Not so finished David and Goliath

[rtfoe]

Hi,
With this lockdown period I've been looking at resurrecting some of my dio builds that have been mothballed . One of these was featured in the other forum and hasn't been shown here. Rather than retelling the whole story, I will fast forward some of the details and will be brief unless someone has a question or comment for explanation.

Idea
This came about when I had a conversation with a fellow modeler about Airborne anti-tank capabilities which led to stuff like the PIAT used by the British and the Bazooka by the US Forces against a target like the Tiger tank. You know the probabilities of knocking out such a beast is unlikely but what about a lucky hit...so I set about a composition with a lone trooper managing to dislodge a Tigers track with his buddies all hiding anxiously awaiting the outcome.
Since I had already done British Paras I thought why not the US this time and I wasn't thinking straight and was probably influenced by the SPR movie but ofcourse that was ficticious and US Paratroopers never did encounter any Tigers in their sector of operations in Normandy. I still went ahead... and eventually stalled.
Now perhaps if I switched to the Rhine crossing there might have been a chance meeting or brush with a Tiger so this is where the resurrection begins...

In the next post...

Cheers,
Richard

 

[BigGreg]

Hi,
With this lockdown period I've been looking at resurrecting some of my dio builds that have been mothballed . One of these was featured in the other forum and hasn't been shown here. Rather than retelling the whole story, I will fast forward some of the details and will be brief unless someone has a question or comment for explanation.

Idea
This came about when I had a conversation with a fellow modeler about Airborne anti-tank capabilities which led to stuff like the PIAT used by the British and the Bazooka by the US Forces against a target like the Tiger tank. You know the probabilities of knocking out such a beast is unlikely but what about a lucky hit...so I set about a composition with a lone trooper managing to dislodge a Tigers track with his buddies all hiding anxiously awaiting the outcome.
Since I had already done British Paras I thought why not the US this time and I wasn't thinking straight and was probably influenced by the SPR movie but ofcourse that was ficticious and US Paratroopers never did encounter any Tigers in their sector of operations in Normandy. I still went ahead... and eventually stalled.
Now perhaps if I switched to the Rhine crossing there might have been a chance meeting or brush with a Tiger so this is where the resurrection begins...

In the next post...

Cheers,
Richard

Dear Richard if you want to make David vs Goliath you can portray Lt. James Megellas H Co. 504th 82nd Airborne who knocked a Panther (PkW V) during the battle of the Bulge he received the Silver Star for that action and should have received the MoH.
here you can read the action:
"In late December 1944, the regiment was rushed into the Battle of the Bulge. On January 28, 1945 Megellas' platoon was advancing towards Herresbach, Belgium. Struggling through heavy snow and freezing cold, they surprised 200 Germans who were advancing out of the town. Catching the Germans largely off-guard, the attack proved to be devastating, with the Americans killing and capturing a large number and causing many others to flee. As they prepared to assault the town, however, a German Mark V tank took aim at them. Megellas ran towards it, and disabled it with a single grenade. Climbing on top of it, he then dropped another grenade into the tank, eliminating the threat to his men. He then led his men as they cleared and seized the town, and not one of his men was killed or injured. He was nominated for the Medal of Honor shortly afterward, but the account of his actions was not included in the original battle reports, and he was instead awarded the Silver Star.[1]

 

[BigGreg]

if you want absolutely a Tiger vs a Bazooka you can portray an action that took place during the Italian campaign Sicily 1943 and the 82nd Airborne.
A Tiger tank was reeking havoc in the 82nd airborne for many hours and a lot of guys tried to disable it without success...
Then:...."just before the Schedule attack of 0830, T/5 Jerry Huth, member of 505th Regimental Communication section, could see the Mark VI tank Tiger I, down the hill in front of him. (we could see the Tank, it just had come up the road through a little cut. It had command of the whole field. We were ordered to make an attack down the hill just before sunset...We made a line across the top of the hill. I remember we all hesitates a moment...).
With members attached of Co. B the 307th Airborne Engineers commanded by SSGT Frank M. Miale, they all sprung into action, Huth with, pvt. Jack Ospital and 2 other radio guys T/5 Joe Banta and Pfc. Dick Symonds, that got hold on a Bazooka.....(They were on the left side, i was on the right, they crept up within 20 yards of the Tiger Tank, they fired the bazooka and took out the right track). they both were awarded the Bronze Star."
SOURCE:
Phil Nordyke "All American All the way"
chapter: "We had a long way to go": page 81

 

[rtfoe]

Thanks Greg for the reference and article but I had already built the tiger and basically 2/3rds of the dio so a switch to unit makings for the Rhine campaign will be much easier. Also it will just portray a tribute to these brave men who single handedly did these heroic things but not historically correct.

The Tiger
I used the Tamiya late Tiger1 with the steel road wheels and have since changed the camo pattern a little(photograph not taken yet) but here is the assembly with the running wheels of the Tiger with the blown off tracks positioned and glued in place. This is also done to the right side but is undulated because it is over some rubble. The zimmerit is basically applied Tamiya putty and detailed with a flat head screw driver.


