Hi All,
For years I have wanted to do this properly (in my younger years I have made many failure versions, one joined to a luftwaffe airfield and another where when I liked desert stuff, I had a Tobruk dry riverbed or "wadi" joined to a field which in turn was joined to a D-Day beach):roll:
This however shall look real!
I started the base about a month ago so here are older and current pics plus a few ones of homemade accessories/obstacles which I will add to the dio
(I will try to provide updated pics at least every week)  :)
enjoy...(resizing pics now for upload)  :wink:

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...The Beginning Stages




Sorry, rephrase "I will add photos whenever I have made any significant progress"

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Here's my latest pics...







I am adding slat Walls to the trenches and putting plaster on today!

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Oops! forgot to mention that I have added about an extra 30cm of board to the beach as I decided I wanted to have some log ramps and water (I want to use shorty's method of water (at least I think it's shorty's. The one that uses varnish, powder filler, blue paint and other stuff that doesn't cost a mint)

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Btw, if you're wondering why some of the models in the photos haven't been added to my portfolio. That's because I am waiting for Airfix to sent me spare decals as the ones that came with the kits were thick, glossy, and had rubbish printing quality. They broke or peeled off no matter if I added humbrol 'decalfix' or not and humbrol 'mattcote' didn't really help make them not so glossy
Man! Postage to NZ takes a while. The last spares request I asked took about 4-5 months to arrive! I am still waiting for my current request which I asked for in mid October 2010!  :cry:

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The base looks fab but I think you many have too many German tanks compared to allied tanks...not a big issue though

I now have about twice the amount of both sides but I won't be using all of them. My idea is to have a few panthers in a field behind the beach and 2-3 tigers coming down the road at the back. As I said though, I need the spare decals to be able to finish them. I really need to know what the floors of the trench should be made of though, planks or concrete.
Cheers, Strider

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I'd say concrete the planks would be more WW1ish

Have been doing some research and found that on the Atlantic wall, trenches were either concrete, or concrete floors with wooden retainer walls on the sides
More pics coming, I just need some of the clay to dry and then I can finish coating with plaster.
Btw, should I build up the area behind the first bunkers, so it's like a high coastal area? I just don't like those dioramas which have all the vehicles driving towards a sheer cliff that only commandos could climb.
Cheers, Strider

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I like it! Though, I wouldn't use that many tanks. The Germans didn't need so much tanks on the cliff, only flaks and cannons. So in fact, only use 1 or even non. The allies wouldn't have a mixture of tanks. If this is the beaches the Americans stormed, there would be shermans, if this was the british/canadian beaches, use churchills. Now Allies would not have that many tanks on the first "wave" I would add maybe 2 tanks, maybe 3 at most. But it matters. If you want a late part of the d-day, you probably add many tanks when the LCTs land, and not many LCVP or LCM III.

Fortifications look quite real and good. I just went to Normandy, and saw a cannon that you might want to use. You know the airfix coastal bunker thing, a mile down from "the section I'm making (My D-Day Diorama)" there was a beach just like that, with bunker. Maybe you could try that!
So, Hope this helps!

I did years of research on my D-Day diorama. So If you need advance guidelines, feel free to ask me! Also you can take a look at my D-Day Diorama. You can probably use some of the things I used for yours. And don't think you and me are competition, just think it as we are making a "joint Diorama"

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Cheers alaskafish, thanks for the kind words.
It may seem a bit far fetched but I'm really wanting to have some stuff removeable.
I just stuck all my close-to-completed afvs together to get them out the way while I got out my tools. I will not nearly use all of them. But here is the main plan with a few points
Point 1. Tanks/trucks will be able to drive over a lower dune in the centre. 
I want a switch between a British beach (sword) and an American beach (Omaha) Soooo, I would like to have all the obstacles minus the bunkers removable. this will also be hard as I may not be able to have men set in the water unless I have small holes in it and designate three US or three Brits with no base who can fit in them ok. I have an LCVP by airfix which I want to have set in a hollow that fits it but the water still looks realish if the boat is removed. Lastly. I would like a sea-wall as on a british beach that can be taken off and a dividing wall that I can add between the beach and the mainland to simulate a beach, and some inland things. From right to left it will look like this.
Water with log ramps, dune with hedgehogs, MG bunkers, Tobruk tank turret bunker, heavy gun bunker (which gun should go in this?) trenches, 88mm gun platform, wood stairs leading to a gravel road, [removable dividing wall] fields with 2 tanks, hedgerows, stone walls, broken down farmhouse with Stg III inside, road becomes cobble leading through a street of about 3 slightly destroyed houses on one side and 2 on other with some MG nests in windows, crossroads with Tiger tanks, field with 5 trees in corner of board.
Let me know what you think
Cheers, Strider

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If it was British you could use shermans,churchills,M10s and Cromwell althoughchurchills were mainly AVRE...cromwells would be good especially as airfix have just released a 1/76 version which has the option of wading gear...all you need now is a LCT!

Sounds like you should really build two dios  :idea:

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Oh! I didn't know airfixes cromwell was available for purchase, I thought it was something they were still working on. I would build two beaches but I don't really have the space. The dividing wall is just an idea so I can use some of my other models that are for more inland Normandy. I dont think the normandy country terrain is that different as you go further inland. Cheers, Strider

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I will post photos when I have put on the second coat of plaster and put some sort of gun in the big bunker. What kind of gun should I put in please?

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I'd put the gun from the airfix d-days set in or get a couple of 88 flaks...and you could wait for the cromwell or go for the 1/72 italeri version so it would look better with your 1/72 figures

Italeri does a cromwell??? I think you may mean Revell
My German figures are mixed scales of 1:72 and 1:76 but I don't really mind as we are not all <6ft and if a helmet or weapon looks out of proportion or wrong, I just modify it or use a spare weapon  :wink:
Cheers, Strider

P.S. You guys call me Strider or Kaleb and I'll sign my name Strider ok? I like being called either

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Its not...

yet  :twisted:

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Looking good  :thumb:

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Sorry to go but just saw this pic...
http://www.historylink101.com/wwII_b-w/d-day/practice/images/IMG_4160.jpg
...Found when I was browsing through pics taken during D-Day but it looks to be a practice landing as the photographer is not looking for cover and the men do not look too combat stressed. Anyhoooo, the main parts I thought was interesting was 
1.  The officer standing up at the back looking like a choice shot for any sniper wanting an iron cross.
2.  The mens kit which looks just like that worn by the airfix british 8th army.
3.  The boat. An LCVP higgins isn't it? Mainly used by the U.S. unless it has British markings and normally some grey camo streaks but this appears to have U.S. marks (I think) and it is just the one-tone light grey. (i'm pretty sure the darker patch is just wet from the sea)
Let me know what you think. Cheers, Strider.

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