Thought I might open this one up a bit... I've been contracted by the City of Plano to display my works in their 5 local libraries, serving over 3 million people per year. Each library was also allowed to "create" a diorama request which I will build as a demonstration at that particular location during the weekends. One library said "you pick for us"... so in turn, I'm going to let the members of Armorama decide.

Tell me in detail how you want me to display the tank shown below in a full diorama... what do you want to see build? Rural bridge, with supply troops? Crossing an iced-over bridge? How many figures, what kind of setting and time period... you call it, I will chose the best suggestion and build it to your spec.

It will then become a part of the 6 month display I am doing here in Dallas, and then it will be donated to the DDay Museaum in New Orleans in your name. Don't forget.... you also have to supply a title to go along with the design!

So get creative... and let me hear from you!

It would appear to be soon after the battle of the bulge, the tank at the side of a road, with the barrel down and slightly to the side, with a half completed BOOBY TRAP sign on the barrel, with a GI with a paintbrush holding his thumb up in the classic artist stance. Title: "MASTERPIECE"

I like the twist of irony... good one.

I see this Panther at Stalingrad. I see it as part of General Ferdinands 48th Panzer corps.

There were numerous problems with the armor not starting because it was to cold.

This could be part of the attempted overtaking of the city with some Russian resistance setting up an ambush. Maybe the German crew trying to warm the engine up with some water they heated up over a hastily made fire with buckets of water from jerry cans.
Or an urban scene with this rumbling through and the ill-equiped Russians laying an ambush in the second story of a house.

Title -Typical spin of the feline variety - "Cold Cat"
Other ideas - "..Best Laid Plans...", "Not on the Mother Land.", "For the Mother Land","For the Fuerer"

id see it on a bridge.

The engeneers standing around it figuring out what went wrong with the panther's nose smashed in ice stuck in the wooden bridge. ive seen a photo of a famo crossing a bridge that let go when the famo was on it.

this seen would enable you to have plenty of fun doing nice effects with the ice.

Frank

I kind of favor the Battle of the Bulge myself. Seeing its a Display for a library it may be tricky to do an action scene.

If I were to go the historical route then I would feature the tank travelling on a well trodden slushy road. Travelling in the opposite direction would be a small group of men (some wounded) walking past the side of the tank. The Tank commander will look upon these men rather sadly knowing that he too will soon be facing impossible odds. That's how I view the Battle of the Bulge where brave men were wasted in a last ditch attempt to keep a madman's dream alive. The likely title would be "Against all Odds, Battle of the Bulge, 1944" or the "Beginning of the End".

The other route to take would be a lighter subject matter. Perhaps the tank coming up to a narrow stone bridge over a small partially frozen stream and right smack in the middle is a donkey, a man and his son just like in Aesop's fables. Except in this case the donkey is pulling a cart and refuses to move, the son is trying to pull the donkey and the tank commander is arguing with the farmer. At the side is a BMW with sidecar and the 2 German riders having a casual smoke as they have been stuck there for some time and looking at the argument with amusement.

Likely titles for this one would be "You don't happen to have a carrot would you?" (the farmer asking the tank commander) or "Time waits for no man unless he's a donkey".

i would put a interior in it then make it look like the fornt left tracks had been blown out and make it sitten in a ditck with a sherman cruzien pass with a couple of GIs looken at the blowen out tank.

cheers
matt

Not a bad idea Matt, but since it is already built, it's too late to put in an interior. I have been doing a lot of "toasted" vehicles lately, and they are fun to do... but the cost of the interior kits (mainly Verlinden) are pretty expensive... and scratch building interiors is tricky.

So assuming we are using the model "as is'"... where else could we go with this? I have plenty of figures in a variety of poses, and the hatches work, so I could add a crew - or not, depending on what is suggested.

So far I am leaning towards the iced over bridge concept... any other ideas? I have to start work in the next few days, so sing out if you want to be a part!

for a library I would do a simple scene -
make a small simple base with a farmhouse ruin and have the crew posing on their tank for a photographer.
you could add some kill rings on the barrel if that is historically accurate for the unit your tank is marked for.

possible titles: "kodak moment", "glory days", "say cheese...".
could as well translate one of the title sugestions to german.

Ola Keith

Nice contest mate.

Well let me tell you a scenario which I have once thought out for myself.

Looking at a white washed Panther Ausf " NoClue" I would place it in the Ardennes. Really at the end of Operation Nordwind when the Germans were retreating fast from the Ardennes region not to get crushed under Uncle Sam`s boot. Everything that could be taken with them WAS taken back with them to be of some use later on in the defense of Germany.
Have a hairpin curve in the road up a mountain pass where a complete horde of Germans in All sorts of vehicles are retreating. Opel Blitzes Packed to the max with weapons, Clothes, Crates, Munition, Jerrycans, oildrums, Couple of Kubelwagens, Lots of Motors, Vehicles with AA guns mounted. Loads and loads of walking infantry in a great diversity of Uniforms and from a huge diversity of units. Have vehicles carrying wounded and killed soldiers. An officer guiding everything so the retreat is going as smooth as a retreat can go.
Of course this all happens in a a midwinter landscape with a lot of snow. Pinetrees and firs, Lots of scattered material around. Etc. etc.

But it might be an idea too big