Introducing the Italian Black Shirts

The Italian Black Shirts or Camicie Nere were the paramilitary branch of of Benito Mussolini's Fascist Party. Their official name was the Voluntary Militia for National Security. They were analogous to the Brown Shirts in Germany -which were actually modeled after the Black Shirts themselves-, providing the necessary muscle to keep Mussolini's political adversaries at bay as well as labor unions representing the interests of factory workers and peasants. They were established shortly after WWI with many former soldiers joining their ranks and Mussolini as their Commander in Chief. Their uniforms were inspired by those of the Arditi, the daring Italian shock troops of WWI. By the time Mussolini came to power in 1922 there were over 200,000 of them. When war broke out, many of them were formed into actual fighting units. Some saw action as early as the Spanish Civil War. Some also fought in the Ethiopian campaign. During WWII they saw heavy fighting in North Africa, where 3 entire divisions were destroyed. They remained an organized group until the armistice of 1943, when the pro-German government in Northern Italy reestablished the remaining members as the Republican National Guard. 

Atlantic Italian Black Shirts - Part I

This is also a hard set to find and unfortunately I only found some of the figures. However I think I got the most representative ones. At center we have Mussolini himself. To the right a standard bearer and to the left a man carrying a bundle of wooden sticks and an ax. This is called a Fasces and it comes from ancient times. The first to use it were apparently the Etruscans and later on the Romans. The ax symbolized the life and death power of the magistrates and the bundle, the strength which can be achieved through unity.  

Atlantic Italian Black Shirts - Part II

A couple more poses. The two bicycle riders are the same pose. On the back of one of the bikes I sat the figure who is supposed to be driving a motorcycle with a side car. He happens to be saluting while driving. The motorcycle as well as one more guy who is riding in the side car are missing from my set. BTW, I find this to be one of the better sculpted Atlantic sets. No awkward poses like those you see in some of the other sets like the British Infantry...

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Remco - Toy Soldiers

Remco was an American Toy firm active in the 40's to 60's. They were apparently based out of New Jersey. They specialized in electronic and remote controlled toys and vehicles, hence the name Remco. They also liked to release toys associated with popular TV shows and music groups. Today that seems common, but I suspect that back then that was quite unique. In 1971 they went bankrupt and were taken over by a firm called Azrak Hamway. In terms of toy soldiers, they are known for one set, which was incidental to their line of electric toys. They are from a 1960's toy series called the Hamilton Invaders, which was inspired by TV shows of the time in which giant bugs invade earth. These soldiers were mankind's defenders against the giant insect invaders, not unlike the guys from 'Starship Troopers' in the 90's.

Remco 'Hamilton Invaders' GIs aka Blue Defenders - Part I

These guys are on the larger side of 60mm. The sculpting is fairly good in terms of the level of detail. The poses are also good for most of them. For instance, of the three in this picture, the two on the right are just fine, but there is something about the officer that feels just a bit off. Maybe it is the position of the left elbow...or maybe I am just too picky.

Remco 'Hamilton Invaders' GIs aka Blue Defenders - Part II

Here are the other 3 poses. Again, some of the poses are better than the others. The grenade man in the middle seems a bit awkward. I do like the detail on the weapons though. At any rate, these guys seem to be something of a collectible because not so many of them were made - they were only released along with those insect playsets. And those bugs are even more of a priced rarity. I recently saw one listed for about 3,000 usd... That's a bit outrageous if you ask me!

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Introducing the French Navy

The French Navy, aka 'the Royale' was officially established in the early 17th century and was historically locked in a rivalry with the British Royal Navy and also fought some conflicts against the Dutch and the Spanish. At the onset of the Second World War, the French Navy weighed 800,000 tones and was ranked 4th in the world along with the Italian, after the British, American, and Japanese navies. Up to the summer of 1940, it participated in operations against Germany in Norway, the Mediterranean and the Dunkirk evacuation. After the armistice, the British were seriously concerned about the possibility that the French ships might fall in German hands. Many went willingly to the allied side, or were boarded by the British while in port, and later became the Free French Navy. Some did not want to join, particularly those based out of the Senegalese port Dakar, and they remained part of the Vichy forces After a series of ultimatums, the Royal Navy engaged them, sinking several vessels in July of 1940. Over 1200 French sailors died. The Vichy navy remained hostile for the next two years, until November of '42 when seeing the success of Operation Torch -the North African invasion- unfold, they switched sides. The Germans quickly tried to take over the remaining ships at Toulon, but the French sailors scuttled most of them or fled to allied ports. The Free French Navy continued to fight alongside the allies through the Normandy invasion and the landings in southern France. Once the European ports were recaptured by the allies, the French Navy did not see any more significant action. By the end of the war only half of its original tonnage remained. As far as toy soldier figures, Starlux, a French firm has given us a few poses to consider. Let's check them out. 

