Hi all,

Haven't done anything WW11 in a while.Picked up the Tamiya LRDG kit for stress relieve from Kinetic.Nice kit with MB figures.I want to show it stuck in the sand by an oais.
Bought the MB commonwealth set and needed another vehicle to use the figures.First tried the Pink Panther,but for a general I thought it wouldn't be right.Monty comes in the set.Decided on the gun tractor,seemed to make more sense to have a covered ,armoured vehicle.
The base is styrofoam with Polyfilla added to the dune bottoms and what will be the water.Still needs to be sanded.Here's the base and the players in this.

Tom

Hi Tom,

Nice project. LRDG didn't use the Bren Gun though, there was a shortage and they went to the infantry first. Depending on your time period there are other options.

Cheers

Al

Thanks Alan,
I'm realy playing this by ear.The details and guns I don't know anything about to be honest.
Don't really know the time period.People,beyond here,that will see it will have no idea it may not be used.

With all due respect,

Tom

Hi Tom,

Some background Reading

http://www.lrdg.de/vehicles2.htm


http://lrdg.hegewisch.net/

Cheers

Al

Exellent references Al.
Thanks so much.
I always have problems with searches.I usually get a lot of stuff that has nothing to do with what I'm looking for.
Thanks again.

Tom

Progress update.
Added the sand to the base.Lately I've been using a product called Scenic Sand.Found in a craft store.It's waterproof and fadeproof.The fadeproof doesn't matter because it has to be painted.The water proof is nice because it doesn't turn to mush when wet and sticks to diluted white glue.www.activaproducts.com

After an airbrushing.Takes the glitter out and tones it down.

Pins added to figures.I always find this a must when using foam for a base.Lets you move them around and holds them in place when permantly gluing.

A trial fit of the vehicles.One side of the command vehicle dug deep to replicate it being stuck.Base trim painted.


Tom

Hi Tom,

Your diorama appears to be coming along nicely.
A few comments: Since T Patrol was made up of New Zealanders, it's likely that at lease some would be wearing what they called "lemon squeezer" hats, the sort we here in the US call "Smoky Bear" hats.
Your LRDG truck has the radio compartment open, and if that were in use, they'd have at least a whip antenna up, if not the long range rig.
If stuck in sand, they'd be using the sand channels and mats which every LRDG truck carried, and the tow vehicle would most likely be another LRDG Chevy, and as late as '42, possibly one or more jeeps. It would be unlikely to encounter an artillery tow truck in the remote places where the LRDG operated.

Cheers,

Dick

Hi Richard,
Points well taken.I'll do a whip antenna on the radio,but not sure how to place it.The long range antenna would be nice to do and pretty simple,but I doubt they would use it while trying to get the vehicle moving.For the quad,I'm going to trust your knowledge.I almost finished a Pink Panther at first for this,but the Tamiya kit was lacking alot of stowage and it's on the shelf for another time.I have an old SAS jeep already complete and just bought the Dragon version.Going to try both in place of the quad.As for the lemmon squeezer hats,doubt if I will find and not going to try molding.I have a figure waiting with a sand channel while the other is digging.I need to order some WW11 accessories for more stowage and,replace the bren gun.

Tom

Good thing you didn't go with the Pink Panther Land Rover. It represents a post-WWII vehicle from the '70s in Oman. Land Rover's didn't even exist until 1948. The first versions were built on surplus WWII Willys Jeep chassis.

Hey Gino,
Help me out on this one.
I'm not going to spend alot of time and money on this.
I've got an RG-31 just waiting to finish up.

