Diorama “Guadacanal 1942” using Dragon’s 105mm Howitzer M2A1 & Carriage M2A2 w/ USMC Gun Crew - by “Art Instructor”:
There are more images in my latest page:
http://www.falconbbs.com/model60a.htm
Comments and suggestions are welcome.
Once again a lack of research in one of your titles / setting. The uniforms being worn were not in service on Guadalcanal in 1942.
I personally really like this diorama (unlike someone else). The historical accuracy never really bother’s me much.
Yep, that does appear to be the trusty 105mm, and rather nicely done, but I’m a little concerned about what the heck those green guys are attempting to do to it. Beat it to death with those large brass sticks?
nice job
Ron
AI didn’t do his best here mate. The cloth covers on the helmets aren’t painted . Neither are the pistol holster and Knife sheath on the guy in the back. WWII USMC boots were a russet color leather with the rough side out.
He did get the uniform and web gear color and correct.
Again, that wouldn’t be Guadalcanal as that equipment wasn’t used yet.
I like the vegetation.
G
Did a kid do this?
Thanks for sharing, M M
Ok, so there may be a few flaws. Overall I think the build looks fine.
Again, thank you for sharing the pics
Hi!
As an ex-soldier with service in heavy artillery (D-20 152-mm Towed Gun-Howitzer/M-46 130-mm Towed Gun) I found several problems regarding this diorama:
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on end of each leg (lafet) there is a shovel that have to be partially buried in the ground; their main role is to transfer energy from shot to the ground,
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if You insert a shell in the barrel in a way as a “soldier” on the photos, then You would kill everyone around You (depending on the fuse You put it on), shell have to be placed on the support in the back of cannon and then pushed in the barrel; shell-support is usually most scratched piece on weapon,
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You don’t kneel with a shell in Your hands;
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You don’t stand behind a firing cannon, soldiers handling shells stay diagonally or on the other side of lafet (if is a small caliber), in theory You can handle in that way all caliber under 200 mm/50 kg shells (part of shell),
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howitzers usually have e higher elevation (40 degrees or more), this is a cannon elevation, but barrel is for howitzer,
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firing officer is to close to the weapon, he don’t have an appropriate place to see all of his soldiers;
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there is no one on the targeting device (on the left side of the weapon), before You fire a weapon with indirect trajectory it’s most important to check Your coordinates, also for direct trajectory (on the right side of the weapon)
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simplest way to handle shells is but making a chain, You don’t have 3 soldiers with shells in their hands in the back of weapon waiting for 1 shot,
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there are no hand weapons that are usually put nearest possible to the weapon, usually on the ground, 1 soldier with an assault rifle can kill all of the crew,
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there are 3 full shells, and NO boxes or empty shells?
Best regards
I just checked some information on the kit (Dragon).
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It is presented to be the M2A2 version of the 105 in the kit. wouldn’t the earlier M2A1 been used at Guadalcanal. I would leave it up to the “Redlegs” to understand the differences.
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One mistake that I noticed is that the sighting poles are in olive drad, not painted in the correct, red and white stripes. The kit box shows them colored correctly, so not using readily available references.
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The kit comes with those figures, but the placement should have been studied better.
As it is a paid build, you get what you paid for. This builder needs to study and understand their subjects better, but he has the skills to make a competent model.
Mike T.
Come on people! Model Maniac posted pictures of a diorama that he is happy with and felt proud of before all the negative comments. All of us had to start somewhere. There is such a thing as constructive critism and ripping someones efforts to shreads. Not all of us are master model builders and after seeing the negative comments by some people here I would not be surprised if many new modelers think twice before posting their projects. We want people to enjoy models and get into model building not turn them away.
So Model Maniac in my opinion keep building and keep posting your projects your diorama looks good please don’t be turned off by some of the snobs[:@] here. What counts in the end is did you enjoy building it, are you happy with it, and can you improve on it. Every model builder and I mean EVERY model builder can improve their model building skills. Even the “master builders” can improve their projects.
In the model boat club I am a member of one of our members builds models that I can only dream of building but he still feels he has a LOT of room for improvement and NEVER tearsb down somebody elses efforts. If fact his best piece of advice to me about building wooden ship models was “go for it the worst that can happen is that you end up with some kindling for your fire place” Model Manic, your diorama is definitely not kindling material it looks good, so GO FOR IT!![t$t]
Just read model Maniacs signature
"Don’t expect perfection from yourself or from anyone else.
Perfection does not exist in this imperfect world."
That says it all remember that people!
[whstl]
John, if you are going to post pics here, then you do so knowing you will get comments, good and bad.
When it comes to MM, he is not a novice builder. In fact, he isn’t a model builder full stop. As you will notice, he credits this build to Art Instructor. he builds more models than probably anyone else on this forum due to his work from MM. So he is not a novice. If anyone else built this, i doubt the comments would be as harsh as these have come across.
And we all look for comments on here, good and bad. I know thats how i improve.
I’ve been watching, commenting on, in some cases slamming, and finally coming full circle to appreciate Model Maniac’s posts and model collection for years now, and what some of you new guys probably don’t know is that “Model Maniac” is a collector of models and dioramas, and his standard is not that of perfection or implacable historical accuracy.
Acquiring built models in volume is his thing, and there’s nothing wrong with that. If he were interested in dead-nuts accuracy, he might replace “Art Instructor”–but AI builds fast, and with commendable and adequate skill, and that’s what is important to Model Maniac.
My point is, all this lecturing on what is technically “correct” or what would or wouldn’t happen in that scenario or theatre–while well intended, and helpful to many of us who DO appreciate that in-depth knowledge–is of little value here.
Personally, I like the scene. Those big plants are great!
As Bish said, ol’ MM doesn’t build any of the models he posts. He has a long history here of being arrogant and looking for “atta boys” for his bought models. He has pissed off a lot of people here. If it were someone who is actually building the models, they would not get as much flak as he does. Its really not worth commenting on their mediocre quality any longer. That is why I stopped a while ago.
Stopped what?..
Stopped providing in-depth constructive comments on his purchases. It fell on deaf ears and some of the more PC, “That looks great, just let him have fun,” crowd got all upset that his peices were being picked on. Its just not worth the hassle.
I for one appreciate MM’s posts. Least they are on the topic of model building & finished projects.[au][ap]
Constructor is working on a timeline, something most cannot do. Considering how many completed models he makes I would say he does excellent work.[Y]
Research & accuracy is a hobby in itself, I do not think time permits him studying the fine nuances of boot gator shade or helmet cover camouflage.
Unless MM has a really big warehouse full of built models he maybe selling the commissioned builds at a profit and laughing all the way to the bank.
I would like to see Constructors personal builds, ones that he toiled for months on. I bet anything they would draw no critique.
Comments on the artillery vignette:
Well done, weathered without going overboard.The vegetation looks good.
Nice scene yet a stretch calling it a diorama, its more a snapshot in time or a vignette than a story.
Thanks for posting the work, always in the crossfire you endeavor to post another day!
But doog, how then do we know when to and when not to comment on peoples work. If people are not interested in the accuracy, thats fine. They can just read the comments, say thank you, and move on. And MM does end all his posts with
Comments and suggestions are welcome.
Now, if he justs wants people to pat him on the back and say what a good kit he has boughyt, then maybe he shouldn’t ask for comment.
If he wants to buy a large collection of built models, thats his choice. Not my thing, but each to his own. But i am with Heavy on this guy. What finally did it for me was the thread a few months ago where he listed all the kits he had bought. I only commented on this thread as i wanted to put John in the picture.