"WW2 Italian paratrooper camouflage" Topic

I've some 28mm Warlord WW2 Paratroopers to paint and am wondering about the camouflage for their smocks. This is the pattern Warlord have on their box

Gloss brings out the colours, which are dark hard to discern in matt. I guess this is why they didn't matt varnish the figures. I'd considering enlarging the lighter parts of the pattern so that they show up.

This pattern looks like this pattern [M1929 telo mimetico (1929 model camouflage pattern]

or the M1941 jump smock

Here is an original smock, captured in North Africa in 1943, with another pattern and colours.

What are other people painting their Italian paras in? Also, are the blue trousers seen on Warlord's site accurate?

Hello
the pattern seem reasonably accurate..unfrequently some gren smock were seen …anyway it all dependes what you want to represent with your paras..if you are planning an Italian Royal Army unit in Western Desert/Tunisia you should consider quite a few troops without smock and sporting, instead, light kaki/sand tunics, shirt, bare chest and, obviously, light kaki/sand trousers..otherwise you choose a European set up..in fact RSI Republican Army paratroopers fighting alongside Germans (for ex Anzio) you can equip them also with a few Luftwaffe cammo and blue trousers could be mix or euip totally some units.. as belonging to the Air Force…

Ciao and grazie,

Would those figures painted in the first picture be in a common uniform (blue trousers and that green cammo) for fighting in Italy?

Interesting that you mention Italian paras in German smocks. The Germans also used Italian material for their smocks.

I enjoy hearing about this variation as it improves the look of forces on table.

to make it simple i suggest you this immage for fighting in Italy..1944-45…at the end of 1945 it's eassiet to find green trousers…but blue are more characteristics..and the Nembo plus Battaglione Azzurro (Blue Btg from Air Force) units/companies that saw a lot of action at anzio/Defense of Rome should wear majority of them blue trousers

see also

also without smock for variety (both blue and grey-green)

still some stuff ready assembled as i'm in the office
battle for Rome Castel di Decima where the paras delayed and heavily stroke an entire Allied/British Brigade

grey-green without smock
link

about German uniforms /equipments ..if you wargame an Italian 1944-45 scenario (defense of Rome ecc..) i suggest you to equip your minis with MG 34, Panzerfausts, few German Carbines, Teller Mines, German Hand Grenades..Italian T.S. carbines and Beretta Smg…

the typical paracuditista that countered the Allied Anzio Landings was this one (blue trousers)

link

details blue uniform:

again reenactors to our help (blue uniform under smock)

blue uniform

or big dollies :-)

a few more

In german smock
link
and
link

and ..at least..for more variety..you can even paint a small percentage of your 1944-45 paras defending Italy with German Jump Smock in one colour ..that were, in small numeber, used maybe in Crete ecc…The revamped Italian Army of 1944 grabbed everything
link

Very useful references, thanks for posting.

Regards,
Matt
ubique-matt.blogspot.co.uk

OK so the minis on the box are badly painted as far as colors go, nice posting good info.

A lot of the Warlord stuff is badly painted as far as colors go.

Given the variety of options over the 6 years that the Italian paras were in operation, and across North Africa and Italy itself with regulars and then the RSI it seems the Warlord presentation is a possibility.

Agree that this is an excellent thread with much good info and links. I am saving it to my Italian army file, Building up Italian volunteers for VBCW and wanted a para unit.

If you want to represent Italian Paratroopers for the RSI fights vs Allied (Anzio, Defence Of Rome, Alps vs Free French Forces) those minis seem ok…while for Western Desert/Tunisia their are less specifics..from many picts it appears that Folgore paras at El Alamein where very lightly dressed..it's easy to accept that a multicolour , heavy smock was easily discarted in favour of shirts, saharianas tunics or better "shorts only"..also bustine caps and sun helmets (Carabinieri Paratroopers crack unit) were seen
while, if you want to represent this sideshow and unknown engagements (equally eroics in some occasions) that took place during the above mentioned battles of the Italian Campaign ..those figures are the best start…i strongly suggest to equip many of them with German support weapons like MGs and Panzerfaust…they had receive special training and generous allowance of that AT weapons by their comrades in arms of the German paratroopers and they used them with great effect at Castel di decima and other minor skirmishes while covering the retreat of German forces toward North after the Allied finally succeeded in breaking the Anzio/Nettuno front….
at the end of the war they were also employed as shock mountain troops Vs the well organised and well led French Séctions Eclaireurs Skieurs of the Free French Forces at the Italian-French border..they fought alongside German Geibersjagers and , in some picts, they wore white overalls to fight at those altitudes ..(Mont Blanc ecc…)

paratroops with Pzfaust…this is my favourite reconstruction