Sentiero degli Alpini

Johan Somers builds a mountain diorama of Italian Alpini near the French border in March 1939

To see larger resolution versions of the pictures used in this article, please see the GALLERY ALBUM.

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The Sentiero degli Alpini or the 'Alpine soldier trail', in the far western area of Liguria is an Italian military route between the mountains Pietravecchia (2,039 metres) and Toraggio (1,971 metres). It was build between 1936 and 1938 in order to stop possible fire from the French front lines in case of a conflict, located along the slopes opposite, on the western versant of the Val Roja. The route, which runs between steep crags, ravines and gorges, was partially dug out of the rock face and made wide enough to allow transport of material, weapons and provisions using mules. The trail becomes difficult and dangerous in winter due to the presence of ice and snow and today, landslides and erosion have deteriorated the route so much that not even a donkey would be able to pass along it.

The Diorama

I like 360º dioramas, which offer an attractive and interesting view when looked at from any direction, however, with a mountain diorama this is much more difficult. Studying photographs of the route, however, showed a location with a sharp U-turn, ideally to offer at least a 270º-view. In addition, one photograph showed a large hole excavated next to the military route, probably to offer shelter and a facility to store equipment. Studying several other period photographs, from both First and Second World Wars gave a lot of ideas to expand the diorama in a more interesting way:

1. Italian mountain troops often made primitive shelters or small barracks from wood on the mountain, which were equipped with tables, chairs, stoves, etc.

2. Provisional cable cars were made, often very primitive in construction to transport goods or wounded men to or from the mountain. These were powered at their mountain or valley locations, either manually or sometimes machine driven.

3. Mule transports were another way to foresee in the required supply of materials and provisions.

Mountain Troops Figures

Several manufactures have releases Italian Alpini (mountain troops) soldiers in 1:35 scale, including Model Victoria and Hornet, in either resin or white metal. Model Victoria also offers a mule with its load that is ideal to put in a mountain scene. I planned to use seven figures to show the 'action' on the diorama; five resin Alpini from Model Victoria, and a white metal Alpini and a resin Carabinieri figure from Hornet. The Alpini wore an Italian model 1933 steel helmet and grey-green hat called a Cappello with a feather on the left side. The feather holder on the hat was in the colour of the battalion; i.e. white, red or green for the 1st, 2nd or 3rd regiment. The mountain troops had the same uniform as regular infantry, apart from their large rucksacks and larger two-litre canteens. The grey-green tunic had two pointed collar flame patches in 'alpine green' with a silver star. Boots were black or brown. It's a pity that the Hornet and Model Victoria Alpini figures are not equipped with the common axe/hoe combination tool or the capes that were popular garments for these troops.

The Carabinieri were the Italian military police and were responsible for the control and discipline of military personal, control of public order, and were sometimes engaged as fighting units. Their typical headdress was a grey-green hat, called the Lucerna. The grey-green tunic had a black collar and collar patches with silver wire double bars and silver stars. Weapons used by Italian forces were the M91 Carcano rifle, mainly at the beginning of the war, and later the M91/38 cavalry carbine and the M41 rifle.

Rocky Mountain Construction

The mountainside was built with several layers of pieces of expanded polystyrene (EPS) glued together. After carving the route through the mountain 'rock', it was covered with modelling plaster. Again, looking at photographs gave some hints to the geological formation and colours to be used later on. After the plaster had dried, the entire rock received a base coat of Amsterdam Raw Umber acrylic applied with a large brush. (I did not use an airbrush during the entire project!)

The rear side of the mountain revealed the layers of EPS glued together so it was finished with a thick piece of carbon covered with black plastic (taken from a binder and cut into shape) and glued on top and at the rear to cover the EPS material. The road itself was covered with old cement with a grained structure, glued with PVA glue and sprinkled with water to make it rock hard. Ideally, at this stage, all figures and accessories should now be pressed into the groundwork to integrate them with it, then removed until they could be permanently glued into place with PVA after all the painting, etc., was completed. Note the horizontal layers in the photo, evidence of geologic forces, and the vertical fracture above and below the route. At this stage I made an excavated shelter on the left side. I gave the 'mountain' a base coat of Raw Umber acrylic. The rocks were then painted with artists' oil colours, in a mixture of several tones of Cassel Earth, white and Burnt Sienna. Later on, they were given washes of turpentine mixed with Paynes Grey, black, Cassel Earth and Burnt Sienna to create variations in tone and depth. Special attention was paid to the different horizontal geological layers, which were given a slightly different shade of the overall colour. It was only at this stage that I had the idea to create a small barrack and cable car end station (bad planning!) so the existing small cave was made larger and the base of the rock was given an extension with EPS to install the cable car station. Everything was then covered with plaster and painted.

