Hello again everyone

This model is almost finished now. I have just 2 nights out of the next 3 in which to add the final FINAL touches. The show is this weekend and that will be when I am drawing a line under this project and calling it totally finished !

Here is the final batch of photographs from last night after fixing the sherman down and weathering the handling points.

As usual the re-sizing from the site might make them look a little odd. If so, copy and paste the URL into your browser to view full sized pictures.














thanks for all the comments along the way guys. Too late to incorporate anything new, so if I've missed it - too bad for me

cheers
Jon

I see an award in your future. Really nice.

Well it would be nice if you are right there ! However, I am not one to assume so I have an agonising wait to see how it does at the show

Hi
Very nice diorama. Some very well made hedgerows .
Nice suble painting as well. Hope you do well at the show.
might be lucky to see this in the flesh if I get there.
1 small question is this meant to be a tank following another tank through the hedge.
The reason I ask is there is only 1 set of tracks that stop in a straight line & have not turned into the field & If this was the lead Tank then shouldn't it have some of the hedge covering it.

Hello Shaun,

in answer to your question regarding the tank - the diorama is set on the 11th July in the saint Lo sector. At the time the US forces were experimenting with their "hedge busting" doctrine and at the start of the particular offensive phase depicted here were using demolition charges to blow holes in hedges.

The doctrine called for the hole to be blown, with a wave of infantry passing through initially followed by a sherman and further infantry behind. The Sherman would fire WP rounds into the corners of the field (hence the turned turret and scanning commander) to neutralise MG positions and the infantry would eliminate panzerfaust/schreck teams to protect the tank.

The cullin device followed afterwards and allowed tanks to enter the fields without the prior warning of the hedge being blown, but I think the cullin device is a bit "over modelled" so I wanted to show this earlier method in action.

As the map is from the exact day of the diorama it ties in nicely.

Hope you do get to see it and let me know how you felt after seeing it in the flesh.

cheers
Jon

Excellent work, very creative, original, well executed.
The broken branches add a lot of realism. I'm always stiked by how small details (no need to be many, but just small) in large dioramas could adds so much reality !
The arrow is very imaginative.
And you could feel the wind blowing on the field !
Much respect !
and frankly I didn't imagine, at the starting of your dio on armorama, that this piece of hedgerow could turn this beauty !
Best,
Julien

excellent work i really love the base

thanks for all the comments guys

the diorama won silver in the IPMS Telford Diorama class !

I was well pleased with that. I had to leave at 11am on saturday, and didn't return until 2pm sunday so I had no idea how I'd done... it was nerve wracking stuff and I was delighted to see I'd won something - especially as this year there were more models and they were even better than I'd seen in my last two visits.

Congratulations Jon, good for you, well deserved.

Al

Thanks mate, for both the congratulations and for all your input over the last couple of years while this things been ticking over.

This weekend's show saw a turnout of the best models I have seen in all my time attending the SMW event and I am very proud to have got myself a medal alongside some of the great talent on show. I was also relieved to get my model back in one piece this has renewed my faith in humanity and the british public somewhat.

Congratulations on silver. All your hard work paid off. Well done.

Very Nicely done, like the closed in look of the tight lanes

Hey Jonboy
If there's a reward for effort mate, then this is the epitome...
Great job all around; creativity, layout vision and detail. Well painted too
Brad