I eventually finished this diorama. Can't say I am an expert on any technical matters and I may have gotten a few things wrong, but used some artistic license. I have tried to convey some sense of the era with a US military patrol having engine problems in a semi-hostile environment.

Hope I have loaded these images correctly?

Clearly doing something totally wrong - can't get these images up???

The IMG tags only work with direct links to the images, you were using URLs of Flickr pages which have the pictures in them. Direct links can be identified by them (almost always) with the file extension of the file in question (.jpg in this case), and when opened in a browser, they show only the picture and nothing else.

To post images with IMG tags, you need the direct links. Click on the menu with the downn-pointing arrow on the right down corner of each image page. That brings up a menu with direct links to various sizes of that particular picture. Right-click on the size you want (presumably the biggest, as that's the one you've uploaded), select "copy link location" (or equivalent, it tends to vary a bit between browsers), and copy-paste that inside the IMG tag.

The 800x450 sized version of this picture looks like this:


Give it a try.



P.S
On the other hand, the URL tags make clickable links and work with both direct image links as well as page URLs.
The URL= tags work the same way, except you put the URL after the equals sign, and whatever text you want between the tags. Now instead of showing the actual link as a clickable text link like the URL tag does, it makes a text link showing the text between the tags and leads to the link pasted after the equals sign.
Like this

You can also put tags inside each other, for example to show a picture which functions as a clickable link.
Here's a URL= tag used to link to the original sized version of the picture above, but so that instead of text, it shows the small version of the picture that acts as a link.

Click on the "reply & quote" button under this post and you'll see in text form how these tags work.

Hello Nick,

I hope you can get the posting of photos thing worked out. I am eager to see the rest of the diorama. I like what I see so far.

Cheers,
James

Ok, thanks so much Eetu. So I am going for it again.

Hi James,

Thanks to Eetu, managed to upload the images. Just taken in my garden with my cell phone on a sunny winter's day. Please let me know what you think.

Cheers
Nick

Hello Nick,

Overall, I think this is a pretty good diorama. I like how you decided to show that one of the vehicles is having engine problems and that you have all of the tools out. You probably had some space constraints due to the size of the base. The Sheridan covering the track with engine problems wouldn't be that close unless if it is just driving by and is not parked. I am glad to see that you didn't overdo putting graffiti all over the vehicles like I sometimes see taking place in some Vietnam dioramas. One of my friends served on a RR track in Charlie Company, 2d Battalion, 47th Infantry (Mech), 9th Infantry Division so he will be interested in see your diorama. Since the Sheridan is in the scene, I take it that it takes place 1969 or later.

I like your palm trees and your hootch. What did you use for your palm leaves?

I like the pose of the driver figure.

Good job. I hope to see more of your work in the future.

Cheers,
James

Hi James
Thanks for your detailed comments. Yes, I was most definitely stuck with size constraints. Thought the Base would be big enough and realised too late, but persevered anyway.

For the palm trunk I used a type of plant that grows on dunes here for the stem and for the leaves used a mix of leaves from a local acacia variant which I dried out and then also used some laser cut paper leaves to vary it a bit.

I don't understand the hooch?

"Hootch" is a slang term for shelters and living quarters. In this case the hootch is the structure with the palm leaves as a roof.

Ok thanks - learned a new phrase.

I made the structure and the display table in mini lumber sections aged and stained. The roof is in dried acacia leaves and bits of a type of straw reed that looks a bit like bamboo.

I tried to keep it looking very basic and rustic.

Nice work Nick, you captured the scene well. Good stuff.

Al

Thanks Al!

😊

Hi Nick. I'm the guy James was talking about who served on a Recoilless Rifle track with the 2/47th Infantry (Mech) in '67-'68. My first assignment was as the RR gunner, and I still have a fondness (strange as that may sound) for that very effective weapon. Eventually, for the last half of my tour of duty in Vietnam, I drove the track.

I really like your diorama, overall. It tells a great story and you have done a nice job detailing it without going overboard with the topside gear, as some modelers have done.

I have a few quibbles with details, but only one important enough to voice, I think. I hope you will take it as constructive criticism.

It is unrealistic to show "top hood" opened in the field. This was only done in a motor-pool or repair depot, or sometimes, in a very well-equipped battalion or squadron level fire support base. This hinged portion of the top and glacis was extremely heavy and required the crane of a VTR to lift. It is virtually never opened except to effect a complete engine change. All the normal maintenance and repair, short of an engine swap, was done by dropping the trim vane and opening the normal engine hood. To get at harder-to-reach components, the removable engine access panels inside the vehicle, to the rear and left side of the engine, could be opened.

I experienced numerous breakdowns in the field and even had a track sink under me in a river. I also had an engine change performed at the Panther Battalion FSB while on operation. The more likely scenario in your case, if a quick look under the hood and a hasty repair did not suffice, the Sheridan would hook up a tow cable and haul the stricken track back to the maintenance section, wherever they were based.

Aside from this, congratulations on a good job with your diorama.

Bill Rambow
Author of "CIB - Combat Infantryman Badge" and "ROE - Rules of Engagement"

Hi Bill

Thanks for your comments and I agree with you fully. There is no way what I have made is absolutely technically correct.

For sure guys would not want to be static for too long, but again I just liked the idea of detailing the engine bay and making a little story. Including some interaction with the local population.

I did use a lot of licence to show the top lid open and it also made the recoiless rifle position a bit wrong because that would probably have swivelled away not rested on the lid like I have shown.

The guy with the big pack at the back of the Sheridan is probably unrealistic, but I just liked the fully loaded look.

Our army used to make use of these recoiless rifles in various configurations. I saw some captured Chinese made units from the war in Angola back in the 80's.

I really value your comments and appreciate the time taken to provide the input. I am looking at doing a Hue diorama so will probably look to you for some advice....

Cheers
Nick

My pleasure, Nick. I think you accomplished your objective; the diorama tells a vivid tale.

You're right about the position of the recoilless, but a bigger issue with the top is that there is nothing holding it up. There is a solid square bar that hinges from the top deck beside the cupola and connects to two eyes welded on the "hood" between the intake and exhaust grills. This bar must be pinned into those eyes to hold the hood up. Often, this bar was not even carried in the field aboard the track because it was a tripping hazard, but the maintenance section could be depended upon to have them. I guess you could tie it back to something solid with heavy rope or steel cable, if you had any aboard. I'm afraid there are no springs or gas struts to hold that huge assembly in space the way you have it positioned!

I'll be happy to give you any advice I can about your Hue diorama, but I was at Long Binh during Tet '68, and the Marines did things differently than we Army types, especially "Mech-Grunts" like me. Perhaps you'll find a Marine vet to serve as a subject matter expert.

The only thing for which I ever envied the Marines was their Ontos, used to good effect at Hue. Imagine having six 106mm RRs on one vehicle! Now that is firepower!

Good luck, and I look forward to seeing your next project.

a very dynamic scene, it's very clear that you have put a lot of thought and effort into this diorama.

well done indeed

Thanks David

Great work. Hope you build some more Vietnam Dioramas

Thanks Christian - I certainly intend making more. Have to make the time....