Friday, August 6, 2021

1887 DOGALI BERSAGLIERE OFFICER & INFANTRY OFFICER

 Coming back to this project and planning to spend some time on the white flashing Italian beaches, I prepared a fitting troops for the sand. So I went on with the project of the Italian Army that fought at the Battle of Dogali.

It was missing just the Infantry Officer. So I prepared a Lieutenant of Infantry, on foot, shooting with his duty pistol and holding in the other the sword to repell the Abyssianian enemy. 

The blue - Savoy sash is the symbol of the tradition of the Italian Army, of the National Team (Euro 2020 huraaaa!) and I carried and still have at home - as my father before me - this sash. Honour and pride of a tradition.


1887 - Dogali. Italian Army
Infantry Lieutenent 
(Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE)



From this figure it was quite easy to transform it into a Bersagliere Lieutenent to honour my father, Captain of the 3rd Regiment Bersaglieri "Majora Virisbus Audere"


                                                    1887 - Dogali. Italian Army
                                                            Bersagliere Lieutenent 
                                                                                        (Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE)



I do find this uniform very beautiful. To note that the Officers - just to be better visible by the enemies! but it was still a romantic way of warfare - wore a blue-Savoy sash around the colonial helmet. Note also the ranks insigna: a golden knot on the sleeves, with a golden arrow with black line inside (Second Leutenant had just one golden arrow)



And finally me with the blue-Savoy sash, Gala Uniform. 


Italian Army 
Gala Uniform - Second Lieutenant














Tuesday, August 3, 2021

1848 SANTA LUCIA - KuK 5th Hussar Regiment "Radetzky"

Finally I can have a little glance how some units at 40mm tall can represent the scene of this Battle. I think the effect is good. I had to prepare a farm, in bricks, with land/mud around it and a sort of road passing by, where the Hussars of the 5th Regiment Radetzky are riding towards the (Piedmontese) enemy. 


In foreground the 5th Radetzky Regiment



I represented a Zug (4 Zuge = 2 Fluegel = 1 squadron) and so 24 horsemen, 3 Korporal, 2 NCO and 1 Lieutenant


Details: in foreground the Lieutenant; please note his ebroidery on trousers, pelisse and dolman