Thanks,
Tom

Hello Tom,

You've got a nice diorama in the making here. Keep going !
Best,
Julien

Hi Tom,

I'm attaching a couple of photos of a Rhodesian S Patrol LRDG W/T Navigator's truck I built a couple of years ago. The antenna, more of a rod than a whip, is mounted on the right front corner of the bed.
As for stowage, LRDG trucks carried prodigious quantities of fuel, both in jerry cans and in "flimsies," the squared off 4 imperial gallon cans which were packed two to a cardboard box. Both cans and boxes carried the Shell name and logo. I scratched mine out of styrene sheet and printed out the Shell decals on my computer.
The rolled up camo netting is cheesecloth dyed in coffee, and the tarps are folded lens cleaning tissues.


I added a roll of wire for the long range antenna. The theodolite used for star shots at night was scratched (the tripod legs are toothpicks) and I also scratched the commercial Philips radio receiver used to pick up BBC time signals.

Cheers

Dick

Great job Richard,
Nice detail and weathering,exellent on the Phillips radio.
Thanks for the info.Helps a lot.
How bout you just donate it to me and I can finsh this quick .

Tom

Lots of thought and research went into this.
J

Hi Tom,

I did a build of two of these a while back. Lots of good info in the blog and the pics are still there.

http://www.armorama.co.uk/forums/164156&ord=&page=1

The finished truck are here, still awaiting a proper home lol.

http://www.armorama.co.uk/features/4103

Your build is coming along nicely.


Al

Wow Allan those are great.
Thanks to everyone for the input and support. .
Wife and daughter are away for a week,so I may bore you all with updates.
For now here's how it stands.Added the water,Envirotex,palm and starting remanes of old fires.Added the antenna,lost the Bren.Starting to repaint some of the old SAS jeep.The second is in the bakground.
Tom

Sorry.pics.

Hi Tom,

Great work, I like what you're doing here.

Cheers

Al

Thanks Alan,
Not the progress I thought.With no one home, ended up doing chores I've been putting off.
Added some foilage close to the water,not painted yet.Had to glue the command vehicle into place in order to fill sand around the tires.I usually don't like to add anything until the base is finished.Added dirt to the figures shovel.Thinking about using the shirtless figure and making a turbon from putty.The Dragon kit is terrible.It's been a big hold up.Parts don't fit well and the instructions are awfull.They show parts in place without any steps.Lots of PE.The only reason I choose it was the figures were different from Tamiya and they do good figures.
Anyway,until next time here's were i'm standing.

Tom

Hey guys,
Me again,am I boring everyone?
Very short update.
Worked a bit on some paint on the foilage,most of the day on the second jeep.Way to much PE for me.I hate PE.I can do most better and less time with styrene.The figures are a bit of a disappointment.Identical sprues beyond a choice of arms and heads.The heads look the same and there are no beards on any.

Tom

Hi Tom,

lots of good things indeed and just a few weaknesses so far!
You dismissed the Quad..and that was the right thing to do!

You enlarge the LRDG unit, and that gives you many more options for your "story".

The camel rider fits in nicely, but they are rarely alone. Travelling alone in the desert is close to suicide! So a second camel jockey might be OK!

What is less convincing is the pond and its surrounding plants. Water needs shade, and one palmtree is not enough.
The other strange lower plants are not too convincing either. They look a tad "aquarium" IMHO!

You should be careful when it comes to muscles! Very few men in those days looked like Conan.

I like the chevrolet a lot, and the guys busy to bring it afloat again are fine too!!

Interested to see progress!!

Thanks for letting us watch so far!

Cheers

Romain

Hi Tom,

The SAS did sometime travel out with the LRDG, so that context would be OK, but for an LRDG Jeep less is more I believe



Cheers

Al

Thanks guys for looking and comments.
One or two more palms aren't a problem.I'll relook at the other plants.Conan was just a thought,won't use him.
As for another camel I don't want the expense or left over figures so I'm going to imagine there are more outside the perimeter of this dio.
When finished I'll have the SAS jeeps coming from different directions as if meeting there.

Tom

Hello Tom ,

i like the groundwork of your dio , the palm tree looks a bit to straight in my opinion , the vegetation looks good . Great paint work on the vehicles and figures.

Looking good it's not boring at all .

Kurt