¹⁄35

1st Marines at Peleliu

The Figures

The entire range of U.S. figures (16 in all) are from the “Hit the Beach” series of resin figures sold by Custom Dioramics. The Japanese figures are a combination of Airfix Multipose figures, and the Tamiya set of Imperial Marines. While the scale of the 1:32 Airfix and smaller 1:35th scale Tamiya Japanese figures would be disconcerting to the eye if placed next to each other, by spreading them apart the visual difference is not noticeable. In all there are 22 surface figures, and two more figures emerging from the underground cave, visible only from the back and left side of the diorama.

Figures were all painted with acrylic hobby paints, and were augmented with some selected resin heads from the extensive Hornet line of accessories. Rifle slings, and the family knot belt of the Japanese officer were made from thin slices of pewter embossing foil, and painted with enamels.

The overall time to complete this large and complex scene was almost 100 hours, but was a great change of pace from the frozen tundra of the Eastern front, or the more highly common Western European campaign.

Here is a great site on this subject - Peleliu Site.