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Foggy Morning at Krinkelt-Rocherath

This diorama was going to be my entry in my local club's December Group Build commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. Despite my best efforts, I was unable to get it finished in time for the “contest”.
Research - the Preparations
After a great deal of checking my Battle of the Bulge references, I decided to build a diorama representing the epic fight of the 2nd and 99th US infantry Divisions early in the offensive to stem the tide of the German offensive along the so-called northern shoulder. The 2nd Infantry Division had launched an attack north of the Ardennes shortly before the start of the Bulge and had to withdraw through the relatively untried 99th Infantry Division. The road through the twin villages of Krinkelt-Rocherath was crucial for those two divisions to make a fighting withdrawal toward the Elsenborn ridge. The 12th SS Panzer Division attacked the twin villages and, in close range fighting in very foggy conditions, they were driven back by the US infantry. I chose to use the Dragon Panzer IV late J (Kit 6080) and combine that with the following figures: (1) the tank commander from the Verlinden 1711 set; (2) SS Soldier with MP44 from Nemrod (35040); (3) Warriors 35259, a kneeling SS infantryman in reversible winter uniform; (4) Michael Roberts (54-006) 101st Airborne bazookaman in the Ardennes; (5)Warriors 35059 and (6) 35060, two US infantrymen in winter gear, one with a BAR. The idea is that the tank commander will be urging the two SS soldiers, who are peeking around the corner of the Verlinden 107 Ruined Ardennes Farm, to move forward into the village, while the three, somewhat surprised, American soldiers are hurriedly preparing to ambush the tank. The final component of the diorama was a Kancali stone wall set.

About the Author

About Keith Middleton (kbm)
FROM: TEXAS, UNITED STATES


Comments

Nicely done.
MAY 10, 2005 - 06:24 AM
Awesome Job Keith!!!! Your article is excellent, very informative and well written. It is a great extension to the diorama it describes. The dio itself is wonderfully done as well. Congrats my friend. Excellent work Cheers Kevin
MAY 10, 2005 - 07:11 AM
Kevin - Outstanding job. PzKpfw IV, figures, details, and the overall execution are all top rate. Very well suppoted theme. Special thanks on the Article as this was very informative and helpful. Hope my "Ardennes" diorama comes out half as good. Fantastic job. Blade48mrd
MAY 10, 2005 - 07:18 AM
Thanks for the positive comments everyone. Sometimes being an obsessive note taker has its benefits! Mike, I ordered the Heki Grass from Scenic Express in Pennsylvania. They have a website, but you have to call their 1-800 number to order. They offered great service. Check out this thread for more details than you probably wanted to know: LINK Hope this helps. Keith
MAY 10, 2005 - 08:06 AM
Keith: Lovely work on that "Bulge" dio. And the article is first class as well, as so many other have said. But dude, your figs are really first class! I think those may be my favorite 1:35th scale figs I've seen on the Big A since I came aboard in April. Congratulations on very nice photos as well. Keep 'em coming
MAY 10, 2005 - 08:08 AM
thx keith and excellent work once more.hope to see some more kick butt work with heki grass from you as well looks wonderful
MAY 11, 2005 - 10:08 AM
Great dio. I really like it. Panzer, building, figures and groundwork looks great.
MAY 11, 2005 - 05:31 PM
I must congratulate you on the detail of your diorama. While I was looking at your building I thought about something that I wanted to do for a diorama. Create a building that has burnt down. Obviously smoke would have poured out of the windows, blackening the outside of the windows and the areas above the windows in a v-shape! Dieter
MAY 11, 2005 - 06:01 PM
Your research is all very thorough, but if I may make a criticism? IMHO the grass is too green (it is mid-December), and the ground is not muddy or wet enough. It didn't snow much until after Christmas, but it was just mild enough to rain and drizzle constantly, making very messy conditions - especially where tanks were driving.
SEP 06, 2006 - 07:35 AM
Thank you for this in depth description of your dio. I like the scene you made very much and it is well composed. I would have loved to see some slates on the roof. I also agree about the colour of the grass. A bit more of a early winter look would be nice. Thank you also for your construction tips for the Panzer IV. I seriously need to reread other reviews of it also, i was not aware that the kit has such problems. Congratulations Claude
SEP 06, 2006 - 11:19 AM