John Feldhoffer

Evaluation
Model Nr: 2
Class: Dioramas
Skill: Junior
Optional Criteria: Narrative Storytelling
Type: Injection Moulded
Manufacturer: Rye Field Model
Scale: 1/35
Description: I wanted to build a diorama capturing the moment where a tank breaks through an entrenchment. I also had not built a Panther before and wanted to try to apply Zimmerit by hand, so I tried that. Takes a lot of patience, but it’s worth it! I searched a long time for figures running away or being overwhelmed and after a while I found the Tamiya set, which I modified to new poses. When telling and old army-buddy of mine about the build, he reminded me that he actually had some real Zimmerit and offered some for the build. I thought it could be a great theme, a Soviet soldier sneaking up behind the tank with a captured magnetic mine, looking for a spot where the Zimmerit had fallen off. Hence the title of the diorama, and the missing piece at the front. For a plausible path behind the tank I built the tunnel starting from the trench. The terrain was actually pre-shaded with an airbrush and only after that was it painted in thin layers. I also placed an old oil-drum used for burning wood and made the trench a little cozy with some beer. The oil-drum actually has a flickering led light inside, with glowing coals and all! What really gives the diorama life is the broken off poles flying off with the barbed wire. (In real life the wire would have been pulled under the tracks, but sometimes you have to have artistic freedom.) The barbed-wire was made by hand with copper wire, also tedious but something I wanted to try out. So a lot of new techniques for me on this one and it was a really fun build!