"End of a Greywolf" - Germany, May 1945

[Eric33]

Some first shots from my ongoing project.

British forces seizing a drydock in Northern Germany, May 1945.
1/700 diorama around a Type VIIB w/dock (Flyhawk FH1101), with many items from Alliance Modelworks (train, cranes, control tower, water tower, etc), Blue Star admiral (workshop), L'Arsenal vehicles, North Star 3d figures, 3D Model Parts accessories, and a HP-Models KFK.
The base should be around 15 x 8 cm.

A railway crane try to recover a damaged veteran training U-boote, fallen in its drydock after an air bombing raid.
Some british soldiers receive the official capitulation of the german soldiers, in front of a ceremony of falling german/raising british flag ceremony.
On the left of the closed drydock, I will put a KFK moored at pier.
I spent 2 days of hardwork to improve the kit of the locomotive as much as I could, considering its tiny size of 20mm long. As you see, I love tiny work, and yes, I'm a little bit crazy...












Any commentaries and critics are welcomed.
I post especially to improve myself through the critics of the other modelers, and I'm not at all touchy !...
Thank you !

[Jon]

Looking good, keep the photos coming of your progress.

[ch hoeltge]

Yes looking good.
But I'm not sure about the holes in the boat. In this size they look like 88 mm holes and not likes holes from a airplane.
Greetings Christian

[Eric33]

Looking good, keep the photos coming of your progress.

Sure. Now working on the KFK. Perhaps some new pics next week.

[Eric33]

Yes looking good.
But I'm not sure about the holes in the boat. In this size they look like 88 mm holes and not likes holes from a airplane.
Greetings Christian

Thanks Christian.
Actually there are not bullet holes but damage from aerial bombs around in the drydock, but the bad light doesn't show it well. And also, I thought to this idea after the building of the sub, so, I couldn't do it properly, thinning at maximum the plastic from inside, before to work on the damage from outside. But with more work on it, and especially with painting effects, it should be good enough. I hope...

[Pieter]

Hi Eric,
That's a very nice diorama you're building here. One point of constructive criticism: the water tower and the fixed crane look rather American to me, you may want to check picture of real German shipyards of the period.

[Eric33]

Hi Eric,
That's a very nice diorama you're building here. One point of constructive criticism: the water tower and the fixed crane look rather American to me, you may want to check picture of real German shipyards of the period.

Sure, you must be right, Pieter. Thank you, good critic (and I like that).

But the problem is that I didn't have any good documentation about some WWII German cranes, water towers, etc.
Actually, I could find (on my books and internet) only quite a few photos of Kriegsmarine shipyards in North Germany.
And, in my knowledge, I think there is none of them existing in model/PE at this scale ?
Anyway, I suppose I wouldn't have had the courage to do them in scratch, it was already not a piece of cake to bend and glue them in PE, at this tiny scale...

So, I decided to buy the crane which look the less American or Japanese to me and most of people, I suppose, excepted perhaps the few ship experts, or some German people ? (like you ?).
Like most modelers, I always try to stick the most to authenticity.
For instance, I remember a good 1/350 diorama with a Visby corvette in present Sweden, with unfortunately the very recognizable (at least for me, and the other numerous IJN fans) IJN giant crane of WWII Kure shipyard...
And I knew only quite late that those water towers were actually quite famous in USA, isn't it ?
So, I thought those items were enough "generic" to be not shocking for most of people...
I just hope it will be acceptable by most of people ?
But it is true that it is some flaw from this project, I agree.
Sorry.
I suppose I will be more demanding in the authenticity of my next projects...