Hahaa! So the campaign begins!

I have a Russian BT-7 going over a trench and a German tank hunter team (Dragon German Panzerjäger Eastern Front 44) fearlessly approaching it to plant some mines on the tracks. I heard that these tanks were not in use in Kursk ´43 anymore and my figures date to ´44, but I´ll try to dig up some reference to place this scene in some historical event. The figures are so basic that you really can´t tell the difference from the equipment.

I have built the Zvezda tank to the point where I dryfitted the wheels. The kit might be accurate but I´m not too happy with it. Plastic is horribly soft and after a while I just used a tube of CA glue to get it done. A few glue stains doesn´t matter as the tank will be very muddy and dirty.
I also started with the base and I´m working on the base elevations. The trench will include abandoned MG position, sandbags and ammo boxes.
More updates soon!



Cheers,

Toni

Sort of an update: a Photoshop drawing.
I kinda made up my mind about the trench layout.
The steel beast is just about to rumble over the trench. Two tank hunter Germans approach the right side of tank to place charges on the chassis.
About the flag...did they use flags like this?



I´ll add some real life photos of the base tomorrow when I get my camera connected!



Toni

looking good envar! I love the way you have the suspensions placed. This is something i must try out. The effect of movement is more realistic than having them all running on flat ground. Nice art work as well. this is something that is getting more common all the time. Missing links has a forum for this now as well!

Envar, I think the had flags on their tanks like that. somehow it looks familiar. if they weren't used like that then maybe you should have a crumpled Nazi flag in the trench?

Toni,

In the BT-7 timeframe, the panzerjägers wield something less effective than the Heft-Hohladung ATMM that one is busily strapping on the side of the tank. The tank was generally withdrawn from frontline ETO service in 1942.

Any number of improvised demo charges would be usable against this tank in pre-42, such as "Geballte Ladung" which was 6 hand grenade charges wired around a single potato masher. I think the Tamiya German Infantry weapon set has one.

Mika

Thanks for the comments guys!

Pnzr-Cmdr,
I think I use the red flag on the tank. It´s a nice contrast to the green beast. Of course, one possibility would be to place a large nazi flag inside the trench bunker...it would barely be visible...gotta think about this.

Mika,
thanks for the info! In case I´d use the "Geballte Ladung" or other kind of satchel, I will probably move those figures to a throwing distance. Do you know if Germans had their own "sticky bombs"? Somehow I like the idea of being in physical contact with a moving tank...quite scary. In fact I think any kind of bag or unrecognizable thingie would serve as a tank killing device this guy is planting...

And now some updates. I have dryfitted the basic elevations with styrofoam. I want the tank to be far left, to my eye it gives space for the situation two seconds after this scene and it gives the tank some room to move.





A bit more dynamic angle:



I noticed that the trackjob will be hell with the kit´s tracks. Maybe I just have to put 25 euros to proper single link tracks. They would really make the difference here!

Cheers,

Toni

So far so good about the planning. I hope the rest goes too good. keep us updated. Also i think the track session will be too exposed so it need more work than any other point

NIce idea, I also like the plan of the dio...
I don't like too much the flags.. I think it's a bit not real...
post photos of your in progres dio please

Nice plan so they will blow that sucker to pieces great (++) (:-)

This probably fits the bill:



which could be thrown but worked better jammed somewhere on the offending vehicle.

I've also seen pictures of these improvised, where the heads were wired together rather than being a pre-formed piece.


Mika

Toni, did you actually DRAW that with photoshop ???

Err...yeah. I just hope I had a drawing pad and a pen. This was made in fifteen minutes with a mouse. It´s all building up shadows and highlights I guess. Like painting a figure. #:-)

Toni

you did that with photoshop!, I can't do that with pencil and paper!

Some more photoshopping and sketching.

My theme wanders around.
I want to use an accurate historical battle to put that BT-7 in, and I´m beginning to warm up with an idea of Winter War. Some time ago I decided to do something else next than Finland- or snow-related diorama, but after trying this out in photoshop makes me think again. Those cut trees and heavy snow would look outstanding.
I would probably re-think the figures too, this action going on isn´t convincing anymore.
Maybe a group of men fleeing from the trench towards us and one guy lighting up a satchel charge. I even got a name plate engraved ready: It says "Got a light?"
I had it engraved a year ago for a project similar to this, but I didn´t even get it started back then.
Going this way means also lots of figure scratchbuilding in order to make german soldiers appear as Finns in snow suits...

Any comments are welcome!





Cheers,

Toni

didn't the fins use molotov cocktails? lighting up a satchel charge doesn't really sound realistic. Either just a satchel (unlit) or a molotov.

Wow very nice draw!! it will be a great dio, I'm sure of that!!!
Good luck

Envar,
Looks really great those figs look very well in the dio cant wait to see it finished

Well, I just call it satchel charge. I mean, they had all kind of scratchbuilt stuff, one was a wooden stick with TNT wrapped around it with wire. And those things had a fuse.
There was a proper design, too with a potato masher grenade handle and fuse with TNT. The Finns also used Molotov cocktails, and the Russians placed tree branches over engine exhaust grills to prevent the bottles braking. I´m going to use the branhes on the BT-7.
Hmm. Perhaps a a Molotov cocktail would be more recognizable. Maybe I use that instead of a satchel charge...

Thanks for the comments,
Toni