This was a lot of fun to build. Once again it cost me a lot more than my original budget but... oh well.

This was the initial idea


This is the completed project


I'll get better daylight pics later but it's been pouring rain all week. Can you find the traditional Sherman Easter Egg in the dio?

Nice Dio, but a few things. Have you given it a nice flat coat, and why isn't the artillery crew dirty?!?!! :-)

Alan,

As I'd seen from your first posted pic, your M-101 Howitzer dio looks so good, just a little suggestion about the position of the M-60 MG in opposite position for the troop's sercurity and ready for counter-attack to the NVA Sappers. Bravo!

Very nice job indeed!!! Maybe just the lighting (and I hate doing figures myself!) but either a flat coat or some dust on the uniforms would help pull down the highlights.

Can't find the Easter Egg, any "hints"?

Hi Alan,

Coming along nicely. Remember that the live rounds wouldn't have been left on the dirt, they would have been stacked on a tarp at the very least or some kind of wooden pallet to keep them clean and off the dirt.

I like the tin shack but this two would have been better protected with sandbags etc.

Thanks for posting the pictures, sldrs all look a bit clean, however the two guys watching seem to be enjoying the show!!

Thanks again

Cheers

Al

In all my dios there is a part or a reference to something Sherman. In this case it's a part.

As for the uniforms I think the indoor flash has washed out the highlights and dirt. They do have dust on them. The same flash effect has washed out the coloring of the tarp. If you look carefully you'll see the edges. Hopefully some outdoor pictures with better lighting will bring out these details

I would have liked to done more with the bunker for it was an unplanned addition in a limited space. If you look in the original photo I didn't even have space for the bunker. I had to use a Dremel to grind out a hole after the original base was set.

Thanks for looking

Hi Alan,

Looking at the picture again I can just make out the outline of the trap you spoke of. However, two small things; as this is a fixed position I think a pallet or some sort of wooden structure would be more appropriate for the ammo and would they throw the spent shells in front of the access path to the ammo?

The flash has certainly killed off any contrast in colour, but for me the exposed earth should have a much rustier colour and there would be a beaten track to the ammo pile.

Just some thoughts, but as you say it's not the best picture, so those elements might be there but have got lost by flash.

Cheers

Al

LOL! The M60 is sitting on the roof of the bunker because I just painted it and it's drying!! It will not be in the final product.

Still no luck finding the Sherman Easter Egg?????

i see the egg. I can't wait for the outdoor pictures. I'd like to see the contrast. looks good except.... that one guy's bandanna would not be that white

THE SHOVEL!!!

Gee... I hope I'm right....

The shovel is incorrect. It came from the Italeri Tool Set.

Guess again! It just might kick you in the butt!

Did you guys try to find the Easter Egg in my Berlin'45 dio??
https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/75281&page=1

I think I see the easter egg.
btw dio looks nice

DOH!!! Found it! Nice touch!!!!

I agree with the comments on the ammo. I'm more familiar with storage with separate loading ammo, and with semi-fixed you would NOT separate the rounds on one side and the powder on the other like you do with separate loading.

However one thing I have seen would be a pallet or two (something the get the rounds off the ground) and a structure over it with a tarp on the sides and top. I'm not sure if it would matter too much, but you could probably have the rounds stacked lying down side by side (fuze side out), or you could have them standing up. I've seen either way. The tarp keeps both sun and rain off the ammo which is handy when you're cutting the charges. The projo would be out so that if you get a call for illum or smoke (as opposed to HE) you can quickly spot them and with the fuze out, if you need to remove the "PD" (point detonating) fuze and replace with either a time or proximity fuze, you can get to it. Most positions might have a mix of projo types, and fuze types, but having all HE/PD is NOT wrong either.


Altogether a very good build!!
Tom

Final outdoor pics

Turned out really well Alan. All those little details came together very nicely.

Looks really good. You might want to take off the Sherman road wheel though, it looks out of place. Also, most, if not all, soldiers had helmet covers with camo bands on them in Vietnam. They wore what was called the Mitchell Leaf Pattern. Looks like this.


Pattern blown-up:


These few changes and it wil look great. Good job.

Gino, you're not supposed to give away the secret .


Only thing missing from the helmet cover is some choice grafitti. Usually you'd get a nice big "peace sign" and perhaps the initials "FTA".

One story I heard was that a general was chewing out a young soldier at a Fire Base for having those initials on his helmet cover. The young lad, thinking fast, exclaimed, "But sir, that stands for "Field Trained Artilleryman!" The cover was allowed to stay. :-) :-) :-)

Tom

i nearly asked what "FTA" means thankfully i've figured it out on my own without coded translation!

i'm amazed at how much natural light enhances a model. even though you're done with this project, i think it would be cool to add the camo to the helmets as suggested. it would be a nice touch.

I first went into the Army in 1972. The last of the draftees was discharged in either 1973 or 1974. Even though by that time the war had been over for US ground soldiers for some time, that sentiment, even in Germany was still evident.

If you're ever looking for a good book on how that situation was totally changed by the mid-level officers from that war who were the General Officers in Gulf War I, "Prodigal Soldiers" does a great job describing the transformation.

Tom