# Great War Diorama



## Owen E Oulton (Jan 6, 2012)

Our annual March Theme contest at IPMS Ottawa is WWI, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Great War. I'm doing something a little different - a diorama of Harry Turtledove's trilogy The Great War, which is an alternate universe tale of a Great war which parallels WWI, with a big difference - the Confederacy still survives and is on the opposite side from the USA. The US is allied with Germany and Austro-Hungary, while the CSA is allied with Britain, Canada, France and Russia. Tanks are referred to by the characters as "barrels", and I'm doing a dio of a muddy battlefield with a large-ish crater a, a Mk. V Hermaphrodite tank and some advancing infantry - all Confederate. The confederates wear British-style uniforms and helmets, and use British-style rhomboid tanks (or "barrels"). I'm using the Emhar kit for the Mk. V barrel, and cobbled-together figures for the infantry. The figures are built up from WWII German Tamiya legs with masking tape putties, WWII British Airfix upper bodies, assorted WWII Airfix equipment and helmets, and assorted WWII Tamiya arms with 1/35 Lee-Enfield rifles standing in for the Confederate Tredegar rifles. The Confederates refer to their uniform colour as "butternut", referring to the old Civil War homespun uniform colour, and I'm using Testors MM Radome Tan. The tank is painted with Testors MM Dark Tan on the lower half to represent mud, and with a mix of Testors MM Dark Green and Testors Olive Drab above. The treads I've painted with a Tamiya Gunmetal spray. I've sacrificed an extension cord to make the rolls of concertina wire so prevalent in WWI. I've got 3 live infantry, one with a Lewis Gun, and one dead. The infantry are armed with "Tredegar"s aside from the Lewis Gun. I've been taking lots of photos and will get them uploaded soonest.


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## BOXIE (Apr 5, 2011)

Sounds very cool.I am not fully familar with the story but know the author.Look forward to the pictures.


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## Whiteraven_2001 (Apr 12, 2008)

I read that series. Can't wait to see progress!

I recently reread the short novel "If the South had won the Civil War," and it included a WWI illustration of Union, Confederate, and Texan (they seceded from both other nations) soldiers fighting side-by-side. Pretty much the only difference in uniform was shoulder patches.


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## Owen E Oulton (Jan 6, 2012)

Got the tank finished except for some detail painting and weathering. Adding a few more figures to my plans.


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## BOXIE (Apr 5, 2011)

Pictures! I must have pictures.


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## Owen E Oulton (Jan 6, 2012)

Please don't sic your ferocious Daggit on me. Here are the pics so far: http://coldnorth.com/owen/images/WWI Tank/ Pic no 25 demonstrates the rirtual blood sacrifice to the modelling gods.


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Fascinating concept! Looking good so far! :thumbsup:


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