Kwajalein Atoll..February 1944 - An additional build bit!

[spanner570]

The old G.B. thread that I nearly started on Kwajalein over a year ago and promptly forgot has been removed.....

So here is a brand new title and start.

Kwajalein is an island belonging to the Marshall Group in the Pacific and was attacked by U.S. Marines in February 1944, during their island hopping towards the Japanese Mainland.

After learning valuable lessons from Tarawa and other invaded islands, the Americans relentlessly bombarded the island from land and sea before the invasion took place......

The island was subjected to such violence, that one observer commented that "The island looked as thought it had been taken to 20,000ft...and dropped!"

This will be my attempt at reproducing a small part of that devastation.........

So, after a bit of a think, I made a start last night making a building out of polystyrene. I found a suitable one on Google Images, so I made a 1/35 scale paper template of it and transferred this to the styrene. It was at this point I decided to only make a corner of it as the rest will be destroyed. After I had glued the thing together, I became all brave and squeezed the finished building between my fingers until I had crushed it....

This, I reasoned might be a good way of re-producing a severely damaged structure, so I closed my eyes and.........!

I then glued it some more so it wouldn't spring back!

Next I will add some detail to the wreck.... then start to think 'base'

Here's the picture of the players and progress so far :-

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Thanks for looking,

Ron

 

[0ne48thtel]

i like it Ron looking forward to seeing it finished

 

[papa 695]

Vandal but great start Ron

 

[Alan 45]

Very intreaging and I like the way you got the break in the wall, this is going to look very good

I'm looking forward to seeing the finished dio

 

[spanner570]

Thanks for your posts chaps.....

Ian, Vandal indeed. It's called artistic licence - or squash'um.lol!

 

[Polux]

Why don't surprise me Ron.....

With the closed eyes you still be a great modeller!

Sounds really interesting.

Cheers

 

[noble]

Will be keeping an eye on this one an excellent start so far mate.

Scott

 

[Ziper_it]

Sitting on first line and looking.

Francesco

 

[eddiesolo]

I love the feel of crushing plasticard...something satisfying about the way it crumples...or is it just me?

Looking good so far Ron.

Si

 

[CDW]

So ya make it then break it ... You're a weird one young Ron

Got a feeling this is going to be another masterpiece ... I can feel it in me water in fact

Great start mate and a great background story that's not usually covered.

 

[flyjoe180]

Agree with Colin, another great piece in the making here.

 

[spanner570]

Cheers chaps...we're off and running!

Si, slight correction, if I may, it's not plasticard, but 3mm polystyrene. You can find it under pizzas!lol

Here's a progress report...

I've added reinforcing bars to the broken concrete and painted the concrete grey, figuring the Japanese occupiers wouldn't leave it shiny white.

The base is 1/42 plywood coated in PVC. I've decided to raise the structure a bit, so I've placed it on a chunk of 3/4" polystyrene...Don't ask me why I angled the end...I don't know myself!

I found some bits of old wall from a previous build and stuck these on.....But they don't look right somehow. Would the original builders have had access to big lumps of stone on a Pacific Island, cum atoll? I have my doubts. I suspect every building and structure would be concrete - walls and all....Any thoughts chaps?

Anyway, it all looks a bit cob just yet but here are a few pictures of the progress so far.

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Still a shed load of rubble to add yet, but I'm not at all happy with the stonework...Yes or no? That is the question...Over to you, boys.

Cheers,

Ron

 

[flyjoe180]

From here the stone work looks spot on Ron.

 

[Sky Raider]

I don't know how you keep coming up with these fantastic ideas mate but keep it up.

Andy

 

[CDW]

Looks good so far Ron mate....

Did a bit of research and the buildings seemed to be steel reinforced concrete of all shapes and sizes.

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Hope this helps mucker

 

[spanner570]

Thanks fellas.....sorry for the late response, but I've been away to a four day boozy food and drink festival!!!

Colin, that picture is the one I used to base my building on before I squished it! There seems to be precious few pictures of the actual Marines assault.

It's this picture that prompted my question.....stone or not?

I'm just not happy with the stone look, so I'll go with my gut instinct and hack the stone away and turn the surrounding walls etc. into plain concrete.

Thanks again all,

Ron

 

[eddiesolo]

Looking good Ron, yep the stone brick effect doesn't work in the setting you have created. You could of course just fill in the stone work with filler, add some supports and it would look like a layer has fallen away.

Si

 

[CDW]

I'd go concrete myself regarding the building, maybe stone was used for low walls etc?

There's definitely a distinct lack of photographic reference for this ... you're right there.

 

[spanner570]

O.K., poll result!

For keeping the stone.....1

For removing the stone....2

Abstain.......1

So, out came the knife and I roughly hacked off the stone work and added some fuse wire reinforcing rods and generally messed about with what was left. I'm far happier now the stone is gone....Sorry Joe!

Also, I have started adding rubble.

The bullet holes made with the aid of a pencil rather than a cocktail stick, 'cos it leaves a nice black 'powder burn'. The rubble is just off cuts of styrene snapped into small bits, and a shredded coffee stirrer provided the smashed timber work.

I've kept the plastered walls white to add a bit of contrast.

I was unsure what to put in the foreground, and very nearly sawed most of it off, but had an idea to make a second, smaller out-building sort of thing.

Still to add more steel bars here and there.....

The jumble on the slope is the start of a hastily dug - and quickly smashed - machine gun pit. I'll post a closer picture when it's finished.

Here are the latest pictures.....I hope you approve thus far and thanks for looking.

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All comments and suggestions always welcome.

Cheers,

Ron

 

[Polux]

Looking very good Ron!

The steel bars are a nice touch, and give a perfect sense of realism at the diorama, as the colour of the walls too!! This colour and effect that you found is perfect. You use in other builds, and is great my friend!!

Polux