Ok, we got a lot of members who want to participate, so here are the final rules and reg:

Start date/ End date: Nov 7 2004, (Sunday) - Feb 6 2005, (Sunday)
What to build?: Any kit that participated on the Battle of the Bulge whether Allied or Axis. Dioramas are also accepted.

Scale: Any

Timeline: WWII - Battle of the Bulge Dec 16, 1944 - Jan 25, 1945

Build limt: none (for 1/35 figures, please post atleast 3 figures)

Participants

shonen_red
greatbrit
Grumpyoldman
steve203
PorkChop
Plasticbattle
USNavy2534
andy007
DRAGONSLAIN
airwarrior
jRatz
ShermiesRule
19k
mj
Longshanks
bennie
WeWillHold

So a total of 17 participants so far. Additional participants can enlist once the campaign is approved.

Awards: A special medal courtesy of one of our fellow modeler.

Say yes so I can fill up the application form.

Shonen,
Good to see we have some firm dates for the campaign. it gives us a lot of time to look for a model and plan,plan and plan.
I can't wait to start.

Im in as soon as its possible

2 agreed. We need 8 more...

Go for it. Shermie 105mm set aside for the build.

Due to this thing called college, I am having to be forced to end modelling for some time. As such, and I've mentioned this a couple of times, I have already started building my M4A3 (105) Sherman (Same one you have Shermiesrule) for the campaign. I will tunn it in obviously very early, but I don't in any way expect the credit for completeing it on time.

Shermies: a little heads up, the model goes together very well, one of the best model fits I've done (though I used to do aircraft so seamlines were very prominent and sucked very much). What is weird is that in many parts the detail is awesome and in others it...well...isn't. Oh well. The only thing that has me worried it the rear deck. It isn't anything like detailed images I've seen of regular tanks (ie not 105 armed Shermans). It looks fine asthetically, but not accurately in any way, at least just to me. My problem is that there are many detail images of 105 Shermans, and I'm too lazy to visit this place called Ropkey Armor Museum in Indianapolis, which supposedly has an M4A3 (105), to make 'em myself (though living in Michigan, you might want to yourself, if you want PM me and I'll try and find you some info). I may do it for those that end up doing this model for the campaign. Anyother concerns you might have with the model before you start, give me a PM and I'll try and help you out.

Yes. I am in.

I want to be in too, what I like is that it covers the timeline of the actual battle, with a little extra on both ends, I think I want to build a KIng Tiger

Hey dude! I have the same kit! I even got the M4 75mm :-) How's the seam on the barrel? Do you still need to putty it?

more than 50% of the needed persons agreed. I'll do the writeups now. Hopefully, I can submit it by Tuesday or Wednesday.

Shonen, I'll see if I can give it a go also I have a 105mm Sherman sitting in my stash as well as a pershing. Question were the pershings used in battle of the bulge? Cheers Kevin

Hey, Shonen....

Great idea, count me in!! Might be a 105mm Sherman, or a Stug.III ausf.G 10.5cm.

But I want in!!!, John. :-)

I was playing Blitzkreig (a game similar to Sudden Strike) and I used a Pershing on the game. Blitzkreig, trying to be historicaly accurate, I think it's a go to enter the Pershing.

Ok cool Shonen, I have blitzkrieg and panzer claws, I just never seem time to play them :-) But thanks for the info on the pershing. Maybe A diorama then. Cheers Kevin

Sorry Jack and Shonen. The Pershing was still still being tested during the Bulge. I all its infinite wisdom the army bureaucracy delayed and delayed the decision to go ahead with production by ordering up more tests during December 1944.

It was actually the Bulge that quickly changed their minds after seeing the inadequecies of the newly upgraded Sherman 76mm against firepower and armor of the Tigers and King Tigers. The first of the M26 were immediately shipped January 1945 and deployed in February 1945, too late for the Bulge.

