Hi Glenn,

I saw this tobruk pit also, and I think both of those photos you have taken are of the same one, the one closest to the actual Point. I am going to build a smashed up concrete position re-enforced by sandbags.

To make the German grenade thrower, I am converting a figure from MB's Hand-to-Hand kit, the German holding the knive will become the grenadier. A huge thank-you to Dave O'Meara for sending me this kit as a gift (he was so pleased with the vegemite I sent him!).

Here is a plain old picture frame I will be using as the base.

I will get started today and will hopefully have some progress to show tonight.

Chas

Diorama Base
A piece of wood was cut and glued within the picture frame to add extra height.

German grenadier
Here is a mock-up of the parts I want to use for my German grenade-thrower. The parts are of course from MB's Eastern Front series, Hand-to-Hand fight 1941-42. Are there any major conversions I need to do to turn it into a 1944 infantryman of the 352nd Infantry division?

Look at the facial detail!

I now think I might swap the helmet with a more detailed one from DML.

Chas

German grenadier
Mock up MkII. The new helmet is from DML and so is the arm and grenade. Tomorrow I might get around to assembling it, unless there are historical problems with the figure...




The equipment I hope to use:

Chas

I have a couple of shots from my last visit to the area for your review:



More to follow
DJ

For great MG42's:

http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/vehicles/k59/k59_c009.html

http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/vehicles/aber/aber35l70.html

Some more shots:





Yours truly in two of the numerous craters that litter the area...Wow!




I have two other shots but it will not upload them
DJ

Nice conversion! The expression of the face fits really in the heat of the battle. If the figure is historical correct, I really don't know..




Jelger

Thanks DJ for the pics.

The 'chunk' taken out of the cliff you can see in the foreground of your first picture was probably the spot of the MG42 position. You can imagine it being there and then the next minute, blasted off the side of the cliff by naval fire.

John, thanks for the links, I am thinking about buying that K59 kit instead of the Griffon Models Ammo boxes/ammunition.

Jelger, I'm glad you like the figure, yes the facial features on Masterbox's figures are generally very good. Thanks for commenting.

Rudi has helped a lot regarding uniform accuracy here. Thanks Rudi

Updates to come most likely on the w/end.
Chas

[quote]Thanks DJ for the pics.

The 'chunk' taken out of the cliff you can see in the foreground of your first picture was probably the spot of the MG42 position. You can imagine it being there and then the next minute, blasted off the side of the cliff by naval fire.


[quote]
Chas-- correct, you can see in the background of photo 1 the memorial to the 2nd Ranger Battalion when I first visited the site in 1998, you could visit the bunker that the memorial currently resides on. It still had the burn marks from the flamethrowers on the walls and doors jams. Although, I do not recall the Rangers using them. So, like several other sites in Normandy, it may have been the results of a post invasion training exercise. Someone with a better feel for that action may wish to comment. Regardless, the area is very impressive. Also at that location you could see where LTC Rudder had his command post. Now, as of 2006, they have that all fenced off due to cliff erosion. It is still a well preserved battlefield. Really nice to walk through as is just about any place you visit in Normandy. If you get the chance, go for a visit. Omaha Beach still takes my breath away. The distance between the low tide water line and the wall which would have been a mound of rocks and shells in '44 is something to see let alone sprint across wet sand while carrying 60 plus pounds of gear on your back. Kershaw's The Bedford Boys gives an in depth discussion of the action. Quite a sight.
DJ

DJ I can't agree with you more. It trully is a sight to see. That goes for all battlefields. I went to Verdon and Flanders a while ago and it is just insane to see the land has hardly recovered from the battles there. Even here in VA at Bullrun it is quite impressive. For me though, going to Omaha beach and looking out over the beach from the cemetary made me quite queezy to think of the clear line of fire and exposed position of the soldiers coming across the beach.

-Mike

Hi Chas,

Your project seems to come along very well.
Lol, the picture in the frame you use for your dio is a view of MOntmartre in Paris
Anyway, hopefully, I wasn't a german young boy in 1944, defending la pointe du hoc. I guess many of them couldn't have been identified.
Keep us updated
Best,
Julien

Great ideas so far Chas. I just picked up the new Osprey book on Normandy fortifications so if I find anything relevant to your build I'll let you know.

