The Road to Singapore: Malaya 1941-42

Mini Me

SMF Supporter
Joined
Jun 1, 2018
Messages
10,158
Points
113
First Name
Rick
Nice bit of "scratch" there Tim. It certainly adds interest to a rather empty space.
 

tr1ckey66

SMF Supporter
Joined
Mar 6, 2009
Messages
3,684
Points
113
First Name
Paul
Hi Tim.
Love the work on the type 95 and the diorama sounds really, really interesting as this is a chapter of the war seldom modelled.
I look forward to seeing the tank amongst the vegetation and in the Malayan setting.
Cracking stuff
Paul
 

BigGreg

SMF Supporter
Joined
Apr 27, 2018
Messages
2,039
Points
113
First Name
Gregory
it's going to be epic as it was in Italy... :smiling:
 

Mini Me

SMF Supporter
Joined
Jun 1, 2018
Messages
10,158
Points
113
First Name
Rick
Oh...don't mention Italy Greg, I get to thinking about "Miss Boobs" on the balcony and then Matron has to dose me up to calm me down!:tongue-out3: Rick H.
 

adt70hk

I know its a bit sad but I like quickbuild kits!!!
SMF Supporter
Joined
Sep 4, 2019
Messages
9,440
Points
113
First Name
Andrew
Tim

That's some outstanding work there. Well done.
Andrew
 

rtfoe

SMF Supporter
Joined
Apr 29, 2018
Messages
7,465
Points
113
Location
Malaysia
First Name
Richard
Brilliantly done Tim. :thumb2: If it looks anything near enough should be fine and once painted and closed up, no expert is going to have a measuring tape small enough to try to be funny as long if wrong alignment and glue marks are kept to the minimum. :smiling2: If an argument arises...ask them if they peerd into a knocked out Ha-Go before in their lifetime... obviously there will be distortions from heat and amunition igniting. I'll be proud of that scratchwork and I know the feeling when done from nothing.
This is going to be a good one just like the one in the Italian campaign.

Cheers,
Richard
 

TIM FORSTER

SMF Supporter
Joined
Apr 28, 2018
Messages
224
Points
93
Location
London, UK
First Name
Tim
Thankyou all - although Rick, you need to get her out of your head... no bella donnas on this one!

The next part of the turret interior I had to tackle was the ball mounted MG.

During its service life the Ha-Go was equipped with two types of machine gun: the 6.5 mm and the 7.7 mm Model 97. The FineMolds kit gives you both options - but all you get are the ball mounts and the external armoured shrouds. Once again, I regretted not starting with the Dragon kit, which provides two beautifully moulded complete guns - even though the one in the hull cannot be seen.

I looked online for even the infantry equivalent in 1/35 and drew a blank. I was about to start trying to modify a Bren, but then I discovered that the Japanese Model 97 was actually a near copy of the Czech ZB 26 (which was, itself, the forerunner of the Bren). The most obvious differences between ther ZB and the Bren are the cooling ribs on the barrel and the square magazine on the former.

aKkXpTE.jpg

Even finding a ZB in 1/35 wasn't easy, which surprised me - it was a popular gun amongst the Germans in WW2. After all, they acquired a bunch of them when they annexed Czechoslovakia (along with all those 35 and 38(t) tanks). Eventually Tank came to the rescue (although I suspect these are OOP).

8E1xzb5.jpg

There was still quite a bit of work required to convert the ZB to the tank variant of the Model 97: in particular the addition of the folding stock and the sight. The former is one aspect of the MG that Dragon get wrong, because the whole point of having a folding stock was to allow it to be hinged out of the way when being used from within the vehicle (the Russian tank MGs had a very similar system). I also added some (rough) detail to the ball mount to replicate the internal cradle.

0sjC0gD.jpg
Mc1Rady.jpg

It's not perfect, but I think it will do. As you can see from the overhead shots, the MG adds to an already crowded interior. There's no way I could have left those large cupola hatches open without the machine gun on display. I am also going to have the side hatch open to better show off all my hard work!

KSrou0t.jpg
DK7pVIM.jpg
S7f6dGM.jpg
 

Mini Me

SMF Supporter
Joined
Jun 1, 2018
Messages
10,158
Points
113
First Name
Rick
I suppose you are right Tim, but she was such a "honey". Speaking of honeies, that MG turned out really nice! I suspect that to be a Jap tanker one would have to be an accomplished contortionist! :smiling2: Rick H.
 

rtfoe

SMF Supporter
Joined
Apr 29, 2018
Messages
7,465
Points
113
Location
Malaysia
First Name
Richard
Hi Tim, beautifully done.:thumb2: Dragon has the Model97 gun I think in their Japanese figures for Peleliu and Tarawa. Looks nice and snug in the turret.

