Hi Everyone, I have been working hard on my Axis vehicles for the Ardennes campaign. They have pastel work yet to do but here you go, please have a look and tell me what you think.







There are a lot more pics in my Gallery if anyone would care to have a look. Thanks in advance for any comments or criticisms you may have. Cheers Kevin

Kev, it looks good to me, im sure the pastels will tone down some glossy spots.

One thing i would change is the schwimmwagens propeller, too clean for me, ad more scratches, maybe some mud or something. The sturmtank looks magnificent! so do the figs


Mirko

Very good mate, can't wait to see this finished
Cheers

Hi Kevin,
Your dio is coming along great. I like the set up and am looking forward to seeing it finished.

kevin, your dioramas get more impressive every time!

are you going to be adding some snow to this? the reason i ask is i dont think the infantry would be wearing snow suits if there wasnt any around.

i think a light covering would be best, so it doesnt hide the groundwork too much

its good to see your dio has a story too!

regards

joe

Kevin -

Just plain fantastic. Every new update just adds more to an already outstanding diorama. Love the "refueling" and you've really brought it out well. A "touch" of snow and some heavy foliage on Hetzer? A shame to cover anything up in this diorama, but those touches would really bring out the overall theme.
Please keep us updated,

Blade48mrd

It looks marvelous Kevin! Each photo you send with more detail, the bigger our interest in seeing the whole thing finished... Keep up the good work!
Cheers and happy modelling!
Prato

Wow, this is going to be another great diorama! How long have you been working on it? BTW the 2 guys in the kubel look like they need a gloss coat, that or you have camara issues. :-) Is there going to be anymore figures?

Hi Kevin: I really like the story line and the soldiers trying to pull fuel out of the Sherman is a great touch. I agree with Joe, with those soldiers in snow suits, I think that makes at least a bit of snow mandatory.

Keith

I looked over your pictures again and noticed just a couple things, but you might still be working on them. The parkas are reversable, so you will have to put camo on the reversed side of it such as the folds, and the hood. The jagdpanzer's tracks need to be weathered a little more, but im assuming you havent started on that since it looks like they havent been weathered at all. The schwimwaggen figures might need a dull coat, their smock looks a bit shiny, that might be the camara though. Well im assuming all the other things ive noticed is because your not done with them. I cant wait to see this done, its gonna be another great dio from you!

My comment will seem a little obvious, but not unless you think about it. If the Germans are tanking it up, it probably would mean that they are preparing to use it. If so, you might want to add a hasty German cross over the star.

Jeff

Jeff, I don't think they are "tanking up" the sherman. More than likely trying to siphon. If you noticed, the left track is off the Sherman. I an really impressed with he exquisite groundwork. It'ld be a shame to obliterate it with a ton of snow, but you can pile it up in some places and keep it a bit sparse under the trees. If memory serves...the snow was QUITE heavy during the operation. Look forward to seeing how this one progeresses

What's going to be at the other end of the fuel hose? Are the Germans going to be siphoning fuel into drums or into another vehicle?

Also why is the Kubel going the opposite was as the Hetzer? Wouldn't everyone be facing the same way during an advance?

Kevin, very good quality work. The hetz looks nice. Don't forget to dirty up the tracks as you go. The schwim is well done, love the tarp on the back.

One thing you may want to ponder as far as the story goes. If there was previous traffic by the sherman they would have driven up into the grass near the back end to get around it. If this is part of the story then you may want to 'tamp' down some tire/tread marks over the grass on the high side of the road right near the back side of the sherman. In the 3rd image it look like there may be some representation of this. It's a bit hard to tell. I'd squish it more and maybe rip up the grass a smidge more.

Looking good .

Hi everyone. To start with David, Andy, Joe, Mike, Prato, Harrison, Steve, Scott and Keith thanks for the kind words. I am glad you like it so far. Now to answer everyone else's questions.


Mirko those are great ideas I will do that with the propeller. Thanks for the great Idea.















I guess I have to do it lol Yes there will be a little snow I think!!! It seems everyone wants some snow but not a lot so thats what I will go with.

