_GOTOBOTTOM
Dioramas
Do you love dioramas & vignettes? We sure do.
Assault on German Airfield - Suggestions
MishDorianApryl
Visit this Community
Wales, United Kingdom
Joined: August 18, 2008
KitMaker: 15 posts
Armorama: 12 posts
Posted: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 01:04 AM UTC
Like I mentioned in my first thread, I want to make a dio where allied forces attack german airfield. I got an idea from this kit -




, which I wanted to buy , but then my imagination kicked in and I figured out I could just buy some 22"x48" frame and scratch-build the scenery with clay. I'm gonna get that airfix set anyway, and since it's airfix I'll probably use it's models for burnt/destroyed units. I already have Jagtiger, but that leaves me with some painting dillemas, and I want to at least try to keep the scene authentic (without bringing a re-painted JS-2 with german decals, just because I can!).

So I have a few questions. Were all Jagtigers painted in sand-yellow/olive-green camo, or can I rather paint it in solid panzer grey?
If not, did Germans have Western front divisions painted all-yellow/olive camo, or I'll have to let my jagtiger stand out with all those Opel Blitz'es and PaKs painted in grey?

Have Jagtigers ever travelled alone, or if I am to bring it in my airfield's defence I'd have as well build a few kingtigers or something?

Also, if allies had been planning an assault on Germans knowing they're gonna have a tank destroyer there, how would they plan an offensive? 3 million shermans, or RPG-guys, or Pershing/Wolverine?

It's the early 1945, so would Germans still have 'elite troops'? I plan on buying this set, but I don't know if it would be history-friendly.





martyncrowther
Visit this Community
England - West Midlands, United Kingdom
Joined: September 12, 2007
KitMaker: 1,548 posts
Armorama: 1,407 posts
Posted: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 02:12 AM UTC
yes if you the "Elite troops" are waffen ss and yes they served till the end of the war so yes go ahead and buy them i will be watching this 1!
GeraldOwens
Visit this Community
Florida, United States
Joined: March 30, 2006
KitMaker: 3,736 posts
Armorama: 3,697 posts
Posted: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 04:26 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Like I mentioned in my first thread, I want to make a dio where allied forces attack german airfield. I got an idea from this kit -




, which I wanted to buy , but then my imagination kicked in and I figured out I could just buy some 22"x48" frame and scratch-build the scenery with clay. I'm gonna get that airfix set anyway, and since it's airfix I'll probably use it's models for burnt/destroyed units. I already have Jagtiger, but that leaves me with some painting dillemas, and I want to at least try to keep the scene authentic (without bringing a re-painted JS-2 with german decals, just because I can!).

So I have a few questions. Were all Jagtigers painted in sand-yellow/olive-green camo, or can I rather paint it in solid panzer grey?
If not, did Germans have Western front divisions painted all-yellow/olive camo, or I'll have to let my jagtiger stand out with all those Opel Blitz'es and PaKs painted in grey?

Have Jagtigers ever travelled alone, or if I am to bring it in my airfield's defence I'd have as well build a few kingtigers or something?

Also, if allies had been planning an assault on Germans knowing they're gonna have a tank destroyer there, how would they plan an offensive? 3 million shermans, or RPG-guys, or Pershing/Wolverine?

It's the early 1945, so would Germans still have 'elite troops'? I plan on buying this set, but I don't know if it would be history-friendly.







There were just two battalions of Jagdtigers, the 653rd, and the partially completed 512th. All tanks photographed had the three color finish except for a few unmarked vehicles assigned to the third company of the 512th, which appear to have been delivered in overall Olive Green, and never received any unit markings. Those also had transportation tracks only. Overall Dark Gray was not officially sanctioned for late war tank cammo. It was authorized as a second, disruptive camouflage color only if Dark Yellow was unavailable. As it hadn't been manufactured in two years, it's unlikely it was used at all.
The first company of the 512th did serve briefly with the King Tigers of the 506th in the Ruhr Pocket battles, but there is no record it ever defended an airfield. If you are interested in the history of these vehicles, Stackpole publishes an outrageously cheap paperback edition of Karlheinz Munch's History of the 653rd Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung, which has hundreds of photos of this unique outfit, which started with Sturmgeschutz III, switched to Ferdinands, and ended the war with Jagdtigers. The book Panzer Aces offers an account of Ernst's service in command of the first company of the 512th, and Otto Carius' memoir, Tigers in the Mud, tells of the his command experience with the second company (a total fiasco, as it happens).
calvin_ng
Visit this Community
United States
Joined: June 23, 2008
KitMaker: 1,024 posts
Armorama: 753 posts
Posted: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 06:17 AM UTC
have u ever played call of duty 2 big red one before??? theres a stage with the u.s army's 1st infantry division(big red one) attacking a german airfield with halftracks and tanks in north africa. i heard airfix makes the m3a1 halftracks and the sherman or u could go for stuart tanks. tell me what u think i wish u the best of luck on ur dio best regards calvin ng
marsiascout
Visit this Community
Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
Joined: March 24, 2008
KitMaker: 1,247 posts
Armorama: 913 posts
Posted: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 06:55 AM UTC
Airfix vehicles are one of the worst. For 1:72nd ones buy Dragon. And the latest Airfix kits are pretty nice (the airplane ones).

