K.O. StuG III G, Italy , spring 1944

[Radek Pituch]

Hi planet
I've decided to start something else for this project (there are some issues concerning my StuG F that forced me to abandon that project at least for now) and this will be DML's Smart StuG G with bolted frontal armor. The idea came to me a long time ago when I first saw this picture (It's scanned from Militaria publishing "StuG III/40" book and shown here only for discussion):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/Radetzki/Figurines/british%20infantry%20Italy%2044/stugitaly.jpg
I'm going to add CMK's drivers compartment and scratchbuilt blown fighting compartment details to my StuG.
So far I've ,managed to do some work on the figures:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/Radetzki/Figurines/british%20infantry%20Italy%2044/ResizeofRotationof2008-04-09003.jpg
And the second one:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/Radetzki/Figurines/british%20infantry%20Italy%2044/Resizeoftommies1.jpg

I'll post images of my model later this day.

Radek

[RickLawler]

Holy Mother of a Figure Sculpter...! Excellent work Radek. I thought that you'd been a bit quiet lately, at least posting, but obviously your time has been very productive.

Great subject photo also...it's going to be another wonderful scene.

[Flak]

Interesting thread...look forward to seeing more...:)

[Radek Pituch]

Hi guys
Rick you make me blush :) I must admit that I had my time filled mostly with sculpting many new things including these two figures but I had less time for "normal" modeling.
I haven't started this diorama yet, only the groundwork shape is formed but I think that I must deal with Hetzer first and I have many other various things still to be done and the time flows so quickly :/.

Sorry I didn't attach any photos yet but I promise I'll do it asap.
Radek

[Wonsug Jung]

Wonderful!
I happen to be working on the similar K.O. StuH in Italy in 1/72.
If you have photos showing the spare tracks and spare wheels of StuG/StuH Italian front in detail, would you please post some? ;-)

[hoolyahn]

That's just fantastic Radek! The sculpting is perfect. Your sculpts are getting better each time. Yeah... I was wondering the same thing, where have you been? This is seriously amazing.

How's the Hetzer diorama coming along? Eager to see it finished.

Regards,
Julian

[Radek Pituch]

Hi
Thanks for your comments guys.
Wonsung unfortunately I don't have any photos yet. For now I was going to focus only on the interior of the vehicle, I'm going to make the roof of the fighting compartment ripped off so there will be lots to do, but I think that this'll be fun.
I've managed to add some grass to Hetzer dio's groundwork and I've managed to nearly complete painting the fence. Not much but I was quite busy :( I'll post some new images during this week. Be patient ;) and thanks for interest Julian.
Radek

[Sergionex]

Nice sculpt on the figures Radek!

Best!
Sergiusz

[james84]

Well, the figures are excellent!
Waiting to see the Stug!

[MartinD]

Hi Radek,

I is gonna keep a close eye on yours work, as I is gonna sculpt me own figgies too ... or, I hope to do so. Good work this man, very inspirational.

Cheers, MD

[Joaquin G. Gazquez]

Hi Radek,

Congratulations, the subjet is very original, and the figures looks really great.

Please continue posting. I'm anxious to see more...

Best Regards,

[Radek Pituch]

Hello again
Thanks guys, I'm glad you like it. I think that I will manage to finish this before the deadline comes :)
Radek

P.S.
Small update, the second fellow is nearly ready:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/Radetzki/Figurines/british%20infantry%20Italy%2044/ResizeofRotationof2008-04-19001.jpg

[Paccus]

Damn Radek, that is some superb sculpting. Very nice and relaxed poses :thumb:.

Nice vignette too. Any pictures of your StuG ?

/ Mattias Larsson, Sweden :cool:

[Sticky]

Super, you are justy amazingly talented!

