tank pics

Awarded: Silver

By: John Schmitt

Manufacturer(s): Dragon, Hasegawa, Preiser,CMK, Mig, and Faller

Modifications: A few grab handles from wire on the Tiger. Bed rolls and tarps of facial tissue. Added stoage and equipment by Preiser, CMK & Mig.

Description: This diorama depicts a scene in the following months after D-day. In a French town, German units are moving to the front. Here a Sd.kfz.251/1 Ausf.D with infantry and a Tiger tank from a Wehrmacht unit are on thier way. A Wehrmacht platoon also trudges by. From behind a roadblock an officer watches with a schwimwagen,which served to set up road signs. The models were built out of the box. The tiger and Sd.251 are Dragon and the shwimwagon and kettenkrad are Hasegawa. All were painted using Humbrol enamels. The figuers are Preiser. The tree, park fence and house are self made. The house is a copy of the Verlinden kit flipped. It was made by cutting and carving balsa foam. HO railroad windows, shutters and doors finished it off. The cobbel-stone street is printed relief carton from Faller.

Judge 1: Figures and Vehicles: This is a fantastic scene, I like it a lot. I must start by saying how good the photos are, sharp, well lit and close enough to see the details, well done. The vehicles are very well made with well applied paint work. The camo schemes are good as are the colours and the decals are well applied. The pinwash is good with all the smaller details nicely shaded and well defined. If there is an area that could be improved it is the application of the dust. For a column on the move I would expect the vehicles to carry more dust, running gear and horizontal surfaces in particular. The figures are superb the colours are good (if a bit to uniform for this late stage of the war) and the poses really give a sense of a long march. They are well painted with good shading and highlighting and I really like the faces they are excellent. The insignia and ranks are some of the best I've seen in this scale and the weapons and equipment are first class, (the MG42 looks operational!). Overall very well done. Jason.
Judge 2: I like this diorama. It depict very well A moment of transfer, Relatively quiet. Tree is very well done, nothing to say. I love it. House is beautiful and well built. The coloration is good and probably, but personally thinking, I have added some more dirty on the base of it seen the wall peeling. The city road is excellent with many tone variation and, always personally, also here I have added some more dirty. Very good!
Judge 3: A determined march. Soldiers are marching from east to west to stop Allied invasion. The subject is simple, but it could be materialized better. The composition is very regular – the vehicles and the soldiers are strictly oriented parallel or perpendicular the stand. This immediately makes the diorama less interesting. As for details, the town looks empty – a couple of civilians, especially looking from windows of the building or a dog/cat sitting on the pavement would make the work livelier. As for small details, pavement and road are too plain. Some litter, thrown newspapers, etc. would add to overall realism, especially keeping in mind it’s a road troops are marching on. But what we’ve got is a couple of empty fuel cans which isn’t enough.