Hue City, Feb '68

Hey ridle i like it my dad was a marine and spent 2 tours in nam so i follow alot of the nam battles and models i like it i hope my first diorama comes out remotely close lol i cant do any criticism or anything like that cuz i havent gotten to do any dioramas yet just had say i like it. to maybe help u with the groundwork on it i noticed with hue was there was alot of rubble in the streets so that could be something u could look at maybe help with that. I like the mule too i got that in my stash waiting for a diorama also lol.Good Job though

It's so nice and spaced out.  A nice change from some of the one out there that can seem cluttered with "stuff."

Actually, that may be all that's really needful, some trash along the walls.  Newspapers, discarded drink cans/bottles.  That, and the least bit of  drybrushing some of that  road dust on the tracks and tires.  And, maybe, just maybe, an ammo can between the M60 gunner and the rifleman (since he might be the assistant gunner, and that belt in "the pig" is about to run out, and quick!). 

Not quite to where I can smell the burnt diesel, but very near, though. 

The individual elements look pretty much okay and really not a bad first diorama.

Some thoughts on you composition.

You could use a smaller base for what you have displayed. You want to give the feel of a city and not an open area, You've left a lot of dead space compounded by the large expanse of the wall.

The grouping in back, especially the mule driver, seems not to know there's a fire fight going on as he's seems not to be interested in taking cover.

Check the aim on the M16 gunner. Maybe it's the angle of the picture but it looks like he's aiming about three fett in front of him.

Also, think about where the M60 and the M16 gunners are in relation to the tank's gun tube. If that bad boy fires off, they're gonna be knocked six ways to Sunday and back. Put somebody on the .50 to give some real suppressing fire and the position will look better.

For ground cover in the street, in the future, consider using Celluclay or a thin layer of palster of paris. Even smoothed out, this will give slight variations you'd see especially in a dirt street.

Another thing that would add some realsim is maybe having a couple of Marines jumping off the mule and have some bullet holes on the wall, it looks to clean to have been in a battle. And I'd say the same things that others have said.

Overall, good layout and you have the right idea.

David

ajlafleche wrote:

Put somebody on the .50 to give some real suppressing fire and the position will look better.

It seems we were thinking similar things.  I was kind of "seeing" it as a crowning point in a two-lane road (a burnt-out renault or citroen or a VW beetle going the "other way" might help that).  That would also have the gunners shooting down slope.  So, I'm thinking lowering the gun tube, to bring the co-ax to bear might "logic" it up a bit.  I was half thinking that a hand yanking the hatch shut as the tankers "turtle up" would not be amiss.  (That MG mount is out there where bad folks can shoot at a tanker after all.)

The "space" bothered me, but I also like it.  The road is about 26' wide--way too wide for an alley; but about right for a former walk-and-street, if, say dirt & the enviroment were taking a disused street back.  But, that's me; other differ.

Hey guys,

Thanks for all of the very useful feedback. 

Deathrattler, Capnmack  - I will add more rubble for the 2nd edition.  Hue city was a pretty run down place during the battle.  A little litter wound add greatly. 

ajlafeche - I love the avatar of your dog by the way.  It makes me laugh for some reason.  I guess the group behind the tank doesn't portray the evacuation of the wounded Marine like it should.  I was going for a feeling of evacuation behind the tank, but it just doesn't work with the angles I used.  The M16 rifleman is firing a bit low, I'll figure out a way to correct that.  Nobody noticed but he's the only guy without a flak jacket.  I knew it was a stretch, but the figure was handy.  Maybe I'll replace him altogether.  The gun tube issue did occure to me, but I signed it off as "The armor just showed up, and the infantry had already been engaged."  A rethink of the dio as a whole will hopefully correct these issues.  That is actually celluclay for the groundwork (over Styrofoam).  It really is nicely irregular.  I think it's the lack of sufficient lighting which lets the groundwork down.  Next time, I'll take my photos in daylight. 

ww2modeler - I did experiment with some bullet holes in the wall, but It's a railroad foam material which complicated things.  The holes I added just weren't very big, and I was reluctant to highlight them with paint.  I probably should have taken more time to experiment with damaging down that wall. 

Capnmac - The .50 cal gunner is a good idea, but I don't want to have a guy on top of the machine.  I was enjoying the idea of hiding the tank crew altogether.  The only indication of them being in the tank would be the Marine at the infantry communication box at the back of the tank.  "Space" will be dealt with.  The next edition will be much smaller.  In fact, this Dio started life as 18" by 18" instead of its current 18" by 12."  

Anyway, guys, thanks for the input.  You've helped me out greatly.  I can develop a plan of attack for a 2nd edition of the "The old city walls."  I'll use as many of the figures as I can from this Dio, and probably add some new ones.  The Mule may stay, or it may go.  The base is going to be smaller and not warped.  For now this will live on my shelf.  It's time that I build an F-4.  However, I can make this a much better diorama, especially with help from you guys.  

Semper Fi,

Chris 

It's looking good but I would add something such as local signs or billboards on the walls that would give it a sense of the scene being in Viet Nam let alone Hue city.

Good point, I remember alot of billboards in the movie "Full Metal Jacket."  However, would those billboards be near the "Old City?"  It's my understanding that such advertisements would be common in the newer French Colonial part of the city, but not so common in the ancient part of the city near the palaces and fortifications. 

Semper Fi,

Chris

I was doin some searching today and came across this m48 at hue and it reminded me alittle what u doin in your diorama with the wall and your m48 so had to share it with u.I dont know if u have seen it or not but i just had to share it soon as i seen it reminded me of this diorama and besides it shows the rubble i was talkin about in it hope u like it good luck

http://www.specialoperations.com/mout/twocities.html

 

Chris,

I really like your work.  Especially for your very first Diorama, it is not bad at all.  I really don't have anything to add to what others have said.  Excellent work and hope to see more of your work in near future!

Deathrattler,

funny thing, That picture was actually one of two which inspired this attempt at a dio.  I started by buying a book called "Marines in Hue City, A Portrait of Urban Combat, Tet 1968" by Eric Hammel.  This book not only has that picture, but a picture of the same tank from behind on the cover.  It was the major inspiration of the dio, 4 months of work straight from that picture.  Thanks for following the progress, I'm going to put the 2nd edition of this dio aside until after I'm done with the "Mig Killers" GB project F-4. 

M1Garand, I'm glad you liked it, especially since I've seen so much great work from you on these forums. 

Semper Fi,

Chris 

What?! No "me-so-horny" girl somewhere in the scene?

Just kidding! Not bad for your first; a little too open for my taste though. I woulda added more street debris--no street is that clean! (except in Switzerland!)

It looks like your base is warped in the first pic--did you seal the wood first with a good water barrier? That would prevent that dreaded curling of the wood. 

the doog wrote:

I woulda added more street debris--no street is that clean! (except in Switzerland!)

Doog,

Singapore my friend.  That place is one clean place as well.