NOTES -- Divisional/Arm or Service insignia was displayed as a one or two color Collar Tab on the tunic as shown on the box art. Members of the elite Bersaglieri units wore a Flat Green (1171) cocksfeather on the right sides of their helmets. (Bersaglieri also wore all Red collar tabs.) Alpini mountain troops wore a single Flat Green (1171) feather attached to the left side of their helmets.
Suggested Reference -- Osprey Men At Arms series #340 The Italian Army in WWII (1) Europe 1940-43 and the box art.
Suggested figures -- HaT WW II Italian Infantry #7007. WW II Japanese figures can also be used, with any cap visors trimmed off, as necessary.
ITALIANS (North Africa)
PART/ITEM -- COLOR
Tunic, trousers, sun helmet -- Sand (1706)
Steel helmet -- Faded Olive Drab (2051) or Sand (1706)
Overcoat -- Faded Olive Drab (2051)
Caps or hats, Shirt, tie -- Sand (1706) [Blackshirt units (with fez cloth cap): Aircraft Int. Black (2040)]
Puttees -- Flat Gull Gray (1730) or Armor Sand (1704)
Equipment belt, straps, ammunition pouches, canteen -- Flat Gull Gray (1730)
Packs, haversacks, gas mask carriers -- Armor Sand (1704)
Rifle stocks, bayonet handle, hair,shovel handle -- Brown, Italian dark (2111)
Boots, officer's belts and holster -- Leather (1736)
Bayonet scabbard -- Black
Pistol, metal parts of weapons,binocculars -- Gunmetal (1795)
shovel,canteen top--steel
Grenades -- Red, Black tops
Hands, face -- Flesh
chin strap,watch band--black
watch--silver
Base -- Dark tan (1742)
NOTES -- Divisional/Arm or Service insignia was displayed as a one or two color Collar Tab on the tunic as shown on the box art. European uniforms and equipment were also worn in the desert. Besides normal caps, Blackshirt units affected a tassled black skullcap. Elite Bersaglieri units wore a Flat Green (1171) cocksfeather on the right sides of their helmets and all Red collar tabs. Paratroops of the Folgore Division wore German-style baggy trousers or shorts, and a camouflage cover, Pale Green (1716) and Leather (1736), on their helmets.
Suggested Reference -- Osprey Men At Arms series #349, The Italian Army (2) - Africa 1940-43
Suggested figures: HaT WWII Italian Infantry 1942/43 at El Alamein #AP006 and HaT Italian Infantry #7007. (All figures in tassled caps depict Blackshirt troops). #AP102 and #AP104 depict the Folgore paratroops, who fought in North Africa. Some figures from the Deutsches Afrikakorps/German Africa Corps WW II, such as those in overcoats, or baggy trousers are also useful. German cap visors can be trimmed away to depict the Italian field cap. British Victorian figures in sun helmets can also depict Italian troops in the early days of the Desert War. WW II Japanese figures can also be used, with any cap visors trimmed off, as necessary.
Puttee - lower leg covering (cloth or leather gaiter or cloth strip wound spirally).
Haversack - canvas bag for carrying rations, etc.. Worn over one shoulder.