Diorama "Ukraine, Summer 1943"

nice dio! but what are the grenediers looking at? it seems more important than the safety of the panzer 4

total american patriot

nice dio! but what are the grenediers looking at? it seems more important than the safety of the panzer 4

Better question: Why is the guy at the end of the pier carrying a magnetic anti-tank mine?

Okay, here are some possibilites...

The Russians developed secret river submarines and he's going to attack one.

The pier is really a bridge and it's safer to cross an open bridge to attack a tank with a mine than to fire a shot from the Pz IV.

The guy is majorly confused. He thinks the river is frozen and the mine is a curling stone.

They're rehearsing a play about George Washington throwing a silver dollar across the Potomac but didn't have a silver dollar so they substituted an anti-tank mine.

The panzers gun should have been moved in the direction the German on the bridge was pointing.

ajlafleche

 

total american patriot:

 

nice dio! but what are the grenediers looking at? it seems more important than the safety of the panzer 4

 

 

Better question: Why is the guy at the end of the pier carrying a magnetic anti-tank mine?

Okay, here are some possibilites...

The Russians developed secret river submarines and he's going to attack one.

The pier is really a bridge and it's safer to cross an open bridge to attack a tank with a mine than to fire a shot from the Pz IV.

The guy is majorly confused. He thinks the river is frozen and the mine is a curling stone.

They're rehearsing a play about George Washington throwing a silver dollar across the Potomac but didn't have a silver dollar so they substituted an anti-tank mine.

or the guy wanted to go for a swim and decided that the anti tank mine was the most efficient way to take his clothes off

Thanks for all comments and inquiries! 

The grenadiers are looking at a German sturmboat w/ pioniere (not included in the scene). There are more of them watching the back and side (also not included in the scene), so safety is not a problem.

The guy was carrying the mine because it's his weapon. Some may carry other weapons, nothing is wrong with that.

The uniform and dio name suggests it's Summer, not Winter. The river is not frozen, it has waves resounding from the shore (made by the sturmboat), similar to seawater in this scene:

The tank crew may not see what the grenadiers are looking at. And if they see, they will not point the gun at their compatriots!

I think you guys need to use more imagination! No non-sense assumptions please!

Great job! Very realistic looking. I can imagine any number of things that could be going on..

Rob

I thought the one is mad and pointing at the other, because he brought a mine to go fishing and not a fishing pole. 

very nice! this dio has a lot of depth to it

maxfax

 I can imagine any number of things that could be going on..

Rob

This is the definition of FAIL in a diorama. If the story isn't clear, if you have to try to imagine what COULD be going on, the diorama builder has not succeeded.

modelmaniac

The guy was carrying the mine because it's his weapon.

RI-I-I-I-IGHT! That "weapon" had a sole purpose, attach a shaped charge against a tank. It weighed 3 or 3.5 kg (6-8 pounds, approximately), depending on model. I can't imagine a soldier carrying around an almost 8 pound device on the chance he might run into a tank up close and task himself with the virtually suicidal job of attaching the mine to the tank. Especially when there's a tank with much greater stand off capability right next to him. Meanwhile, he would have to ditch the mine and reposition his rifle if he encountered enemy personel.

modelmaniac

No non-sense assumptions please!

Don't post nonsensical "dioramas" and there will be "No non-sense assumptions."

Another example of a dio lacking research.

The Panzer IV barrel in the dio looks to be in recoil.  It's too short.

This is the actual tank AI is depicting. It belongs to Pz.Rgt.36, 14th Panzer Division, 1942. The dio is supposed to be in summer "Ukraine 1943".  How could that be?

The division was complete surrounded and destroyed in Stalingrad, January 1943. The division reformed in France in April 1943 to October 1943.

ajlafleche

...This is the definition of FAIL in a diorama. If the story isn't clear, if you have to try to imagine what COULD be going on, the diorama builder has not succeeded...

I agree.  Art Instructor usually fails.

Model Maniac

The guy was carrying the mine because it's his weapon. Some may carry other weapons, nothing is wrong with that.