The whole tank suspension is tilted to show battle damage and the left side resting on rubble from a damaged building. I am having trouble attaching images at the moment.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[rtfoe]

if you want absolutely a Tiger vs a Bazooka you can portray an action that took place during the Italian campaign Sicily 1943 and the 82nd Airborne.
A Tiger tank was reeking havoc in the 82nd airborne for many hours and a lot of guys tried to disable it without success...
Then:...."just before the Schedule attack of 0830, T/5 Jerry Huth, member of 505th Regimental Communication section, could see the Mark VI tank Tiger I, down the hill in front of him. (we could see the Tank, it just had come up the road through a little cut. It had command of the whole field. We were ordered to make an attack down the hill just before sunset...We made a line across the top of the hill. I remember we all hesitates a moment...).
With members attached of Co. B the 307th Airborne Engineers commanded by SSGT Frank M. Miale, they all sprung into action, Huth with, pvt. Jack Ospital and 2 other radio guys T/5 Joe Banta and Pfc. Dick Symonds, that got hold on a Bazooka.....(They were on the left side, i was on the right, they crept up within 20 yards of the Tiger Tank, they fired the bazooka and took out the right track). they both were awarded the Bronze Star."
SOURCE:
Phil Nordyke "All American All the way"
chapter: "We had a long way to go": page 81

Greg, if I'm not mistaken this took place near a bridge(one of the objectives) and not in a town setting which I have built but at least we know a Tiger can be disabled with a peashooter like the bazooka if well placed. On the right side track too.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[BigGreg]

Greg, if I'm not mistaken this took place near a bridge(one of the objectives) and not in a town setting which I have built but at least we know a Tiger can be disabled with a peashooter like the bazooka if well placed. On the right side track too.

Cheers,
Richard

it's next to Biazzo ridge

Battledetective Battle studies

www.battledetective.com is the online casefile cabinet of a self appointed military history expert who is specialized in the World War Two campaigns of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division in the European Theatre of Operations. The results of fact-finding trips to historical battlefields...

www.battledetective.com

 

[Jim R]

Hi Richard
I don't remember this at all but my memory is not good - just ask the wife!!
Sounds like a great dio idea even if historically a little questionable - really doesn't matter.
Jim

 

[rtfoe]

Thanks for that Greg.

Jim, once I post more images it may jog your memory. It's the one where I used peas for the street and weavils invaded. Anyway here's more on the Tiger which would be the centerpiece of the dio...



Once the glue had set, the tracks remain as is and will be painted in situ.



The thrown track builds up at the back end as the tank starts to roll to a halt after the hit. It should be veering to the right caused by the left working track but it can't avoid the rubble and side of the building and crashes into it. I didn't like the way the fenders looked and later replaced them with copper sheet. The turret busle wasn't armoured and was more like a storage bin and was easily damaged with dinks and perforation from gunfire.



Some close ups of weld detail with stretched sprue and zimmerit coating...on hindsight I should have used two part putty for it like Magic Sculp.



Initial compositon planning with blocks of polystyrene that I would later use and carve for buildings. The fountain is an old Verlinden plaster cast which I had painted and mothballed for more than 6 years.



Next more of the Tiger...

Cheers,
Richard

 

[Steven000]

Nice work so far Richard
Steven

 

[Jim R]

Hi Richard
Coming on a treat. I do remember the peas and weavils - mind you not the sort of modelling story one would forget
Jim

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Oh yes!

 

[rtfoe]

Hi and thanks Steven, Jim and Peter,

Here's the session where I replaced the plastic fender or side mud guards with copper sheet.



They were quite easy to bend and shape using the existing fender to emboss...



Damage or dents looked more natural when applied using a flat nosed toothless plier and diamond files.



Cheers,
Richard

 

[scottie3158]

Richard,
All looking very nice so far mate. I will follow along.

 

[rtfoe]

The priming comes next with some pre-shadow...



The pre-shadow makes the Tiger look like it's in Winter camo. More shadow was applied to the running gear and engine vents. The vents were covered with wire mesh and plastic strip. The mesh is a large piece of brass which I picked up from a local hardware store. You will notice I don't use PE or after market stuff and basically the finish is purely for dio purposes.



Next is the airbrushed camo...

Cheers,
Richard

 

[rtfoe]

Hi Scottie, welcome aboard. Don't know if you were around when I put this up in the last forum.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[scottie3158]

Yes mate I do remember it I was impressed with the buildings but I don't remember seeing it finished.

 

[rtfoe]

Scottie, you're right about the unfinished part. I got distracted as usual and it got mothballed. Lately it happens to me when I take on such a large dio. I'm starting to prefer smaller vignettes but with the lockdown I'm going to try to see this through. I hope the seats are filled and the yawning kept to the minimum. Present company is encouraging.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[rtfoe]

Hi, painting the Tiger I referenced Tigers in Normandy and they spotted varying degrees of dappling and mottling of the three tone scheme. I started with a coat of Tamiya Desert Yellow and followed up with Pea green.



I used surplus name cards as temporary masks...



Then the red brown...



Removed the masking of the lower hull. Noticed that Normandy camouflage was applied in the field so areas under the mud guard weren't camouflaged but at the time I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be in red primer or covered in mud from the tracks.



I wasn't exact;y happy with the outcome of the paint scheme and later repainted it.



Cheers,
Richard

 

[rtfoe]

This is where the peas come in...I will not go through this again but it was agood idea at the time.



These were pea halves and I used up half a bottle of Elmers glue to fix them down. I used thick card for the road center drainage.



It was monotonous and before I went mad I concentrated on carving the buildings and assembled the wall.



When all the peas were finally laid down I coated them with mixture of olive drab and black



Adding a bit of white and green to the mixture I dappled the center portion of the road to give variation



Doesn't this look crazy? I varnished it and left it overnight to dry and I think the cellulose thinners from the varnish must have agitated what was in the peas as like some horror movie, weavils started emerging. After bug spraying I had to plug the holes created by the weavils. Next time I should remember to micro-wave any organic or even dirt that I have collected in future.



Cheers,
Richard

 

[Deleted member 7181]

Camo looked excellent Richard, I can't imagine why you repainted it, but I'm sure there was a good reason.

I like the pea idea but I don't think I'll be trying it myself. Looks like a bit of an ordeal