The French Army of 1940 is one of the great under-modelled subjects of WWII, and this six-figure set is Tamiya's contribution to putting that right — a squad of French infantry counterattacking the German invasion in the desperate early weeks of the campaign. The poses tell the story: a squad leader with pistol drawn giving commands, four riflemen advancing and firing in varied attacking positions, and a machine gunner prone behind his weapon, taking aim. Together they build into a vignette with genuine narrative tension, or scatter naturally around a Char B1 bis or Somua S35 in a larger diorama.

Researched 1940 Uniforms and Equipment

Tamiya's research captures the French infantryman as he fought in 1940: the M1920/35 khaki field uniform issued from the mid-thirties, with several figures wearing the M1938 overcoat that was near-universal in that cold spring campaign. Headgear includes the French Army's distinctive crested steel helmet, with the equally characteristic kepi also included among the parts. Personal equipment — gas mask bags, ammunition pouches, canteens and pistol holsters — is moulded with the crispness the Military Miniature Series is known for.

Period-Correct French Weapons

The riflemen carry the MAS-36, France's standard short rifle of the campaign (listed by Tamiya as the M1936), while the prone gunner serves a Mle 1924/29 light machine gun — the backbone of French squad firepower. These weapons appear in almost no other mainstream injection kit, which alone makes the set valuable to 1940-campaign builders.

Six Figures, One Squad

The set breaks down as one commander, four riflemen and one machine gunner — a coherent squad-level action rather than six unrelated poses, which is what makes it work as a single composition straight from the box.

Needed to Complete

• Plastic model cement
• Paints (Tamiya colour callouts in the instructions)
• Basic modelling tools