I have a friend building up a bunch now for Vichy French in Africa. They fought in the last-ditch defense of Beirut, and I think on the West coast too.
Well, strictly speaking, I think you want Vichy French in the Levant.
If you want French in Africa, better to speak of Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Cote d'Ivoire, Senegal, Guinea, Mauritania, Upper Volta, Togoland, Chad, Gabon, Central Congo, Cameroons, French Somaliland, or Madagascar. (If I've missed a few, apologies.)
They are appropriate not only for Vichy, but even more so intra-war or early war French Colonial force. During the Vichy years, in fact, the proportion of FTs in the colonial forces went down. More R35s and H35s/39s (and even a few S35s) went to the colonies than had been the case before the armistice with Germany, as it was easier to hide equipment that was in excess of the agreed force levels from the Armistice Commission if it was overseas.
Said by one who would spend money to put one of these on the table, because I like historical miniatures wargaming.
I'ld build some for my Free French too, except their only French-built tanks were H39's.
If by Free French you mean those who operated with the 8th Army in the Levant and the western desert campaigns, perhaps.
But R35s and S35s again become appropriate for French forces fighting against the Germans and Italians in Tunisia in late 1942 and early 1943 (the S35s having made the trip northward all the way from Chad to Tunisia, mostly just to be shot to pieces by Pz IVGs).
And Armand … I, for one, liked it, my friend.
-Mark
(aka: Mk 1)
