Strelets Forum

This Forum is Locked

Author

Comment

May 2, 2019 - 9:53PM

174.47.210.10

World War I - What's Left To Do?

Coming off what appears to be a highly successful set of suggestions about missing 20mm sets for World War II, I thought I would do a similar one for World War I. Oddly, there seem to be fewer completely missing areas for World War I than for the much-better covered World War II, but here goes:

1. Serbian Infantry in Summer Dress. For the pre-1916 period, including the Balkan Wars. Basically to replace that God-awful Coates & Shine set. Probably a lot more interest in this than in the winter Serbs that Strelets did last year. Heavy weapons would also be good, though probably too much to expect.
2. Bosnian Infantry. In fezzes, of course.
3. Austro-Hungarian Cavalry for pre-1916. Three sets - one for each of the dragoons, hussars and uhlans. Can't believe no one has done even one set of the early-war Austrian cavalry, if nothing else to fight those WWI Russians from Strelets and Hat.
4. Austro-Hungarian stormtroops. In puttees and the Berndorfer helmet, they looked suitably different than their German counterparts. In fact, the only real late-war Austro-Hungarians are the Strelets Honved but they are cavalry.
5. Austro-Hungarian Grenzjager. Could be an interesting set, with leather jackets and hats with the tall grouse plume, for fighting in the Balkans.
6. German Dragoons in Pickelhaube. Only the miniature LW set represents a standard German cavalryman of the pre-1916 period. Many of these guys could be dismounted for combat.
7. German Asienkorps. Those Turks and Bulgarians need some allies.
8. German Naval Infantry/Seebataillon. For the Western Front.
9. German Bicycle Troops. They were frequently used in 1918 on the Western Front, and earlier than that on the Eastern Front. In fact, you could try French, Italian and Austrian bicycle troops as well, just as Strelets did with various infantry sets in gas masks.
10. Bulgarian Infantry. Their uniforms and equipment are sufficiently different from the Russians to merit a set, including men in the traditional tsarvoui shoes and opanki woolen stockings. Would also work for the Balkan Wars. Can include a couple guys in stahlhelms for late-war Bulgarians. A dedicated heavy weapons set would be a cherry on the cake.
11. Turkish Assault troops. In those fascinating brimless stahlhelms.
12. Kurdish irregulars (horse and foot).
13. Armenian irregulars. To defend themselves against the Turks and Kurds.
14. Libyan irregulars (horse and foot). To keep the Italians busy, of course.
15. Greek infantry. Can be a mixture of headgear, though the upcoming set of Frenchmen in the vareuse would work well enough for the later war. Could do evzones instead, as their uniforms were unique.
16. Italian cavalry. The Savoia lancers from 1915 would be awesome, but even late-war cavalry would be pretty cool.
17. French cavalry for 1914. Like the Austrians, these could merit four sets - cuirassiers, dragoons, chasseurs/hussars (only differences were in uniform detail) and lancers. Again, amazing no one has done even one set of these.
18. French spahis, either late war, early war or in-between.
19. French zouaves/turcos/Senegalese for 1914.
20. Senegalese infantry for 1916-18. Basically French in greatcoats with African facial features, plus a few guys with the chechia. Don't forget the knives!
21. Annamese infantry. In the coolie hats, for the Salonika front.
22. French naval infantry for 1914. The sailors in their pom-pom hats, not the Fusiliers Marins whose uniforms were basically the same as the infantry's.
23. Belgian cavalry for 1914. Probably merit just one mixed set of lancers, guides and chasseurs.
24. King's African Rifles. For the East Africa campaign.
25. South African Infantry. For the German SW Africa campaign, East Africa and Palestine.
26. Imperial Camel Corps Indians. You did the Brits and Aussies, might as well do the Indians!
27. BEF Artillery Crew. Other than that old Airfix set of the RHA, I don't think anyone has ever done a dedicated set of artillerymen for the early-war BEF!
28. Portuguese Infantry. For the Western Front in their corrugated steel Brodie helmets. Probably asking too much to do Portuguese Colonial Infantry for East Africa (or Belgian Force Publique), but those are out there too.
29. African-American Infantry. The 369th Infantry (Harlem Hell-Fighters) and several other all-black US Army regiments were issued Adrian helmets with their US uniforms, and would be amazing to see in 1/72 plastic.
30. Japanese infantry. Can't take Tsingtao without them!
31. Irish Volunteers. For the Easter Rising. Can include civilians.

And

32. Any sort of dedicated sets of pilots and ground crew for the main combatants - Germany, Britain, France, Italy, US, Russia or A/H. That single combined set from RedBox is nice but pretty limited.

What else is out there?

Giorgius

May 2, 2019 - 10:33PM

46.11.67.186