1/35 scale Tarawa Diorama

[Old Marine]

This is probably a staged photo after the fight. Judging by his rolled up trouser cuff I think he is wearing the brown side out. Is that an Army issue Musette bag? I would guess that the hand grenades are yellow.

 

 

[Proud Kraut]

Wow, this is going to be another fantastic dio for sure. Super realistic setting and figures, can't wait to see them painted. Thanks for sharing this project with us, Dennis!

[TLeo]

Look forward to seing the completed project. Great work so Far!

[sgtdorango]

Holy smokes this ones gonna be a beauty!....mike

[ArtyScout]

Wow Dennis,

 

This is turning into one very fine diorama. I can't wait to see the painted figures. Your groundwork is outstanding and the Nambu MG nest. I especially like the splintered palm trunks. I see you are using Preiser HO Palms; I use J's Works Paper Plants for my foliage.

If you like to check out their website its: www.jsworkmodel.com.

Well I'll be patiently waiting to see the finished product.

 

Semper Fi.

 

Manny

[bobgee]

Dennis - I really enjoying watching an artist and master craftsman work. And you are one, for sure. Can't wait to see the finished product. Semper Fi.........Bob

[RustyCanteen]

Fantastic eye for detail, and ingenuity to translate it into a diorama.

[GITom1944]

Did the navy Corpsmen use the haversack with the big blanket roll to be able to carry more blankets?

 

I wish I could answer your question but I think you're on to something. It almost looks like these are connected to/associated with litters. Could be that in a two man team of litter bearers one carrier the litter ashore and the other carried one or two blankets. Wading through the surf is awkward and the haversacks may have been available as improvised satchels that could be dropped if needed. If I find useful pics I'll post them. Great modeling, BTW! Thoughtful composition - I like the elevated ground surface in the background. It helps to keep the focus on the Marines in the foreground. And you have built a "View Point" into the dio - details are arranged to add to be visible and to guide the viewer's attention toward the cluster of riflemen on the right. The figs. are interacting w/ each other - their heads point in the direction of the "shooters". And the standing/firing figs. are arranged naturally but are placed to the rear so they don't obscure the figs. in front of them... You have talent! Looking forward to seeing it progress.

 

Tom

[Old Marine]

Tom,

 

Thanks for the comments. Please post any photos if you find them. So far I haven't seen photos showing anyone actually carrying the Army haversack, but they sure look like Army haversacks it in that photo. I did notice that most of the canteen covers were the standard army type. I haven't seen any of the cross flap Marine type, maybe those came in to issue later than November 43. In that last photo the Marine with all the grenades has an Army musette bag and it looks like he has a carry strap on it to use as an ammo bag. I guess they used a lot of Army gear.

 

Blacksmith, Thank you also for you nice comments and observations. I think in that last photo you can see the green side camo where the trouser cuff is rolled up. That pretty much confirms that they were wearing the brown side out, which would make sense, and what I had thought. I'll have to remember that detail when I finally get to paint the figures.

[The Meatcan]

Dennis, this is looking to be another excellent dio! Love the figures; they always seem to convey such a sense of motion and action. Really outstanding!

Terry

[GITom1944]

Not Tarawa corpsman but... This Robert Capa photo of an assault boat team preparing to embark from Weymouth for D-Day shows what looks like U.S. Army haversacks on the ground. I suspect they have been pressed into service to carry satchel charges. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/79/35/ac/7935ac71168873fd20d2aa695d249431.jpg Wrong branch, wrong theater but it does show the gear being used for a non-standard purpose.

 

Tom

[GITom1944]

Not a photo but here's a reference to M-1926 haversacks being used by the neach party on Tarawa. The report is actually describing these items as being lost during the operation.

 

 

Tom

[Old Marine]

Tom, that is great detailed research. I guess it goes back to the old "use what you got and make do". Using the haversacks was probably an easy way to carry a bunch of extra blankets for the aid station.

[Old Marine]

A rainy, humid Saturday so I was able to get some work done on the Japanese MG bunker. The sandbags are made of air hardening modeling clay covered in tissue paper. The logs are twigs from the yard.

[Old Marine]

Still a lot more to do.

[Garandomatic]

That bunker is amazing...

[Blacksmith]

Hi Dennis - always happy to help where I can. I just emailed a friend of mine, who was on Peleliu, and was a litter-bearer on Okinawa. I sent him the haversack photo you shared, and asked him specifics regarding use and blankets. While he wasn't a Corpsman proper, he interacted with them a lot, so I will let you know what he says.

