Good morning, afternoon or evening all! I've just signed in and this is my first forum post here, and i'm looking for some helpful advice on a project I have in mind.

Firstly, though I enjoy modelling, I have not got a great deal of experience. I picked it up again a couple years ago (since I was a kid that is) and have made a Tamiya 1:350 scale Yamato which I did on a self made stand, and a Mr. Hobby Waffentrager 12.8cm Krupp self propelled gun, for which I made a diorama.

What i'd like to ask advice about, is your recommendations for tanks (ie. who makes a good, detailed kit for that particular model tank, perhaps which version of the tank is most suitable to suit the scene. More details below, but first i'll outline my idea.

What I want to do is build a diorama of the eastern front (ww2), so plenty of snow and mud I intend to put some ruins of a stone building on there (think, remains of a stone wall, or wall of a house, just needs to be a few bricks high). Behind this wall will be a destroyed tank. Basically i'll use a kit to make the tank, but will damage the side of turret or body to simulate an AP or APBC having penetrated and knocked out the tank. I'll probably leave some hatches blown off or open, maybe some blackening for fire damage, and the gun barrel depressed to maximum. i'll see how it goes. Beside this tank will be a muddy or dirt road / tread trails on which will be passing 1 or 2 opposing tanks, and hopefully some marching infantry.

So what I will need in terms of kits:

Option A
The destroyed tank is a soviet tank, if so I think I will prefer a KV2 or KV1-85. Something with large flat sides to make the AP round penetrating hole a bit easier to fashion. In this case I would need some marching german infantry, and any 2 of the following: Panther, Tiger I, Stug III. I'm not super picky about which models, where possibly i'll try to match the time periods (ie. not early model panther and late model tiger), but when it comes down to it, its more important the quality and detail of the kits.

Option B
The destroyed tank is a german tank, in this case i'm not yet sure what i'll use, perhaps a tiger I, or jagdpanther / jagdpanzer IV. In this case i'll need some soviet marching infantry, at least one T-34 and one other tank. KV1/85, or IS1/2 perhaps?

Either option would be good, but if all things are equal i'd like to have a scenario where the german tank was knocked out, so option B. Plus i'm keen to build a nice T-34 model.

I think, since there will be 2-3 tanks on this diorama, it might be best to build at 1:72 scale, although the only tank I built before was at 1:35, i'm worried it will either get too big or too cramped. Are the 1:72 scale kits detailed enough? Your advice please.

So please, if you can give your recommendation on who has a nice kit to build on the tanks listed above, with preference on option B. Just recommend the ones you do know, no worries about doing the whole list!

And if anyone has any advice on the simulation of the penetrating round damage to the destroyed tank, or advice on how to build snow based dioramas, your advice also appreciated.

(So sorry for the long winded post)

It sounds like you have not attempted a knocked out tank before, and to be honest, it's ten times harder to do than a regular tank. Anything in the interior that is visible must be made, as well as thinning down the hull where the round hit to be more to scale, reducing rubber rims to ash, etc. . A better scenario might be something like a German tank hooking up a couple of tow lines to an abandoned Russian tank -perhaps due to mechanical breakdown, thrown tracks, or simply the crew doing a runner. It would certainly tell a story: maybe a Panzer IV towing a smaller tank like a T 26 or something. You could handpaint a German "ownership" sign of their divisional symbol and have crew members looking over the tank or taking pictures of their "beutepanzer" before they tow it off to their workshop.

There are many great panzer IV kits - for ease of assembly there are some nice Tamiya ones (or use their Nashorn), or you can buy a Dragon kit. For Russian tanks Hobby Boss and Trumpeter make some pretty good ones or you can get a Mirage/Eastern Express/Maquette/Zvezda/RPM/ Ark/ Alan/Alanger/ AER Moldova kit if you want to put some labour into it. Come to think of it I think Tamiya makes a rather nice BT 7 , many of which were poached by the Germans.

I'd have to agree with Julian: stay away from knocked out vehicles, go with an abandoned one instead. You're more likely to finish it and like the result.

Options before you include, but not limited to: disabled KV 1 or 2 (by Trumpeter, the allied guys swear by them), T 34s by Dragon or AFV Club, that's the /76 or /85, depending on what period you want to focus on, the aforementioned BT 7, a great little runner right there, or go Lend-Lease with a Stuart, Grant, Matilda, Churchill, Sherman, you get the idea. Against these you have any Panzer IV you care to name. Almost.

My choice: a Dragon Panzer IV ausf F1, F2 / G (24th Panzer Div), passing an abandoned ' 34/76 on the outskirts of Stalingrad, or in the city itself.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Kylie
In Akld
But not a Blues supporter

The thing is most guys building knocked out tanks do "catastrophic loss" as opposed to a shell impact that killed a guy and spooked the rest. Minimal damage can cause a crew to dismount and leave in a hurry.


I did a dio similar to this and had a Pzkpfw III ausf L knocked out by two clean shell hits that killed the driver and co-driver. The turret crew leap out and get machine gunned by the victorious T-34 who then marvel that the Germans would send such a pitifully armed tank against them. I did it in 1/48th scale. A 24" base can hold 2 -3 tanks.


There is also telling the story of why the tank broke down. Either with the inevitable open access hatches or just something as simple as a huge puddle of oil underneath. Or a thrown track that the crew never got around to fixing before they had to leave suddenly. With the great workable link to link track out there thrown track can really look good. And the tools everywhere adds visual interest. Maybe some personal weapons and canteens left in their haste and the marching infantry oblivious to it all.


Miniart does some great marching guys.