I'm not 100% sure why I got these or if it was at all a good idea... I think it was because they were available... they were almost half price... and I thought they would add some colour and flash to the Italian force...?
Eritrean Ascari - Italian Colonial Troops Infantry Squad
Do they belong in a platoon with other Italians...? Historically, probably not...
Might they show up as a bonus squad added to an Italian platoon I'm fielding? Maybe...
They could also show up in Pulp Adventure games as troops garrisoning an Italian Colonial post somewhere in East Africa?
Will I buy a SECOND squad and a platoon command to field a PLATOON of Colonial Troops!? Probably not anytime soon... but I wouldn't rule it out!?
With these, I am completely FINISHED painting all of the Second World War Italians that I own!!
Here are ALL THE ITALIANS!? (AGAIN?!)
I reorganized things and realized if I dropped one of the light machine-guns, I had enough for three full squads of regular infantry...
I have two more things inbound... a Bersaglieri Weapons pack (including a Sniper Team, a Light Mortar Team, and an Anti-Tank Rifle Team - all of which I may or may not carve the feathers off of to make into regular infantry teams...) and a Semovente 75/18 self-propelled gun... The former should be here tomorrow and I'll probably knock it by the weekend - just to stay on top of the ALL THE ITALIANS ARE DONE thing... and I'll likely do the same whenever the Semovente arrives!
I need to get all these into some ACTION!!!
Oh, these Askari are outstanding! The red fez makes ‘em pop!
ReplyDeletethanks Jonathan!
DeleteLove them, you could do the Ethiopian campaign, slouch hat wearing South Africans, not much British armour so.e armoured cars I think and native troops armed with mausers, you probably already have them!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Ha-ha! Yeah, IF I got a few more squads of these (which, if I had infinite time and resources, I TOTALLY would!) but I wouldn't hold my breath... I had wondered if any of the Great War askaris I have would still work for Kings African Rifles, etc...? From the few pictures I quickly found I think maybe not - it looks like by the second world war they were actually being issued boots and helmets (and different hats)...?
DeleteThey might work as Ethiopians though?
DeleteBest Iain
hmmmm maybe if I carved off their hats and added a big 'fro!?
DeleteExcellent!
ReplyDelete(I'd have thought the red fezzes might make it easy for enemies to spot them)
Ha-ha! Yes! I wonder if they were often used in combat?
Delete