Hi guys (first post)

Just started getting into modeling dioramas / models (I have completed 2 thus far), and I must say that the posts in the galleries are quite impressive and humibiling. I strive to reach that level in skill and detail that you guys posess.

My question is, does anyone know of a manufactuer that makes 1:35 scale early war (wwii) french infantry?

my comments here have been deleted in the interest of preserving the peace and cooperation essential to the successful use of this site. The comments were simply meant as a joke and have been voluntarily edited out to avoid future offense

In legitimate answer, no I'm not aware of any companies making French infantry figures in 1/35th scale.

Bronson, welcome to the site . In response to your question, as far as I know there are no 1/35 french infantry figures out there... The only alternative is scratch-build or conversion. Now I am not an expert in this at all, the only references I have are in the following book:

The Armed Forces of WW11. uniforms, Insignia and equipment by Andrew Mollo
The edition I have was published by Little, Brown and Company, in the U.K. in 1999. The ISBN of the book is 1-85605-603-1. You could try searching in:

http://www.abebooks.com or try some of the specialized military booksellers for similar titles, without a good reference, you are frankly stuck.... Welcome again, Jim

The new Historie&Collections book on the Char B, while not having French infantry pics does have a superb collection of uniforms as worn by the French Armoured corps.



I too would agree though that any figure with their hands up or running away would probably do as well :-) (..sorry about that - bit of european nationalism showing through there..)

Lee

The only company that I recall that made WW2 French figures was Heller, a French company. These are long OOP, however, I did find a set of their Hotchkiss m/g team masquerading as Spanish Civil War troops. These were reboxed by a Spanish company called B.U.M. If memory serves, I believe I've seen others under a Polish label called SK (25mm A/T gun and crew IIRC). I've no idea if there are still around though.

Edit

I Found these at Great Models Web Store disguised as Poles, listed as OOP I'm afraid.



also these, listed as limited.

Ambrose, I'm not going to start waving the PC flag here, however, bearing in mind that there are French users on the site..perhaps you should (ahem) tone down your comments just a little....

Regarding the original question, take a look at this site, some really nice stuff (and links on it)



http://www.chars-francais.net/sommaire.htm

I know the french figures marketed bu SK can be found in a shop In paris, called AZIMUTH.
Still, think about it because they should be very old figures, certainly not up to today's standards...
NEMROD has a pair of french tankers, in resin.

now for ambrose : I doubt this site is the right place for what looks like insults... or was it a joke ? Still, if you are serious, I suggest you start studying history. Everything didn't necessarily happen the way german propaganda showed it...

If you go to the Greatmodels website www.greatmodels.com go to search and put in 1/35 french, it will come up with several French infantry and tanker figure. Mostly from ADV/Azimut and DES. Be forewarned, if you order any of them expect a very long wait. Hope this helps.

Mike

Ditto Penpen !

Frenchy

Come to think of it, I was a little soft in my answer to those stupid comments. Ambrose, a good point to start is with some decent history of the period. one of the authors I suggest you start with is Max Hastings. He has an excellent book titled Das Reich, which documents the movement of 2nd SS through France in 1944. Now in this book there is the most extraordinary story of French resistance and almost suicidal bravery against overwhelming odds. All countries have stories of capitulation, cowardice and incompetence. The United States is not exempt from this either, Kasserine Pass is not exactly a glorious moment either. Better to keep comments like this where they belong, i.e. well away from this site ....Jim

To avoid any further bad-feeling, I have edited this post....

Thanks for the help guys!!, I went on greatmodels.com and ordered the "az35575 French Infantrymen & Officer June 1940 (ADV/Azimut )" The order status is "Status: Special Orders" so we will see how long they take to get here.

Here is another off topic jibe at ambrose82. Perhaps the fact you use Ambrose in your name means you admire Stephen Ambrose. While I'm not a Ambrose hater I do think he is heavily biased towards Americans and against British and any of the other allies. It's very easy for Americans to stick up their noses on how the French fought it 1940. Remember though we got wipped in North Africa in 1942, even after having two years of lerning how the Germans did things.

Jim,laddie,you were way too soft,but your reply will suffice,i'm going to keep out of this one,i can feel the expletives building up.
Arthur

Arthur, obviously living away from the gentle influences of Glasgow and its soothing ambience has made me even softer and more forgiving. Yon eejits dinna ken what ah wus like in them days... Tongs Ya Bass!...Jim (wee mental tankie)

Jim,yer sorrite aboot that.
Airthur.

