Diorama "The Winter War"

Many thanks for your kind comments, SteveM, subfixer, SteveA and SMJmodeler! I really appreciate them!

SMJmodeler, I'll search for your winter work later on, maybe tomorrow. I have problems logging in this site from home whether using Internet Explorer or Firefox. I can only log in from office and only with Firefox. In about 10 minutes it'll be time to go home, and there are few more threads in this dio forum that I'll have to read and respond.

Model Maniac,

Nice build!!!  I am a fan of winter dio's too.  Snow is tough to make look good, you got it down!  Love the photography, really helps the setting and mood, clue me in on how to do that.

SMJmodeler

P.S. If you want to see my "winter work", check out my post in armor

ygmodeler4 wrote:

MM I've been looking at AI's work for awhile now and although i am by no means an expert, this diorama seems to be far better than any other, in all honesty i can't find anything blaringly wrong or any wrong poses.  The only thing i could think of is that there is snow on the tracks, however if the panther was moving down the road the snow would be there. Thats not that big either so tell AI he did a great job

I can only go off memory, but when I was in 1st ID, I remember during REFOGER 86, it was snowing and it became almost blizzard like. Exercises were called after a fatality involving the Army and a local. When we pulled our APC into an empty barn and climbed out, the tracks were caked with snow. This was even after driving on cobblestone. If this was a wet snow and especially driving off road, I could find it very possible to have snow on the tracks.

MM / AI, I am just learning the "historical" correctness of armor and uniforms, etc., so that never entered my mind while looking at the images...  what I saw was a piece of art, whether historically correct or not.

SteveM wrote:

Finally, a solid argument for using baking soda as snow.

OMG, this had me rolling on the floor...

$45.00 = cost of kits;...$10.00 = cost of modeling supplies;...$1.00/hour = cost of Art Instructor's labor;......MM's explanation for using baking soda as snow = PRICELESS!!!

HeavyArty wrote:

I can't wait to read Gino's take on this!!!! LOL!!! WOW!!  I guess the ancient Buddhist way is to be able to lay down a load of total BS in order to explain your way out of something.  This one is classic.  I thought the Russian AT Team philosophical explanation was good.  This one is great compared to it.

( not being mean, MM, but you gotta admit you're "stretching it" a bit!, LOL!

)

I can't wait to read Gino's take on this!!!! LOL!!!

WOW!!  I guess the ancient Buddhist way is to be able to lay down a load of total BS in order to explain your way out of something.  This one is classic.  I thought the Russian AT Team philosophical explanation was good.  This one is great compared to it. 

Model Maniac wrote:

Boomerang wrote:  Model Maniac wrote:      AI simulated snow using fine salt and sodium bicarbonate.                OH NOOOOO!........ Why oh no!? What's wrong with fine salt and sodium bicarbonate? I know it won't last long and the snow tends to disperse and dissolve into the base and trees, but at least the beauty in the pictures still remains. After all, everything is transient and this is the core of Buddha's teachings! ygmodeler, thanks for your kind comments! Today AI has two more dio's for you to view and comment.

...and that's all I'm going to say!...

(I can't wait to read Gino's take on this!!!! LOL!!!!)

Boomerang wrote:

Model Maniac wrote:      AI simulated snow using fine salt and sodium bicarbonate.                OH NOOOOO!........

Why oh no!? What's wrong with fine salt and sodium bicarbonate? I know it won't last long and the snow tends to disperse and dissolve into the base and trees, but at least the beauty in the pictures still remains. After all, everything is transient and this is the core of Buddha's teachings!

ygmodeler, thanks for your kind comments! Today AI has two more dio's for you to view and comment.

Model Maniac wrote:

AI simulated snow using fine salt and sodium bicarbonate.

     OH NOOOOO!........

Thanks so much for all kind comments and compliments! I really appreciate them!

Hermesminiatures, I buy all kits and choose armor & figure for AI to build into dio. Some time AI knows better than me. I told him to paint this Panther in 3-color camo as seen on the box art of the Tri Star's kit, he didn't say a thing. But he painted it in desert yellow and when asked he said that this is early Panther so it should not have 3-color camo, I should have given him the Panther G instead. But nevermind, this dio looks very nice to me.