Cheers,
Richard
 

BigGreg

SMF Supporter
Joined
Apr 27, 2018
Messages
2,039
Points
113
First Name
Gregory
As usual you deliver very nice updates with superb details..
 

TIM FORSTER

SMF Supporter
Joined
Apr 28, 2018
Messages
224
Points
93
Location
London, UK
First Name
Tim
Thanks guys.

Now I have been having a little more fun with interior detail...

AZl5APw.jpg
J0feiws.jpg

This is all loosely based on some interior shots I have of the real thing - but there's a fair amount of artistic licence going on. Basically I have used anything I could find in my spares box that looked even remotely right. Just enough to supply some shapes in the gloom beneath the turret or beyond the open driver's hatch.

I also used Archer's rivet decals for the first time. These are a really neat idea - tiny resin rivets that come as slide transfers. You just have to cut out a strip, soak it in water for about 30 seconds and then slide it onto the model.

9jyttuq.jpg

Here I have used them in the turret. The asbestos panels (a fairly unique feature of Japanese tanks) were made from plastic strip and tea bags!
 

Mini Me

SMF Supporter
Joined
Jun 1, 2018
Messages
10,158
Points
113
First Name
Rick
A lot of added detail on this Tim, it will look the bomb when all painted up. Cheers, Rick H.
 

rtfoe

SMF Supporter
Joined
Apr 29, 2018
Messages
7,465
Points
113
Location
Malaysia
First Name
Richard
Greatly enhanced Tim...it's more than enough to appear like the real thing once closed up and in the gloom. Reminds me of the scratched mock up models for the Starwars movies all made up from bits and bobs of several kits. :thumb2:

Cheers,
Richard
 

SimonT

Rest in Peace
Rest In Peace
Joined
Apr 27, 2018
Messages
2,448
Points
113
Location
Yorkshire
First Name
Simon
Some nice scratching Tim :thumb2:

Don't know why you bothered buying that Tank MG though - for the amount you actually used you could have easily scratched that

The 'creative gizmology' ,as Shep Paine called it, will definitely provide enough of a suggestion of internal detail

Are those a couple of cylinder heads on the right and rear?
 

TIM FORSTER

SMF Supporter
Joined
Apr 28, 2018
Messages
224
Points
93
Location
London, UK
First Name
Tim
Thanks guys.

Star Wars? Shep Paine? Are you kidding?! I wish...

Yes, maybe I should have just stuck with adapting a Bren gun in the end - but the straight magazine is a little hard to re-create. As for the bits an bobs, yes Simon they may be cylinder heads for all I know - they came from a T-34 interior.

So here is the beginning of the diorama. The jungle scene is certainly going to be a challenge - but hey, that's half the fun!

The starting point for the base is insulation board rescued from a nearby building site (it came in bits, hence the odd gaps). This was glued to the baseboard and then carved and sanded to the desired contours. Then I added a frame from hardboard.

From the photos of the Maur River action, the road is actually quite wide. There is also quite a wide band of scrub before the treeline. However, artistic license (and limited space) has forced me to contract everything.

20200418_132158 edit.jpg
20200418_132221 edit.jpg
20200418_132243 edit.jpg

20200418_134530 edit.jpg

The 2 Pounder shown here is the Sovereign 2000 resin kit. However, in the end I have decided to go for the Vulcan version which, to my eye, is more true to scale.

The 'trees' are simply twigs inserted to give me an idea of the height and number required. Even though these are already shorter than true Rubber trees in this scale, I think I can get away with making them considerably shorter still.

For the trees themselves I am going to be using the wire technique, best demonstrated by the 'tree master' Gordon Gravett...

Gordon Gravett Trees.jpg
 
Last edited:

Mini Me

SMF Supporter
Joined
Jun 1, 2018
Messages
10,158
Points
113
First Name
Rick
Terrific progress Tim, I agree with you on the tree height.......best thing for me has always been to hunker down as close to ground level as permits, then look up as if you were the same height as the scale you are modeling in......gives a whole different perspective. Rick H.:thumb2:
 
Top