The outer frame of the barrack was made with wood strips and fixed into place with a small light bulb inside it. Using artificial light can give a special dimension to a diorama, but it could easily cause 'overkill' and look unnatural if too many bright LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) were used. However, a small background light in a house or cave, from a concealed light bulb usually works and lends atmosphere. Some furniture and a blanket in the shelter would be otherwise have been invisible without the light.

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Cable Car

The cable car is power-driven from the valley, so it would just be a simple mountain station with two pulley wheels for two powered cables going downwards. The construction would have to be strong enough to support the weight of the load and cables and needed to be firmly attached to the rock with supporting cables. The mountain station was made from four small pieces of wood, one axle rod, three cylinders and two gear wheels from a Meccano/Erector construction set. The construction is quite simple and was assembled with PVA glue and super glue. With a sharp tool, holes were made for the nails where the planks are connected to each other. The wooden and metal parts were painted using a large brush with a Humbrol base coat and after a dry time I gave it a few washes of panzer grey (Humbrol thinned with turpentine) and a wash with Burnt Sienna oil colour. The nail holes were painted darker to contrast with the surface of the wood. This was all dry-brushed with a bit of white, grey and brown mixed together to create more depth and the effects of weathering. Finally, European Dust pigment was applied to create a texture. (See later). The cable car itself was made from wood and several bits and pieces from the spares box. The small wheel is from an old Esci Italian Fiat-Ansaldo M13-40 tank. The wheel is protected with a rectangular framework, which came from Tamiya's 1:35 scale SdKfz 250/3 Greif kit. The cables are black painted electrical wires. The metal frame that is attached to the cable car was made from small pieces of plastic frame cut into shape.

The letter 'A' painted in white on front of the cable car and above a handle is a nice 'eye catcher', together with the canvas cover. The top pulley wheel on the cable car runs over a static main cable, while the car itself is fixed to a live cable rolling over the pulley wheel on the mountain station.

Small Barrack

The small barrack was made from a small piece of wood that came from packaging material. (Actually it was a small crate for oysters, so there's your excuse for buying some in larger quantities!) It already had a nice in-scale wood grain structure. The wooden planks were put horizontally, similar to those seen in period pictures. It is actually one small piece of wood with a doorway cut out. A knife was used to simulate the individual planks and the door is reinforced with a wooden frame on its inner side. Next to the door is a corrugated plate made from the stiff corrugated card spacing often found between the outer and inner sides of stout cartons or flat sheets used for packaging. It was painted a metallic grey and then dry brushed with different shades of red/rust.

Some light grey was used on the upper half to simulate the metallic parts. The fixed supporting cables were put in place and most items painted their initial colours, then the tools, accessories and vegetation added. The vegetation is small pieces of moss from the garden, covered with PVA glue and carefully put into place on selected locations. After it had dried, the plants were dry-brushed with different shades of green and a little brown to prevent any colour loss over time.

Snow and Ice

As my diorama is meant to represent a period in early March, the heat of the sun would be increasing and snow and ice melting away, but it would still be cold enough during the day and especially at night to have a lot of patches frozen water and a bit of snow remaining. In order to represent a frozen stream of water formed by melting snow higher up the mountain, I used Vallejo 'Still Water', mixed with blue acrylic paint. I mixed the paint with the water and poured it into aluminium foil, which was treated with olive oil, so it could be easily removed when the water hardened. It took nearly two days to become more or less soft and the aluminium foil was removed. Because the water was not yet completely hardened, it could be torn apart and shaped into the cavity were it was to be placed. A small piece of this material twisted round a few times provided an excellent icicle. Everything was glued in place and covered with an additional layer of acrylic paste; otherwise nothing was painted. The snow was made with a mixture of Sodium Bicarbonate, PVA glue and a few drips of water. The snow had to appear dirty and nearly all melted away, so an irregular form was shaped with some holes and hollow areas. Grey and blue-grey oil paint was used at the edges of the snow and in the holes. After it had all dried, acrylic gloss medium was sparsely applied on the snow and traces of melting water painted on as if running down the rock.

