That's a cracker Tim
Not a Moment to Lose… Battle of the Bulge, Ardennes, December 1944
- Thread starter TIM FORSTER
- Start date
On With the Figures
Starting with the Germans...
First we have the driver of the Schwimmwagen.
The putty creases make him look a bit of a mess, but, like all of my figures, here he awaits a coating of Mr Surfacer to unite the finish before I hit him with paint.
He’s a kitbash of Tamiya torso, arms and legs (they look rather small but they won’t when he’s in the vehicle - and most importantly he fits), Alpine head and one Hornet hand (I used any old hand for inside the glove!)
He is based partly on the driver of this Schwimm, glimpsed in a still from the well-known propoganda film showing elements of Kampfgruppe Knittel passing the Kaiserbaracke crossroads early in the offensive. The officer for whom he was acting as chauffeur is, I believe, SS-Standartenführer Goltz (not SS-Obersturmführer Leidreiter as some sources claim).
Note the sidecap and the thick gloves… he also looks very young! The foliage on the vehicle is also interesting.
He makes an change from the usual suspect - another driver from the same convoy. WIth his Luftwaffe flying helmet and cigar this guy certainly looks cool, but he has also become a bit of a cliche (there are at least two figures available in 1/35).
The remaining figures come from a variety of sources…
Next we have the MG42 gunner. He is a light modification of a figure from the Dragon Ambush at Poteau set. The MG is from E.T. Model (the strap still needs to be clipped in place), the head from Hornet.
Next we have two figures based on this excellent Dragon set Armored Reconnaissance, Wiking Division (Hungary 1945):
First up is this guy
He is partly based on these two characters from the Kampfgruppe Knittel Kaiserbaracke footage:
They have been named in some sources as Oberscharfuhrer Persin (left) and Unterscharfuhrer Ochsner (right). What I find particularly interesting about the appearance of these SS units in the Ardennes offensive is how ‘relaxed’ they look - and especially the un-gaitered trousers. It’s also worth noting how NCOs (like these two) often wore visor caps (making them look more like officers) while the actual officers (like Goltz in the Schwimm above and Leidreiter and Knittel below) were wearing field caps. One suspects that the officers were trying to dress down to make themselves less of a target…
Anyway, whether this is an NCO or an officer, in an obvious nod to my title I posed him looking up anxiously after consulting his watch… and ironically I went for the visor cap because I thought that this would make it more obvious he’s the guy in charge!
The figure is a beautiful sculpt out of the box, but I had to change his right arm and hand then add a watch (from Aber). The head is from Alpine and putty was used to lenghten the trousers and fill out parts of his uniform.
The next figure is hardly modified at all… There’s an Alpine head (with added balaclava) and some extra equipment. but that’s pretty much it. The MG44 pouches were scored at the rear and bent to hug his waist slightly better. The left hand is not attached and the strap still needs to be angled correctly…
As you will see, I changed his pose again before I started the painting.
Last of all we have this beautiful Alpine figure…
I added a balaclava to give him a more obvious Winter look (and a slightly rounder face - Alpine faces tend to be a little lean). The only other addition was the MP40 strap and extended stock from a Royal Models PE set (the one that came in the set looks OK, but there are limits to what can be achieved with resin or plastic).
Starting with the Germans...
First we have the driver of the Schwimmwagen.
The putty creases make him look a bit of a mess, but, like all of my figures, here he awaits a coating of Mr Surfacer to unite the finish before I hit him with paint.
He’s a kitbash of Tamiya torso, arms and legs (they look rather small but they won’t when he’s in the vehicle - and most importantly he fits), Alpine head and one Hornet hand (I used any old hand for inside the glove!)
He is based partly on the driver of this Schwimm, glimpsed in a still from the well-known propoganda film showing elements of Kampfgruppe Knittel passing the Kaiserbaracke crossroads early in the offensive. The officer for whom he was acting as chauffeur is, I believe, SS-Standartenführer Goltz (not SS-Obersturmführer Leidreiter as some sources claim).
