Grossdeutschland

by Eamonn Sheahan

Tamiya's 1/35 scale Panzer III Ausf L is available online from Squadron.com

I like my vignettes and dioramas to tell a story in an historical context. This one is set during the bitter battles in the Southern Sector of the Eastern Front in the winter of 1943-44.

Hitler dispatched one of his elite divisions, Grossdeutschland, as a Fire Brigade with orders to first stem the Soviet Juggernaut, shoring up Germany's crumbling flank, then to launch a counter attack!

Recreating the beautiful work of one of my favourite modellers, Masahiro Doi of Armor Modeling magazine, I started with Tamiya's 1/35 scale Panzer III as the focal point of the diorama.

The kit was built almost straight from the box with just a little extra detailing added via the turret armour from a Dragon Panzer III kit. Copper wire was also used for electrical wiring to the headlights.

Fine dirt was glued to the hull and tracks, coloured and dry-brushed with a combination of Tamiya Red Brown and Humbrol Flat Earth 29

The model was sprayed using one aerosol can of Tamiya's Light Sand (TS-46), then dry-brushed with Humbrol Flat White.

Rust and exhaust soot were simulated using ground charcoal applied with a thin brush.

Figures

All the figures were conversions of 1/35 scale Tamiya and Dragon sets.

The standing Grenadier with the binoculars was the most challenging, as his entire stance needed to be altered using Milliput.

Base and Groundwork

The groundwork was made from Styrofoam topped with plaster and fine dirt. I painted this groundwork with Winton Raw Umber oil paint to suggest a moist appearance. Snow was depicted with Baking Soda.

The base was made using a small box atop one half of a flower press and framed by semi-circular wooden strips. I glued flat, thin strips of wood around the box to achieve an attractive woodgrain finish once the result was stained and glossed.

The model is solidly held in place with a screw and bolt that go through both the model and the base.

The work was completed with a brass title plate, cut to size and secured with nails. Dry transfers, widely available from newsagents, were used for the lettering.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

Text and Figures Copyright 2003 by Eamonn Sheahan
Images Copyright 2003 by Brett Green
Page Created 25 September, 2003
Last Updated 17 March, 2004

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