Omaha Beach Diorama 2018 (1 Viewer)

[arnhem44mad]

For the past few months I have been creating an Omaha Beach Diorama in the area of my display room which used to house the Waterloo Diorama. The area is 36 inches wide and over 100 inches long.

I had a previous Omaha Beach Diorama depicting 2nd Rangers but I always wanted to create a larger one to incorporate more units.

I started by clearing the area for the sand and painting some of K&C's figures to give them a 'wet look'. I had to source older sets that I wanted to include, mainly 1st Infantry Division DD sets and figures.

I wanted to create a German trench system much like my original diorama from a while ago.

Scott

Scott

 

[arnhem44mad]

I added the sand to cover the beach and added the first fee US figures. Creating water has always been something that I could never get my head around. I decided to print of A4 photos of water and cut them before adding them together on top of each other to create the water area.

I then added some of the figires I had been gathering to the beach as well as the KnC Sherman Tank, some JG Miniatures hedgehogs, barbed wire and sandbags. Germans and defending troops were added and the bunker...

Scott

 

[villagehorse]

Really like how you solved the water aspect Scott, very clever. Robin.

 

[arnhem44mad]

Really like how you solved the water aspect Scott, very clever. Robin.

Thank you mate! I like how you use what looks to be a fabric sheet and turn it over to make waves. I toyed with this but couldnt find a sheet big enough!^&grin

Scott

 

[arnhem44mad]

I then began creating my own little scenic items using milliput such as discarded gas mask bags and a life belt.

I then looked at the original surviving photos of Omaha Beach taken by Robert Caps during the landings and I noticed that the tanks on the beach had numbers painted on their wading stacks at the rear so as to be identified.

With this realisation I printed off WW2 US Army numbers from google and gave the first tank (disabled in the shallows - a sawn down KnC tank) the number 07. This was a randomly chosen number (Actually it was the easiest number to cut out - 7 ). The '0' was quite a pain to cut out and after much faffing about with superglue I finally got it on. I only had the sawn KnC tank at that time so used this as a guide reference to place another one which I wanted to get which would be assigned the number '10' this reflecting the famous photo.

I also added some landing craft to the rear of the diorama in the furthest away sea area.

Scott

 

[arnhem44mad]

The numbers were on the tanks (Dad bought me a 2nd KnC for Christmas, but he isn't in to wrapping and so he have me it early December. I then played around with creating explosions in water.

I wanted to get as realistic a look to the splash effect as possible so again this led me to printing off photos but this time attaching them back to back, creating a 3D effect and added them to the water. The good thing about doing things this way is that they can be repositioned easily.

I had been reading the book by Stephen Ambrose all about Dday and a recurring factor was the sea wall. I decided to try and build a sea wall but only by building up sand areas which slowly fell down after a while. I have the two Thomas Gunn Rangers that I bought at the 'sea wall' trying to breach the barbed wire using Bangalore torpedoes.

Scott

 

[arnhem44mad]

The plan was to have an LCVP which has been zeroed in by a German MG team and to have men running to the ramp trying to reach the water being hit before they are on the ramp.

I experimented with having water flowing over the ramp, which did look clever, but decided against this.


I also wanted to have actual explosions (again photos) com8ng from the LCVP with the idea thst either:

A) the LCVP had hit a mine or had a direct hit from a mortar
B) one of the men with in the LCVP with a flamethrower had been hit by MG fire on one of the propane canisters/demolition charge carries by an infantryman had been hit and causes a huge explosion on the LCVP. A similair incident happened on an LCVP on DDay when a German MG bullet hit a grenade carried by one of the GIs aboard.

Scott

 

[arnhem44mad]

Explosions were added but I was not as impressed by this as I thought I would be so I removed it.

After speaking to Chris Tay on Facebook (thanks mate) I realised that the geography to the left of my diorama was off. I wanted to attempt to build up the land side and create bluffs. This was the first attempt.

Scott

 

[arnhem44mad]

I was not as happy with the bluffs as I thought I would be and I think I knew that this was rushed and that I needed to look at what I had at my disposal to make a better area representing the bluffs.

My second attempt was not practical as it had one high and one low side, however my third attempt (current and pictured) is a creation that I am happy with and I even added a road to represent an exit which is what the men and tasks needed to get off of the beach!

Scott

 

[arnhem44mad]

So far so good but something was missing from the areas with the men who were landing.

I had 4 men who were wounded plus another 4 who have just been hit or are dead!

I added small patches of blood to where the men had been wounded and dragged or whom had managed to pull themselves along the beach to cover.

I also added pieces of tissue paper rolled into elongated shapes to represent the clear bags which the soldiers used to keep water out of their weapons!

Scott

 

[arnhem44mad]

Close ups of the blood areas near the figures and beach area. The figure near the large Conte beach obstacle with the bloody leg had too much blood around him for such a small wound son I covered some of the blood puddle up to make it more realistic.

I then found the last LCVP that I was looking for (thanks to Bill Moore). I bought it as a damaged piece as had been told that it was broken but could be repaired, but was unsure of how much reparations it would need. While I was adding the blood to the diorama the LCVP would have been on its way to me!

Scott

 

[arnhem44mad]

More photos will be taken today!

Scott

 

[arnhem44mad]

I then took the diorama back slightly...the landing craft.

I wanted to make it seem as if there was mote movement in the crafts. For this I looked at picture did landing craft in motion and noticed the little waves behind the craft coming from the movement of the propeller.

I used cotton wool and modelled it into tracks behind the craft to give the effective propulsion. I also placed the cotton wool behind the tank disabled in the shallows and to the side of the craft so as to further the motion effect as if the waves are crashing against the vehicles.

Scott

 

[arnhem44mad]

The 'wounded' LCVP finally made its appearance and the damage was not as bad as I imagined!