 

As it relates to USMC canteen carriers, I've studied these a fair bit - claiming no expertise. According to the reference I've read, the third pattern ("P3") cross-flap carrier seemed to coincide with the movement of the belt hook. The hook was mounted high on P1/P2 carriers, which caused it to bounce around a lot, especially when full. On the P3 carrier, the hook was moved down to the middle of the carrier, to make it more stable. The movement of the belt hook was approved in July of 1943, but created a different problem, in that the canteen was more likely to fall out of the carrier if it was / became unsnapped. It is believed this problem was the catalyst for the development of the new cross-flap design, which occurred at the same time. In terms of timing to theater, the first P3s are estimated to have been delivered sometime prior to the fall of 1943. If it is accepted that the proliferation of gear to the PTO was through the arrival of replacement units, then I'd wager it near-impossible for a P3 carrier to be on Tarawa in November of 1943. I can't wager a guess at how many photos of WWII Marines I've looked at. While I don't remember all of them, I don't recall seeing a P3 carrier prior to Okinawa. (BTW, my above information is from multiple sources, but mostly A. Tulkoff's "Grunt Gear", pps 165-167).

 

Oh, and your bunker is really coming along nicely. Awesome!

 

Tom,

 

Thanks for the comments. Please post any photos if you find them. So far I haven't seen photos showing anyone actually carrying the Army haversack, but they sure look like Army haversacks it in that photo. I did notice that most of the canteen covers were the standard army type. I haven't seen any of the cross flap Marine type, maybe those came in to issue later than November 43. In that last photo the Marine with all the grenades has an Army musette bag and it looks like he has a carry strap on it to use as an ammo bag. I guess they used a lot of Army gear.

 

Blacksmith, Thank you also for you nice comments and observations. I think in that last photo you can see the green side camo where the trouser cuff is rolled up. That pretty much confirms that they were wearing the brown side out, which would make sense, and what I had thought. I'll have to remember that detail when I finally get to paint the figures.

[Garandomatic]

Any way you can post a couple pictures of how you made the sandbags? Did you cut a strip and fold it around the clay and :) the seam, or was it a square that you just wrapped?

[Old Marine]

Blacksmith, thank you for the information. I looked at a lot of photos and I agree with you. I didn't see any of the cross flap canteen carriers and I had a feeling that they were not being used that they were not being issued at that time, thank for confirming what I thought. I used a few on the figures and I think I'll go back and swap them out before I paint them.

 

Garand, yes I just took a piece of clay, wet it and wrapped a cut piece of tissue around it. If it was going in the middle there is no need to show the tied end. I will post some photos. This is a lot longer way to make sandbags but the end result is much better looking.

[ArtyScout]

Hi Dennis,

 

I love the edited version of the MG bunker and also that was a great job on the sandbags

 

Semper Fi.

 

Manny

[Old Marine]

This is how I make the sand bags. This is air dry modeling clay. This is available in most craft stores. I like this particular brand and I got if from Michael's. it costs about 4 dollars. If you get clay make sure it is the "AIR DRY" type. Some of the other modeling clays need to be baked and won't work this application. This clay comes in white which I am using for this model and in natural Terra Cotta color. The Natural Terra Cotta color works real well if you are doing a model involving the red clay of Vietnam. This clay can also be used as a ground cover and it's easy to form gullies, puddles, tire and tank track.

 

One thing to keep in mind is that the clay does shrink up a bit as at dries, but it's never been a problem to me.

 

Making the sandbags is pretty simple, just time consuming. I cut sheets of tissue paper, (the kind you wrap things in not TP) in to 2 1/4 x 1 3/4" pieces. Then I roll out some clay and cut it in to equal parts to that the bags are about equal size. I wet the the lump of clay, smooth it and set it on a sheet of tissue.

[Old Marine]

I fold the short side under the clay and pull the long side over the top of the clay and then dampen the tissue with a tiny bit of water and start shaping the bad. Don't wet the tissue too much or it will start to fall apart and tear.

 

The bottom of the bag should be kind of squared off. Pull the tissue around and tuck the excess under the bottom of the clay. If you get a bunch of excess paper under the bag just trim it off with scissors.

 

Form the bag and gather it up at the top as a normal sandbag would look.

[Old Marine]

Once you have the bag shaped up and the tissue is a bit damp just tie it off with a bit of thread, and trim the the excess thread and paper.

[Old Marine]

At this point the clay is still plenty soft enough to shape and form. You can now add the sandbag and make it conform to whatever shape you want.

[Old Marine]

Once I have the sandbag formed to where I want it. I lift it off and give it a blob of white glue and then squash it back in place. When you have to do this for every bag, make the bag, fit it, lift it glue it in place then make the next bag. Like I said it's a slow process.

 

While you have the white glue give the neck of the bag and the tie a swipe of watered down glue to make it droop naturally. if you want the bag damaged just rip it with a tooth pick or x-acto and let the tissue hang but also give that tissue a swipe of white glue to stiffen it.

 

After a few minutes and the clay starts to harden you can go back with a tooth pick and poke along the side to simulate the seam of the bag.

 

This yellowish color is just an initial base coat.

 

It's time consuming but I like making bags this way. They are a bit more natural looking.