tsweeney Posted February 23, 2017 Share #1 Posted February 23, 2017 At 04:00 on 11 June, Wises men advanced through a thick morning mist towards Belleau Wood, supported by the 23rd and 77th companies of the 6th Machine Gun Battalion, and elements of the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Engineers[8](p17) and were cut to pieces by heavy fire. Platoons were isolated and destroyed by interlocked machine gun fire. It was discovered that the battalion had advanced in the wrong direction. Rather than moving northeast, they had moved directly across the woods narrow waist. However, they smashed the German southern defensive lines. A German private, whose company had 30 men left out of 120, wrote We have Americans opposite us who are terribly reckless fellows.[3](p113) Overall, the woods were attacked by the Marines a total of six times before they could successfully expel the Germans. They fought off parts of five divisions of Germans, often reduced to using only their bayonets or fists in hand-to-hand combat. On 26 June, the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, under command of Major Maurice E. Shearer, supported by two companies of the 4th Machine Gun Battalion and the 15th Company of the 6th Machine Gun Battalion, made an attack on Belleau Wood, which finally cleared that forest of Germans.[8] On that day, Major Shearer submitted a report simply stating, Woods now U.S. Marine Corps entirely,[9](p3) ending one of the bloodiest and most ferocious battles U.S. forces would fight in the war. The Germans called the U.S.Marines Teufel Hunden ( Devil Dogs) which The U.S. Marines have claimed as part of their heritage. I hope I did the Marine Corps proud Semper Fi Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsweeney Posted February 23, 2017 Author Share #2 Posted February 23, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsweeney Posted February 23, 2017 Author Share #3 Posted February 23, 2017 Thanks for looking Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutiger83 Posted February 23, 2017 Share #4 Posted February 23, 2017 Very nice! You did a great job on the dio! ...Kat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtyScout Posted February 23, 2017 Share #5 Posted February 23, 2017 Nice work 'Devil Dog!' Semper Fi. Manny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsweeney Posted February 23, 2017 Author Share #6 Posted February 23, 2017 Gents thanks for the kind words Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted February 24, 2017 Share #7 Posted February 24, 2017 Very Nice...WELL DONE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USMCR79 Posted February 24, 2017 Share #8 Posted February 24, 2017 Museum Quality - Great Job!! Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted February 24, 2017 Share #9 Posted February 24, 2017 Nice work, very well done! However, I'm not aware of any actual trenches associated with Belleau Wood. Can you describe how you arrived at this scenario? (Just curious because my grandfather played a role in that battle.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsweeney Posted February 24, 2017 Author Share #10 Posted February 24, 2017 Wwheen I googled Belleau Wood it aid that the Germans were dug in so I assumed trenchs as all along the western front. If I am wrong I sorry Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsweeney Posted February 24, 2017 Author Share #11 Posted February 24, 2017 When I looked at this painting I assumed that the Germn had dug trenchs Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildog34 Posted February 24, 2017 Share #12 Posted February 24, 2017 These were more dugouts than the proverbial trenches we associate with stalemated trench warfare of WWI. The battle was overwhelmingly open and positions frequently changed. There were no duck boards, or reinforced trench walls, no permanent trench systems as we often associate with the western front. Belleau Wood proper was very dense in areas and dotted with narrow ravines that often served as a sort of natural trench. The northern portion of the woods is very wooded. Hill 133 along the northern apex of the woods just north of the current Aisne-Marne Cemetery was dotted with heavy boulders and rocky crags along the NW corner as well as the NE corner. There were a few unimproved roads/trails bisecting the woods along a wide clearing along the upper portion of the center waist, but for the most part the German positions were dug outs with perhaps a few merged dugouts to form a rudimentary trench line. Marines, for the most part, dug their own individual dugouts, some more elaborate than others, often along the inside of the ravines that skirted parts of the woods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsweeney Posted February 25, 2017 Author Share #13 Posted February 25, 2017 Thanks for the correction Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. BARney Posted February 25, 2017 Share #14 Posted February 25, 2017 Sweeney you have knocked it out of the park again! The trenches are awesome! I have always thought that a trench line would be an interesting diorama but felt intimidated by the scope of it - so many aspects to render - the wood/lumber, piles of dirt, muddy, wet conditions, wire, etc. And you have really captured the desperation and ferocity as portrayed in the artworks of trench warfare. Really, really well done! How did you do the barbed wire? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsweeney Posted February 25, 2017 Author Share #15 Posted February 25, 2017 Sgt Barney Thanks for thee kind words But according to severa sources there was no thench line But thanks for the kind words Semper Fi Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. BARney Posted February 26, 2017 Share #16 Posted February 26, 2017 Yeah, I saw those comments, and that's one of things I like about this forum is that there are so many knowledgeable folks. But regardless of how accurate or not the diorama portrays Belleau Wood, the quality of your work and the finished diorama is awesome. I wasn't looking at the photos wondering if Belleau Wood really looked that way - I was admiring the modeling work!!!! I guess if the historical accuracy of your diorama bothers you personally, you could rename it - or just claim "artistic license" . I would still like to know how you build (or where you get) your barbed wire. Everything I have ever tried for barbed wire ends up looking like some kind of huge cable with kite tails tied on it when compared next to the other scale items. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildog34 Posted February 26, 2017 Share #17 Posted February 26, 2017 I apologize I should have followed up with what on second read sounded a bit arrogant in the way I replied but I was just trying to give a detailed description of the woods. Nonetheless, the quality of the diorama is superb. I appreciate the artistic patience it takes to do such work simply because I do not have that type of patience and or skill. Whether Belleau Wood or Verdun sector, it's a superb quality. Again, I apologize if my reply came off snarky, absolutely was not meant to sound that way. Keep up your work, it's something that not everyone can do and the attention to detail is fantastic. Semper Fi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottplen Posted February 26, 2017 Share #18 Posted February 26, 2017 Great work !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsweeney Posted February 26, 2017 Author Share #19 Posted February 26, 2017 Devildog34 I really like when someone knows more and points it out. There's no poblem. I'm going to remake Belleau Woods using the correctt weapons and trench line Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildog34 Posted February 26, 2017 Share #20 Posted February 26, 2017 Devildog34 I really like when someone knows more and points it out. There's no poblem. I'm going to remake Belleau Woods using the correctt weapons and trench line Tom Very cool Tom if you need pics of Belleau Wood let me know I have a ton of images, Belleau Wood has been my passion for many years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsweeney Posted February 26, 2017 Author Share #21 Posted February 26, 2017 Devildog34 Iwould be very happy for any assistance you can give Thanks you Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted February 28, 2017 Share #22 Posted February 28, 2017 Tom, I just returned from a short trip and found your dio completed and online. Awesome work, I always like these action dios. Keep up your great work! Lars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsweeney Posted February 28, 2017 Author Share #23 Posted February 28, 2017 Lars I am redoing Belleau Wood Wtch for the corrected version Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted February 28, 2017 Share #24 Posted February 28, 2017 Hm, if you're referring to the trenches I'd rather change the name/title of the dio than the dio itself. Just my two cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutiger83 Posted February 28, 2017 Share #25 Posted February 28, 2017 Hm, if you're referring to the trenches I'd rather change the name/title of the dio than the dio itself. Just my two cents. I agree. I think the trenches look amazing. ...Kat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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