Note the sidecap and the thick gloves… he also looks very young! The foliage on the vehicle is also interesting.
He makes an change from the usual suspect - another driver from the same convoy. WIth his Luftwaffe flying helmet and cigar this guy certainly looks cool, but he has also become a bit of a cliche (there are at least two figures available in 1/35).
The remaining figures come from a variety of sources…
Next we have the MG42 gunner. He is a light modification of a figure from the Dragon Ambush at Poteau set. The MG is from E.T. Model (the strap still needs to be clipped in place), the head from Hornet.
Next we have two figures based on this excellent Dragon set Armored Reconnaissance, Wiking Division (Hungary 1945):
First up is this guy
He is partly based on these two characters from the Kampfgruppe Knittel Kaiserbaracke footage:
They have been named in some sources as Oberscharfuhrer Persin (left) and Unterscharfuhrer Ochsner (right). What I find particularly interesting about the appearance of these SS units in the Ardennes offensive is how ‘relaxed’ they look - and especially the un-gaitered trousers. It’s also worth noting how NCOs (like these two) often wore visor caps (making them look more like officers) while the actual officers (like Goltz in the Schwimm above and Leidreiter and Knittel below) were wearing field caps. One suspects that the officers were trying to dress down to make themselves less of a target…
Anyway, whether this is an NCO or an officer, in an obvious nod to my title I posed him looking up anxiously after consulting his watch… and ironically I went for the visor cap because I thought that this would make it more obvious he’s the guy in charge!
The figure is a beautiful sculpt out of the box, but I had to change his right arm and hand then add a watch (from Aber). The head is from Alpine and putty was used to lenghten the trousers and fill out parts of his uniform.
The next figure is hardly modified at all… There’s an Alpine head (with added balaclava) and some extra equipment. but that’s pretty much it. The MG44 pouches were scored at the rear and bent to hug his waist slightly better. The left hand is not attached and the strap still needs to be angled correctly…
As you will see, I changed his pose again before I started the painting.
Last of all we have this beautiful Alpine figure…
I added a balaclava to give him a more obvious Winter look (and a slightly rounder face - Alpine faces tend to be a little lean). The only other addition was the MP40 strap and extended stock from a Royal Models PE set (the one that came in the set looks OK, but there are limits to what can be achieved with resin or plastic).
Lovely work on the figures, looking forward to your paintwork, cheers
Tim, excellent work.
Thanks for the kind comments...
Now how did a month fly by? Probably my decision to paint 5 German figures in various patterns of camouflage. They are almost done, but before we look at them, here are the opposition...
As this diorama progressed the role of the Americans was the last to evolve, but eventually I had the idea of some form of ‘heroic last stand’. So I started to look for suitable figures. Although there are plenty of excellent resin figures of GIs, most of them are in fairly static poses. In the end I found the basis for what I needed from these three sets:
Master Box ‘Move! Move! Move! US Soldiers, Operation Overlord, 1944
Tamiya US Army Assault Infantry
Mini Art Close Combat US Tank Crew
Since I had not modelled any US infantry since I was in my early teens (the late 70s!), I also needed to educate myself about US WW2 uniforms. This book really helped:
This guy was made from a mixture of two poses from the Tankers set. The moulding of the figures is very good, only let down by some inferior holsters. I replaced the one here from a Dragon set. The grease guns are nicely done, but I added the sliding stock from brass wire. The head - with a suitably ‘resolute’ look - is from Hornet and the helmet is sawn off an Alpine head.
The hands are from ET Model P35-320 Hands for Figures Type 1. These are by far the best hands I have found, although I also used others from Hornet and Royal Models.
The next figure was from the old Tamiya set.
As you can see, I changed the attitude if the left leg, replaced both arms and the boots / gaiters (I think they came from a Dragon US Tank Riders set), added ET Models hands and an Alpine head. I then used Tamiya putty to repair the leg and a few other details, plus adding the obligatory scarf.
