Cadman Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 (edited) Well, this is my first ever 1/35 scale WW2 diorama. I wanted to experiment with some Precision Ice & Snow products that were delivered recently, but didn't want to go overboard and really just wanted to try depicting light snow and slush because I'm planning on keeping real heavy snow for a future Ardennes scenario. So, having (yet again) watched "When Trumpets Fade" for inspiration, this one's from late November 1944, and the series of battles that raged in the Hürtgenwald from 19-Sep-1944 to 10-Feb-1945. As usual, I'm already kind of thinking about transferring this diorama to a new and slightly larger base, and using a different technique for light snow flurry's, frozen slush and ice. Reckon I'll also replace the jeep at the back with an Italeri Dodge Staff Car I have in my stash as well, but that's for another time. Meanwhile, here's "Rage". The eagle-eyed might have spotted that I've used two female figures. This rather sweet little Field Nurse:- And this pistol-packing Subaltern, who'd better hope that Mummy and Daddy NEVER find out about her highly unauthorised Royal Day Out.... Edited July 6, 2017 by Cadman Replaced PB photos 18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darby Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 Reading 'Ardennes; Hitler's Last Gamble' at present and this could fit right in. Fried egg is a nice touch. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadman Posted February 12, 2017 Author Share Posted February 12, 2017 38 minutes ago, Darby said: Reading 'Ardennes; Hitler's Last Gamble' at present and this could fit right in. Fried egg is a nice touch. I'm kind of half-watching "Children of Men" at present Darby. I reckon Beevor's book probably represents a lighter way of passing the time. Yeah, the eggs were probably "liberated" from the same farmhouse the Tankie's got that case of wine from. The "light snow flurries" didn't result in quite the look I wanted for a Hurtgen diorama, so I think I'll go ahead and transfer this one onto the slightly larger base in the photo below. I can then use the smaller original base for an Ardennes scenario with deeper snow. Maybe convert the M4A1 into a knocked out tank while I'm at it. The reason both tanks and the jeeps are so shiney? Read on. I couldn't find any of the wife's hairspray to use with the PI&S Krycell and fix it in place, but while hunting through her dressing table I found this amazing aerosol that's an extremely high gloss and works really well for depicting vehicles caught in the rain. The wet look is incredible and I think it works far better than a coat of gloss varnish. I did manage to get it onto some of the figures, but they were coming back off to be finished and their final location decided anyway -- and a lick of matt varnish took care of that:- I've no idea what it is. The only English on the can is "Hair Lightening Spray", but that could mean anything. It certainly doesn't mean SWMBO's going blonde -- pretty sure I'd have noticed........It's most likely a mis-translation and is probably meant to be "Hair Shiney Spray". BTW, I really didn't like the head on that Bravo6 Wardaddy figure, which is why he's now sporting a regular M1 helmet. Trouble is, I forgot to add the goggle straps, so that'll get done tomorrow. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 Mer Maj really gets around! Outstanding scene.....Superb! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadman Posted February 12, 2017 Author Share Posted February 12, 2017 (edited) 17 minutes ago, Sgt.Squarehead said: Mer Maj really gets around! Outstanding scene.....Superb! Aye, she was quite a "gel" in her day....still is actually. Thanks for the vote of confidence -- getting those weapon slings on today was a real bear..!! That's prob'ly why I forgot to add the goggle straps onto Mr Pitt's steel hat. PS. I make excuses for a living. It's habit forming.... Edited February 12, 2017 by Cadman grammar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goggsy Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 Great work, I find the Hurtgen campaign really interesting if only for its complete pointlessness. It was an attrition battle in the tradition of the Great War and large swathes of the forest are still out of bounds to this day because of Schu mines etc. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadman Posted February 13, 2017 Author Share Posted February 13, 2017 1 hour ago, goggsy said: Great work, I find the Hurtgen campaign really interesting if only for its complete pointlessness. It was an attrition battle in the tradition of the Great War and large swathes of the forest are still out of bounds to this day because of Schu mines etc. History's full of "what if's" isn't it. What if Market Garden had worked? That raises the probability of no Hurtgen, no Bulge, no Battle of the Rhine -- and the very real possibility of the Western Allies reaching Berlin first. That's from a purely military point of view of course, the political considerations are somewhat different. Uncle Joe wanted Berlin for obvious reasons, so if for any reason the Western Allies had got there first, then that raises the scenario of a much reduced Russian land-grab in Eastern Europe, resulting in the soon-to-be Cold War turning hot PDQ....and if that had actually happened, then there's the spectre of the nuclear option being used in Europe. Counter-factual speculation is always interesting, indeed it can be a bit of pointless fun, as all the books on the subject illustrate, but perhaps it's just as well no-one's perfected a flux-capacitor that works in a Delorean........yet. ........ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadman Posted February 13, 2017 Author Share Posted February 13, 2017 Oh yeah, having slept on it and despite not being 100% happy with my depiction of frost and slush in this particular diorama, I'm just going to leave well alone and use the lessons learned to improve my next couple of projects. All the same, I do like the Medic theme and those particular figures would be easy enough to change out and use in, say, a winter 1944 Italian campaign scenario. I'd also like to get my hands on another example of that Swash Designs Field Nurse, (she's a real miniature sweetheart), but this time do better job and replace her slightly undersized tin hat before I paint her. This would emphasize how petite the figure actually is as she scales out at around 5' 0"; catalog photo shown below. Unfortunately, I must've got the last example that Fields of Glory had in stock, but the Swash website shows it as available. Hmm, never done business with a Japanese on-line store before, but there's a first time for everything I guess. Meanwhile, after googling umpteen images and reverting to google translator, the wife now understands exactly what kind of hairspray I'm talking about and is heading out on a mission to get some from the local Walmart later today. I had no idea there's so many different types available? Mind you, with google translator there's no real telling what she'll come home with; a pizza maybe? a knock-off Rolex, or a pair of socks?....who knows? Every Day = Another Adventure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nutsabout Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 On 2/13/2017 at 2:23 AM, Cadman said: Every Day = Another Adventure. Was this a Google translate too? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadman Posted February 15, 2017 Author Share Posted February 15, 2017 (edited) 1 minute ago, Nutsabout said: Was this a Google translate too? Naah, just a statement of fact.... My wife came home with what I think might be a styling mousse. I went out with her today and got what I think might be the right kind of hairspray to use with this Krycell stuff. She seems to like that styling mousse though -- which leads to the sneaking suspicion she deliberately misunderstood what I said. Wouldn't be the first time.... Edited February 15, 2017 by Cadman corrected google translator's grammar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisTheBear Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Nice dio there, Cadmen! The translations of hair products must be extremely difficult. While living in the north-east of China I used to regularly wash my hair with 'snake gall bladder hair shining shampoo'. DennisTheBear 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadman Posted February 16, 2017 Author Share Posted February 16, 2017 (edited) 9 hours ago, DennisTheBear said: Nice dio there, Cadmen! The translations of hair products must be extremely difficult. While living in the north-east of China I used to regularly wash my hair with 'snake gall bladder hair shining shampoo'. DennisTheBear Translating anything beyond the absolute basics is the stuff of pure panto. On-line translators are usually a last-ditch resort cos they inevitably get it even more wrong than my risible efforts at mime and pidgin English. Still though, this bag of swag I picked up yesterday ought to do the job of fixing that Krycell in place on future winter dioramas. So where were you in NE China then Dennis? Tianjin? Tanggu? Shangdong? Harbin? We're right next door to Port Arthur. Small world inn'it. While I'm prepared to believe there's hobby shops in the likes of Beijing, Shanghai and definitely in Shenzhen, I gave up and have ended up importing around 99% of the kits and diorama accessories I use -- mainly from Hong Kong and the UK. Having said that, we're going to Beijing on business next week and last time we visited the BIG CITY the Military Museum had what looked like 1/35 scale models of contemporary Chinese AFV's for sale. If time permits, then I'd like to go to the museum again and have a real good snoop at exactly what kits they have available. Cheers H Edited February 16, 2017 by Cadman spellin' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimme Shelter Posted February 16, 2017 Share Posted February 16, 2017 lordy dordy - standards just keep getting better and better on the forum. What a great build - I love the oil drum fire too - what a really convincing cold winter scene quite superb and a real good reminder of what our Allied troops endured all for the better cause back in 44. In a way, it makes me want to watch Band of Brothers and Kelly's Heroes all over again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadman Posted February 16, 2017 Author Share Posted February 16, 2017 (edited) 34 minutes ago, Gimme Shelter said: lordy dordy - standards just keep getting better and better on the forum. What a great build - I love the oil drum fire too - what a really convincing cold winter scene quite superb and a real good reminder of what our Allied troops endured all for the better cause back in 44. In a way, it makes me want to watch Band of Brothers and Kelly's Heroes all over again. Wow, thanks a lot for that man..!! To be honest, I thought it's pretty much about average, so I really appreciate the vote of confidence.... Edited February 16, 2017 by Cadman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadman Posted June 15, 2017 Author Share Posted June 15, 2017 Just a quick update to all my verbiage in this thread: I did indeed manage to get another US Field Nurse direct from Swash Models in Japan. She's ready to make an appearance in a different diorama fairly soon. Meanwhile, here she is visiting her sister and being bawled out by Wardaddy; 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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