Tirana, Albania, Spring 1941

[Lobowwe]

Here we have a group of Albanian Blackshirts, considered by the occupying Italians as unreliable and prone to desert, marching off to the Greek front. The civilians are Nexus American pioneers and the two waving men are Lenin and Stalin from the Atlantic Russian Revolution set.The Albanians are all converts from Revell, Airfix, Caesar.The base is a paper model found online, of an italian church.

[Wiking]

This is the best work I have seen from you.
A huge improvement in painting figure, animal and vehicle.

You build again small and unusual projects beside the mainstream like this.
The Albanian Blackshirts is the fist time that I heard about that.
Something like Handschar for the German side?

[Lobowwe]

Thank you! The Italians recruited Albanians into the Blackshirt militia- or MSVN, They were NOT as effective as the Handschar, were prone to desert or even switch sides to the Greeks, had very few heavy weapons, ie artillery. Mussolini blamed them for the disaster of the Greek invasion, saying their poor performance led them to cause the front to crumble.

Here they are firing on a mixed patrol of Italian infantry and Carabinieri (military police)

[Bluefalchion]

Lobowwe--

Thanks for displaying your works and for the interesting history lesson. I agree that your work is showing improvement. Keep 'em coming!

[Beano Boy]

Lobowwe, that`s a splendid set out scene in the first set of photographs, and very good use of those Atlantic figures. Nice use of the animals too.

It is always good when an author explains the reasons for creating any artistic piece. BB