Diorama “Battle of Hue 1968” using Hobby Fan’s U.S. Marines Battle of Hue 1968 - by “Art Instructor” :
For more pics please try my latest page:
http://www.falconbbs.com/model39a.htm
Have fun!
Tell AI he did a nice job on this one.
Regards, Rick
Really like this one as well, figures look nicely painted, GREAT sense of action, Figures all working towards one focal point, and as best as I can tell, there is no strategic/military flaw as in some of the other dios.
This is a very good scene although the title is a little off. The Battle of Hue was fought in the city but these grunts are about to clear, what seems to be, a village hooch.
Looks pretty good. I have to agree with Subfixer though. The Battle of Hue was a city fight, not a jungle village with wooden huts.
…nice vignette…good figs…I like this…
the flak vests are the same color of the uniform which is incorrect, other than that and what has been said about the hooch it looks good
definately very well done
It has been awhile since I read about Hue, but I can suspend disbelief a little and accept that this little hooch is out on the edge of the city, so I don’t have a big issue with that. The only think I noticed is that the hinges are on the outside of the door - so it opens outward, so why are they kicking it…?
I would echo the general consensus however - this is pretty well done - good sense of action/urgency.
Nice touch with the booby trap.
The figure who’s not kicking the door. Looks like his watch band was painted over, or is that just the picture. His facial features, what I can see of them, appear to be African-American. If so, his arms at least are way too light. It’s hard to tell withthe face though.
Yeah, I saw that too, but his face looked like it was painted a little darker, so I assumed his arms appeared to light because of the lighting or flash…
That is an arbitrary observation. The difference between the shade of a black man’s face and arms is no less effected by sun exposure with long sleeves than a white man’s. You know what a farmer’s tan is, I’m sure. There are light skinned black people. This individual just might be effected in the same way. Personally, I think it’s the photography lighting.
I just went to MM’s site. This is the back of the door:
He should havedefinitely posted that picture here as well. Kinda completes the dio.
Ok…I admit it is pretty good but we are into my era (Sorry Heavy, time for old details).
As pointed out, the Battle of Hue was basically a street battle in a mojor city so a straw hut is wrong for that title.
The Battle of Hue was fought by US Marines. Marines normally did not wear the camoflage cover band on their helmets. It appears these guys have bands.
The straps on the M16 look to be brown leather. I don’t think the M16 was ever issued that way. Normally they had black cloth straps. While on that issue, the old M16 was rarely seen with straps on in combat, or if they were they were held out of the way and tight to the weapon sometimes with with tape. The strap tended to get caught all over things in the jungle. These straps are flying in the wind.
The soldiers have basically no LBE on. The battle of Hue was fought first to cross the river to the city gate, and then through the city. I would think any smart soldier or marine would carry every thing he could since he would not know when he was going to get back to the rear for resupply. Futher the fight was so intense, he would need everything in that LBE.
The soldier oppsite the solider kicking in the door does not seem to be in a good position if anyone is behind the door.
The solider kicking in the door is also carrying a 45 pistol. By that point in the was the holsters were no longer brown they were black. Also in general the only foot soldier enlisted issued a 45 was the M79 man and some of the 1SG and CSMs. Our friend is carrying an M16 and does not look like a CSM.
I could go on but as I said I like the work. It is good. Not as good as say Manny (don’t get a big head), but good.
Historically it is off base when it comes to the details… especially IF you are going to call it the Battle of Hue.
“Thats just my opinion, I could be wrong”
Rounds Complete!!
a couple critics that really don’t mean a whole lot, but I know something about the Ancient City Of Hue (the actual name).
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Marine on the left is carrying an issue 45. This would probably not have happened unless he were an Officer or on a crew served weapon. Nobody really wanted to look different from the next guy because that made you a prime target.
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both Marines are using 30 round magazines. They didn’t show up till around the middle of May 1968. The loose slings would have gotten you zapped (they are O.D. green). Also the M16’s look like they are A-2’s with the birdcage flash supressor. All they had were the three pronged jobs.
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wrong bandoleers. Those are closer to what came with an M-1 Garrand, or an M14. Almost nobody carried magazines in the standard field pouches that hung off your hip (land on them a couple times). But what they almost always used was the cloth bandoleers than came in an ammo tin. Normally load out would be twenty one mags (who picked that number nobody knows, but that was the fad back then). One otherthing here; everybody carried a couple M60 belts. No matter who you were, when the kid in front of you hollered for a belt you better have one.
I know it’s nit picking, and as I said means little so don’t get mad.
gary
Nice job on this one–not overly ambitious, tight, direct, well-posed, and good composition.
Nice one MM. Compliments to AI.
Guys, by the look of this dio, it seemed that AI built this almost OOB. He added some straps. The title (U.S. Marines Battle of Hue) came from the AFV Club kit and base. AI’s reference seemed to be the kit box. C’mon guys, give him some slack.
http://www.geocities.jp/d_force_world/Part/HOBBY_FAN/HF508.JPG
Thats a good piece of info, defcon. It seems as though AFV got most of the color and equipment details noted by you all in this thread- right.
I’m sure that its all about how well you know your subject- we all seem to specialize in one or maybe two, or three rarely, interests. Old AI is very good, but doesn’t or isn’t expected to know anything about what he builds.
My one little thing was why a left handed guy wears his watch on his left wrist? But thats AFVs call. Or did the guy just switch his weapon from hand to hand for a sec. Never has worked for this paper puncher, but it would be a useful skill.
I liked this one, but IMHO if built straight OOB and per the lid color and detail wise it would have been better, and with some of the knowledge shared here, like the m60 belts, could be a real winner. I’m still bothered by the guy about to lose his foot, but thats part of the story.
Not a bad little scene, something small and simple, like the back of the door shot. I don’t really know anything much about Vietnam era so I can’t tell what’s right or wrong, but AI did a pretty decent job of it.
Bondo, lol I’m left handed and wear my watch on my left wrist! [:D]