Starlux French Navy - Part I

A couple of  French sailors. I only have two as I got them from that batch of mixed figures. They are wearing their summer uniforms and the distinctive cap -the 'Bachi' bonnet- with the red decoration on top. The poses are not very exciting, but the figures are still unique as there are no other French Navy sailors that I am aware of.

Starlux French Navy - Part II

OK, so here are a few more poses, but also from Starlux. Most of them are on parade. In this batch you have a couple of high ranking officers. You also have the guy carrying the submg, which he does in a rather elegant manner.

Starlux French Navy - Part III

Then you have a few members of the marching band. Interesting to see that they also played the bag pipe.

Starlux French Navy - Part IV

And a couple more percussion instruments and a horn.

Starlux French Navy - Part V

Now, for these folks you might need to get yourself a warship, as I can definitely picture them on its deck taking care of business. 

Starlux French Navy - Part VI

The two guys in the middle could the the ones watching the parade go by. The man on the left could be an officer on the ship's bridge. And then finally, we have an action pose, although I don't really picture many scenarios in which a navy guy would be using his hand gun.

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Introducing the Frogmen

Combat swimmers and combat divers have been a part of military operations for centuries. Swimmers aid themselves with breathing devices such as snorkels -hollow bone or grass in antiquity-, while divers make use of more advanced technology, such as rebreathers or scuba tanks. The difference between a rebreather and a scuba system is that the rebreather does not release any air, and instead filters our the CO2 and replenishes the oxygen in a closed circuit. The scuba system does release air and is therefore easier to detect. Modern frogmen date back to a couple years before WWII, when Italy formed the Decima Flottiglia MAS aka Xª MAS (i.e. Tenth Assault Boat Fleet). This was a commando type unit of seamen who would conduct raids using speed boats as well as manned torpedoes to infiltrate port facilities. A submarine or larger surface ship would bring the unit within operational range and offload the attackers and their vehicles. The speed boats would be aimed at the enemy ships and the crew would jump into the water shortly before impact. The manned torpedoes were used as transport to get next to the ships, where explosive charges could be attached. The swimming part came later, when trying to make the escape. If they did manage to escape, the return trip home usually involved a lengthy journey ove land. This were risky missions and in a large number of them, the divers were either captured or killed, with the missions succeeding about only half of the times. However, the disproportionate damage that they inflicted on the allied Navies justified the risks and the cost. Most of the Italian divers operated in the Mediterranean theater, although some of the speedboats were used by the Germans in the Sevastopol area. All other major participants in WWII followed the lead of the Italians and developed equivalent units during the course of the war. After Italy joined the allies, the Italian frogmen helped the British improve their Frogmen units, while the members of the Xª MAS  who remained with the Germans were used primarily on land operations. As far as underwater combat is concerned, until a decade or two ago, combat divers were mainly equipped with a knife and it was not really common to deploy other divers against incoming frogmen. Use of nets and other defensive measures were simpler and more effective to implement. Only recently have weapons been developed which are capable of firing short metal rods accurately and with enough range to make them practical to use underwater at a safe distance from the enemy. In terms of model figures there not too many, but enough to staff a small commando unit and carry out a few raids. Let's take a look. 

Atlantic Frogmen - Part I

A rather unique set by Atlantic. I am not sure what country they actually represent. Given the manufacturer there's a good chance that they are Italian. Since I don't have the manned torpedo which came with the set, I have placed all three of these frogmen on a raft getting ready to dive, however the two on the left are actually supposed to be riding on top of a torpedo. Hard to tell if these guys are wearing rebreathers or scuba gear. 

Atlantic Frogmen - Part II

The rest of the set are 4 divers with different tools and equipment used during their missions. What is quite interesting is that each of them is mounted on top of a base representing a variety of sea plants or corals. This allows them to 'float' as if they were really diving. A nice sculpting touch that allows the figures to be placed 'off the ground' when playing with them.

