1:48 Fallschirmjager No.2 - Normandy 44

The real subject

German paratroopers, the Fallschirmjäger, were committed mainly as ground infantry from 1941, and in 1944 they were among the units defending Normandy. The country there, with its high banks, sunken lanes and hedgerows, tied the movement of vehicles down and shifted the weight of the fighting onto small groups of infantry. For a modeler that means a figure of a German paratrooper comes into its own even outside a large scene with a vehicle: a piece of bank, a fence and a bit of field track are enough.

The figure and the scale

An unpainted figure in 1:48 scale. The order number in the name tells the individual items within the range apart, so the items can be bought step by step and a group put together from them without the poses repeating. A figure one hundred and seventy-five centimeters tall in reality measures about three and a half centimeters in this scale. That is a size at which the face is still clearly legible in a display case, but the small details of the equipment are better suggested than drawn out in full.

Painting and settling into the scene

Cut off the surplus material with a sharp blade a little away from the figure, sand the remainder gently and wash and degrease the surface before painting. The camouflage patterns of German airborne smocks were small, so in 1:48 scale suggest the pattern with a few blotches rather than copying it faithfully. Lighten the uniform with a dry brush and settle the shadows with a dark wash. Try the stance dry on a base before gluing, so that the feet come down over their whole surface and the figure does not stand at an angle.

Who it is for

For builders of dioramas and display scenes in 1:48 scale and for collectors of figures on the subject of 1944. Paints, glue and brushes are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.