The final touch was to give him a couple of grenades - one in his left hand - to look like a man contemplating his next move. He will be the GI at the corner of the farmhouse, probably locking eyes with the startled Panzer Grenadier at the bottom of the slope and helping to add the urgency to the scene which my title represents.
The third figure came from Master Box. I swapped the arms to give him more of an all-out running look and tried to make his clothing and equipment look like they were flapping as he runs. The scarf (from Tamiya putty) is probably more artistic than accurate, but it just looks more dramatic! The head is another from Hornet and I tried to make the helmet (from Dragon) sit low over his face.
I have to admit that I feel slightly bad for this guy who is running away - we all know that the Ardennes saw some incredible heroism on both sides - but he provides another layer to the drama and, if I am honest, if I was in his shoes I know what I would have done…
Here's a shot of the two others in position:
Now how did a month fly by? Probably my decision to paint 5 German figures in various patterns of camouflage. They are almost done, but before we look at them, here are the opposition...
As this diorama progressed the role of the Americans was the last to evolve, but eventually I had the idea of some form of ‘heroic last stand’. So I started to look for suitable figures. Although there are plenty of excellent resin figures of GIs, most of them are in fairly static poses. In the end I found the basis for what I needed from these three sets:
Master Box ‘Move! Move! Move! US Soldiers, Operation Overlord, 1944
Tamiya US Army Assault Infantry
Mini Art Close Combat US Tank Crew
Since I had not modelled any US infantry since I was in my early teens (the late 70s!), I also needed to educate myself about US WW2 uniforms. This book really helped:
This guy was made from a mixture of two poses from the Tankers set. The moulding of the figures is very good, only let down by some inferior holsters. I replaced the one here from a Dragon set. The grease guns are nicely done, but I added the sliding stock from brass wire. The head - with a suitably ‘resolute’ look - is from Hornet and the helmet is sawn off an Alpine head.
The hands are from ET Model P35-320 Hands for Figures Type 1. These are by far the best hands I have found, although I also used others from Hornet and Royal Models.
The next figure was from the old Tamiya set.
As you can see, I changed the attitude if the left leg, replaced both arms and the boots / gaiters (I think they came from a Dragon US Tank Riders set), added ET Models hands and an Alpine head. I then used Tamiya putty to repair the leg and a few other details, plus adding the obligatory scarf.
The final touch was to give him a couple of grenades - one in his left hand - to look like a man contemplating his next move. He will be the GI at the corner of the farmhouse, probably locking eyes with the startled Panzer Grenadier at the bottom of the slope and helping to add the urgency to the scene which my title represents.
The third figure came from Master Box. I swapped the arms to give him more of an all-out running look and tried to make his clothing and equipment look like they were flapping as he runs. The scarf (from Tamiya putty) is probably more artistic than accurate, but it just looks more dramatic! The head is another from Hornet and I tried to make the helmet (from Dragon) sit low over his face.
I have to admit that I feel slightly bad for this guy who is running away - we all know that the Ardennes saw some incredible heroism on both sides - but he provides another layer to the drama and, if I am honest, if I was in his shoes I know what I would have done…
Here's a shot of the two others in position:
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Truly excellent figure adapting and painting. The groundwork in the last photo is superb, very realistic.
Looking real good there Tim. Yes last photo looks realistic.
I happen to have the same reference book on GI uniforms. It helps as I seldom do US figures as well.
Cheers,
Wabble
I happen to have the same reference book on GI uniforms. It helps as I seldom do US figures as well.
Cheers,
Wabble
Tim,
This is a treat to follow as always. The figure work is excellent.
This is a treat to follow as always. The figure work is excellent.
Thanks Jim! We're getting there...
Thanks Richard.
It's funny how complicated each nation's set of uniforms can be. You would think from all the films and images we have seen that it would be obvious how to paint a WW2 GI
- but until I read this book I realised that it was almost a complete mystery.
