French Set…need help to finalize set.

[HBG]

Like I said, this is the first if two sets and nothing is set. I am looking for suggestions and reasons to use certain pieces, not criticism on the choices I have made that are not even set yet.

[radar231]

My suggestions for French tanks :

Hotchkiss H35 / H39 or  Renault R35 / R40 => 37mm guns -> light tank .  H35 and R35 -> 1939 ;  H39 and R40 -> 1940 ( May )

Somua S35 => 47 mm gun -> medium tank, 1940

Char B1 bis => 47 mm  turret gun and 75 mm hull gun -> heavy tank, 1940

J.  8-)

[supermestizo]

Hi

I really would like 2 or 3 different infantry for the French Set.
One regular one, one for Foreign Legion (African Colonies Territories) and civilian infantry. (French Partisan)
Looking forward for a French Set !

[Lunarwolf]

2 infantry would be nice, the french beret could maybe be a commando unit,and having a french foreign legionnaire would be nice.

i still like the r35 for light tank the turret looks further back than the H35, making it unique looking
http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/1-Vehicles/Allies/4-France/01-LightTanks/Renault/R-35.htm
http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/1-Vehicles/Allies/4-France/01-LightTanks/Hotchkiss/H-35.htm

the D520 is an unique looking fighter with its cockpit pretty far back, plus it was probably the french best fighter at the time
http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/2-Airplanes/Allies/4-France/01-Fighters/DewoitineD-520/DewoitineD-520.htm

the ms406 was the most numerous fighter the french had, maybe this could be early war fighter while the d520 could be the late war fighter? this is just based on what the french produced before and during the war

http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/2-Airplanes/Allies/4-France/01-Fighters/MS-406/MS-406.htm

char b1 should be a heavy tank.

still like the d2 a bit more, it was actually used in the Elite troops under de Gaulle.
char d2
http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/1-Vehicles/Allies/4-France/01-LightTanks/Renault/D2.htm
somua35
http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/1-Vehicles/Allies/4-France/04-CavalryTanks/Somua/S-35.htm

[HBG]

R35 is a good choice.

[virtualpender]

What about a third color to be used to represent Vichy forces?

Can’t wait for this set regardless.

[HBG]

@virtualpender:

What about a third color to be used to represent Vichy forces?

Can’t wait for this set regardless.

What do you propose?

[CWO Marc]

Greatly looking forward to the French set!

I don’t know if any of these planes might be of any use, but here’s a list you could look at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farman

[moralecheck]

@coachofmany:

@virtualpender:

What about a third color to be used to represent Vichy forces?

Can’t wait for this set regardless.

What do you propose?

Dark blue?

[Imperious Leader]

French should be based on OOB color

Lighter Blue for Vichy.

[Lunarwolf]

and there going to be a light blue neutral set. which would be alright for me, since most house rules has vichy act as a neutral.

[virtualpender]

@coachofmany:

@virtualpender:

What about a third color to be used to represent Vichy forces?

Can’t wait for this set regardless.

What do you propose?

I like the suggestion of light blue if it isn’t already ear marked for another power.

[Variable]

I like the idea of 2 infantry sculpts as well. We could do 1 for each set. That way we don’t take up a slot for something else we need now.

I also like the idea of the light blue for Vichy French but could use the Neutral set in light blue for this if need be.

[knp7765]

@Imperious:

French should be based on OOB color

Lighter Blue for Vichy.

I thought most people used a light blue color to represent the Free French forces.

Personally, I am not a fan of the infantry piece wearing a beret.  I think French infantry should be wearing the Adriene helmet.  Or perhaps that round billed cap, like you might see on some French troops from the past.  I think French police wear them today.

[CWO Marc]

@knp7765:

Personally, I am not a fan of the infantry piece wearing a beret.  I think French infantry should be wearing the Adriene helmet.  Or perhaps that round billed cap, like you might see on some French troops from the past.  I think French police wear them today.

I agree on the Adrien helmet choice.  The cylindrical kepi – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepi – might be a problem because it could give the impression that the troops wearing it are all officers: it was worn by all ranks, but it invariably makes me think of De Gaulle.

The beret might be appropriate for special French commando units.  If I remember correctly, Capitaine Kieffer and his men wore berets in the movie The Longest Day when they stormed the town of Ouistreham.

[bfalbo04]

I like a purple color for Vichy

[supermestizo]

@CWO:

@knp7765:

Personally, I am not a fan of the infantry piece wearing a beret.�  I think French infantry should be wearing the Adriene helmet.�  Or perhaps that round billed cap, like you might see on some French troops from the past.�  I think French police wear them today.

I agree on the Adrien helmet choice.  The cylindrical kepi – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepi – might be a problem because it could give the impression that the troops wearing it are all officers: it was worn by all ranks, but it invariably makes me think of De Gaulle.

The beret might be appropriate for special French commando units.  If I remember correctly, Capitaine Kieffer and his men wore berets in the movie The Longest Day when they stormed the town of Ouistreham.

If HBG decide to go for two french infantry, I would like one with adrien helmet and one with the Kepi.
The one with Kepi would be great for the French Territories in Africa, I don’t think it will look like officer, just give them a rifle, they would be great for a French Foreign Legion infantry.

[Lunarwolf]

the idea for a french foreign legionnaire would be great for people you use Jeremy free french rule. and like the rest of the major powers, the french need a commando type unit that can para drop and the beret you infantry sounds like it would fit perfectly

[CWO Marc]

The discussion about the beret made me think of French Resistance member Janine Boitard – played in The Longest Day by producer Darryl F. Zanuck’s girfriend Irina Demick – even though she doesn’t wear a beret in The Longest Day (though she does carry a rifle).  I think there’s a young female French Resistance member in the film Is Paris Burning who does wear one.  Anyway, here’s an idea to consider: should HBG at some point produce a specialty set of resistance / partisan-type figures, possibly even one that would contain a few female figures?  I think for example there were quite a few women among the Russian partisans – and indeed in the Red Army too, sometimes serving in roles fairly close to the front.  These figures could be applied to things like behind-the-lines operations in occupied countries, if players use house rules for that sort of activity.

I suppose the main problem would be that, in order for the colours to match those of the main national sets, the resistance / partisan infantry units for the different countries (distinguished by their uniforms and headgear) would each have to have their own sculpt molds, rather than all being in a single multi-national mold.  Then again, perhaps this kind of specialty unit would only really apply to France and Russia, which would mean only two sculpt molds (one blue and one maroon/purple).

[De Gaulle]

The Adrian helmet is probably more appropiate of a choice for the infantry in my opinion, as it was the standard French helmet. But Coach if you are looking for a different look from OOB, a beret or kepi would be a suitable and unique choice. It would add some nice diversity. But with keeping historical and game accuracy, Adrian all the way.