That is just foolish.  It is not 'his' weapon.  'His' weapon should be a rifle or a machine gun or an SMG.  Those magnetic mines were not 'assigned' - they were sort of like hand grenades - you grab a couple to use when you need them.  It just makes no logical sense for a guy on a bridge, in the wide open, with a tank supporting him, to be carrying that mine...

And the whole explanation of all the stuff going on 'just beyond the edges' doesn't hold.  That stuff has to be obvious for a dio to work, and in this case it is anything but obvious.  It is too bad, really, because individually the elements themselves are not terrible.  But the way they are put together falls flat.

Chill out and let the guy build his diorama they way he wants to. This is supposed to to a FUN hobby.

ajlafleche

Better question: Why is the guy at the end of the pier carrying a magnetic anti-tank mine?

AI built the figures OOB and per the instructions as always.  I don't think there's anything wrong with carrying an AT magnetic mine in his hand in a pier or a bridge anyway.  How do you depict a soldier just carrying it?  He can't  stick in his boots like a stick grenade. He can't put in his pocket.  I have seen soldiers carrying teller mines and panzerfaust in their hands during manuever. I don't think there's a vehicle following them all the time just to carry all this "disposable" weapons.

iraqiwildman

Chill out and let the guy build his diorama they way he wants to. This is supposed to to a FUN hobby.

But he did not build the diorama! ModelManiac paid someone to build it. He collects the models and post here.

"Chill out and let the guy build his diorama they way he wants to. This is supposed to to a FUN hobby."

Model Maniac has LOTS of fun- collecting models. Built by others, he showcases them. Lots of people like the builds, and this arrangement works for him. Model Maniac has been doing this long enough to know the drill: posting the builds here means that folks in the forum are gonna comment, good and bad.

What I find to be a shame is that Art Instructor's work seems to reflect that he has long ago lost his love for modeling. Whether that's true or not is beside the point. In my opinion, he does have modeling skills but, unfortunately, his apparent indentured servitude prohibits him from slowing down, using common sense, researching for accuracy, adhering to basic composition aspects, etc. MM dumps a palette's worth of model boxes in Art Instructor's "lap", and AI must complete them. When that stack is finished, in comes another palette. This much has been confirmed by Model Maniac himself.

On the other hand, the debates these dios always generate provides a lot of useful info to those of us on the sidelines.I didn't know anything about that mine. I woulda guessed it was a monkey wrench, or something else equally WRONG

Steve

iraqiwildman

Chill out and let the guy build his diorama they way he wants to. This is supposed to to a FUN hobby.

You are, of course, correct IWM.  And, I'll give Model Maniac plenty of credit.  He obviously enjoys the models that he has in his collection and, despite taking some lumps, he continues to share his (purchased) works on this site.  So, for that, Kudos to him...

defcon1

 I don't think there's anything wrong with carrying an AT magnetic mine in his hand in a pier or a bridge anyway.  How do you depict a soldier just carrying it?  He can't  stick in his boots like a stick grenade. He can't put in his pocket.  I have seen soldiers carrying teller mines and panzerfaust in their hands during manuever. I don't think there's a vehicle following them all the time just to carry all this "disposable" weapons.

Defcon1

You're right, there is nothing 'wrong' with carrying that weapon on a bridge or anywhere.  The only 'problem' is that there is no coherent story.  WHY is he carrying it?  As Al said, in its truest form, a dio should tell a story, but this one doesn't.  To me, this is a display of a couple of kits, not a dio.

But, as Iraqiwildman reminds us, hey, if MM is happy with his purchase, more power to him and thanks for sharing it.  Hope he passes on some of the feedback to AI...

bbrowniii

Defcon1

You're right, there is nothing 'wrong' with carrying that weapon on a bridge or anywhere.  The only 'problem' is that there is no coherent story.  WHY is he carrying it?  As Al said, in its truest form, a dio should tell a story, but this one doesn't.  To me, this is a display of a couple of kits, not a dio.

But, as Iraqiwildman reminds us, hey, if MM is happy with his purchase, more power to him and thanks for sharing it.  Hope he passes on some of the feedback to AI...

