Very Nice dio there Ron, I really like the way it all came together, the bruised pilot is a very nice touch.

I started working on doing some conversions to the US para-troopers for my dio, I looked it up and all I have to do is add a pocket and a tie off to the pants legs and the M-1943 uniform becomes an M-1943 para-trooper uniform. I've determined how my dio is going to look, I'm going to try and get my hands on a tamiya Jeep and have a scene of the Firefly's crew getting a briefing from a map on the hood.

I do have one question about the jeep, from some pictures I've looked at it doesn't appear that the American airborne units modified their jeeps very much to make them fit into the Waco and Horsa gliders, is this the case or did we modify ours like the British did?

Alan those figures are amazing, can't wait to see how it all turns out.

Ron: The Horsa dio looks superb! I can't believe how fast you work! Takes me bloody ages...LOL

Al: The figures are looking excellent mate. The use of the Tamiya legs is something I'd not thought of. May have to look in my abbatoir as I'm sure I'll have something

Hi Mark V,

welcome along.

Karl, Mobious, and Cody,

Thanks for the comments on the figs.

Karl,

The Tamiya legs make for a few more possibilities, just need a little filing down at waist level but should workout OK. The lower half of the para smok need a good bit of thinning too.

Al

Thanks again for the comments, guys!

I used real moss for the vegetation, the kind you can find on hot and dry places, like pavements and roofs. These have the perfect structure.
My building speed..... well, that's what happens when I really enjoy a build plus having a buildingarea in a centre spot of the livingarea makes it easy to do lots of little steps, while you are busy around the house..

Shane, I like the building your putting together. Splendid work! Did you make the bricks from foam?

And to all you "new guys"... welcome aboard!
Show us what you got!

some progress here:

I have some good green acrylic goop (similar to gesso) that I used to seal this off. I was thinking of doing the mud puddles in resin, since I have some materials on hand, but I am happy with the overall look of the mud at least to leave it. The green will turn brownish next, but should leave a nice underlayer. Vegetation will be sparse- so far I have messed around with placing some bits, but the composition gets crowded quick.



The motorcycle unit (motocycle and sidecar not yet pictured) and figures are also progressing. The in progress armored vehicle is not in the scene but leaves a sense of scale for the figures.

Hi Billy,

I see the 'enemy' are starting to form up lol, lol Coming along.

Hi Guys,

I've been giving this some thought. I'd like to do the early part of the landings. What got me interested in all this was the possibility of a Horsa Glider (see Plan B below ).

Right Plan A

Reading through Op Market Garden and looking at some references in IWM, this is one possible setting. Troops settting off for Arnhem from the LZ whilst the remainder start on the defence of the LZ, estabishing/collecting stores and setting up the defences etc.

These 2 picvs gave me the beginning of an idea:





I did some figure placemnt today just to get a feel for how things might work in. Paratroopers moving do a small dirt track, up to a main road curving around a building at the top.

Field of fairly long grass, with small farm out buildings where RAP is being set up and stores and communications established. Troops from the AIr landing Brigade starting to rally whilst other set about drigging trenches and setting up the LZ defences. Opportunities for another jeep and possible carrier/6pdr AT Gun.



Plan B

This extends the board by another 12 inches or so leaving room for the addition of a Glider if and when it comes.





This would open o up greater possibilities with additional troops/equipment etc. The curved road arounde the building (not shown) at the top also leaves room for a possible ambush scene in front of the house to add a bit of drama.



Other thoughts are to do one or two smaller scenes depicting the fighting/defence in the latter days of the landing. We shall see how time/money and thoughts and availability of new kits develop.

What I'd like to achieve is a sense of movement, size, activity and a certain amount of confusion as the landing troops get sorted out and the operation gets underway.

Al

Hi Alan, wow, what a cool plan, its shaping up nicely, what make is glider ?
Shane.

Hi Shane,

MasterBox have announced that they are doing one. It's only at the announcment stage so might be some time actually arriving, but I'm tempted by the larger version as I'd like to try convey the scale of the operation and a Horse would be great and should fit!!

Al

Hi all,
Really like the look of some of work thats going on here,can i jump on the bandwagon as well.
Just done my first build for the Airborne Campaign using resicast 3"inch mortar&crew based on the Border Regt, but have been planing to also do a dio of LZ"s of the Borders using Horsa's.
So thought this was the best Campaign for me to try,
AlanL- Really like your work there m8 great paintwork and detail.

Hi Shauney,

Open door as far as I know. Saw you 3" Mortar Crew, excellent stuff, looked great.

Welcome along.

Thanks.