Germans up next!
It's funny how complicated each nation's set of uniforms can be. You would think from all the films and images we have seen that it would be obvious how to paint a WW2 GI
- but until I read this book I realised that it was almost a complete mystery.
Germans up next!
Thanks Scottie.
It has not been without its stressful moments...
It has not been without its stressful moments...
Bring on the Kampfgruppe...
All I can say is this: next time I plan to paint five figures wearing camouflage uniforms will someone remind me how labour-intensive it is?
This is the bible:
It is quite pricey, but its worth every penny. One thing you quickly learn as you leaf through the hundreds of high-res colour illustrations is how varied these patterns were in colour, definition and brightness - even when the pattern remained essentially the same.
Most of the paints needed can be found in this Vallejo set:
It comes with excellent instructions for the oak leaf pattern, but not for the pea dot scheme.
First up is this Alpine figure dressed in an oak leaf pattern smock and Italian camo trousers. He is unmodifed except for the balaclava and PE stock for the MP40.
Next we have the NCO
I especially like the Alpine head with the cap set at a rakish angle. He is supposed to look worried… I still have to add a map.
He is wearing a parka in oak leaf and the Italian trousers. I have read that the WSS units in the Ardennes were not issued with reversible parkas in the Ardennes… and there don’t seem to be any on show in the well-known images taken during the early days of the campaign. However, these images show only a handful of the soldiers who were actually there so, like a lot of these ‘absolutes’, I wonder if we can really be that sure. The Neckermann parka was first issue to the WSS in late 1942 / early 1943 and since a lot of these guys were transferred from the Eastern front, it must be feasible for at least some of them to have brought their existing uniforms along with them… Anyway, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it!
The head is Hornet, but otherwise he is little modified from the Dragon Ambush at Poteau set. You cannot really see it here, but I replaced the original entrenching tool with one from Tamiya which was a much better size.
And next we have the guy with the MP44. Like the NCO, he comes from the Dragon Wiking Armoured Reconnaissence set.
Originally he was holding his MG in his left hand and a cup in the right, but I changed this to have the gun hanging from his shoulder, had him holding one of his gloves and a fag.
Then we have this quite bullish looking MG42 gunner.
The head is Hornet, but otherwise he is barely modified from the Dragon Ambush at Poteau set. You cannot really see it here, but I replaced the original entrenching tool with one from Tamiya which was a much better size.
The sapper’s pouch with stick grenades is a really nice piece from a Red Zebra vehicle stowage set and the torch comes from an Armour Accesories set that I bought from Historex about 40 years ago!
As you can see, both are in the pea dot camo pattern, although I decided to give one of them the jacket and helmet cover and the other the trousers… partly for variety and partly to preserve my sanity.
I am under no illusions about my figure painting ability - no Calvin Tan am I. However, I feel that these figures will blend well into the cold and gloomy atmosphere of the diorama…
Not to be overlooked is the Schwimm driver. I didn't take any photos of him until he was already sitting comfortably...
All I can say is this: next time I plan to paint five figures wearing camouflage uniforms will someone remind me how labour-intensive it is?
This is the bible:
It is quite pricey, but its worth every penny. One thing you quickly learn as you leaf through the hundreds of high-res colour illustrations is how varied these patterns were in colour, definition and brightness - even when the pattern remained essentially the same.
Most of the paints needed can be found in this Vallejo set:
It comes with excellent instructions for the oak leaf pattern, but not for the pea dot scheme.
First up is this Alpine figure dressed in an oak leaf pattern smock and Italian camo trousers. He is unmodifed except for the balaclava and PE stock for the MP40.
Next we have the NCO
I especially like the Alpine head with the cap set at a rakish angle. He is supposed to look worried… I still have to add a map.