Your figure is fine for Normandy- there were still plenty of German troops wearing Jackboots in 1944.

Hi DJ,

I have been to Pointe-du-Hoc, in June this year in fact! I have just returned from my trip to the UK and France and seeing the battlefield at the Pointe was my main inspiration for building this diorama. I was just so fascinated by it, perhaps one of the most famous battlefields yet you don't see many dioramas around dedicated to it.

Mike, did you manage to get up to the MG position at the top off the cliffs at Omaha? That view is amazing and standing inside the bunker is probably one of the best view of the beach possible. I'm not sure if you are allowed up there though, but no-one told me off!

Julien, thanks for your comment, yes the photo was just a piece of laminated card included when I bought the frame. Good spotting though!

Pat, thanks, I appreciate if you could send me anything you find. Good news that my figure's boots are accurate. It would be a shame to replace the legs as they are in such a good pose thanks to Masterbox.

Chas

I never made it up there, sadly. I was with my two great uncles who actually landed on the beach. My great uncle buddy actually fought with the 29th and landed on Omaha, then transfered to the 84th after the landing because they lacked veteran NCOs. He ended his military career in the Ardennes when a round from an MG42 took a chunk out of his back. The trip through France with them (my family was actually living there at the time!) was very memorable. I am glad you enjoyed your trip as well! It is a very beautiful country with GREAT food and wine!

-Mike

I'm a bit young for wine, but my parents think French wine is awful! Different tastes I guess. I think the food is (mostly) good though

German grenadier
I managed to get out the the shed this afternoon, I cleaned up all the parts and glued some together. I will be painting all equipment, grenade and the face separate from the body, so I haven't glued all the parts together (obviously).

I had to cut off the thumb and bend the fingers a little to get the posing right on the DML arm, the hand was previously a bit loosely held and needed to have a tighter grip on the grenade. This may sound crazy but I also separated all of the fingers!

This is a piece of 3mm plasticard, I will be using this to construct the concrete bunker.

Thats all for now,

Chas

Chas-- I do not wish to be overly inquisitive, but you are not of an age to drink wine??? Just how old are you?
I have doing this stuff for a long time and I am still trying to get to where you are with figures....
thanks
DJ

Hi DJ,

I've just turned 16 . I've been modelling since 2004 but have only been modelling seriously for about a year.

Thanks for following the thread so far mate,
Chas

Well, you certainly are a master modeler and we appreciate your sharing your craftsmanship with us. Keep up the good work.
DJ

I agree Chas. You are a great modeler! I WISH I was at the level you are at! And I am a few years older! Your progress is coming along great. Good luck! I am sad you missed out on the wine. In fact I could go for a bottle of Chateau Neuf De Pap 1993 right now!

-Mike

No, I don't think I'm a master modeller, I still have heaps to learn, especially with figure painting. Personally I think figure painting is the most difficult part of modelling. Everything I have learnt so far came from the 'master modellers' on these modelling websites, the Kitmaker Network. Thanks for the encouragement all the same.

Today's Progress

Barbed Wire

I started to make some barbed wire today using the technique by Martin Wasiak here.

Finished product (unpainted). I will not make this particular piece 'Concertina'.

Diorama Base
Here is my layout design. In the chunk in the cliff I will have a grapple and rope (see penciled in drawing) tangled in some concertina wire. The big space to the left of the figure will contain the Tobruk pit and MG42. Today, I managed to attach the other arm to the grenadier and do some conversions to the pockets (i.e 'un-pleat' them).

Chas

Hello Chas. Im keeping an eye on this one ... some very tempting ideas going on.
I would suggest you build the base up more .... maybe this height times 3 or 4, to get some idea of the cliff face and the scale! You can build up the back and sides with stiff card, plastic or balsa ... and have the cliff face showing at the front.

I'm 17 (almost 18) and have been modeling for about as long as you have, but my work doesn't look nearly so good. Keep up the excellent work!

Your writing is also very good - a rare thing in young men nowadays. That by itself makes you seem older.

Keep it up,
Samuel

Hi Chas ... sent you a mail with some further info .. let me know if you got it!