Some great news for World War 1 fans, some news figures are heading our way from ICM.

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If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Great news!

If these are pics of the actual plastic figs, then they are exceptional! They look like they could be resins. I hope they make a second set firing weapons, throwing grenades, etc.

Very interesting , you got WW 1 troops and an equipment set from ICM , a combined British / German figure set from Master Box and FT 17 tanks from Meng and Italeri . Looks like the WW 1 releases are starting to appear .

Nice looking set. Now if ICM did some new quality British Infantry that would be a nice plus.

Al

Very Nice!!!

If these are the actual kit parts from the sprue then this is awesome stuff!! Man those are nice. You wouldn't even need to replace the heads!
ICM has upped their game a lot with this set.
J

Being ignorant of such matters, is there a great difference in uniforms between these and WWl German infantry? I mean, can you just substitute Hornet WWl German heads and make them German infantry?

If this is the quality found in the box, these really are a must have. As to similarity to German tunics - from what I can tell, only certain characteristics and depending on time frame as German's style went through changes as the war progressed. Things to look to compare are collar style, pocket flap style/position, and hidden/visible buttons down center. I would have to say no after spending a few minutes googling. You can put German helmets on them as the AH empire did use them along with their own style called the BERNDORFER.

Austrian yes. German no. Austro-Hungarian WWI uniforms were more modern (1940s) looking than German WWI uniforms. You would have to cut off or extend the collar, remove the top pockets, modify and add buttons to the cuffs and modify the rear end with scallops and buttons to pull off even a fuzzy 1907/10 transitional bluse. And forget the 1907 or 1910 or 1915 types because of length and cut and details of garment. As for headgear the WWII heads are wrong. Germans used the picklehaube, a boiled leather helmet with a removable spike in 1914 and they did not use the feldmutze (soft cap) in caombat. And the WWII German helmet looks nothing like the 1917/1918 Stahlhelm, even at 1/35. A lot of work, when you could feasibly pull off a conversion to the Austrian look. Check out Osprey 80 The German Army 1914-18 or call the guys at Great War Militaria in Chambersburg, PA. Their website has photos of their replica and original WWI items for sale. they are very knowledgeable and helpful.

Edwin, thanks for confirming the tunic question.

Hornet does make WWI German heads, as does Masterclub. The latter set is just the helmets. So if you want, you can go the route of carving off the caps of the existing figures.



regards,
Jack

Nice 1/35 Stahlhelm. I didn't know they made them. Are we talking conversions to a late war Austrian figure?

Yes, that was for the benefit of Biggles, or anyone else, wishing to have helmets on their Austrians. This conversion though is for a very specific time frame,late 1916, as November was the month helmets began to be issued. The same style cut uniform could still be found at this time, but it would be field grey, though a mix with grey blue is possible.

If one is really interested in the Austro-Hungarian forces, the two part series by Osprey is excellent reference for more particulars.

regards,
Jack

I wanted some infantry to go with my Toro A7V. I know some critics will say it is terrible, but it's not too bad, and since it's the only plastic one available, by default that makes it the best.

Masterclub have a large range of WW1 German figures as well, some early war and some late as well as Austro Hungarian figures. you should be able to find something to go with your A7V

I found that ICM make a suitable set of German Infantry 1917 - 18, #35291. These were produced in 2009. I hope they are the same level of quality as their recent Hungarian Infantry. Any comments on this?

I have a set and set of their British Infantry. The #35291 are Storm Troops only and suitable more for the 1917-18 period. Their 98AZ and 98B Carbines are nicely detailed but have very fragile stacking hooks, care must be taken working with them. They also have no slings - I will have to cut some coffee filter ones and modify some WWII stick grenades. Line Infantry with Gewehr 98s would have been a bit more useful. with a little work and care you can make something nice out of them.

I suppose these figs (the German ones) can be upgraded with Dragon equipment like the Kar 98, entrenching tool, gas mask container, etc...anything that was also in use in 1914 - 18. Also Hornet WWl heads.

I guess you can use whatever heads you wish for variety, but the set already has accessories. Three are 3 sets of grenade bags,ammo bandoliers, e-tool carriers with shovels, bayonets, short rifles, carbines. Four sets of helmets, rolled assault packs, bread bags, canteens, messkits, gas mask bags, gas mask cans (use one type of each per figure). And one Luger, holster, e=tool, empty carrier.
After looking at my set #35291 and consulting "The German Rifle" John Walter 1979, "German Storm Trooper 1914-1918" Osprey 1995 and "Mauser Bolt Rifles" Ludwig Olson 1976 I revise my earlier comments. Set #35291 has three Karabiner 98AZs which were in wide use by Stormtroopers not 98Bs (1923-1934).
But the other three rifles are early Kar98ks (1930s) with steel not stamped butt plates. Karabiner 98s were withdrawn from service in 1902, and Karabiner 98As in 1908 because they didn't function well with the new S 8mm rounds. Most were converted to 5mm practice rifles. Olson states that some saw limited use in WWI but he does not specify which type. I would suggest that you save the 98ks (1934-45) for WWII modelling use.
The A7V had a crew of about eighteen (it varied) including Infantry. I do not know if they were outfitted as stormtroopers but stormtroopers accompanying a tank is not out of the question. So use them as you see fit. They are not the "only game in town," but you can get them a lot cheaper. I got mine on special from Squadron.

Is there much visual difference between Kar 98AZ and Kar 98K in 1/35 scale? I realize the ICM figs will come with their own kit, but similar Dragon equipment is usually better quality.

At 1/35 with the naked eye the differences stand out at the muzzle and rear sight areas. The 98AZ has less barrel showing at the front end and a stacking hook, the 98K doesn't. The 98AZ has a small bayonet lug right under the front sight the 98Ks is noticeably set back. Maybe you could use some PE or very thin wire for the hook? The 98K also has more barrel showing behind the rear sight and no finger groove in the stock beneath it like the 98AZ. You could carve the groove into your 98K.

Well, I've ordered that German infantry set from my LHS. I'll see about using parts of the ICM Kar's with those of Dragon, because I know Dragons Gen ll will have much sharper moldings. Bit of a pain, but I only need 3 rifles.

Now for something completely different. I wonder how hard it would be to modify the German set to late war Turkish assault troops, say in Palestine? Simplify the collar, paint on tunic buttons, trim off the brim of the Stahlhelm and put a captured Russian Mosin-Nagant in his hands and voila! And there are 1/35 camels and other middle-eastern props available for a diorama.