making very simple: 

1- Take out all pieces with a X-acto and glue them with Super Glue.

2- Apply diluted PVA glue all over in order to seal the wood.

3- Apply your normal primer and its ready to paint. 

I painted the bridge ramps with cobblestone effect which I think were pretty much common around WW2 and that still can be seen. 

This Beaufighter was also taken out of the pile of pride and quickly put together. Its a 1/72nd scale Luppa die-cast model which only needed to have its canopies painted from the interior and its base textured. Unfortunately I can´t find references of its usage by the RAAF in the Western Desert, only in the Pacific, but even so its in Australian colors and this one just took the modelling train and went along with the others. 

Next: A video on the Soviet Tank Corps for Kursk 1943