He is wearing a parka in oak leaf and the Italian trousers. I have read that the WSS units in the Ardennes were not issued with reversible parkas in the Ardennes… and there don’t seem to be any on show in the well-known images taken during the early days of the campaign. However, these images show only a handful of the soldiers who were actually there so, like a lot of these ‘absolutes’, I wonder if we can really be that sure. The Neckermann parka was first issue to the WSS in late 1942 / early 1943 and since a lot of these guys were transferred from the Eastern front, it must be feasible for at least some of them to have brought their existing uniforms along with them… Anyway, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it!
The head is Hornet, but otherwise he is little modified from the Dragon Ambush at Poteau set. You cannot really see it here, but I replaced the original entrenching tool with one from Tamiya which was a much better size.
And next we have the guy with the MP44. Like the NCO, he comes from the Dragon Wiking Armoured Reconnaissence set.
Originally he was holding his MG in his left hand and a cup in the right, but I changed this to have the gun hanging from his shoulder, had him holding one of his gloves and a fag.
Then we have this quite bullish looking MG42 gunner.
The head is Hornet, but otherwise he is barely modified from the Dragon Ambush at Poteau set. You cannot really see it here, but I replaced the original entrenching tool with one from Tamiya which was a much better size.
The sapper’s pouch with stick grenades is a really nice piece from a Red Zebra vehicle stowage set and the torch comes from an Armour Accesories set that I bought from Historex about 40 years ago!
As you can see, both are in the pea dot camo pattern, although I decided to give one of them the jacket and helmet cover and the other the trousers… partly for variety and partly to preserve my sanity.
I am under no illusions about my figure painting ability - no Calvin Tan am I. However, I feel that these figures will blend well into the cold and gloomy atmosphere of the diorama…
Not to be overlooked is the Schwimm driver. I didn't take any photos of him until he was already sitting comfortably...
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That's a great set of beautifully painted and adapted figures. They will really enhance the dio.
The End Approaches
First of all, can I say to anyone who has followed me this far: thanks for your patience!
OK, so we have recently passed the 16th December 2025… which makes it 81 years since the start of what became known as the Battle of the Bulge. It was, in many ways, the beginning of the end for WW2 in Europe.
It was in August 2023 that I started this blog (although after the site migrated all my old images were reduced to thumbnails). The project actually goes back a few months further. This was my first mock up in January 2023:
I am glad to see that the basic concept has not really changed, although I had some doubts about whether the building cutting diagonally across the scene would really work. I like to think that it has.
So, as you will have guessed by now, my latest diorama ‘Not a Moment to Lose’ is approaching the finish line… and, in its first outing a week ago, I am proud to report that it won the Diorama Class at the London Model Show.
As they say, it’s as much about the journey as it is about reaching your destination.
I am going to start with some overall shots and then over the next few days I will post some more detailed images.
First of all, can I say to anyone who has followed me this far: thanks for your patience!
OK, so we have recently passed the 16th December 2025… which makes it 81 years since the start of what became known as the Battle of the Bulge. It was, in many ways, the beginning of the end for WW2 in Europe.
It was in August 2023 that I started this blog (although after the site migrated all my old images were reduced to thumbnails). The project actually goes back a few months further. This was my first mock up in January 2023:
I am glad to see that the basic concept has not really changed, although I had some doubts about whether the building cutting diagonally across the scene would really work. I like to think that it has.
So, as you will have guessed by now, my latest diorama ‘Not a Moment to Lose’ is approaching the finish line… and, in its first outing a week ago, I am proud to report that it won the Diorama Class at the London Model Show.
As they say, it’s as much about the journey as it is about reaching your destination.
I am going to start with some overall shots and then over the next few days I will post some more detailed images.
Simply stunning.
A well deserved win.
Pete
Pete
Every aspect of this dio is testament to your skills and determination. Superb work.
Tim,
Thoroughly deserved win mate, I would have expected nothing less. Outstanding as always.
Thoroughly deserved win mate, I would have expected nothing less. Outstanding as always.
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