WIP dio:"Counterattack!" *update 6-6*

The figs look great, wish I could paint them half as good.

 

Rob

More figs for the dio:

Mansteins revenge wrote:

Some actual pics that are similar to dio idea:

I like this pic.  If you were to try recreating this scene - with the small tree to the side of the gun, you could have one of your 250's pulled up on opposite side of the tree.  Maybe the other one is perpendicular to the first, almost froming a reveresed 7 with the AT gun and tree 'inside' the 7....  Did that make any sense?

Some actual pics that are similar to dio idea:

Mansteins revenge wrote:

...you  know, the more I think about it the more I am inclined to replace that AT Gun with the heavy Soviet 12.7mm MG...

Really??  I can see why, considering the space considerations and all.  I just really like that gun and the mock up you had done originally.

Well, throw some pics up with the 12.7 so we can compare...

Hmm... yeah, if you do go that route though, I’d suggest you really fortify that MG position, it’d be much less of an accomplishment taking one Heavy MG with two half tracks as opposed to the big AT gun. Would definitely take up less space and give you a lot more room to play with the positions of the figures and your tracks...

...you  know, the more I think about it the more I am inclined to replace that AT Gun with the heavy Soviet 12.7mm MG...

   Manny I think that if you really want to keep the AT gun and all the figs you might consider going with a slightly bigger base.

I agree. You want to be careful of the symmetry. You do not want it to look like there is some half-track precision driving going on. Shift it around to get some imbalance to draw your eye around. e.g. when you look at a mercedes logo your eye stays still, whereas the Subaru logo moves your eye around. Get the idea? 

I think so. I think the only issue is it does look a little symmetrical. I guess depending on your figure placement; you might be able to unbalance the symmetry in some way. If you want, you could also try stacking both vehicles on one side and moving the gun over to the other extreme, but I like the way they both overran the gun simultaneously, gives the impression of a more powerful assault on it.

Just brainstorming out loud... not sure how many figures you were going to have on the final product, or their locations, but here’s a few doodles I made up, figures in red, general base size in reference to the vehicle/gun sizes was incredibly made up, so not sure how any of this would work out...

But for what it’s worth, my 2 cents

So I Guess what I'm hearing is that this layout could work...?...

Manny, for layout, I wouldn't have the /9 and /8 drawn up parallel or level with each other or the gun, try to have a bit of offset so that the eye isn't drawn to see a straight line. see the pic

    Gun     

/8          /9

 or

 /8

    Gun

           /9

something like that
 

Manny

Here is another thought.  At one point I think you mentioned something about displaying the 250's to suggest they took the gun in a flanking movement.  Have you thrown that idea out?  If not, you could angle the gun, maybe not 90 degrees, but perhaps 60 - 80 degrees so that, when combined with the placement of the figs it suggests that type of action.

panzerguy wrote:

So which sd's gonna have the guy draped over the hood?

I was wondering the same thing!

  Manny try moving the gun back some so the wheels are even with the back of the tracks. Then you could place your command figs in front while the troopers look over the gun and deceased ruskie.

   So which sd's gonna have the guy draped over the hood?  

Wow!!! Very nice layout- looks like they really over ran the gun now. I think depending on your story line, you could have a bunch of empty ammo boxes and spend brass covered in snow, like they'd been out of rounds for a while. Then maybe have one or two recently ejected brass rounds like they tried to defend themselves but were taken by surprise and the Germans cleaned up the rest.

Are you going to build up the ground around the gun like it was in a dugout? -or camouflaged in a similar fashion to that ref. picture? I’m assuming it wasn’t going to be sitting in the open on flat ground like it is now.

Also, I’m sure you know more about how Germans took gun emplacements from a tactical standpoint and how easy/hard it was for them to do it successfully. Especially on the Eastern Front as I’d consider that your forte. So all I can say is I like the layout- assuming it’s accurate, which I would assume as it’s put together by you and I know you do your research.

I just love the whole layout, nicely done. What paint scheme is that on Mr. 9?? a bit differn't from what i've seen, but i seem to remember a Panther with that color, no, now i remember it was a Hetzer, yes?

