Guillotine

I built a platform for this guillotine also.

It may come in handy for those French Foreign Legion scenarios.

Also, civilian criminals were executed by guillotine in Nazi Germany.

I kept both of them removable so I can use them in different locations. 

I used a thread for the rope.  A pretty good, and unusual kit.

French Revolution

Ykreol makes a French Revolution set.

It comes with three styrene plastic guillotines.  

I built two of them and in this case, it's mounted on a platform made of scrap styrene.

It's a very nice model and fits together pretty well.

There is some flash and I did redrill out some of the locating holes.

Still it goes together easily.

Figure Conversions

More bits from the spares box.  These two ACW figures have been modified into Naval Officers by the addition of new heads!

This previously wounded Esci Africa Corps figure is now a radio operator.

New arms and new head for this guy.

Three Germans and a fourth former Brit.

Prone guy from an Indiana Jones truck model being dragged behind the truck, now has a panzerfaust.  The guy on the other end has a British paratrooper lower.

I got a number of the Indiana Jones trucks and so a number of the figures.  Pistol guy has a new head with helmet.

Trimming Flash

When trimming flash off my troops I often set them up on the table as I work.

These are 1/72nd scale soft plastic figures from a variety of manufacturers. 

They are all American Civil War Confederates.

Eagle Games, Ykreol, Imex, and Revell.

They are set up to defend the center.

This group of Generals is from Ykreol.

Dinosaurs & Boats

As if the Blitzkrieg was not enough to worry about!  The French tag and release program is not working as intended.

This Papo dinosaur has a working lower jaw and it allows him to bite soldiers.

Hobby Lobby had two very nice ships on sale, 50% off!

This generic fishing vessel will work for just about all of the 20th Century.

This newer fishing boat has radars and is clearly post war.

It fits pretty well with 1/72nd scale figures.  I do plan on cutting off the lower hull to waterline both boats.

A German with French Commanders

This Ykreol set of WWII French Commanders also includes a German Luftwaffe man with parachute.  I am at a loss to explain why.

Marie Pierre Koenig, Free French commander at Normandy.

Thierry Dargenlieu, Free French.

Paul Barbe, France, 1940.

Ardant D Picq, killed in action, France, 1939.

French Troops, Ykreol

Jean Colonna D'Ornano, Battle of France.

Delattre de Tassigny, Free French.

Marcel Deslaurens, France, died 1940.

Diego Brosset, France, 1940.

General De Gaulle, Free French, and later, President of France post-war.

Plastic Soldier Review showed the gray troops and they have a mold seam on several poses.  The green troops don't have that mold seam, and are all fine, I don't know why.
http://www.ykreol.com/

Battle of France, 1940

1/72nd scale figures by Ykreol, French Staff of 1940.  Before you dismiss these figures as being useless because the Battle of France is not wargamable, think about this.  The French lost over 300,000 dead and the Germans lost over 150,000 dead, most of them in less than two months time.  That is very intensive combat.  Many of the French generals were also killed.  While France was a friend and ally of the United States, President Roosevelt did almost nothing to help the French against the German invasion.

General Leclerc, Free French Forces.

Marechal Petain, famous general from WWI and head of Vichy French government until the end of the war.

Alphonse Juin, fought for Vichy and Free French Forces.

Louis Janssen, Battle of France, died 1940.
http://www.ykreol.com/

Ykreol French Commanders

This is the new 1/72nd scale figure set from Ykreol called French Commanders.

http://www.ykreol.com/  They are sold direct and at fine hobby shops.

It is a set of French General Officers from 1940.  They are:
Alphonse Juin
Ardant Du Picq
Delattre de Tassigny
Diego Brosset
Jean Colonna D'Ornano
General Leclerc
Marechal Petan

Louis Jassen
Marcel Deslaurens
Marie Pierre Koenig
Paul Barbe
General De Gaulle
Thierry Dargenlieu

The last man is a WWII German pilot as an extra.

The good news is these guys will work for the period from about 1916 to about 1960 for the French Army.  You can use them for France, Free French or Vichy France.  A very versatile set. 

French Commanders

http://www.ykreol.com/index.html

Caesar Miniatures and Pegasus Models have both done WWII French figures for France 1940.  Now Ykreol has announced a new set for the same time frame.

 

 

Many wargamers are reluctant to take on this period because they think it was an easy victory for the Germans.  It was a short campaign, but an intense one.  The Germans lost about 30,000 killed and over 100,000 wounded.  That's about 4,000 casualties per day for the main period of combat.  The French lost 85,000 killed and the British almost 70,000 killed.  That's some major casualties for a war that lasted only seven months and most of the major combat lasted only a month.

 

These figures would be useful for all of WWII as Free French or Vichy French troops, and some could be used for WWI as well since many of the uniforms changed little.  Don't forget there were battles in North Africa and French Indochina and at least some of these troops could find their way to those battles as well.  A useful set and I look forward to getting some.

Mountains of Mountain Troops

Zvezda and Ykreol troops together.  The Ykreol are their Bosnians who were often with German mountain troops.

Zvezda and Ykreol troops together.  The style is different but the size is fine together.

Caesar German Mountain troops are a mixture of troops in the Bosnian and regular German uniform.

Here are three brands together, Caesar, Ykreol and Zvezda.

The Caesar Winter Germans fit well with these sets also.

Caesar Winter German, Airfix Mountain Troop, Zvezda Mountain Troop.

Caesar Winter Germans wear cold weather gear and one has skis.

Again, Zvezda, Ykreol, Caesar and Ykreol.  I think all four brands of mountain troops fit okay together.  My intention is to make several units with them.