USNAVY2534: What specifically did you mean about the inaccuracy on the rear deck? I just took a good look and other than the grab handles, which and solid tabs instead of handles you can wrap your hand around, everything else seems alright. OK there are the annoying pioneer hole mounting holes that have to be filled in if you choose not to use the standard tools in standard position.

Shonen:

OK, sign me up.

I believe I will do some small diorama representing GI's in some critical point, heroic stand. I have to do some research between now & start date to get exact idea down.

Thx,
John

Oh well, I guess I'll just have to hold off on that Pershing for another time then...maybe I can add a knocked out tiger, king tiger or hetzer to it then. Cheers Kevin

im in

sign me up,
I've got some germans that I want to build.
I'm in

Cool! Just give me time to work it out. I'm still in my studies :-). I promise, I'll do the writeup this week.

I'm not refering to the upper rear deck, I'm talking about the rear deck. The back panel and the panel that is attached to the lower hull piece. Pictures I have show the exhausts going through a grill. When I look at the detailed pictures and then try to take it in the big picture, It just doesn't look right., I couldn't find a "big picture" (also known as an establishing shot) of the rear plate.


Shonen: as for the barrel, lets just say they need a turned aluminum barrel for the model. No, it really wasn't that bad. I use Tenex plastic welder on things like that when I can't afford any gaps as I can't effectively use putty on something round and then have any hope of even attempting to make it round and since gun barrels tend to be round, hence my problem. Actually I love Tenex on this model because when you gradually press in 2 parts as opposed to slamming them together - yet taking into account that the solution sets in less than 10 seconds - you can control the small bubbling that forms from the plastic being melted. The effect actually looks like a weld line. For a gun barrel this is jsut sanded away, but for, say, the ammo ejection port piece, the effect is kind of useful.

Jeff

I'm in. I've got the Dragon 101st Battle of tht Bulge figs which need some building.

I have pictures!!!

Though I have advanced farther beyond this, comments are welcome.




While not shown in the photo, I remade the grab handles on the engine covers with wire. Also, the PE is actually left over from my 1/35 Italeri M1A2 Abrams, I've used only a few parts thus far; mainly parts that look similar to Sherman parts, yet are thin and have detail, and parts that haven't changed much over time. Who'd ah thunk?


Top turret of my 1/35 Tamiya M4A3 (105). I had to reverse the spotlight (the light was on the left side of the post; should be on the right), I added wire guards to the loaders periscope, and added a lifting handle and reworked the springs for the loaders hatch (see below for more info on the springs)


This is the overall turret. In addition to the details previously mentioned, I replaced the Tamiya .50 cal with Academy's MG set. I liked the Academy guns better becuase of the different ways to portray the gun.


The detail on the hatch was good overall - the kit molded on springs actually have texture, but seemed were noticable only to the touch, so to go excentric. The springs are like 26/28 gauge wire wrapped around a slightly larger gauge wire. Took about an hour to make both.

I remember a few things looking at these pictures that I didn't remember before. The interior of the commander's hatch has no real interior: no periscope detail (which I cut off from the bottom of one of the turret ones and should've done for the other turret periscope to use in attaching on the drivers hatch). Also in the fourth photo, you can see the .50 cal stowage bracket (modified to be stowed in the down position as it is molded in the up position) and the detail it shows. Then go to the brackets for the barrel to be stowed on the rear turret. There is nothing. Because of the curves, I reverted to just using a "V" shape to compensate. Why they go through the time to create that kind of detail and then negate to use it on the brackets is dumbfounding. And this sort of thing happens multiple times in this model (I just finished completely remodeling the horn on the glacis plate, which sits next to beautifully scribed lined lights that are smaller that the horn). I posted other things as they come by.

EDIT - As promised, more things have come back to me: the mold line on the wheels absolutely sucks getting off!!!!!!

As promised, I've finished the application form and called it Operation: Ardennes Offensive