French POW dio WIP **update: 2/26/09 pg 11**

Demote the Stabsgefreiter, being that it is an administrative role (I assume you mean he'd be a pencil-pusher?).

Right... It was a specialist rank similar to the US Army's Technician-5th Grade (T-5)...

just to add a wrinkle to the uniform debate; NCO's were authorized to wear the officer-grade peaked caps, but w/o the silver piping...it wasn't too uncommon the see non-com's wearing the crusher cap...

Manny, you're right about the caps, but the cap badges for NCOs were different than the officer's badges as well as the chin straps... Our friend here is wearing the O's open-face belt buckle, trousers, and boots too. Enlisteds had the full, "Gott Mit Uns" buckles

Hey Hans, thanks for writing that all out. Very useful, and exactly what I needed. I think all I need to do is adjust one or two of the rank chevron patches I have on the other dudes. Demote the Stabsgefreiter, being that it is an administrative role (I assume you mean he'd be a pencil-pusher?).

psstoff995- thanks for the compliment. When the entire squad is finished, I will post 'em. Despite my ref books, and the knowledge abyss that is the internet, I still have a hard time keeping all of this straight.

I have an entire table-full of scenery (not terrain) that's been primed. Barn clutter, yard clutter, work-area clutter. My revised deadline is February. Yeah, right!

Steve

Hans von Hammer wrote:

SteveM wrote: I skipped a rank and promoted him to an Oberleutnant, as the shoulder boards came molded with a single pip. I suppose that leaves me with the question of "would it have been" possible for a small squad to consist of an Oberleutnant, plus a few Gefreiters and a couple of Obergefreiters? Should or shouldn't there be an NCO, senior or junior?  Sure... Either rank could be a platoon leader, but there are no O's at squad level... German (Heer) rifle platoons were organized more or less the same as US Army infantry platoons, except the German Heer squad revolved around the machine guns (MG 42 from 1942 onwards, MG 34 prior to that) and mortar team, rather than the US pratice of the machine gun being a platoon weapon and the mortars in the weapons platoon.  There's one NCO as a Platoon Sergeant (Oberfeldwebel) and a squad leader (Unteroffizier or Unterfeldwebel)...  It's entirely possible that a Leutnant could lead a squad from his platoon on a patrol, along with the squad leader (Gruppenführer) , while the Oberfeldwebel stays back in charge of the rest of the platoon... A typical Heer Infanterie squad (three or four squads to a platoon depending on the year and division) would be made up of one Sergeant or Corporal, (Keep in mind that Obergefreiter and Unteroffizier are both corporals, but the Unteroffizier has a command) and a mixed bag of Privates (Shutze) and Privates First Class (Obershutze), Lance Corporals (Gefreiter), as riflemen, and Obergefeiter (Corporal) machine gunners and motar chiefs... There's also the rank of Obergefreiter that has a  chevron & pip instead of a second chevron. That pip denotes a Corporal with more than 6 years of service.. There's also a Stabsgefreiter (two chevrons and a pip) but that rank is administrative only.. Clear as mud, eh?

SteveM wrote:

I skipped a rank and promoted him to an Oberleutnant, as the shoulder boards came molded with a single pip. I suppose that leaves me with the question of "would it have been" possible for a small squad to consist of an Oberleutnant, plus a few Gefreiters and a couple of Obergefreiters? Should or shouldn't there be an NCO, senior or junior?

Sure... Either rank could be a platoon leader, but there are no O's at squad level... German (Heer) rifle platoons were organized more or less the same as US Army infantry platoons, except the German Heer squad revolved around the machine guns (MG 42 from 1942 onwards, MG 34 prior to that) and mortar team, rather than the US pratice of the machine gun being a platoon weapon and the mortars in the weapons platoon.  There's one NCO as a Platoon Sergeant (Oberfeldwebel) and a squad leader (Unteroffizier or Unterfeldwebel)...  It's entirely possible that a Leutnant could lead a squad from his platoon on a patrol, along with the squad leader (Gruppenführer) , while the Oberfeldwebel stays back in charge of the rest of the platoon...

A typical Heer Infanterie squad (three or four squads to a platoon depending on the year and division) would be made up of one Sergeant or Corporal, (Keep in mind that Obergefreiter and Unteroffizier are both corporals, but the Unteroffizier has a command) and a mixed bag of Privates (Shutze) and Privates First Class (Obershutze), Lance Corporals (Gefreiter), as riflemen, and Obergefeiter (Corporal) machine gunners and motar chiefs... There's also the rank of Obergefreiter that has a  chevron & pip instead of a second chevron. That pip denotes a Corporal with more than 6 years of service.. There's also a Stabsgefreiter (two chevrons and a pip) but that rank is administrative only..

Clear as mud, eh?

I skipped a rank and promoted him to an Oberleutnant, as the shoulder boards came molded with a single pip. I suppose that leaves me with the question of "would it have been" possible for a small squad to consist of an Oberleutnant, plus a few Gefreiters and a couple of Obergefreiters? Should or shouldn't there be an NCO, senior or junior?

I'm getting lost.

Huxy, thanks for the nice words.