Good luck with your diorama.

Lars
jjumbo
Visit this Community
British Columbia, Canada
Joined: August 27, 2006
KitMaker: 2,012 posts
Armorama: 1,949 posts
Posted: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 07:56 AM UTC
Hey Mish,
Here's a great idea for an airfield diorama.
There's a great series of photos of the U.S. 15th Tank Battalion, 6th Armored Division capturing the Langensalza airfield near Mulhausen on April 6th, 1945 in Concord's "The M4 Sherman at War".
A number of M4 (VVSS) and M4A3 (HVSS) 76mm Shermans, a number of Willys Jeeps, a variety of GMC trucks, a variety of Mercedes or Opel Blitz cargo and fuel trucks, an RSO tractor, a variety of fuel trailers and some kind of aircraft tractor/tug are visible around the airfield.
There are at least six JU-88 nightfighters scattered around the field.
Cheers

jjumbo
MishDorianApryl
Visit this Community
Wales, United Kingdom
Joined: August 18, 2008
KitMaker: 15 posts
Armorama: 12 posts
Posted: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 08:15 AM UTC
Oh hell yeah airfix kits are the worst, that's why I'm gonna use them for "scrap-metal" models . Very cheap though, plus I got 25% staff discount at work so buying models is not a problem.

I'm going to go for mostly Italeri, coz they're surprisingly cheaper than Revell at my place, and after they had re-launched their range their models became really good quality. I remember thinking Italari was by far the worst when I was scale-modeling as a pre-teen.

And germans had Ju-88s in April 1945??! I thought they had used the last ones they had as airborn-IED's or something. I planned on getting one Heinkel He 177 and a couple of Bf109s for German planes, and maybe a crashed PV-1 allied recon plane (knocked down my german Flaks a day or two before the diorama's events).

Looks like I'll be painting German units in yellow after all. I want to keep it spring-ish, so hopefully they'll "lighten up" the mood as opposed to tank-grey. Dang, I'll probably need an airbrush for all this!

Thanks for the suggestion guys, I'll keep the thread updated along with my progress
jjumbo
Visit this Community
British Columbia, Canada
Joined: August 27, 2006
KitMaker: 2,012 posts
Armorama: 1,949 posts
Posted: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 11:45 AM UTC
Hey Mish,
Academy have a range of nice 1/72nd scale kits they may do the trick for an airfield diorama:

http://www.academy.co.kr/eng/ssCartimate/itemDetail.jsp?cid=8&iid=325&orderBy=iid%20DESC&imgMode=N

http://www.academy.co.kr/eng/ssCartimate/itemDetail.jsp?cid=8&iid=357&orderBy=iid%20DESC&imgMode=N

http://www.academy.co.kr/eng/ssCartimate/itemDetail.jsp?cid=8&iid=179&orderBy=iid%20DESC&imgMode=N

http://www.academy.co.kr/eng/ssCartimate/itemDetail.jsp?cid=8&iid=180&orderBy=iid%20DESC&imgMode=N

http://www.academy.co.kr/eng/ssCartimate/itemDetail.jsp?cid=8&iid=64&orderBy=iid%20DESC&imgMode=N

http://www.academy.co.kr/eng/ssCartimate/itemDetail.jsp?cid=8&iid=314&orderBy=iid%20DESC&imgMode=N

Cheers

jjumbo
MishDorianApryl
Visit this Community
Wales, United Kingdom
Joined: August 18, 2008
KitMaker: 15 posts
Armorama: 12 posts
Posted: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 12:48 PM UTC
Wow, these are really great. I'll check my local modeling store if I can order them. Thanks!
amerikaner
Visit this Community
Tennessee, United States
Joined: October 12, 2005
KitMaker: 34 posts
Armorama: 15 posts
Posted: Friday, August 22, 2008 - 04:43 PM UTC
I just bought a 1/35 Me 109 on eBay and plan to do a SAS jeep attack on an airfield in North Africa. Anyone have any pictures of German airfields in the desert? I found a few online, mostly just planes in the open. I'd like to see how close AA guns would be to planes.

Any advice on the POMK Me 109? I've never worked with resin before.
jjumbo
Visit this Community
British Columbia, Canada
Joined: August 27, 2006
KitMaker: 2,012 posts
Armorama: 1,949 posts
Posted: Friday, August 22, 2008 - 05:28 PM UTC
Hey Brian,
YouTube has a number of German videos of the Luftwaffe in North Africa.
This one shows some anti-aircraft emplacements:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wj0zNB1gMew&feature=related

Cheers

jjumbo
milvehfan
Visit this Community
North Carolina, United States
Joined: June 26, 2007
KitMaker: 2,116 posts
Armorama: 1,080 posts
Posted: Friday, August 22, 2008 - 05:54 PM UTC
Sounds like you got a good plan here, cant waitto see the project progress, Good Luck and Happy modelin ! milvehfan
amerikaner
Visit this Community
Tennessee, United States
Joined: October 12, 2005
KitMaker: 34 posts
Armorama: 15 posts
Posted: Saturday, August 23, 2008 - 06:18 AM UTC
Yes qutie a bit of stuff on there, especially about Luftwaffe aces!
 _GOTOTOP