Old Style Great War French Toy Soldier

He we have a French Infantry Line Officer at the start of the Great War.

I decided to paint him like a worn and well used toy soldier from the era of the Great War. 

I have a small collection of 1920's metal toy soldiers that I modeled the look for this 1970s Minifig casting.

 

Latest News-German Advance on Paris Stopped in Miracle on the Marne

A photo from the battle showing brave French and British troops in desperate fighting near the Marne River.  The German soon admitted defeat and retreated before our victorious warriors.

 

All are 28mm metal pieces.

1914-Attacking Trenches is Really Bad News

The order of the day-ATTACK!

Intial losses are heavy...

but not as heavy for the French in their protective trrenches

But the French have fewer men so each lost harder felt.

Seeing what has happened to the rest of the force, the Jagers hunker down in some rough ground...

for the German left has been virtually wiped out!  The few survivors crowd into a shell hole.

1914 Trenches are Bad News!

Frontier lines between Germany and France, some hasty trenches, light wire entanglements and a small prewar concrete defense work. Held by an understrength platoon, a section of Chasseurs and two HMG's.

With time pressing, the end of the line is but wire and some light wood works, finished just in time as...

The first Germans have arrived, a strong platoon-five sections of infantry and Jagers, a section of Grenadiers, Command section and three HMG's 

The sight awaiting the attacking German's.

For France...

light trenches for the regulars...

while the chasseurs and one HMG make do with hasty log works.

French Frontiers Battle Royal 1914

 

The Chasseurs have lost half their section including their sgt.

At least one German section is taking some casualties, but not the sniper.  Hit after hit lands but none wound this lucky and deadly shooter (He personally drops the French Lt., 3 sgts., 1 cpl. and a pvt.).

French casualties mount and still their "hits" fail to wound more than half the time. The one French success is the elimination of the German Maxim section, right before the Germans wipe out the French HMG team.

The dreaded "10" another failed French to wound after a hit...15 times ugh!

Last of the Chasseurs

Sole survivor on the left...

Sole survivor on the right...

The last bastion of the French platoon.  Brave to the end not a single French soldier routed from the field-they fell defending France to the last man.

The end is here, the Germans finally advance from the cover of the forest the last French troops, now outnumbered 5 to 1 resist to the last...oh but for the luck of the gods....

Battle of the Frontiers-First Blood

The French HMG and 1st section drop two privates but miss the sniper...bad news.

The Chassuers drop another invader of France.

The grenadiers rush a ruin to get closer to the French while A section and the Jagers cower in the protection of the wood (a lot more successfully than the French).

On the French right 4th section looses three men in the forest and one in the ruins.  German marksmanship is very good and about to get much better!

"SNIPER"-the last world Lt. Valois hears before the fatal shot takes down the leader of the platoon. the command section loses its sgt and a pvt as well.

Things are worse on the left where a cpl, chasseur and two more privates fall for France.  French marksmanship seems on target but hits are few...is something wrong with the ammunition?

Skirmish in the Battle of the Frontiers, August 1914

In the early days of the Great War, two platoons meet in deadly ernest in the Battles of the Frontiers campaigns.

The Imperial German force- Command Squad-Lt., Sgt,3 pvts, two sections of infantry1st sgt 7 pvts, 2nd sgt 6 pvts, one section of Sgt and 7 Jagers, Sgt and 4 grenadiers, Maxim section0sgt, cpl, 3 pvts, sniper team-cpl, pvt.   The Germans have grenades and a siper team, but fewer men.

French Regulars, Command section-Lt, Sgt, 3 pvts, 2 sections of infantry each with sgt, cpl, 7 pvts, a section of infantry with sgt, cpl, 8 pvts, Chasseurs a Pied sgt, cpl, 8 pvts. Hmg section-sgt, cpl, 3 pvts. The French have six more men but no grenades or sniper.

8mm  French Hotchkiss HMG.

The deadly Maxim HMG, the German Platoons big hitter.

The forest of "protection" where three sections of Germans (infantry, Jagers and grenadiers) hide for most of the battle.

Command section, Maxim and Jager sniper team take cover in the ruined house while the 2nd infantry section  takes position to the left.

The lucky 2nd section.

French arrive on the board. Infantry take to the ruins and forest on the right.  The Hotchkiss sets up on the small hill near the middle.  While the Chasseurs take to the forest on the left (this turned out to be a big mistake).  The battle is ready to commence.

Light Machine Gun for the Foreign Legion

Any extra firepower is appreciated in the Foreign Legion as it fights in the French colonies, even if it comes from the disliked Chauchat light machine gun.

This is a 28mm metal piece from Woodbine.

French Colonial Firepower

On patrol in the jungles of some far off colony, Rene Dupont readies his rather untrustworthy Chauchat light machine gun.  The Chauchat had a bad tendency to jam due to its open magazine.

This is a 28mm metal piece from Woodbine.

French 75, Queen of the Battlefield

Wearing the new Horizon Blue uniforms and metal helmet, this crew of the famous 75mm fieldgun helps to hold the northern battle lines.


The French 75mm did yeoman service in two world wars. In 1915 the horizon blue uniform replaced the red pants and dark blue uniform the French were wearing in the first year of the Great War.



These are metal 25mm pieces from Old Glory.