Book and Troop Review: Les Fantassins de la Grande Guerre and First World War German Infantry

I was looking for a single volume that would cover the uniforms of the First World War, following my decision to have a go at wargaming the period. Unlike my beloved Napoleonic period, I did not feel the need nor desire to purchase several books on the topic. Nevertheless, I wanted more than one can get from internet sources. I looked at some of the books readily available in English, but could not find anything beyond those from Osprey. I have never been particularly enamoured with Osprey’s offerings and did not want to purchase three or four books and then only have information about the Germans and French, so I looked further.

Along came Éditions Heimdal to the rescue. I found Guillemet’s book on their website in March and it looked to be exactly what I was after, so I ordered it immediately. I was not disappointed in the least.

Published in 2018, its 256, A4 pages are packed with full colour photographs of uniforms, uniform items, equipment and weapons. These are enhanced by contemporary photographs of troops in the field and the studio. Together they provide a photographic description of the uniforms from 1914–1918, presenting all of the items that I could want and highlighting changes over the course of those four tumultuous years of war. The text and captions, describe details of what is shown in the photographs.

The items presented in the book come principally from the Musée royal de l’armée et de l’histoire militaire de Bruxelles. They have been photographed with excellent lighting and compositions so that details, colours and event texture can be clearly discerned.

Example of pages featuring items of equipment and a contemporary photograph (studio in this case).

Example of a double-page spread showing a mannequin in uniform and different styles of greatcoat.

Table of contents: all nations are included.

In line with my desire, infantry uniforms for all of the belligerents are presented; France, Germany, Serbia, Russia, Belgium, Britain (and Dominion), Austria-Hungary, Japan, Italy, Portugal, Bulgaria, Rumania, Czechoslovakia, Poland, United States and Turkey. More pages are devoted to the key, European powers than to the ‘lesser’ ones. However, there is great efficiency in the images and text so that the main details and changes in uniform of troops of a nation like Portugal are covered adequately (for me) in two pages. The colonial forces of the main powers are also included.

A nation like Portugal is covered in sufficient detail

in just two pages

As you will have gathered from the title, the text is in French. It is clear and straightforward enough that I am able to comprehend it easily with my intermediate knowledge of the language. However, if you do not read French, the images are sufficiently self-explanatory, and numerous, as to be comprehensible in their own right.

This is a fabulous book for anyone interested in uniforms and equipment of the First World War. If, like me, you are looking for the one book, this is it.

Ten Napoleons

Troops: First World War German infantry

German Army basically ready to go

My approach of having large numbers of figures, across a few periods, on the go at once means that I may swap and change what I am painting on any one night. It also means that my focus is quite, ‘fluid’. The past couple of weeks have been a case in point. I had intended to focus principally on the first couple of units for my 17th–19th century Ottomans but, while I have made some progress with them, I have ended up making most progress with First World War Germans!

The Deli cavalry, showing brown applied which lead to a painting First World War infantry!

I began painting the Deli cavalry for the Ottoman army, as planned, starting with browns for the animal skins that they wore. Then, since I was painting brown, I looked for other troops to use up the paint that I had ‘decanted’. First World War Germans with all that brown kit were an obvious choice!

The Germans I am painting are aimed for mid-late war and are a mix of Caesar WWI German Army, Emhar German WWI Infantry with Tank Crew and German WWI Artillery and Strelets German Stormtroops and German Infantry in Gasmasks. The Caesar and Emhar figures are sculpted somewhat ‘finer’ than the Strelets. I’m happy with all of these figures, but particularly like the ‘chunky’ style of these earlier Strelets’ offerings.

From left: Strelets, Emhar, Caesar and Strelets figures. These mix well, I reckon.

A Strelets flame thrower between two Emhar figures.

Strelets produced British, French, Russian, Austro-Hungarian and German Infantry in gas masks as part of their range of figures for the First World War. The Germans are now out of production, so I did not think that I’d be able to get any. Fortunately, a tip on the Strelets forum lead me to Fausto Mancin at the Lucky Toy Soldier and I was able to obtain a set from him. I like them so much that I may even get another box.

Strelets German Infantry in gas masks, almost completed,

 

Hart wie Kruppstahl

 

The Emhar WWI German Artillery includes two 77 mm Krupps field guns and four MG 08 machine guns. Interestingly, there is a surviving Krupps field gun beside the cenotaph in town that was captured near Villers-Bretonneaux in August 1918. It's nice to be able to compare the model with the real thing. The machine guns in the kit come with only a single crew man, so I did some simple conversion work with some of the artillery loaders to turn them to feeding machine gun ammunition.

77 mm Krupps field gun beside cenotaph in York, WA

The adjacent cenotaph and detail (below).

Second model 77 mm Krupp field gun, staff and one of the MG 08 machine guns with added crew. The kneeling officer in the machine gun crew is a conversion with legs remove and replaced with those from a kneeling Airfix French cuirassier.

With these Germans nearly completed, and just a few more French that I want to also finish off, I am now really close to having a go at a first game of World War I wargaming. I may get to start this weekend and/or week nights next week.


References and links

Guillemet, C (2018) Les Fantassins de la Grande Guerre. Éditions Heimdal, St Martin-des-Entrées, Bayeux, France. 256 pp.

Caesar Miniatures website

Emhar range on Plastic Soldier Review

Strelets’ World War I sets