Hello everyone!

It has been a while since I have posted anything and that is because college is keeping me plenty busy! Over my Christmas break I was able to get a new diorama started which I hope to finish up this summer.

Operation Citadel was the German code-name for the battle of Kursk in 1943. I was inspired to build this diorama after looking at some other Kursk dioramas I saw on the internet. It is going to be a fairly large diorama with a T-34/76, Panzer IV Ausf G, and over twenty figures! I got some of the figures started and a few that are pretty close to being done. I still need to flat coat all of the figures so they are not so shiny. The Tamiya T-34/76 is almost complete and the Dragon Panzer IV is ready for paint. The T-34/76 is going to have the tracks blown off on one side so the crew will be bailing out. I painted pretty much everything with Model Master and Vallejo Acrylics.

If you have any questions or comments don't hesitate to ask!

Thanks for looking,

Ryan

That's a lot of ground to cover !

Have to agree....king size, isn't it! And I know what I'm talking about!!

I will watch this one closely! So far, it looks really promising!!!

Cheers

Romain

That's a large and ambitious project - hope you finish it! I notice you heat and squish fender damage. It's quick but not very convincing. If you have a Dremel, Dremel the undersides of fenders, etc. paper-thin and then carefully damage it. It's a lot more realistic. And you won't melt your model! I hope you have yet to shade and paint features on your figures.

Hi Ryan,

I agree with Biggles2 ... Dremel instead of heat.

Looks great so far ... onward!

—mike

Very ambitous big dio. LOve it!! I know how that can be though. It's hard to keep your focus because it takes so long to complete. Hope you aren't like me! LOL
J

Thanks for the comments guys!

I never thought of using a Dremel for the fenders. I'll have to try that next time.

I know this is a fairly large and ambitious diorama, so I may shrink it down a bit. I will probably end up not using all of the figures I make.

Unfortunately I will not be posting an update soon since I am currently at school and my models are far away from me at home.

Hi Everyone!

I was able to get some more completed over my spring break. I got the Panzer IV all finished up and I was able to get some paint on a few more figures. I am also working on modifying a tank commander to put in the Panzer. Now with both tanks complete I need to finish up the figures and make the base.

Sorry if some images are not the best I took them with my phone.

If you have any questions or comments please post them below!

Very ambitious project! Lots of work.
J

I have to admit I do like big dios. Having built a couple the only downside is where to keep the bloody things when they're finished! The Pz IV looks nice although the exhaust looks a weird colour. I'd tone that down a bit. The Wehrmacht look a bit inconsistent with some in green jackets and some in green trousers. I've got to admit I've always thought that Feldgrau out of a bottle is too green and by that stage of the war uniforms were of a predominantly greyish hue. Have a look at some pics on the web and you'll see the variation between early, mid and late war uniform colours. I'd go for a standard grey if it was me. Nice work and I'll be watching this dio take shape. Keep at it!

Hi Ericvon

I decided to vary the color of the German uniforms because they were rarely the same color. I have a book with real color photographs of uniforms. Some are more gray and some are more green. The green-gray I am using may be a bit too green. I am just using the Vallejo German Uniform Feldgrau right from the bottle for the greener color and Model Master German Uniform Gray for the grayish color.

Hi. Great build. I am just finishing off a Tamiya 35t myself.

My next project is the exact same project as you, although with less troops - I have most of the kits now. I have the same DML Pz IV kit and soviet/Panzer crews from MB. I am currently on the hunt for a suitable DML T-34 with Kursh markings so am trawling the web trying to locate the best version which can also have the drivers hatch open for the MB Crew escaping.

Maybe someone here can recommend but currently am looking at DML 6479 (T34 from 112 factory), although most of the decals are unknown units and none specifically from Kursk.

Question for you. I like the way you show wear and tear on the edges of the Pz IV. Are you able to share your technique please?

You are 100% about the uniforms (my family fought in the German military (and Australian) in WW2). As the war dragged on the colours were less and less consistent as the dyes between manufacturers had wide tone variations and uniforms were scavenged (Afrika Korps was the same). My Tank relative wore a submariners leather jacket for example. I recently finished a Tamiya PAK 36(r) A/Korps and I think I had about 4-5 different tones for pants/helmets and shirts. So for Russia it is best to keep it mixed a little for realism.
Great build, look fwd to seeing more.

Hi Damien thanks for the comments! For the chipping on the Panzer IV I use Model Master Acryl Gunmetal and use a very fine brush to dab it on with. I just do a bunch of little dots around the edges where things would normally get more scratched up. Want a bigger paint chip? Add more dots to that area. Try not to get too carried away because that is easy to do. Sometimes less is more.