Kit Review: DML 1/35 Scale ?39-?45 Kit No. 6195; Fallschirmjaeger Regiment
3 (Sicily 1943); 90 parts in grey styrene; price $7-8Advantages: first set of German paratroops in the lightweight tropical uniform
Disadvantages: not sure of any specific vehicles for these figures to complement
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: For all German and Italian Campaign fans
DML basically "owns" the styrene figure market for WWII figures, and the one advantage that this gives them is the ability to branch out into more esoteric and little-known campaigns of the war. As a result, they have been able to provide a set of four or more figures for just about every theater that the Germans fought in during the war.
This set comprises one of the elite units that fought against the joint US/Commonwealth campaign to take Sicily in 1943. As such, unlike most German paratroops that fought in smocks and with special weapons, this regiment was given lightweight tropical tan uniforms and essentially fought as conventional infantry.
The four figures in the set have a nice combination of poses, and can be used by themselves or with a vehicle or building to make a nice vignette. However, right off the top of my head I cannot recall any specific vehicle kit from DML which is marked for Sicily! (After-market sets and some research should solve this problem.)
The figures provide one NCO and three privates with sleeves rolled up and the cut-down jump helmets, four Kar 98K rifles and two MP40 submachine guns. The figures are carrying extra ammo pouches and are pretty well kitted out for combat.
Overall, it's nice to see something other than the usual run of SS troops with late-war weapons and camouflage smocks, and this is a nice change of pace. (It should also be easier to paint that the other figures, too.)
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell AMPS