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Re: WW1 French Colonial Algerians?

The first pic looks like a French soldier (but isn't) with a Chauchat but then the others look like Serbs with their weapons, footwear and hats. The rifles look like Lebels.
When I see the separate Strelets sets (in the attack, on the march) for the ACW and Napoleonic Wars I wish that "tradition" could be extended to the 1st World War infantry. The "in attack" seems to be de rigeur for most 20th c sets.

These look better than anything else on the same subject.

Re: WW1 French Colonial Algerians?

The Sculptur is certaimly one of best Strelets has used...

The Chauchat Gunner is entirely appropriate for a French Infantryman as is the pose for firing in the attack/advance there is nothing to distinquish except the Serbian crest on the Adrian helmet, which is not there in any case...
The "Lebels" though their hardly distinguishable clearly mark out the "Serbs" as post 1916 so should also be wearing the rest of the French Kit, but in my opinion you could use these figures as Early Serbs though only the riflemen...
The Lewis is a later 1920 version(the handle) and I think is not appropriate, but would work for WW2 Axis Yugoslavia...

Marching on campaign is somewhat less rigid during WW1 and in any case not something wisely done in sight (or even in range) of an enemy armed with modern weapons, so whilst it may have a place behind the lines on parade etc, I think a stand alone set would not have much use...
There are a fair number of figures available fulfilling the role of non-combat poses albeit in metal,resin and 3D print... although I wouldn't say no to an injection moulded plastic Non-Combat set of any nation if it was well done, suitably diverse and relevant...

For me what would be more appropriate would be French Colonial 1914 and later types though as these have not yet been tackled, but I'm always happy to see more Regular French infantry etc whether their sold as Serbs or not...

Re: WW1 French Colonial Algerians?

Ironsides
The Chauchat Gunner is entirely appropriate for a French Infantryman as is the pose for firing in the attack/advance there is nothing to distinquish except the Serbian crest on the Adrian helmet, which is not there in any case...


That's why I am much in favor of an all 1914/15 Serbian set.

If you need a Frenchman (or 1917/18 Serb) with a Chauchat, you might choose three of the four late war French sets on the market - the Pegasus and the Strelets sets have advancing poses while Revell has a kneeling one, it is only the Airfix set that comes without.

http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/PeriodList.aspx?period=11#France-Infantry

Re: WW1 French Colonial Algerians?

Pa
Ironsides
The Chauchat Gunner is entirely appropriate for a French Infantryman as is the pose for firing in the attack/advance there is nothing to distinquish except the Serbian crest on the Adrian helmet, which is not there in any case...


That's why I am much in favor of an all 1914/15 Serbian set.

If you need a Frenchman (or 1917/18 Serb) with a Chauchat, you might choose three of the four late war French sets on the market - the Pegasus and the Strelets sets have advancing poses while Revell has a kneeling one, it is only the Airfix set that comes without.

http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/PeriodList.aspx?period=11#France-Infantry


Pa, sorry I didn't reply earlier, yes your quite right there are CSRG gunners advancing..
I'm sure your aware though that the revell set is long since out of production and now very rarely turn up on ebays...
Strelets is the only one so far firing from the hip.. sort of but to be honest these are very rough and ready, which is I think being fair...
Which leaves the Pegasus which forms a basic set of infantry but is by no means complete, plus they tend to be rather long and lanky to my eye which makes me think of them more as Americans then Frenchmen..

Now I think that Strelets with their current sculpture and the right proding may very well be capable of producing the best set of later WWI French infantry so far for the platoon level and with the right combination of specialists that is...

So far theres too many rifles and not enough of anything else and though you could combine the various sets their not very compatible...

The french worked in sections and developed fire and movement tactics, the days of madly rushing over the battlefield in an effort to bayonet your opponent effectively ended in the first half of the war, and the poses should represent this more organised fire and movement form of attack..

Probably the film thats done more to define the image of the western front then any other:


French Attack!

Just my thoughts on it not written in stone