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Pigments

When most of the painting was finished, pigment powders were used to create dirt, rust, etc., and to weather the environment. Pigments can be applied dry on a matt surface that will hold the powder or they can be used with a combination of thinners, turpentine, alcohol or water on gloss surfaces, or to create special effects. Pigments from MIG Productions were used which already have the correct colour combinations to create many effects, although most hobby stores sell other types of pigments or chalk powder which can be used as well.

Alpini

The figures were assembled and putty used where needed. All figures were relatively free from flash, with very crisp and detailed mouldings and at this stage it was important to verify that all moulding seams and resin residue or white metal flash has been removed completely before painting began. It often helps me to make a digital photograph of a figure and enlarge the picture using a computer to spot any issues needing attention. After cleaning the figures in a warm bath of soap, the first thin base coat can be applied. I usually begin with a Humbrol base coat that is the same colour as the skin, the uniform or the equipment it will eventually become. After letting it all dry for at least 24 hours, I paint the entire figure with oil colours. Flesh areas were painted with a mix of white, Burnt Sienna and Naples Yellow, with heavy shadows in Raw Umber and lighter shadows with Burnt Sienna or a darker tone of the base skin colour. Highlights were achieved with a bit of white on the nose, cheekbones and nostrils. A five o'clock shadow dry-brushed with Paynes Grey and a bit of red on the cheeks and lips gives some more colour.

Hair was painted with a mix of black and Raw Umber and dry-brushed with a bit of white. The uniform, helmet and hat are all painted green (Humbrol Matt Dark Green 30), but photographs show a lot of differences in tone, either more grey or more greenish, which was achieved with mixtures of Terre Verte, Paynes Grey and white. Highlights were made with Vert Anglais Clair + white + Paynes Grey. It's important that the figures tell as story and are put on the diorama so everything is balanced and some time can be easily spent trying to find the best composition. I posed a soldier (Model Victoria) standing near the small stove waiting for the eggs to fry. This soldier is rather excited about his next meal and hopefully the eggs will taste good! The eggs were represented inside of the pan with a patch of un-thinned white oil colour with the bright yellow yokes made from tiny blobs of bright yellow oil paint. Care must be taken to get the thick yellow oil paint yokes slightly rounded on top and not pointed. The six other soldiers were posed ready to go with the mule at the other side of the route.

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Conclusion

I had a lot of fun with this project. Planning and making drawings are always good practices, but ideas and inspiration can cause some rebuilding during the process and I had to enlarge the cave into a larger hole to accommodate the cable car station and to make more room inside the barrack. This was the first time I used pigments on a diorama and I'm very excited about it. It will now be come part of my standard set of products to use. I was very pleased with the figures from Hornet and Model Victoria, both of which have some more promising figures in their product range. Victoria Models also make Italian WW2 vehicles, which will be part of my next modelling project

Availability

Stove from Verlinden Productions. Smaller accessories (hand saw, wheel, shovel, etc., from Historex Spares) and Hornet 1:35 scale WWII Italian Alpini Mountain Trooper and WW2 Italian Carabinieri. Available in the UK from Historex Agents, Wellington House, 157 Snargate Street, Dover, Kent CT17 9BZ. Tel: 01304 206720. Fax: 01304 204528. Historex
Model Victoria: Italian Alpini with mule; Italian Alpini Captain and Private; Italian Alpino Going On and Load for Alpini mule. Model Victoria, v. Chiamanis 15, 33038 S. Daniele (UO) Italy. Tel: (0) 432 954224

Sources

Il cappello alpino da truppa durante la seconda guerra mondiale,
La Strada degli Alpini

First published in Military modelling Issue 2, 2008