Dragon

1/35 WWII Italian Infantry ‘El Alamein 1942’

Kit Number: 6391

Reviewed by  Howie Belkin, IPMS# 16

MSRP: $11.00 Website: www.dragonmodelsusa.com Recently, WWII Italian military subjects have been given more attention than ever with Italeri and Tamiya’s 1/35 scale Autoblinda and Sahariana armored cars, models of M13/40-based tanks and self-propelled Semoventes and Bronco’s CV L3/33 Series Tankettes (Italeri has announced the upcoming production of an L6 light tank too). Now, Dragon’s timely new Gen-1 style "El Alamein" (North Africa) soldiers bring fresh reinforcements to relieve Italeri and Tamiya’s older, ‘veteran’ sets of figures. Concord has also just released a book about the Italian army. All stereotypes aside, history shows that the Italian army initially accomplished Mussolini’s empire building hopes, bravely serving the Fascist cause in Spain, routed the inferior Ethiopians, and see-sawed back and forth in Northern Africa where they comprised the bulk of Rommel’s Afrika Korps up until his defeat in 1943. Ironically, Rommel is praised as a military genius while the Italian army is belittled. Yes, the Desert Fox’s Afrika Korps came to boost the Italians morale and leadership but, in fact, Herr Rommel had far more Italians under his command than Germans. So, when praise is heaped upon the Afrika Korps, credit is, in fact, due to the Italians. The Axis forces lost due to attrition; an inadequate, insecure supply chain; poor micro-mismanagement by the Fuehrer; superior Allied troops and weaponry in quality and quantity; and truth be told, being outfoxed by the British. Montgomery was a stickler for having adequate, highly-trained forces to accomplish his goals. As luck or intelligence would have it, he struck when Rommel was in Berlin begging for men and arms and the freedom not to have to stand and fight to the last man. So, if you model Africa Korps subjects, you should include these men!

Though DML labels the kit "El Alamein," these four desert-uniformed Italian figures would be appropriate throughout North Africa, and possibly other subsequent theatres (check your references). I primarily build armor and aircraft models and use figures to bring my models ‘to life.’ I point that out so that if you, like me, are not a skilled figure painter, you can still add them to your models with an acceptable finish. I also mention this so you won’t be overly critical of my finished figures and can see past my painting that DML has done an exquisite job. DML’s box top has the usual painting and, though very helpful as a guide for poses and painting, it’s not by Ron Volstad. Each of the four figures is shown assembled on the box back, along with color references keyed to Testors Model Master and GSI Aqueous Hobby Colour and GSI Mr. Colour paints. The box doesn’t specify "Gen 1" but the six parts breakdown (head, arms, torso and legs) for each of the four figures makes it so. The quality of sculpting and molding is almost up to Gen 2 standards though! The parts are crisply molded with fine detail and assemble easily, matching the box poses. You have some creative freedom exchanging or repositioning arms (in both meanings of ‘arms’). The back of the box identifies each figure as 1, 2, 3 and 4 but on the sprue they are DML’s usual A, B, C and D. Two figures form an advancing elite Bersaglieri light infantry Breda M30 machine gun team. The Bersaglieri were formed into autonomous regiments and assigned to other units as needed. This explains why they would be boxed with a paratroop NCO and an infantry officer (if painted as per box top). They’re wearing lightweight tropical uniforms, puttees and shoes. Each Bersaglieri has a standard pith helmet with the distinctive dark green cock’s feather plume and a pair of goggles fitted to the right side. If you can find a more realistic feather in a craft shop, your Bersaglieri will really stand out! The burgundy-red collar and helmet insignias are specific to Bersaglieri. The Gunner’s multi-part wrap-around blanket roll, pieces together looking similar to how Russian infantry wore their blankets. The two end pieces parts C12 and C13 are not called out on the box but the pictures show their placement. He is sporting a well-trimmed Van Dyck beard. His Breda M30 looks scale sized, and comes with a bipod and a magazine (the latter is mislabeled and in fact is part WA 1D). If you leave off the magazine there is a realistic open slot in the M30. Typical of Gen 1 figures, the barrel is not hollowed out. His assistant has a nicely sculpted M39 knapsack with rolled blanket. There are two part D-11s that appear on wartime photos - they are actually spare mg barrels that attach on the back of the knapsack and protrude past the top. Drill out the ends to do it up right. He is armed with an M91 6.35mm Mannlicher Carcano carbine with folded over bayonet and a couple of ammo. A third figure is a NCO paratrooper if you use his paratroop helmet and paint his collar and sleeves as per the box top. If instead you use the pith helmet with the feather plume made from putty or replace each of the plastic plumes with your favorite scale feathers and paint his collar as per the machine gun team, you’ll have another Bersaglieri. He has a Beretta Model M-1938A 9mm sub-machine gun, considered to be one of the finest Italian small arms in WW 2. DML correctly molded it with double triggers (the front is for single shot, the rear is for automatic) and a stiff 5 magazine pouch. The pouch requires some dry fitting till you find a good fit. His bayonet seems to be attached to the front of what looks like a Brown belt. He is leaning up from a prone position. If you’re good, you might be able to bring out his mustache!

The kneeling fourth figure is an infantry officer, the only one with a soft cap, binoculars, shorts and sandals with his upholstered model 1934 Beretta pistol in hand but with too little of it exposed to allow much definition (compare it to the box painting). He has ‘something’ metallic clipped to a tunic button that is unidentified, but might be a compass? When painting, don’t forget that he’s wearing socks. Since his pistol is in hand, it would be a nice touch if the flap to his holster was a separate piece or molded to appear open and unfastened. Four pith helmets (but only two have plastic feather plumes and goggles), four canteens, four entrenching tools with molded on knives and four encased gas masks are included but not all are shown used on the box instructions but it is easy enough to figure out where they go. You have to make your own rifle slings if you want to add them. We’re ‘spoiled’ with the special features found in DML’s Gen-2 figure sets, as here you have to drill out the gun barrels and you’re limited to the poses provided. It would be a "plus" for DML if they identified each weapon and piece of equipment, as well as the units, rank, etc. depicted in their artwork. Nonetheless I certainly recommend these long-overdue Italian North Africa infantry figures. They’re the best 1/35 injection-molded Italians that I’m aware of and are reasonably priced. I’d like to suggest that figure manufacturers consider providing water slide decal insignia with their figure sets. DML has done their research well to get the box top art accurate, but few modelers have the skill to paint the small insignia. This would be a perfect set for DML to have provided insignia decals. The medallions on the pith helmets are well molded and easier to paint, but the collar tabs, shoulder epaulets and sleeve ranks cry out for decals. I highly recommend this as the best set of Italian WWII desert infantry available today. The suggestions above would make them perfect! I hope to see Dragon continue to release more and more long-neglected figure subjects, including Allied WWII figure sets (U.S. and U.K. infantry and tankers, please!) all slide molded, with photo etch and decals! Thanks to DML/Dragon for the review sample. Also, if you are interested in Italian vehicles, aircraft and figures from WWI to WWII, visit www.crielmodel.it. References included: World War II Combat Uniforms and Insignia by Martin Windrow; Army Uniforms of World War II by Andrew Mollo; The Armed Forces of World War II by Andrew Mollo