Mike, I want to thank you for the fuel pump. I think it is great. Harrison, there will be a total of 16 figs I think. And they are a bit glossy, I'll fix that. the tracks and the other white uniforms will be dealt with as well. Jeff, the germans are taking fuel off the broken down sherman. That would have been a good idea for a dio though with them repairing or fueling one up. Alan, The guy just climbed up the sherman with the pump and is putting it in place. There will be another German figure carrying a fuel can over to the end of the hose. As for the Schwimmwagen facing the wrong way. That is a scout team or recon team coming back in, but they are a little lost hence the map being looked at. They have run into the hetzer and a group of infantry resting as the hetzer crew is taking on the fuel they found in the sherman. One soldier will be telling them they need to go back the other way. Scott, I wont forget the tracks. I also have tamped down and removed a bunch of the grass and bramble patch showing where the traffic went around the sherman. Perhaps I will need to do more. Again thanks for the comments and criticisms. It helps!!! Its so easy to overlook something when you are constantly looking at it. Cheers Kevin

Kevin - it you add snow that will give you the chance to muddy up some snow where AFVs traveled and it will be definite. Diorama's are always better in person, the photos don't show the tamping down very well.

I'm sure you will do a fine job on the snow.

Your doing a fantastic job on this. I can't wait to see it with a covering of snow. Please keep us posted.

I see a technical error. One of the major drawbacks of the Sherman was the votility of the Gasoline it ran on. The Germans were smarter. All of their AFV's ran on the less flamable fuel, diesel.

Roger

Didn't some Shermans have diesel engines? Could this be one of them? I do not know, but some of the Sherman guys would. Also, maybe these are conscripted line troops taking the gas and would not know that the fuel they are taking is gasoline and not diesel. Too many what ifs and unknowns to say it is wrong (that is unless I am proven wrong, which has a 1 in 2 chance of happening )

Jeff

Thanks again for the comments guys. Roger I'm sorry to say but there isnt a technical error. Most of the german tanks in ww2 ran on gasoline. I know that the pz3, pz4,pz5,tiger1E, and even the king tiger ran on gasoline not deisel...Even the little hetzer as is seen here was a gasoline engine, using the same fuel as the Sherman. In fact the battle of the bulge from the german stand point could not be a success unless it captured the american fuel dumps so it would have fuel for its panzers. Cheers Kevin

Commenting on the fact of the Hetzer being powered by Diesel..in part that is true..Partly...Later after WWII..Swiss model Hetzers were converted from gasoline to diesel. The German Hetzer ran on Gasoline.
Here is a link showing the specs for a German Hetzer Vs. Both variations of the Swiss Hetzer..(gasoline and diesel)
Hope this helps..
Mary
http://www.pzfahrer.net/hetzspecs.html

Mary is correct on the Hetzers with gasoline engines. This diorama is the Ardennes Offensive (Dec 1944-Jan 1945). Most if not all Hetzers used were the Mid or Late production vehicles.

Post-war Swiss G-13's (Hetzers) were Czech-built vehicles and all had been converted to diesel engines (Swiss), so this is also correct.

However, the late-WWII Jagdpanzer 38(d) Hetzer Starr was infact equipped with a Tatra (Czech-built) diesel engine. Only a few of the Hetzer Starr's saw action in the last weeks of WWII.

Kevins diorama is looking really good though. The overall scene tells a story of the Germans stealing fuel for their armor. Excellent work Kevin !!

Cheers !!

Alpen

Nice job Kevin, I really like how you have added such an interesting activity (siphoning gas) into your diorama. Looking forward to seeing it done.
Regards,
Robert

Hey Kevin this dio is turning out awesome! You know how i feel about that hetzer as ive told you already over msn haha. Well this dio should look great as you start adding figures. Just like die pressung, i thought the dio looked amazing without anything on it haha but with figures, it blew my mind. Keep it up, if you need any help write me...even though i think it will be me asking you questions in the days to come when i get into the thick and heavy of my dio. :-)
Regards
Ian

Kev. This one iis proceeding fast and good. The setup looks natural adn the grounwrk lifts the total quality . Just thinking of when weathering the white uniforms use differebnt colors in pastels from ochre to dark green some dark brown and blak. These unifroms pick up dirt and philth like a magnet. Ure doing fine Bro . Go one