IanIsBored2000, AI simulated snow using fine salt and sodium bicarbonate.

Boomerang, the 'falling snow' effect is not new. In fact I've been using it for 6-7 years now! 

   Well, apart from the minor discrepency of the time periods of tank and uniforms/weapons, which i would never pick up on myself, i think this dio is pretty darn good Model Maniac. I also love the groundwork. One can feel the mood of this dio too. It looks cold and bleek. This one would look good with that thing you do on your home page, you know, that 'falling snow' effect.

   Boomer...

I believe there is a picture of a late war Panther D in "Panzer Wrecks 4". It seems to have undergone a factory rebuild that included full zimmerit.

It is possible for that scene to have occured, but not probable. The withdrawn vehicles would have had factory service to send them back out to the line. Like the one mentioned above, the use of zimmerit may have been done after the servicing at the factory. Anyway, a photo of the occurence would be the best to atest to the reality of the situation. Right now its a fantasy, but the terrain is certainly beautifully done. More research would have improved the project, especially considering the great lost of armor in France 1944 especially at the Falaise Gap.

Mike T.

Hermesminiatures wrote:

The Panther D's debut was at Kursk, and it didn't do so well. Almost all D's were withdrawn from service by January 1944, being replaced by the improved Ausf. A. While a winter Panther D is a possibility, the clincher is that the infantry are wearing uniforms and carrying weapons not issued until late 1944.

Ok, now I'm gtonna nitpick again. If the "D's" were withdrawn from service then they were likely rebuilt into something else right? But anyway thanks for the answers, and I'll store that in my feeble brain.

gary

The Panther D's debut was at Kursk, and it didn't do so well. Almost all D's were withdrawn from service by January 1944, being replaced by the improved Ausf. A. While a winter Panther D is a possibility, the clincher is that the infantry are wearing uniforms and carrying weapons not issued until late 1944.

squeakie wrote:

the doog wrote: I agree, a very well-executed scene, but entirely incongruous with the mating of a Panther D and late war figures. Excellent trees, and very good snow as well. A good job on the Panther from what I can see as well.  one question about the Panther D in the dio; why would there not have been a Panther D at the time and location? I mean was it a possability that one could have lasted that long? If not why? Not trying to second guess anybody, but my interest is now pegged. gary

the doog wrote:

I agree, a very well-executed scene, but entirely incongruous with the mating of a Panther D and late war figures. Excellent trees, and very good snow as well. A good job on the Panther from what I can see as well.

one question about the Panther D in the dio; why would there not have been a Panther D at the time and location? I mean was it a possability that one could have lasted that long? If not why? Not trying to second guess anybody, but my interest is now pegged.

gary

I agree, a very well-executed scene, but entirely incongruous with the mating of a Panther D and late war figures.

Excellent trees, and very good snow as well. A good job on the Panther from what I can see as well. 

Great dio, the atmosphere is great,and the paint job and build of the overall scenery is fantastic,very good snow.For me great score on this one.

Pedro

Model Maniac wrote:

Diorama "The Winter War" using Dragon's Panther D + Tri Star's German Panzergrenadiers Vol.2 - by "Art Instructor" : For more pics and falling snow please try my latest page: http://www.falconbbs.com/model39a.htm Have fun!

this is some of the best snow I've ever seen! The whole scene gives me chills.

gary

It does look very good, AI did a very good job with the modeling.

Personally I don't have a problem with the title, I think that anyone who knows enough to know that the Winter War was between Finland and Russia, they should also know that a dio with a Panther isn't referring to that.  (no offense telsono)

It is annoying to see a glaring historical conflict, like MR mentioned. 80% of the people on this forum will know that a Panther D does not belong in a wintery forest with late war infantry.

Just a question: do you (MM) buy the kits for AI to build and choose which figure sets go with each vehicle? If so, I'm sure you'd be welcome to ask around this forum before buying kits, for example, "Would a Panther D be in the Ardennes in 1944, and would these figures would go with it?" I think if you did that your models would end up being far more accurate and you'd recieve much less criticism.

Looks real good from here.  AI did a nice job on this one.

Regards,  Rick