If you want to have info about availability of ADV/Azimuth products, the only way right now is to call them in paris.

number if calling from France : 01 44 59 33 44 fax : 01 44 59 33 48
so, calling from somewhere else in the world : 00 33 1 44 59 33 44
fax 00 33 1 44 59 33 48
if 33 is the number for france, as I believe...

AZIMUTH intends to open a site... it is even supposed to open inDecember ! the problem is they always announce more than they do (I'm a bit annoyed with that company to be honnest).
The site will be hosted at the "chars-francais" site to which jimbrae gave the link.

And thanks for your reactions guys !

Bronson,

I recommend a book entitled World War II Infantry In Colour Photographs by Laurent Mirouze, which has (as the title suggests) full color photos of French Infantry Uniforms from Summer 1940, Foreign Legion uniforms from 1942, and the 1942 Vichy French uniform of Summer 1942.

It was, as you suspect, a joke.




Jimbrae, I would not call your initial comment "soft", but appropriate. This second post is nothing short of intentionally insulting and vitriolic. I see little need to engage in personal attacks clearly intended to hurt another. My comments were light-hearted and meant only to poke a little fun. Your post quoted above is quite hateful. Hate is truly our worst enemy, don't you agree?

Halfyank:
I've read Ambrose. I am not named for him. His stuff is interesting insofar as it provides some firsthand accounts and such... I don't, however, recall reading anything by him on the first part of the war. I'm widely read on the history of WWII and its antecedents. I'm not a pop-history type guy.

Ambrose, please, next time you make a joke, could you indicate it in your post ?
You know, we tend to read this kind of thing, here and there, by people who are serious... so after some time we get a bit emotional ! #:-)

Hey Penpen!

Thanks for your intellegent and purposeful post. I understand coming under attack by people who are really serious about hating you for rather an arbitrary reason. Believe me on this. There are people out there who hate others they don't even know, because its far easier to hate than to bother with getting to know or understand someone with a different point of view or background. Believe me, I meant nothing more than a joke. A careful reader interested in actualities rather than vague generalities will notice my comments were directed at the performance of the French army (not the Frenchman or France in general) during the opening of WWII. Any student of the period will note Gamelin's failure (it was likewise with Chamberlain in Britian) to correctly identify and prepare for the threat posed by Germany.

The French Army, though the largest in the world at the time, was ill-trained and ill-equipped for the new age of warfare they were about to face. Combine this with the general demoralization of the French populace largely as a result of efforts of the leftist Popular Front and a general distaste for the prospect of war resulting from the bad taste left over from WWI, and it's easy to see most nations would have a huge burden to overcome.
Gamelin chose to focus on defensive technology and tactics rather than admitting the need to prepare for war. This was the bread and butter of Hitler. The entire world was sick of war, for obvious reasons, and thereby exposed itself to the horror to come by Hitler's hands.
This was the same situation Churchill found himself in. He was right all along, but the populace did not want to hear it. Hitler could have been stopped at the French border if Europe had clearly interpreted his intentions and prepared to meet him. Hitler's attempts to slow Gunderian's advance for fear of counterattack make this clear. Of course, this antithetical thinking was not limited to Europe. Stronger US involvement, rather than ridiculous isolationism, may well have aided in dissuading Hitler.

My jabs at the French Army of 1940 were just that. Jabs at the French Army of 1940, and nothing else. Not jabs at France, not "racist" or more correctly nationalistic slurs.

If my French friends were offended by my comments, I truly regret it.

Point noted.
That's OK for me and I hope the matter is closed now. Sometimes there are subjects that can bring about "gut reactions" .Now what about going back to the workbench ?

Frenchy

Far as I'm concerned, the subject is closed as well, pity it got so heated but its better getting angry with words than pointy sticks. Good of you to put out the olive branch Ambrose, not everyone is big enough to do that...Jim

Hi Bronson and welcome to the site
Heres a picture of the Heller figures that can still by found ocasionally


As was stated earlier, not the greatest ,but really all there is unless you go to resin

Guys these figs that Waterboy has displayed can be found at this address.

http://www.militaryhobbies.ca/product.cfm?ProductID=1130

Hope it helps.

HastyP