1/35 Scale D-Day Diorama

[Merryweather]

I've been quiet on PF for while due to working on a private commission that is not for me to publicise, but now that it's done I can get back to playing with plastic and paint - I NEVER expected to be able to say that I miss painting, but I do.
I had already started on my next diorama a while ago (and before that, ten years in the planning ) in the form of this Higgins Boat from Italeri in 1-35 scale.

The plan is to have it alongside a bit of ship with GI's climbing down a cargo net. It's on its second or third trip to the beach so there's already a load of stuff left in the bottom.
Having studied many pictures and read many books I went for the 'heavily used' look - many of these had already been used in the landings at Sicily and Italy in 1943,so they were quite battered already. Of course there were new ones present, but where would be the fun in that?
Anyway, more in the next instalment.
Cheers
Neil

 

[Briggsy]

Really like that Neil, lots of wear and tear and the scope of the project sounds great. I'll follow this for as long as it takes!

Cheers Simon

 

[gforceman]

Great painting and weathering. Will you be sculpting the figures yourself. Looking forward to develop this project;

 

[Waterlooman]

I am not seeing any photos only the jpg numbers.

W.

 

[Malkie]

An impressive start, your boat looks like it has already seen action.

Malkie

 

[BRAN]

Lots of detail and very realistic treatment on this Higgins Boat, I like it a lot.

 

[Merryweather]

Really like that Neil, lots of wear and tear and the scope of the project sounds great. I'll follow this for as long as it takes!

Cheers Simon

Thanks Simon,
Let's hope we both live long enough see it finished...

 

[Merryweather]

Great painting and weathering. Will you be sculpting the figures yourself. Looking forward to develop this project;

Thanks very much.
I won't be sculpting but there will be a lot of converting from figures from various manufacturers- more anon

 

[Merryweather]

I am not seeing any photos only the jpg numbers.

W.

Sorry I can't help there, W- everyone else seems to be able to.

is this any good?
If not, maybe a MOD can help?

 

[Merryweather]

An impressive start, your boat looks like it has already seen action.

Malkie

Lots of detail and very realistic treatment on this Higgins Boat, I like it a lot.

Many thanks Malkie and Bran.
It's the first time I have tried anything like that so I'm glad you approve.
Neil

 

[Cortezdusk]

I've been quiet on PF for while due to working on a private commission that is not for me to publicise, but now that it's done I can get back to playing with plastic and paint - I NEVER expected to be able to say that I miss painting, but I do.
I had already started on my next diorama a while ago (and before that, ten years in the planning ) in the form of this Higgins Boat from Italeri in 1-35 scale.

View attachment 703238
View attachment 703239View attachment 703240View attachment 703241View attachment 703242View attachment 703243
The plan is to have it alongside a bit of ship with GI's climbing down a cargo net. It's on its second or third trip to the beach so there's already a load of stuff left in the bottom.
Having studied many pictures and read many books I went for the 'heavily used' look - many of these had already been used in the landings at Sicily and Italy in 1943,so they were quite battered already. Of course there were new ones present, but where would be the fun in that?
Anyway, more in the next instalment.
Cheers
Neil

Very beautifully done! The wear on it is very realistic!

 

[Merryweather]

So, as I said, this is a project I’ve had on the stocks for at least ten years. The first phase , the Higgins Boat (LCVP) is complete, and now it’s time to reveal the full extent of my madness.
The diorama is set at sea, off one of the American beaches on the morning of D-Day as the GI’s climb from their ship down the scramble net into the LCVP, while the ship’s crew lean over the rails watching them. As reference for the ship I started with a set of photos I took in San Francisco of the preserved Liberty Ship Jeremiah O’Brien .

I thought originally that it didn't necessarily happen exactly this way, but a Liberty Ship was all I had at the start and I was too far in to change it , but in subsequent reading I found that there were many Liberty Ships used just so. I know some of them had special derricks for carrying LCVPs but I couldn’t find any decent enough refences. Jeremiah O'Brien was indeed at Normandy, but I haven’t bothered to track down exactly when and in what capacity. I don’t suppose it matters as I am the only judge
Having decided to use a Liberty Ship as my base I started trawling the internet for plans and photos to fill in the gaps in my own stuff. I printed parts of plans at 1-35 scale and I found a basic 3D printable model which I used to rough out the scope and size of the diorama in 3D CAD. I even bought a 1-350 model of one to check the finer dimensions- at 1-350 all I had to do was multiply by 10, and even I can manage that!
Then I gradually started to add bits and pieces to flesh it out,and as a way of improving my CAD skills, and before I knew it I had pretty much designed the whole model roughly in 3D CAD. I should point out that this wasn’t quick- it took me about eight or ten months in lunch-hours at work.
Anyway this is more or less what I hope it will look like

And the happy by-product was that I could 3D-print many of the components.

There seems to be a limit on how many pics I can insert so I will continue in a separate post
Cheers
Neil

 

[Merryweather]

3D printed bits, part 2;

It just occurred to me that the whole project went from a dream to a possibility with downloading the lifeboat for free from the internet.
Anyway, time to start shipbuilding!
Cheers
Neil