I'm currently working on a build of the Tamiya Steyr 1500A/01 and have got to the stage where I'm composing the base. The initial plan was to use eight figures and I've done six, with the intention of waiting till I had composed the base before I finalised the poses and positions of the last two.

The scene is a 12 S.S. Steyr with a full compliment returning to base on the morning of June 6th 1944 after a trip into town to buy bread from a bakery. On the way home they come under fire at a bridge from british paras and the Steyr has crashed into the bridge after the driver is hit.

The rest of the crew are returning fire or helping the wounded. That's pretty much the scene. I'm pretty settled on the final layout, the bridge will have an embankment cut away under it, stone walls, and there will be a few bushes etc along the side of the road.

Where I'm looking for feedback/input is on the final two figures. Currently I'm looking at a seriously wounded officer laying on the bridge and the final figure moving around to the left of the Styer from the rear carrying a first aid pack.

This is shown in the first six photos, the last two show it without these two figures. What I'm looking for is people's opinions on whether of not these two are necessary, if they add to the scene of if their absence detracts nothing. I can't decide if they clutter it, or if they fill it out properly. Sometimes I look at it and I like them there, sometimes I don't.

I would shorten the bridge, there is a lot space in front of the Steyr and all the action is in back (as it should be). This puts all the visual weight to the 'left'back of the diorama. If you move the whole thing forward it will give the action a bit of room to breath and you can add details too.
The two figures are fine and add to the scene. Be careful of how you mold the officer on the bridge, think hard about how he would dismount the vehicle and how he would fall.

Very nice looking so far, I like the story and the figures look like they fit the scene well. I would move the vehicle up a bit to fill the empty space in front. The final two figures add more drama, and help fill the space. I can’t wait to see what it looks like when finished.

Scott,
I would widen the bridge, scale wise that is a narrow bridge. As for the empty space in the front. How about a couple of German soldiers running back for the cover of the vehicle. It would give the impression of it being more than one vehicle involved in the ambush. The layout of the figures looks good. I will look foward to following your progress.
Tom

It is a great looking diorama, the figures are fantastic and I can't wait to see more photos as you finish. I also agree with the above posts, move the scene forward so the action is in the center of the diorama. The other comment also makes a good point, the bridge is too narrow but with the size of the base I am not sure you can widen it enough to make it the correct width so unless you are going to make a bigger base I might not change that if it were my project.

I would keep the figures. It adds backstory. If you remove them, it will look more like the Steyr crew left their vehicles to engage the British' paras. However, it will detract from the vehicle. More a diorama of figures, rather than the Steyr.

Thanks guys. I've already moved the whole scene forward about 1.5cm ( the left bridge wall is cut to where it now ends ). I don't want to move it too much further forward till I've done the undercut under the bridge as I don't want the "weight" of the scene too far forward.

I actually thought the bridge was too wide, it scales out at 3.5m between the walls and is based on a small local bridge of similar vintage which is 2.8m wide. From the photos I've found French country lane bridges seem to be little wider than needed to fit a horse and cart across so I had to go with something a little more substantial than my original plan otherwise it cramped the Steyr too much ( they're bigger than most people realise ).

This is the bridge I finally settled on as my guide, though a little more simplified and probably without the flared ends as I have a narrower waterway in my vision. Originally I had envisioned a shortish ( 15-20m ) bridge over a narrow, shallow waterway on a back country lane, but now will be going with a slightly larger bridge on a secondary road.



I did briefly toy with the idea of doing the full bridge with half a dozen paras at the other end but once I laid it out it seemed too long and narrow and left the Steyr too far to the right which seemed to unbalance it all ( unless I added a para jeep or two at the other end - a sort of "race to the bridge" scene ). Mainly as to do the bridge justice and not have the action look like the paras are incredibly bad shots to only wound two at that distance it needed to be around a meter long but only 30cm wide with a lot of empty water in the middle.

Make sure you get some damage on the Steyr. If it's crumbling the stone masonry wall of the bridge, by all means the sheet metal fenders, steering mechanism, etc would be damaged.

Already covered, the left front corner has had the kit fender replaced with one made from foil ( it's on my build log HERE so once I'm satisfied with the positioning and the bridge wall is built the fender will get crumpled. The bumper has been prepared also and the front panels separated and "realigned", as have the lights on that side.

The masonry won't be that damaged, the cut-out is just to allow me to line up the Steyr in it's final position once the fender is shoved in.

Okay, I think this is where it's going to end up. Anyone got any input before I get to the plastering and sculpt the landscape ?

The tree will be finished with foliage and there will be a small hedge along the mound at the front left plus a few mid height bushes along the back. The road edges will be bevelled and the plastering will blend it all in.

The bridge does still feel a bit empty but short of adding a fallen para right at the front there doesn't seem much that can be added without looking out of place.

Yeah, now that is looking good! Great layout and story. I think it looks fine.

The basic base layout is now done and positions are finalised. Ignore the state of the base, it still needs work, the non cracking modelling clay cracked faster than a teenage suspect on a CSI episode and the bushes are just temporary stand-ins to give me a sense of size and placement so I can get a feel for the overall effect. The end of the bridge seemed a bit empty so I’m toying with the idea of adding a fallen Para to both fill the space and give more background to the story, to make it a bit more self evident just what is happening ( the figure there is just parts from the spares box to give a rough idea of how the figure would look in that position ).

So looking for a few opinions. Keeping in mind the depiction is not an organised ambush but more a chance encounter of two groups arriving at the same place at the same time and coming to blows.

Does the added figure seem out of place ? Does it seem inappropriate ? Does it give you a better sense of the cause of the incident, ie that it is an engagement between local German and Paras that arrived overnight ( keeping in mind the title will include the bi-line "Normandy, 0615 June 6 1944" under the title )