Meet Mr. /9:

New composition idea (sans figgies):

Pics are deliberately dark so you can't enjoy all of the goodies just yet (I've got to save some of the details for the AMPS judges)...

Please give me some feedback or I'll order a forced recon of your next backyard BBQ...

Manstein your stuff here is just awesome, i really can't suggest anything worth while as you do just a fantastic job on your own. Your figure painting is some of the best i've ever seen in my life. I'm keeping my eye on this one to see how it finishes.

For stuff like that, "Frankensteining" your own figures is really a must

Here's one of mine before paint, you can see what I mean. Even the legs are from different figures in the same kit.

He’s injured and still fighting, here’s two dead MGers that have been over run. Sometimes you have to modify (usually with freehand putty work) figures when kit bashing isn’t enough


 

Where do you find the dead and injured guys????  I need injured and dead soldiers.

Whoa......

Ever thought about showing the piece knocked-out, Manny? Perhaps with the figures kinda looking it over, with varying degrees of interest..   Here's one I started that I've since torn apart without bothering to finish (so guys, don't offer corrections or tips, please. It's gone . But the gun's going into another idea I got.) the diorama or even the GIs...  I don't know how you feel about wrecking a model though... I know that when I do it, I immediately wish I hadn't done it, lol..

Just doin' a little spit-ballin'...

 

 

 

More Incredible work MR...Always in awe by your talent! Can't wait for more....

Very nice- sparse too, should be good for a minimalist kind of gun emplacement

...a cool pic of the 76.2mm field-gun in action... 

Manny- glad you have ref. pictures to back it up. I would argue that it’s not just a German phenomenon. I’d say after any group of infantry and officers becomes seasoned to a day to day fight type action, their ability to compensate and normalize the situation would make the events much more bearable. It’s like watching the movies where the new guy gets in off the plane or out of the helicopter and he’s acting all excited and giddy and ready to fight and the old war torn vets don’t flinch when mortars come in and laugh at the new guy who hit the deck like he was taught straight out of boot camp.

The movie All Quiet on the Western Front has the classic scene where all the soldiers tell the new recruits to toss their serrated bayonets and the hard*** drill instructor cowers behind a burm while his graduated class that had been in the trenches moves on without him to fight.

I think this piece has the potential to be much more than a simple showing of your skills as a figure painter and a master modeler, it captures very well a lot of ideas and feelings of the time. The Eastern Front was rough, bitter fighting and worse weather and after 4 years, I’m sure there wasn’t much the men hadn’t seen. It’s a shame everything your put into your pieces doesn’t come across to model show judges...

psstoff995 wrote:

darson wrote:   The two German infantry soldiers look like they are advancing to contact and are expecting Ivan to leap out of the nearest bush While I agree with this general sentiment, might I point out that neither infantryman has a finger anywhere near the trigger guard. While they look more cautious (take paranoid infantry) they are not ready to shoot, and while the officers look more relaxed (take cocky "war-game" mentality officers) I think they could be realistic if they feel safe and in cover. But that's just my take.

I agree...I'm glad I'm not the only one who has seen this in ref pics...the Germans, especially after fighting for 4 years on the Eastern front, sometimes looked very composed right after an action took place...I have plenty of refs that show this; here is one:

 

Note the Medical Officer treating freshly wounded Russians and the guys in the halftrack behind them looking rather busy, while the Panzer Officer on the left strikes his "Marlboro Man" pose (in the full pic he is holding a smoke)...

...also, depending on how I placed those two infantrymen, they could blend in well...one is simply leaning forward and the other has an outstretched hand...I have thought of putting that hand on the shield of the gun as if he is peering over into the area of the casualty...again, the composition is very fluid at this point...  

darson wrote:

The two German infantry soldiers look like they are advancing to contact and are expecting Ivan to leap out of the nearest bush

While I agree with this general sentiment, might I point out that neither infantryman has a finger anywhere near the trigger guard. While they look more cautious (take paranoid infantry) they are not ready to shoot, and while the officers look more relaxed (take cocky "war-game" mentality officers) I think they could be realistic if they feel safe and in cover.

But that's just my take.