Atlantic Frogmen - Part III

So I managed to find the missing torpedo. And in doing so I also discovered that these figures were also made in this bright orange color. Not my favorite so it will be a great candidate to get painted. From pictures that I've seen, the torpedo seems to be a bit on the shorter side, compared to the real ones, but it is good enough to illustrate the point of how the divers 'rode' into their missions. Interestingly enough, this other set had the torpedo, but was missing the raft. I wonder if the sets came with either one or the other...

Lone Star Frogmen - Part I

A nice and interesting set from Lone Star. I don't know what country they represent exactly, and whether they are meant to be WWII or post war figures. As was the case with Lone Star, they were on the generous side in terms of the number of poses in the set. I don't know however if I got them all already.

Lone Star Frogmen - Part II

Unlike the Atlantic divers, these guys don't have any bases to keep them 'off the ground', so they must lie flat on their bellies on the sea floor when diving!

Lone Star Frogmen - Part III

As you might suspect from all the different colors, these actual figures are not originals. They are clones of relatively decent quality. Once they are painted it won't be that noticeable.

Lone Star Frogmen - Part IV

 I believe the original frogmen from Lone Star came with factory paint as did their other sets. Interestingly enough, the paint scheme that I have seen shows them wearing only a bathing suit, instead of a full diving suit. If so, I guess these guys would have to be used in the Mediterranean only! I am planning on giving them a full body suit when I paint them...

Ideal Manned-Torpedo Launcher with Divers - Part I

I just found this set while looking for some diver figures. It represents a boat carried a manned torpedo and a diving team. It was supposedly manufactured by Ideal, although I have yet to verify the claim. Still it is a nice little set to give the other divers figures in my army a bit of support. In terms of the nationality that is represented, it is not clear to me, although we could probably designate them as Italians as they were the most active in WWII in this type of operations. 

Ideal Manned-Torpedo Launcher with Divers - Part II

This is the skipper. Note that the figures have a hole in the base which allows them to be attached to the boat. This is a nice feature if you actually deploy your boat in real water, which will keep the figures from falling over. 

Ideal Manned-Torpedo Launcher with Divers - Part III

One of the divers about to jump in. 

Ideal Manned-Torpedo Launcher with Divers - Part IV

The other diver taking in the view.

Ideal Manned-Torpedo Launcher with Divers - Part V

This is the only figure which is actually diving. I made him 'hold on' to the side of the boat to get a better angle for the shot. 

Ideal Manned-Torpedo Launcher with Divers - Part VI

The manned torpedo deployed in the water, with its diver riding it into action. The lever on the front of the torpedo is actually a crank which turns and twists a rubber band which makes the propeller turn when it is released. Nice mechanism, which again shows that this set was really meant to be deployed in water. 

Ideal Manned-Torpedo Launcher with Divers - Part VII

Manned-torpedo rider from the back.

Ideal Manned-Torpedo Launcher with Divers - Part VIII

This shot shows the ramp from which the manned-torpedo can be launched. 

Unknown Frogmen - Part I

Here are a few more diver poses. I don't really know who made them. They are from a set made in China, clearly clones of some other earlier figures, and they probably represent more modern divers, given their equipment. The man in the left for instance is holding and underwater camera. 

Unknown Frogmen - Part II

I like these two poses because unlike most of the other diver figures that I have found, these guys are not moving horizontally, but rather floating in an upright position as one would do when observing the surroundings or when getting ready for some underwater hand to hand combat.

Unknown Frogmen - Part III

The two poses on the left seem to be copies of two guys already listed in the Lone Star section. The man on the right must be from that same set, as his diving gear looks just the same. This BTW, makes me wonder if I have all the figures listed under the Lone Star section properly identified, as I just realized that the tanks on some of those figures are smaller...

Britains Deetail British manned torpedo- Part I

This is an interesting find. Not sure if it is post WWII or not. The Italian military developed and used manned torpedoes similar to this one during WWII. There were usually employed on Special Operations missions against enemy port facilities. 

Britains Deetail British manned torpedo - Part II

Here is a view from the other side. Going on these missions was very dangerous. Getting into an enemy port and close to enemy ships undetected was difficult enough. Getting our and making it back to friendly territory was even more challenging. 

 Timpo manned torpedo
Not sure what nationality they represent. These type of vehicles were mainly used by the Italians during WWII, but it's possible that they also represent British divers, after all, Timpo was a British firm. A decent set. The torpedo is made of a pretty light plastic, and it is hollow, which makes it feel even lighter. The oxygen tanks are removable, but the rest of the figures is one piece. The colors are not painted, but is the plastic's original color, which suggests that this was an item made in their later years. 

