Alex,
It's a long period in history, so I'm sure there is a lot of gear that can do the job. I'll most likely be doing a Brummbar with some Luftwaffe infantry. But it's still half a year away...no telling what I could buy by then.

Gaz

But it's still half a year away...no telling what I could buy by then.

Amen to that Gaz !

I like the original title. The Mediterranean was Hitler's soft underbelly and very important for Britain to control to protect its lifeline to the far east.

Someone's showing their age.... and me for knowing what you mean!

Count me in on this one Gaz! I have the first 2.5 months to finish Dragons #6620 StugIII F/8 Early Production (Italy 1943) or .

I know its not from Italy but they did put up a fight!

John

The Panzerturm on the Gothic Line near Monte Cassino got a work out too. Interestingly, some of them still retained the Ausf A cupola and were not replaced with hatches like some others were, especially the ones in Berlin.

Personally, I just think the crew from the one in the pic just fired off all the ammo they had so they could scarper back from the front line before the fighting got too intense. All the spent shell casings were for effect in case their commanders checked.

Why would they do that??

at Peter,
i like your theory on the spent shells. But i agree with Gaz, Why would......

Gothic line pantherturm diorama.?


John

It may be 6th months out but I already know what I am doing and I am positively itching to get started.

I will be doing a Sherman V of the South African 6th Armoured Division, Pretoria Regiment, 11th Armoured Brigade fighting at Monte Vigese 1944.

In fact I will be doing this vehicle (sans half dressed Rhodesians)

JohnA,
Great reference pic!

Rory,
That's a great pic with some nice looking paintwork to emulate. I wonder if they're just stuck in the mud.

Gaz

How about "The Italian Job"

Howdy Y'all
The more I think about a suitable name, the more I like something that has Gaz's original idea, "the soft underbelly". I think it sticks to the original idea of why there was so much bloody fighting in the theatre. The Italian Front was anything but a "soft underbelly" Churchill had tried to sell to the other Allies.
Just my 2 cents. I'm looking forward to the campaign.
Take care,
Don "Lakota"

I guess the humour was a bit too subtle..... My comment was meant as a joke guys.

^
Your emojies gave it away mate or just to many Fosters.

John

As I once said to some half cut Irish football players, that offered me a Fosters in Hollyhead Ferry port, Wales - "we export that that S*** to you guys so we don't have to drink it!

Peter,
That's a good one. I don't think I could ever use that line though, we Americans probably don't export beer. No one would buy it.
Take care,
Don "Lakota"

Seriously??? America is home to a zillion of what they call craft beers, and while some are certainly nothing to write home about, there are some pretty good ones. But then there are probably good beers everywhere that beer is a popular drink.

You have point, Worn. I was just thinking we don't have anything we mass produce that we could export. PBR?!?!?!
Take care,
Don "Lakota"

I could say the same things about Aussie beers. I guess it is all in what you like - everyone's taste is different.

Anyway, back to our off topic, topic. Well guys you are both right - and wrong. In the local bottle shop here in Brisbane, Australia I know I could (if I so desired) purchase:

Coors
Millers
Budweiser

These brands are sold in many liquor outlets here.

Also, we have a lot of Craft beer outlets that import from all over the world. A while back, my wife bought myself and my eldest son tickets on a craft beer tour. It was a walking (later stagger)tour to several beer emporiums in our state capital city, one of which was my son's favourite watering hole. Being more fond of a Porter/Stout/Brown Ale myself, my son suggested this delightful drop which I was rather fond of:


https://foundersbrewing.com/our-beer/dirty-bastard/

Yes a US beer worth drinking, for my taste buds anyway.

I stand corrected, drink up.
Personally all my beer drinking is limited to one beer, Mexican usually when I'm out of town on business. Have Bud for me.
Take care,
Don "Lakota"

Sorry for the off topic but...in Switzerland before moving down under every now and then I bought my wife when he was homesick the VB so the Aussie not only export the horrible Fosters ... but also the Victoria Bitter ... not a fabulous beer but certainly better than Fosters. ..

From an half Italian I was shocked by how much "Nastro Azzurro" Beer is sold here in Oz, for the Italians one of the worst Italian beers! ... Birra Moretti is much better...

There's nothing better than an ice cold Carlsberg Elephant beer.

I hope that all of you understand there is one truly superior beer.

It's called "free beer" and is best served ice cold from a friend or somebody to which you have just given a hand.

Gaz

Howdy Y'all
Getting back on subject; what would a "Soft Underbelly" campaign ribbon look like? Hopefully not a beer belly, sorry, couldn't resist. Maybe a Stella label knock off? My favorite Italian beer. Actually the only Italian beer I've ever tried.
Take care,
Don "Lakota"

I was also thinking of the same thing ... Beer Belly! ... but in Italy a beautiful red nose from to much wine would be more appropriate...

Sorry Lakota but the "Stella" or full name "Stella Artois" is a Belgian beer very popular in Italy but still Belgian ... ...for me the best Italian beer of mass production is the "Birra Moretti"


If I can tell it, I have a war and alcohol story in my family that comes from Emilia in a small valley of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines right on the Gothic line, my great-grandfather made the WWI on the Carso and Piave as Alpino troops for miracle survived and after the war promised that he would never return to war and that in his house the politics that leads the peoples to war would never come in again,and this was badly seen by the fascist regime and more after the fall of Mussolini regime my uncle (his eldest son) had gone to fight with the partisans in the mountains and my grandmother teenager was the relay from the valley floor to the mountains carrying the orders,being young woman was less seen as a danger by the Germans and could pass more easily under their eyes, however, in those years was born the last child, still known by everyone as Gianni, my great-grandfather Luigi (no never have mustache and is not a plumber) had to go to the registry office to record the birth of his son but the office was far away in the city of Reggio-Emilia controlled by the Germans and it was dangerous for him to go there,with my grandmother decided for the name Gianni and my great-grandfather left with the cart and his donkey and to avoid trouble from the fascists and nazis was accompanied by the priest of the village, for the trip they had brought bread and cheese and a "fiasco" of wine (the "fiasco" is a big bottle with straw around), before arriving in town the priest and my grandfather had finished all the wine, in addition they had stopped to celebrate the birth in various taverns on the way (at that time in a small valley everyone knew everyone), drunks entered the office no longer remembering the name ... they had chosen with my great-grandmother, so the priest and grandfather opened the bible and took the first biblical name they read .... the story was' forgotten and buried by the events of the war and my grandfather never even tell my grandmother the story of the name, my grandmother he knew only about drunkenness. ..all the valley knew of Luigi and the priest completely piss.... my uncle grew as Gianni, but one day at 15 years as many grew up in a family of poor landless peasants he decided to go looking for luck in Switzerland and went to ask for a passport and find a passport with a name that was not his, in shock come back home and asked why and jumped out the whole story ... first and only time my great-grandmother slapped my great-grandfather .. My uncle had to add to the passport "known as Gianni", few in my family remember his official name because for everyone is Gianni and he still tells this story as a victim of the mix of war and alcohol because without the war the coucil home in the village would not have been occupied by a small Nazi-fascist HQ and my great-grandfather could have gone there without being drunk ... or at least not too much to forget the name of the seventh son....

Viva l'Italia!...and the good wine!...