I don't think the issue is "why is he carrying it". The problem I see is what the soldiers are doing or about to do and the tank is buttoned up for some reason. They are looking across the river.  It doesn't make any sense.  Honestly, the whole dio is a mess. Two models, the tank and soldiers doesn't go together. Both are in different places. Like always, MM gives AI multiple kits for a dio blindly.  AI builds everything in the box even though it doesn't go well together.

defcon1

 

 Like always, MM gives AI multiple kits for a dio blindly.  AI builds everything in the box even though it doesn't go well together.

Yeah but, again, this bothers US more than it does Model Maniac. Personally, I'm every bit as entertained by the banter back and forth as I would be if the dios were superb. It's good stuff!

maxfax

Great job! Very realistic looking. I can imagine any number of things that could be going on..

Rob

Thanks so much for your kind compliments, Rob!

iraqiwildman

I thought the one is mad and pointing at the other, because he brought a mine to go fishing and not a fishing pole. 

That's one possibility. You have good imagination. ;-)

defcon1

 

ajlafleche:

 

 

Better question: Why is the guy at the end of the pier carrying a magnetic anti-tank mine?

 

 

 

AI built the figures OOB and per the instructions as always.  I don't think there's anything wrong with carrying an AT magnetic mine in his hand in a pier or a bridge anyway.  How do you depict a soldier just carrying it?  He can't  stick in his boots like a stick grenade. He can't put in his pocket.  I have seen soldiers carrying teller mines and panzerfaust in their hands during manuever. I don't think there's a vehicle following them all the time just to carry all this "disposable" weapons.

Thanks for supporting me in this matter, defcon1! As I said, nothing's wrong with that.

total american patriot

very nice! this dio has a lot of depth to it

Many thanks for your kind words, T.A.P.

I think this dio has been quite successful looking at the number of replies (20 something). I wonder why another dio built by AI and posted at the same time has not gotten any reply yet. This one:

/forums/t/130832.aspx

bbrowniii

 

iraqiwildman:

 

Chill out and let the guy build his diorama they way he wants to. This is supposed to to a FUN hobby.

 

 

You are, of course, correct IWM.  And, I'll give Model Maniac plenty of credit.  He obviously enjoys the models that he has in his collection and, despite taking some lumps, he continues to share his (purchased) works on this site.  So, for that, Kudos to him...

Thanks so much for giving me some credit. I look only at the bright sight of the world and I have so much immunity. There are roads ahead and sometime there are pebbles in my shoes. That's not much of a problem becauser I usually don't walk. I go anywhere by bike and this's my new one I bought last month:

Mic

"Chill out and let the guy build his diorama they way he wants to. This is supposed to to a FUN hobby."

Model Maniac has LOTS of fun- collecting models. Built by others, he showcases them. Lots of people like the builds, and this arrangement works for him. Model Maniac has been doing this long enough to know the drill: posting the builds here means that folks in the forum are gonna comment, good and bad.

What I find to be a shame is that Art Instructor's work seems to reflect that he has long ago lost his love for modeling. Whether that's true or not is beside the point. In my opinion, he does have modeling skills but, unfortunately, his apparent indentured servitude prohibits him from slowing down, using common sense, researching for accuracy, adhering to basic composition aspects, etc. MM dumps a palette's worth of model boxes in Art Instructor's "lap", and AI must complete them. When that stack is finished, in comes another palette. This much has been confirmed by Model Maniac himself.

On the other hand, the debates these dios always generate provides a lot of useful info to those of us on the sidelines.I didn't know anything about that mine. I woulda guessed it was a monkey wrench, or something else equally WRONG

Steve

Well, I give him 6-7 boxes to build at a time and it's a never ending job as you said. But I have never set any timeframe. It's all up to HIM how long each batch will take. May be 2 weeks, 2 months or even more. I have no problem with that. AI is not my only modelers. There are 4 more working for mem, no timeframe is set. There's one who's been building my IJN Battleship "Matsu" 1:350 full options since 1 April last year and still not finished. That's OK with me, I've never called him to ask about its progress at all!

they sent hm out there to check for snipers

Agreed, iraqi

Model Maniac

...I wonder why another dio built by AI and posted at the same time has not gotten any reply yet. This one:  /forums/t/130832.aspx...

 

Stock figures in stock poses; no story.  What is there to reply to?