7th OVI
Sergeant
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2009
- Messages
- 626
Took a break and decided to post the next section as well as an update on the dock area. I added the WB Kriegsmarine figures to the S Boat. Still have a couple of figures that potentially will be added. I did a repaint on 2 of the figures to add variety and change ranks. Now the AA batteries, I wanted to add a few 88's to the layout to represent the ever-increasing anti-aircraft defenses deployed in and around Germany from 1943 to late 1944. I had a few period images of AA batteries near the bank of the Kiel canal which the dock area is modeled to represent. After trying a number of attempts (filled a number of trash cans) I decided to use the WB WW1 trench system modules to form the bank and gun emplacements as well as a few bunkers. I used the WB No Man's Land 51017 for under the bridge and the WB Regimental Aid Post 51016 for the emplacements and bunkers. I used wood shims to get the heights aligned, used multiple fillers (foam, wet black napkins then black toilet paper) to create a sort of even/uneven surface with drainage ditches. Then I started with some modifications, added a few WB 17910 cut tree trunks to represent the trees cleared to create the bunkers, added WB 53024 damaged tree trunks for the small bomb craters near the bridge, installed lights to the interior of the bunkers as well as the exterior, layered some 3D printed cement panels as earthwork retainers, added a few custom bushes , covered the surface with a dark color dirt blend, added light snow effects, made water areas to match the shell craters and then sealed it with a glossy spray. Once this was done, added the wreckage of a small dock building WB 17767 Norman House ruin, custom firing deck to the 2 88 emplacements, added 2 WB Late War 88 Without Shield 25182, added a bunch WB Empty Shell Casings 25085, 3D printed power generators to one of the bunkers and stacked supplies to the other bunker to create the Battery. Still have a few details to do on this are such as signage and power lines (waiting on shipments from Germany) then it is ready to add figures. I added a few images of the Dock Area. One is a close up of the long boat which was a repainted and weathered WB 62003 Boat no. 6 from the Titanic series, an image of the S Boat with figures and a period image of an improvised dock from a military bridge that I used to create the dock in the diorama. The next 2 images are of the interior of the bunkers with lights on. The next 3 images show the emplacements and walkway in daytime lighting and then the last image shows the nighttime version. As always let me know what you think. Thx Chris