SteveM wrote:

Ahh... good catch, thx Hans. I'll commence with the battlefield commission today

No sweat, Pard...

That is awsome... simply.. awsome..

And yeah, fix those collars!

And again, that's just awsome! awsomness.... 

Ahh... good catch, thx Hans. I'll commence with the battlefield commission today

Thanks for looking Nick. 

Steve, beav, Ian, and doog...

I want to thank you, belatedly, for your compliments. My apologies for the delayed response. I haven't forgotten about this dio. I have entered the world of figure painting, which slows me down even more than the usual snail's pace. I've got a german squad of 6, 2 french infantry, and 2 french civilians, to paint up. The germans are mostly finished... mostly.

Here is the unterofiizier. He is the only figure I've considered complete. If you see anything wrong, or in need, please don't hesitate to speak up. The paints and brushed are strewn across the workbench, and edits/changes won't be hard to pull off.

Minor progress; I've had to begin my group build subject (Steyr RSO/01) for the Service and Supply GB. When I joined, December 31st seemed so far away.

Thanks for looking, if you are looking.

Steve

An artist, man!

You are an ARTIST!

Leonardo's got nuthin on you, Steve! 

W

O

W

!

  ....... .. holy #@&* that is your barn!

  Ok enough with the reference photo's show us your barn.....

Thanks, Manny... I appreciate you pushing for the aged look inside. I'm more pleased with the results. Hard to tell with the photos, my photography skills are still lagging. I plan on dusting it up in there to some degree, as well, when all of the storge is in place.

I think I'm done painting the barn...I went back over each plank of wood with oil dots, swiped, blotted, stained. Burnt umber / black washes, and then a light buff / grey drybrushing. Only thing left to do, that I can think of, is rust up the exterior metal (hinges, handles, chain), and paint all pof the knot holes with burnt umber.

I've since moved on to all the junk that will be stored with in it, but thought I'd throw these final paint progress shots out there. Feel free to speak your mind. I'm not so much going for a "working" barn, as I am a "storge space / work shop". I know you all are probably bored looking at this thing. 

garage door vent

hayloft door

hayloft vent

1st floor interior

2nd floor interior

Hope to show progress shots from different aspects of this dio soon. I'm done looking at this barn.

Thanks for looking,

Steve

Man- guys- I've neglected to thank you for all the kind words... I really appreciate the support and advice. I have taken Ian's and Manny's suggestion and have been giving each board it's own amount of undivided attention.

Sorry, Manny- I do believe that I drove myself crazy afterall.

Thanks, panzerguy. I wish I had a buzzer in my room that went off when I was at the exact correct point between "rushed" and "overworked". Anybody got one of those? I'll pay for it..

Nick- thank you. Your structures are fantastic, and that means a lot coming from you. Smeagol- thanks, you crack me up.

Geist- thanks very much. Final product, figures and all, should be be too far off... say, November (2009)

Doog, thank you for your continued praise. I've got a superlative for ya: howawbout "slowest"?

thanks for dropping in, agentg! I appreciate it!

Jim, thank you for your suggestions. Yeah, I'm more pleased with the shingles now. Still need some paint, tho. On a side note- there are 2 types of Rush fans in the world, in my opinion: married and unmarried.

Unmarried) rabid, fanatical, devout; these people (guys) will plan their work vacations around Rush's tour schedule. They will pay the government extra $$ for personalized license plates like "YYZ-R30" or "By-Tor", will request phone numbers like 555-1001, and are on the waiting lists of multiple apartment complexes, holding out for unit #2112 to become vacant. 

Married) closeted, suppressed, defeated; although they will not stick up for Rush at parties and in clubs, they will undoubtedly fall into a drug-like state of euphoria when "Limelight" comes on the radio. These gentlemen have a grip on the understanding that they've traded prog-rock for relations. They know that pointing out complex arpeggios, 64th beats, and 7/8 time signatures falls on deaf ears, and they are not allowed to listen to Rush in the house. They are resigned to the fact that Rush will forever be their "musical porno".

No offense to Rush fans, or their wives, intended

Steve

panzerguy wrote:

Man Steve thats some of the best work I've seen in a long time. The color and weathering are great.  And work as slow as you want something this sharp should'nt be rushed.

I guess that means you wouldn't want to listen to Moving Pictures or Permanent Waves when you build this.

I was thinking, as you age the interior, perhaps you can knock one or two unimportant boards askew or have them hanging loosely by one nail; maybe even have one missing completely. That'll add to the effect of a neglected barn.

Now you got it on the shingles! Those look much more weatherbeaten. With Halloween coming up, all the barn needs is a few ghosts!

smeagol the vile wrote:

Since I have to get to class, Ill put this as simply as I can... Son of a B*****! that is absolutley amazing, you make me want to just crawl up in a ball and not build again.  That looks really, really good

WOW, man! That's serious!

HOLY $%#^&!!!!!

Just tremendous, Steve--again; I just run out of superlatives!  

Wow.

That wood looks amazing! I can't wait to see the final product with figures and all. Great job.

Erik

  Man Steve thats some of the best work I've seen in a long time. The color and weathering are great.  And work as slow as you want something this sharp should'nt be rushed.