Stunning project and maybe a bit overwhelming eh? But you seem to enjoy the process and the results are outstanding. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers
Dave🙂
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Thanks Dave,
And you make a very valid point - we should all avoid becoming overwhelmed, even by our hobbies.
I like to think that I generally settle into a natural natural rhythm of feverish activity and inaction that keeps me in control… but once you get to the final ‘juggling’ stage of any project, even I have my moments!
But we’re almost there…
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Thanks Christian,
You’re quite correct - there’s no point taking all this time and effort only to make shortcuts at the last minute!
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Thanks Nimrod. Almost at the finishing line…
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Thanks Chepster, the black and white certainly makes it look cool!
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Thanks Tim - you are no stranger to the outer reaches of the stratosphere yourself!
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Thaks so much Nate! The big finish is coming soon…
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Thanks Senor!
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Actually there were usually quite a few bits of WW2 military kit in the car… but strictly for the boys when they were younger. They even had a toy bazooka!
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Always humbled to be praised by the MASTER!
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Thanks Richard!
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The other members of the Kampfgruppe.
All I can say is that this is the last time I plan to paint five figures wearing camouflage uniforms in a long, long time…
This is the bible:
It is quite pricey, but its worth every penny. One thing you quickly learn as you leaf through the hundreds of high-res colour illustrations is how varied these patterns were in colour, definition and brightness - even when the pattern remained essentially the same.
Most of the paints needed can be found in this Vallejo set:
It comes with excellent instructions for the oak leaf pattern, but not for the pea dot scheme.
This is the Alpine figure dressed in an oak leaf pattern smock and Italian camo trousers. He is unmodifed except for the balaclava and PE stock for the MP40.
Next we have the NCO.
He is wearing a parka in oak leaf and the Italian trousers. I especially like the Alpine head with the cap set at a rakish angle. However, he is supposed to look worried… I have still to add a map.
Then we have this quite bullish looking MG42 gunner.
The head is Hornet, but otherwise he is little modified from the Dragon Ambush at Poteau set. You cannot really see it here, but I replaced the original entrenching tool with one from Tamiya which was a much better size.
And finally the guy with the MP44. Like the NCO, he comes from the Dragon Wiking Armoured Reconnaissence set.
The sapper’s pouch with stick grenades is a really nice piece from a Red Zebra vehicle stowage set and the torch comes from an Armour Accesories set that I bought from Historex about 40 years ago!
As you can see, both are in the pea dot camo pattern, although I decided to give one of them the jacket and helmet cover and the other the trousers… partly for variety and partly to preserve my sanity!
I am under no illusions about my figure painting ability - no Calvin Tan am I. However, I feel that these figures will blend well into the cold and gloomy atmosphere of the diorama…
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I totally agree with you about the figures blending well into the atmosphere of your dio. The muted and darkened tones of the uniforms give the idea that they are damp, dirty and heavily used- I think you have done a stellar job on them Tim!
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I agree all those “musters” will drive you batty. I have now done so many erbsenmuster that it is kinda easy now as I have a tried and true method.
For future reference though, the Waffen $$ guys did not have the winter reversible cammo suits in the Ardennes. If they had any winter gear it was the long greatcoat or a few had some sheepskins. They shivered through that battle and the survivors got issued winter gear before being packed off to Hungary.
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Thanks Jerry,
I am agree that these things get easier with practice - once I had one figure done I was more ready for the next camo!
Now I did read somewhere about there being no reversible parkas in the Ardennes… and there don’t seem to be any on show in the well-known images taken during the early days of the campaign. But these images show only a handful of the soldiers who were actually there.
So, like a lot of these ‘absolutes’, I wonder if we can really be sure. The Neckermann parka was first issue to the WSS in late 1942 / early 1943 and since a lot of these guys were transferred from the Eastern front, it must be feasible for at least some of them to have brought their existing uniforms along with them…
Anyway, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it!
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The End Approaches
First of all, can I say to anyone who has followed me this far: thanks for your patience!
OK, so tomorrow is the 16th December 2025… which makes it 81 years since the start of what became known as the Battle of the Bulge. It was, in many ways, the beginning of the end for WW2 in Europe.
It was July 2023 that I started the blog with this image:
The project actually goes back a few months further. This was my first mock up in January 2023:
But it actually goes back even further…
I took this shot of my Dragon 250 in December 2021 which I had just purchased at Telford Scale Model World:
I had just won a Gold medal for my previous diorama ‘The Road to Singapore’, which you can see in the background above and below.
So I guess 2022 must have been a slow year for me model-wise. But, in my defence, I was doing my research and acquiring more kits and materials.
About 3 years before that I had finished another diorama: ‘Liberation, Italy 1944’.
So I guess this also reaffirms that my build rate for these projects is around 3 years… But hey, that’s just the way I roll!
So, as you will have guessed by now, my latest diorama ‘Not a Moment to Lose’ is approaching the finish line…
And, in its first outing a week ago, I am proud to report that it won the Diorama Class at the London Model Show:
So over the next few days I will be posting plenty of images of the finished work and reliving some of the trials and tribulations along the way. I hope you enjoy - but I also welcome any questions, comments or criticism!
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I believe criticism will be nonexistent… just another wonderful piece of work. Thanks for sharing your talents with all .
Cheers- Richard
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Love the way you’ve caught that split second before the action starts while the Germans in front of the farm are registering what their comrade is shouting about there being enemy close by.
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Great results Tim! Whatever you do, one is rest assured that the results will be top notch! And that award is more than deserved! Congratulations!
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