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US Amphibious Vehicles

The fleet of amphibious vehicles assembled by the US during the war was a key element that enabled it to reclaim the occupied territories back from the axis powers. While large troop transports and ships could bring men and materiel across the world, and aircraft carriers could help control the seas and harass the enemy on land and sea, it was these vehicles that enabled them to travel that last short distance to the shore so that the infantry could occupy the land. Having enough of these vessels, also enabled the allies to land troops en masse, which was critical to be able to take and hold a beach head. Over 1000 of them were employed at the battle of Okinawa for instance. After the initial landings, they were also important to ferry supplies in, and carry out the wounded. One noticeable design trade off for these vehicles is that in order to be able to get close to the beaches, they had to be light, which meant that they could not be heavily armored or have a cover on top. Their light weight also made them very susceptible to the effects of a rough sea. It must have been a very long ride and a very tense experience to have to make it ashore on one of these vehicles under fire in a rough sea. In terms of scale models, there are not too many which come already assembled. The ones that I have found are made by BMC and MPC and are borderline between toys and models. Let's check them out. 

BMC LCVP aka Higgins landing craft - Part I

The Landing Craft Vehicle, Personnel was a key vehicle used by the allies to land troops and supplies during their amphibious operations in North Africa, Normandy, Italy, as well as the Pacific theater. It was designed by Andrew Higgins and its original purpose was to navigate the Louisiana swamps. It was made out of plywood, which made it quite vulnerable to enemy fire. Later models added a metal ramp which afforded some protection to the men. It was equipped with two machine guns in the back which provided a bit of support. It could carry 36 men or 8000 pounds. The ramp was wide enough that it could also fit a jeep, in which case, only 12 additional men could be transported. It was operated by a crew of 4, and its speed was about 12 knots. Over 20,000 of them were built.

BMC LCVP aka Higgins landing craft - Part II

Here is a view of the MPC LCVP loaded with a few Conte GIs to provide a sense of the scale. It does not quite fit the 36 men that it could carry in real life. Its actual length was 36ft (11m). The sides are also a bit shorter than they would have been in reality.

BMC LCVP aka Higgins landing craft - Part III

A vew from the back. The machine guns are not included in this model. I have seen some customizations of this model in which a couple of matchbox GIs machine gunners have been cut at the waist and added to the boat. They do the trick quite well. 

BMC LCVP aka Higgins landing craft - Part IV

Here is my attempt at customizing the BMC landing craft. I was inspired by a fellow collector and conversion expert Scott Schleh. He pioneered the use of the Matchbox machine gunners as the crew for the landing craft. It does require cutting them at the waist, crafting a gun shield for them and attaching them to the craft. Once they are painted and in place, they do look like they belong there. 

BMC LVT aka Amtrak 

The LVT -Landing Vehicle Tracked- was an amphibious vehicle which could be used both in water and land to deliver supplies as well as to provide combat support for the infantry. It was designed by Donald Roebling. Initial versions were not well armored, but subsequent models included upgraded armor and weaponry. Some even carried 75mm guns with which they could blast at enemy targets even before reaching the beaches. Their open gun turrets however made them vulnerable to shrapnel and small arms fire. As far as mobility, their tracks gave them an advantage over the Higgins boats, as they could move over sandbars and reefs. The LVT could carry up to 4500 pounds or 18 fully equipped men. Over 18600 of them were built during the war and they saw action not only in the Pacific, at engagements such as Tarawa and Iwo Jima, but also in northern Europe and Italy. 

MPC DUKW

The DUKW, informally referred to as 'Duck', was built on top of the GMC CCKW 2.5 ton truck described above, which meant that it was also manufactured by General Motors. It was used to move troops and cargo over land and water. It was particularly useful for landing operations, playing an important role in the Pacific, the Mediterranean, and the Normandy landings among other amphibious operations. Weighing 6.5 tons, it could move at a speed of 50 mph on land and 6.3 mph on water. Over 21,000 of them were built. This model was produced by MPC. It comes unpainted and it's not that well detailed. For instance, some Ducks had a ring-mounted MG. This one comes with three MGs, and no ring-mount. It does have a driver and it also comes with a winch in the back and a hook, to which you can attach a string. This vehicle was probably meant initially as a toy, but given the fact that it is the only DUKW that comes assembled it has become relatively popular. Like other MPC vehicles, once it is painted it will probably look fairly decent.

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