This is another Artizan Designs Fallschirmjager, but this time I've painted the smock in the traditional grey/green. I've used Foundry's Granite paint pallette, which I'm quite happy with. These is plenty of contemporary photographic evidence that Fallschirmjager were still wearing these smocks. Osprey Publishing Men-at-Arms No 139 'German Airborne Troops 1939-1945, on pages 30 and 36 has photographs of paratroopers in both Italy and Normandy wearing these smocks in 1944. But other than coloured drawings, I had never seen (or not that I can recall) a colour photo of this style of smock.
That was until After the Battle No 152 arrived on the door mat. This issue has articles on the Liberation of Rome in 1944, but begins with the German seizure of Rome in September 1943, after the Italian armistice. On Page 3 is a colour photo of Fallshirmjager of the 2nd FJ Division, taken in Rome, and the majority of paratroopers in the photo are wearing the grey/green smock. I used this photo as a colour guide, and I think the Granite pallette is not too far out. The German attack on Rome and the sporadic fighting with Italian forces would make an interesting and different wargame scenario(s).
The helmet on this figure I have painted dark grey and then sponged on desert yellow again. I knew I had seen a colour photo of this scheme but could not recall where. Until I remember this: Trigger Time, Mark Bando's site for the 101st Airborne Div., scroll down the page on the link and hey presto FJ helmets. Interestingly I was closer with my first attempt in painting the base colour Vallejo Field grey (which is a dark green).
Now I must decide whether or not to adopt the 'lazy boy' approach to these FJ and paint a batch in grey/green smocks, which will be quicker than doing the splinter camo smock. Then add in figures in camo smocks later, to build up the force?
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