I have a question or two. I'm in the planning stages of a dio using Dragons Battle of Bulge King Tiger and the eight Fallschirmjager figures in the kit. The base is a Verlinden street scene. I'd like to have the tank coming in towards the building corner. With the german soldiers standing around it. Thought about adding a couple of GI's hiding in the building ruins. One with a bazooka the other looking on. The tite might be " You'll Only Make Him Mad.". I'll try to add a pic of the base.
Let me know what you all think and any ideas and help would be greatly appreciated. This will make about my thirt attempt at a diorama.
Jerry

Ok lets try this again.

Jerry

[EDIT by EAGLE : Changed the url to make the pic visible]

You might not be able to link it from your server. Try uploading it into Armorama server

Hi, Jerry,


One thing about this. The base might be too crowded. With 8 FJ's a KT and a couple of GI's the composition of the dio might be too small.
If you could post some dimensions of the base and maybe a paper drawing of the layout we might be able to help with the structuring of the dio better.

Another idea is that the GI's could be positioned so that they fired the bazooka after the KT passes and strike it in the rear engine compartment plate. Then eliminating the crew after the main threat ( KT) is taken out. Just an idea to throw around.

Keep us posted on progress

Regards
Matt

Edit: I cant seem to get the pic to show. Its got something to do with the URL because i fooled around with it a bit and it still wouldnt work.

Alan ,Matt
I am trying to upload from my gallery . Not sure what I'm doing wrong but the pic is in my gallery.
thanks

Jerry

Let's see if this works

edit- hmm I'm doing what I usually do to post a pic and it's not working for me either. The pic is in Jerry's gallery, maybe one of you guys who's a little more computer savy can figure this out??

I think it's a plausible situation Jerry. The Tiger II's of sSS Pzabt 501 were involved in combat in both Stavelot and Lagleize. There are some well known pics of Tiger II 105 that due to fire from U.S. AT backed into a house and got stuck there, so I would imagine there were some bazooka crews around as at this point in the Bulge the GI's were really just trying to slow the Germans down with small holding actions here and there. But as Matt mentioned above, you might not want to "overcrowd" your base, so check and see how everything fits together.

Cheers,
Mike

Uploaded from my kitmaker gallery.

I think the dio may be a bit crowed, too. Leave off the supporting infantry, maybe? Firing on a KT with a bazooka would be pretty much of a suicidal exercise even without the KT having close infantry support.

Shaun

Hi Jerry:

I think the diorama idea is workable if not exactly 100% historically accurate. I believe the eight Fallschirmjagers are riding the tank? That negates the crowding issue. As for the accuracy, there is a series of famous photos of the Fallschirmjagers riding the KT in Pieper's kampfgruppe and they are all in a wooded, not a town environment. Also, while I am not positive about this, I believe that Pieper's KT's brought up the rear of his battlgroup, thus minimizing the chances of an ambush scene that you describe, but, that is your choice as it is your diorama. Hope this helps.

Keith

personally i love the idea! The title is awesome haha. I actually dont think it will be too crowded, but that is including that some of the FJs are riding the tank...go with the idea and post some more pics!
Ian

Actually Keith 222 was finally knocked out in a rural situation ..you can see the final resting place of this famous tank is surrounded by buildings..This is the same tank as we see in the pictures of the paratoopers on the engine deck ..Now were they still around at the end ...???? who knows..



Rick

Thanks again to everyone that came to my aid. .
I do plan on having some of the Germans riding the Tiger. The base is fairly big I think. It's 10" by 11". And I planned on only adding only one or two American GI's.Some of the German figures are shown smoking so I think the ambush idea might work.
I'm supposed to have a 4 day weekend, key word is supposed. If I do, I'll be able to get started on the Tiger and will post pics as I go.
Will definately be asking lots of questions as I go, especially when I get to doing the base. Never done anything that big.
Thanks again
Jerry

Zoomie50 -

Think your idea definitely has merit and would be plausible. Even though the famous King Tiger "222" with the Fallschirmjager riding pictures were of sSS Pz-Abt 501 KTs moving up to the front, there are several references of the fighting paricularly in Stavelot involving those same KTs. With the attack/counter-attack action going on in this town, I believe it would be quite possible to show this type of action. The KTs were used more to "hold/defend" positions as their maneuverability was very limited in the muddy, narrow confines. As "theBear" pointed out, "222" was knocked out in Stavelot and there is a picture of it (Osprey's Campaigns "Battle of the Ardennes 1944 (1)") near buildings close to the stone bridge over the Ambleve that was so heavily fought for. I fact I think "theBears" picture is a close up of this scene. Hope this helps some. The issue of crowding in your scene is something to consider. Give yourself and us some layout ideas to look at and "play" with. Anxious to see this project progress.

Blade48mrd

The kit comes with markings for "222", 2/sPzAbt 501, Ardennes 1944. Is this the same unit you're talking about, showing my ignorance here.
The kit contains numbers in black & white, red & white, a blue green and white and yellow. All in all it shows markings for 45 different tanks.
Thanks all
Jerry

I am really deep into this subject, and if I ever get enough spare time, I might get to finishing the exact same kit! I feel you on getting enough spare time.
Anyway, Peiper had FJ riding on the KTs in the end of his column due to a demand by him to have FJs attached to his unit to support the flanks of his breakthrough. The iconic film of KT #222 w/ all of the FJ riding on it was taken on the 17th December '44, and #222 was knocked out in Stavelot two days later. However, the various accounts that I have read have the FJ bailing off of, and away from, Peiper's column short of the town after getting into contact w/ GI "stragglers". In my humble opinion, the city dio w/ GIs sneaking up to knock out a KT would be more historically plausible, but without the accompanying FJ (perhaps some resting W-SS Grenadiers?)- but, in the end, it all boils down to what makes you happier as a modeler to make. Cheers either way!