Push into Russia 1/35

[Andy]

Hi all,

Really just starting a progress thread for my 1/35 diorama about a German convoy pushing into Russia in the Autumn/Winter of 1941, however with the amount of kits I have accrued this may actually change to the same seasons, but in the year 1943 - decisions decisions!

The diorama will depict a bridge crossing by an armoured convoy en-route to Leningrad. Various support vehicles carrying grenadiers and heavy weapons will be part of the entourage. The diorama itself will, with the bridge as a focal point also have a fortified Russian farmstead overlooking the bridge, which has long since been in German hands who have reinforced it with a flak shelter. On the opposite bank of the river will be a forward supply camp, with a small rough runway for the regiments reconnaissance Storch.

Please feel free to leave comments/ask questions!

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Cheers,

Andy

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[mossiepilot]

Nice beginning Andy. Sounds like a huge dio you've set yourself, I'll look foreward to seeing it.

Tony.

 

[tommy1drop]

Hi Andy

Love Dioramas, and your kits are excellent mate, looking forward to seeing more of this.

Tom

 

[yak face]

Some great looking vehicles there andy , the dio sounds immense , looking forward to seeing it progress , cheers tony

 

[Polux]

Looking forward to seeing more about it!!

Sounds fantastic Andy!!

Cheers. Polux

 

[geegad]

Beautiful weathering on all three my favorite is the famo looking forward to seein this come along

 

[Andy]

Also had this which i forgot to add - first of the Stugs, there will be a light snow shower on the diorama, which is still to be added to the Stug, the Commander has slipped as he has exited much to the amusement of his driver (Picture quality isnt great, need to get a decent camera rather than the one on the phone!):

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Thanks for the comments so far, i do see this project going well into 2013 and there will be many updates.

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[Polux]

Snow!!! I love the snow....

Does a very little time I finished a diorama with snow, if you needs some little advice, I will be glad to help!

Regards

Polux

 

[Andy]

Thanks Polux, will need all the help i can get with this one i reckon!

 

[papa 695]

A great start so far Andy all the vehicals look good

 

[Caledonia]

Hi Andy and welcome, those vehicles look mighty impressive, fantastic start. Cheers Derek

 

[Andy]

Little update to this thread; a bridge from Bastion is on order and should be enroute as we speak. I was going to have the Russians blow the original bridge and have the German field engineers build a replacement, but in keeping with what was a rapid advance i think in this case the bridge would be intact. This is it below:

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Also its beginning to dawn on me just how many kits i have to get through for this diorama and will admit that i may have been a tad optimistic with the timescale i set myself, kit list below:

1 x Flakveirling 20mm on Flak Shelter

2 x Halftracks (pictured) one with Flak 88 and one with PAK 40 AT

2 x Stug G's with the 105mm Assault Howitzers

2 x Stug Ausf B's with the short barrelled gun

2 x Stugs with the 75mm long barrelled gun

1 x SDKFZ 250/3 Commanders halftrack

1 x SDKFZ 251/10 with the 37mm cannon

1 x SDKFZ 138/1 'Grille' SPG

2 x Opel Blitz Truck

1 x Merc L3000 Truck

1 x Opel Maultier Halftrack

1 x Horch KFZ 15

4 x Motorbikes

Mrs is starting to complain about the space im taking up, little does she know im looking at adding 2 or 3 105mm artillery pieces and the Fiesler Storch which will double the size of the board needed.

I will post up some shots ASAP after the bridge is built and in place, please bare with me its going to be a long journey!

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[saguy]

those kits r top class Andy ... will be following this for sure as I sure i wil be able to gleen a few tips/ advice for my future diorama builds .......kind rgds lindsey

 

[Andy]

Morning everyone - a first glimpse of the diorama, rather the size it will be...plus a wee look at the first of what will effectivley be many mini dioramas that will add up the larger one on a whole.



The Stug on the board is 1:35!



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The halftracks, well as said in another thread, the one pulling the 88 is a rookie driver who has slid off of the road while the divisions veteran mule passes. The tankies catching a ride arent to impressed and neither is the logistics officer berating the driver.

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[John Huggins]

Looking good Andy, dam it BIG.

Looking forward to this one, keep the pic's coming Andy.

John.

 

[CDW]

Hmmm big dioramas !!!! love 'em

I have to size mine down now so i can display them .. not got a lot of room left.

This looks to be a great idea, the models are nicely done too.

Keep the updates coming.

 

[spanner570]

This will be one mother of a diorama. Great idea. I will follow this with interest..........Careful not to over complicate it mind!

Looking good, with some nice models.

Ron

 

[geegad]

its a big'un alright looking forward to seein this pan out..

 

[tommy1drop]

Looking forward to seeing this build progress, that is a mighty list of lovely kits you have there Andy:thumbsup:

I thought i built big Dio`s, but this is amazing, those Sdkfz 7`s look fantastic, really looking forward to seeing more.

Tom

 

[Andy]

Thanks everyone, appreciate the coments so far and will keep the thread updated as developments take place. The Bastion Bridge should be with me by the weekend and thats when the first board layout will be modelled.

As the layout has not yet been completed in terms of beign laid out, there may well be a change to accomodate the number of models i have. Instead of the area to the right of the Stug simply being a field for the Storch, i may well have a road running down from the North to the South, so basically the bridge crossing will have a cross roads on the Eastern Side. The armoured column will be approaching from the North of the Board towards the bridge while the supply column will be coming in from the East on approach to the bridge.

I believe with the two roads scenario it will make the raised area overlooking the bridge a much more valuable point to which the Russians would have substantially dug in with the Flak shelter and AT positions.......but i love the model of the Storch - ha! Decisions decisions - i have till Saturday to decide.

Cheers,

Andy