Al

Hi all, i'm still waiting on the H-track, as i'm not going to put in the order till my exams are finished which is on monday, which isnt to long. So till then i'm concentrating on the base,
i put a feature on front of the building something similar to what you would see on middle ages houses
[img]http://
yet on looking at my ref pics of building in holland, they tend to have vertical lines, instead of the X thingy i have above, so i changed it to a more accrcute feature with the vertical lines
[img]http://
here what i mean with the 'vertical lines' i've also scalled down the brinks which makes them alot better i think. I'm on window frames at the moment, which i'll post in the coming days

till then lads.

Hi Shane,

look forward to seeing this one develop.

Al

I've been going through my stash, trying to source some figures for my dio, as the germans i have plenty of guys to chose from, i was pretty sure i had DML's red devils up there somewhere, but cant seem to find, i dont know what i did with them

but i did pick up their new monte cassio brits kit, and may use them swapping arnhem for a XXX corp scene, but i thought that elements of XXX broke through to the Red devils just before they withdrew across the river at the battle's end, is this true?

becuase in that case i could add two figures, one para and one tommie

any info on this would be great

Hi Alan, thanks for the encouragement. I am sort of stuck, because I am unsure how my troops will fit the scene, so thinking about scrapping the scene and starting over. I will wait to see how the figures come out though. It is slow going and I am going back to school (art school!) next week.

You new scene looks formidable. I hope you have lots of time, but you seem to have lots of experience and know how.

ugh, this is my first time with figures, and the results are not so pleasing so far. will post a pic soon.

good evening to everyone else. the progress looks good! I like the buildings.

billy

Hi Billy,

If I unerstand your scene correctly then you could have the General either in or by his staff car receiving the message from the driver about "Were're sorry, we haven't the facilities to take you all prisoner!".

The troops you have could be in the back ground running forward to form up with the kneeling chap waving them on.

Al

Hi Shane,

Not sure on your question I will check but I don't think so. If you need a couple of figures let me know the kind of pose/scene and I will see if I can help.

Hi Guys,

progress on the converts. I thought I better add a few red berets around the place.



The chap on the left I plan to make as one of the 3 photographers who landed with the troops. Interestingly they all wore the shortened armoured holster and pistol. The other 3 are the converted MB paras with Tamiya legs. The 2nd from the right will be wearing a bergen and bandolier, with rifle over the shoulder and carrying some equipment in his left hand, the next will be the radio operator. Here I have a choice of the back packed No 18 set or the chest worn No 38 set. He will be carrying a rifle at the trail in his right hand. The other is an officer type with a rifle, I was just going to make him a standard para but a bit of variety is nice I think. I might need to add some shoulder straps and I'm undecided about a bergen yet.

Once the plastic kit has set I shall add some staps to the water bottles and stuff.



Al

Hi allan, those figures you've done are great mate, as for the figures offered- thanks very much mate
as for the question i put foward about XXX corp and a small break through around Oosterbeek, i've found some info, that british tanks and infintry arrived at the opposite bank of the 1st Airborne's bridgehead on the night of Friday 22nd, over three days late. And several attrmpts to reinforce their positions in Oosterbeek by ferrying men and machines across the river but were largely ineffective. Maybe i will base my dio on this ?

I also seen some period newsreel of the battle and their scenes of normal army personal alongside the para's,

as for the figures offered, if you have para, in like a crouched or keeping low profile type of pose please let me know, and if you need any parts or the such do let me know and we'll do a swap


thanks again Alan
Shane.

Hi Shane,

PM On Route.

Al

Thanks Al

Hi Shane,

Your welcome, PM me your address and I'll get them off in the post.

To days progress. Still a fair bit to do. What is a pain with the MB paras are the very poor brasses on the front of the belts.







Al

Hi alan, i may not need the figures you offered, thanks very much all the same mate
i've been reading over market garden stories and i'm getting intrested in the Irish Guards advance from Nijmegen to the encircled red devils, though they never reached the paratroopers, encountering heavy resistance they had to abandon their advance, but i think they made it to the poles drop zone at driel. I am thinking of a H-track being hit by a bren team from the second story of the house. i've converted one of the Monte Cassino figures to be friing the bren form the hip, heres what i've done so far
[img]http://
[img]http:

Hi Shane,

The 'Micks' played a key role in Market Garden , encountering some seriously heavy fighting along the way, I'll bne watching this one.

Nice work on the figure, problem solved then.

Al

thanks again Alan for your help mate

Hi Guys,

The first of the MB conversions is just about done. Only remaining items are to add the small antenne bracket and antenna to the LHS of the wireless, but I shall leave that bit for now as I'm forever breaking them off!! Oh and some dust on his boots.

Bits used, Tamiya pouches , waterbottle and diggging tool and rifle, Legs and Arms, Hornet Tankers Head, Resicast No 18 Set and the signals bag was a bit off one of the MB bergens and the mike was from Formations. Lead wire for straps and sling.











Al

Hi Guys,

The latest efforts.

Made this chap a CQMS type ie CSgt.







Foot slogger carrying some 2" mortar bombs







The motley crew



Al