The Alpini are the Italian Army's specialist mountain infantry. The name comes from the mountain range Alps. During WW2 Italy fielded six alpine divisions. They fought alongside the Axis forces in the Balkans, France, Africa and on the Eastern Front.
The Alpini
All the above Alpini are Warlord Games miniatures. The majority of them are wearing an Alpine Hat (Cappello alpino), which is the most distinctive feature of the Alpini troops' uniform. Due to the black raven feather of their hats, the Alpini are known as "Le Penne Nere" (The Black Feathers). The rest of the soldiers have the M33 steel helmet.
Alpini support group
The Italian Alpini support group consists of an HQ (an Officer, a Medic and a Forward Observer), a Breda M37 8mm medium machine gun and a 81/14 model 35 mortar.
The Medic, the FO and the Officer
One of the Alpine Hat's symbol is the fregio, a coat of arms indicating the wearer's regiment. It is black for soldiers and golden for officers.
The MMG team
The medium mortar team
Alpini weapons teams
The Alpini weapons teams consists of a Solothurn 20mm anti-tank rifle team, a sniper team and a Brixia model 35 light mortar team.
The anti-tank rifle team
The light mortar team
The sniper team
Another Alpine Hat's symbol is the nappina, a small piece of wood covered by a coloured tuft denoting the battalion. The nappinas' colours are green, white, red and blue. The four colours of the flag of the Kingdom of Italy during the WW2.
Apart from the Alpini support group and the Alpini weapons teams, I have two Alpini Infantry Squads. The soldiers of the first squad have white nappinas while the ones of the second, green. I painted all the miniatures' trousers Dark Sea Blue, the Alpine hats and the majority of tunics Stegadon Scale Green, while the rest of the tunics German Field Grey, the socks Russian Uniform and the steel helmets German Cam Dark Green. All paints are Vallejo apart from Stegadon Scale Green, which is a Citadel Base paint.
The first Alpini infantry squad
The squad's NCO
The MG-42 light machine gun assistant gunner and gunner
Alpini with a Panzerfaust
The second Alpini infantry squad
The squad's NCO
Alpini with a Panzerfaust
The family photo
If you'd like to see the post of the Alpini WIP, please click here
That's it for today! Stay tuned for more!
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