I still had the idea of the explosion.on an LCVP and this worked out well as the 30. Cal gunners had broken away from their there.

The figures needed repainting as there were several chips. I broke one of the crew's arms off and reattached it in a different position and used some milliput to model a missing piece and part of the hand which I needed to create a wounded figure.

I moved the arm on another member of crew as you will see in the pictures.

I swapped out the third member of the crew; standing with 2 fingers in air for the wounded USMC Amtrack gunner which I found on eBay several years ago!

A mortar has hit the LCVP to the right of the coxswains position. Shrapnel from the mortar has penetrated one of the gunner's armoured shields, hitting the gunner in the chest causing his blood to spray over his gun shield, machine gun and fellow Navy Gunner on his right. He falls back in pain.. A fire and small explosions have started at the rear of the coxswain's position. To escape the fire the coxswain, injured, has fallen forward to the loading area of the LCVP.

Scott

 

[Horus]

Lots of action going on in your diorama. Looking good and hope to see more photos as you gather more troops.
Very well done on acquiring the LCM and hopefully Andy will consider doing another at sometime !

Really very well done Scott, you've had some great imaginative solutions to your diorama problems !

Steve

 

[arnhem44mad]

Overall Diorama (so far)... right to left.

1. From motherships the landing craft come to the shore. This is the beginning of the third wave:

- Part of a Company of the 5th Ranger Battalion are in LCVP - PA26-21.
- Tanks of the 743rd Tank Battalion are heading for the beach. They will be released in what is believes to be shallow water soon.

2. First ashore were the 741st Tank Battalion. Few of the tanks made it to the shore as many were launched too far from the shore in too high swells. Any which did make it to the shore were knocked out by the German artillery before they could make it off the beach:

- Only one tank - 10 - has made it on this section of the beach but has been knocked out.
- Tank - 07 - has been knocked out in the shallows.

3. The 1st Infantry Division came ashore in the first and second waves in LCVPs. Pinned down by murderous MG and mortar fire they had been stuck in the shallows and have, only 10 minutes ago as the tide started to come in, came ashore in dribs and drabs realizing that remaining where they were would mean assured drowning. Many of the men of the first awavemd second waves were injured and lost when they first arrived on the beach as there was a severe lack of cover. Others drowned in deep water due to their heavy equipment while trying to swim ashore:

- The only tank in the area which has been knocked out, is being used by a group of survivors of the first wave as cover. A tempting target for German gunners.
- A Sergeant turning to check where the screams he can hear are coming from sees one of the men from his section being pulled from the waters edge towards cover with a gut wound. Things suddenly start to go into slow motion around the Sergeant. He can hear sounds but they sound so far away...screams...explosions...men spesking into radios...the steady *frrrt, frrrt* of the German machine guns....Suddenly the Sergeant Zones back in as the BAR gunner from his section sitting in front of him shouts 'Sarge we can't stay here!'
- The only surviving Officer of the 1st 2 waves is pinned down by an anti-tank obstacle.
- With all the men lost in the first and second waves in the shallows lots of equipment and weapons lie just at the waters edge for men of later waves to use.
- Several men of the first wave had to come ashore on a rubber boat as their LCVP was disabled on the way to the beach.

4. The 2nd Ranger Battalion has arrived in the 3rd wave in two British LCAs. They have trained for this for months and specialise in amphibious landings, however this will he their first live operation:

- The men wade ashore quickly, getting into positions of cover before moving on to the next position. Several of the men work in teams of two as their training focussed on and leap frog towards the sea wall.
- A Ranger Lieutenant has made his way with his Radioman to the tank looking for any surviving Officers from the first 2 waves. He was directed to the only surviving 1st Infantry Officer, a young lieutenant, lying pinned down several metres away from his position. The Ranger Officer signals him to get his men and lead them forward.
- 2 Rangers have made it to the sea wall with some Bangalores that they managed to find on the beach. One of them was wiring them up with the hope of blowing a gap in the wall but he has been shot and killed by German rifle fire.

Scott

 

[arnhem44mad]

The men push up the beach knowing that they have to breach the sea wall before the tide comes further in!

Total figures so far:

1st Infantry Division: 11 Men including one Lieutenant, one Medic and 3 wounded.

2nd Rangers: 22 including one Captain, one Lieutenant, 1 Medic and 6 wounded.

5th Rangers: 8 including one Captain, one Lieutenant and one Medic.

British Royal Navy x4.

United States Navy/Coastguard: 7 including one two wounded.

743rd Tank Battalion Crew x5

Germans x10

LCA x2
LCVP x2
LCM x1
Sherman Wading Stacks x2 (one sunk)
1x rubber boat
1x German 20mm AA gun
1x German Bunker
1x German Sentry Box

Conte Beach Obstacles x4
JG Miniatures Barbed wire, tank traps, sandbags, road blocks, grass and road maps
Play sand from Toys R Us
Cardboard blocks that my dad gave me over 14 years ago!
Paper
Blue Tack
Milliput
Trophy Miniatures
Blood
Sweat
Tears

King & Country figures
Thomas Gunn figures

I hope you enjoy!

Scott

 

[arnhem44mad]

Lots of action going on in your diorama. Looking good and hope to see more photos as you gather more troops.
Very well done on acquiring the LCM and hopefully Andy will consider doing another at sometime !

Really very well done Scott, you've had some great imaginative solutions to your diorama problems !

Steve

Thank you mate! I actually have 2 was lucky enough to find a second this year!

Had a great time creating it!

Scott

 

[arnhem44mad]

Some close up of the defenders. I still have a few more to buy and add:

Scott

 

[arnhem44mad]

Hopefully there will be some more beach figures released in the future which I can add and I have a few more figures to add already just need to modify them a little bit more.

Scott