Hi guys

I need some feedback on a dio idea I'm working on. The idea is showing the 1st Marine div's fighting retreat from the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea, Dec 1950. Heres where I need help. I have a 2 1/2 ton almost done. I have Tamiya's Willys jeep {That just came today } My question is how much of the convoy should I show ? The reference photos I've seen show everything from one or two vehicles, with maybe a squad of troops, to 12 - 15 vehicles with a company or more of troops. How much of what should I use to give the idea of a entire div on the move ? From what I've read, most of the fighting happen in the hills around the road. with only some ambushes, and small scale firefights happening on the road. I've tried doing some sketches, and can't seam to nail this one down. Any Ideas ?????????????
Harry

Gday Harry
I can interpret your dilemma, but I think if you do at least 3 vehicles, two of the same type, it would give the viewer the impression of something larger? Just my thoughts... I don't think you need to crowd it with much more, as a balance needs to be struck between the amount of vehicles and the the terrain you wish to depict. I think for hillside roads an axonometric 45degree projection of th road a nd slope above and below would be fitting. The viewer needs to interpret the convoy continuing left and right of the diorama, so the vehicles may need to stretch to each side?
Hope this helps some
Cheers
Brad

Hi Brad

Thanks for the quick reply. From the pics I've seen so far, the road leading from the reservoir was a single lane mountain road. At it hardest angles it appears to be just higher than 45 degrees. At its flatest, Which does not happen until its just out of the mountains it still sits at 15 - 20 degrees.
What I'm thinking of is maybe one or two more trucks, along with the one I'm working on, plus the jeep. With two lines of figures, on each side of the road. Have the vehicles spaced so as one is entering a curve at the top of the dio, the vehicle at the other end is rounding another curve out of the dio.
The only thing is the more sketches I make the larger this thing seams to be. The biggest dio I've ever attempted was only two vehicles, and a few figures. So you can see where this thing got me a bit With the price of kits these days, I would hate to drop alot of money on a project just to come up empty..

Harry

10,000-15,000 should get the idea across pretty good.

I would concentrate on the setting, then use the figures to extend the idea of a retrograde operation. I personally wouldn't show more than a platoon though. Even a platoon might too be for the eye to see. The number of figures is not as important as the quality of the figures. If you try to do 40 figures, you run into the problem of finding 40 suitable figures. You are much more likely to find 5-10 marine figures that will meet you needs.

Hi Carl

AAhhh Darn I really did have my heart set on doing at least 20,000 figures with another 10 to 20,000 trucks

Thanks for reply Carl. After talking to a bunch of folks both in person and on the net I think, I'm looking at three vehicles, and six to eight figures walking. The amount of "wounded" in the vehicles is still up in the air. There were alot of dead and wounded that true to the honor of the corp the 1st div carried as many of them out as they could. I just finshed reading one book on the campaign that stated that the Company the book was written about had ALL of it's officers either KIA or WIA. Along with all of its senior NCOs.. The author went on to say that this was pretty much the norm for all of the units fighting the way south.
With this in mind, I don't see how I can pull this dio off with less than 12 - 18 figures total, [ walking wounded, dead}. A note, the dead I plan on having just a few wrapped in a tarp from head to toe. Showing only the human form. {These will be the best figures I have ever done }
If anyone as any ideas how to better pull this one off, by all means speak up. I'm wayyyyyyyyy out of my normal depth with this one. I'll welcome any, and all help I can get.

Thanks again Carl
Harry