Soon I will be posting some German Fallschirmjäger(paratroopers) from Artizan designs in 28mm to battle a friends British paratroopers.I'm working on my first test model now.They will be used for the Disposable Heroes rule system initially.It's not a large project with just 30-50 models in total,but a difficult one with the camo scheme involved.As many WWII painters have pointed out that the splinter camo scheme is quite hard to do,but looks great if pulled off.
The background will be from the 6th Fallschirmjägerregiment of the 2nd Fallschirmjägerdivision during their actions in Normandy and Holland commanded by Oberstleutnant Freiherr von der Heydte.The regiment at it's core was formed of veterans from Crete,North Africa and Italy with the addition of Luftwaffe ground personnel in 1944 at Köln-Wahn.At this point they acted more in the role as elite light infantry then actual paratroopers,because of the heavy losses the Fallschirmjäger units and battalions sustained on a para drop campaign in Crete.However, they did keep the honorific title Fallschirmjäger to instill a sense of being part of an elite formation.
They saw action at Sainte Maris du Mont,Saint-Mere-Eglise,Carentan where they fought so hard their enemy nick named them "The lions of Carentan",battle of the bocage,The raid on St. Germain-sur-Seves,Operation Lüttich,and finally Market Garden in Holland.
The Fallschirmjäger in this time frame is very nice for painters as it offers a chance to change up the uniform.Many of the veterans were still wearing the plain olive green jump smocks in addition to the splinter and marsh camo smocks with luftwaffe blue trossers becoming more common in addition to the field gray.The bluse could found in field gray and luftwaffe blue with the the new recruits wearing more of the luftwaffe blue respectively.As a result, the appearance of the troopers will be quite mixed for reasons given above.
I've never painted Fallschirmjäger before,so my fingers are crossed they will turn out and I won't have pulled any hair out in frustration.