[brokeneagle]

Great subject Radek and REALLY nice sculpting! Man you do a nice figure.:thumb: you captured the bent over figure perfectly:cool:

[Radek Pituch]

Hello
Thanks guys. The second figure is a bit stiff to me, but I was reworking it twice and I decide I'll leave it the way it is. It was a hard time while working on it...
Unfortunately I haven't done any progress either on the model or the groundwork :(
Radek

[Driver]

Those figures are amazing! I see them and start to drool immediately.
You should be selling copies!

Ruben

[jimmy66]

you make me sick.... HA HA just kiddin .sculpt, sculpt, sculpt, more, more, more ,to be able to build a model as per a photograph well it can be done ,currently trying in vain to get more done on the bean wagon .but to do both ie vehicle and figures now that takes skill and you nailed it........ 10 outta 10 ..........love it cant wait to see more
JAMIE

[Radek Pituch]

Hi
Ruben, Jaimie thanks guys! Sculpting figures is very enjoying. You can always pick subjects no one ever did.
So after a looong break I have managed do do some modeling. Not much, but at least I started the base. I have only 4 exams more in this month and I promise to keep this thread updated regularly till now.
Here's the layout:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/Radetzki/Models/KO%20StuG%20III%20G%20Italy%201944/stugitaly.jpg
There are going to be two demolished buildings in the background. I want this scene to be placed in the outskirts of a small Italian town few days after the StuG was knocked out, that's why those two Brits won't be armed. I was thinking about adding a Chevy CWT 15 I have but I have to think about it. I'm afraid that the scene will be too cramped (I don't know if this is the right word ? :) ).
Radek

[hoolyahn]

Hi Radek,

This is getting exciting. I'll be interested to see this one develop one step at a time. Look forward to see the rest of the Stug build.

Julian

[MartinD]

Hi Radek,

That looks very promising. I don't know whether it would be too cramped. You could always a smaller vehicle, like an Austin Tilly or a Daimler Dingo for example. At this moment, the scene looks quite open, but that will change. I'd suggest some experiments.

cheers, MartinD

[jimmy66]

gotta agree an Austin Tilly would be the go ,maybe push the stug back into the buildings abit ,like through one of the corners and hey presto heaps of room

[skeletondude]

Hey Radek,
The dio is progressing quite nicely!
Ditto on what Jimmy said, you'll surely have lots of room then.

Actually, has anyone even finished their StuG for the GB? :D

Marek

[RickLawler]

Hey Radek. I went back and looked at the original photo, so I believe that I understand the look that you are trying to achieve. My first reaction is that you have provided too much area, and are perhaps trying to include too much of the background onto the base.

My suggestions would be: Place it on a smaller base, move the figures very close to the Stug (as in the photo), don't worry about the tree in the foreground (i.e. smaller base), and only portray partial walls and rubble spilling forward from the ruins rather than the entire facade.

Your Stug and the figures already tell a wonderful story, so I would be very careful of not diluting the impact by adding too much.

That said...I have come to know and respect your ideas and work tremedously, so perhaps I should just be quiet and enjoy the show.

Rick

PS> I also would not worry about a second vehicle (again, smaller base)

[Radek Pituch]

Hey guys
Thanks for your interest in this matter.
When I look at the picture it really seems to me that the base is too big though :/ But when I put Chevy truck it seems to be cramped. The best will be that I post a photo tommorow so you'll see how it looks.
Rick, the idea was to make a italian town setting. I eventually decided to change a bit the background comparing to the picture attached. I didn't want a flat surface, a steep road seems better. Thanks for your advise, I really appreciate that. If I change the base I must think about using this one for something.
I have only two more exams left, so now, finally I'll be able to speed up with this thread. Ufff...
See you guys in next posting.
Radek
P.S.
And I bought myself another model, this time a sherminator with the "105"... :)

[Radek Pituch]

Hello guys
Haven't been modeling for some time now, I have only managed to sculpt a new version of the standing figure (yet needs some cleanup). I hope to continue this project, and start working on it again quickly:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/Radetzki/Figurines/british%20infantry%20Italy%2044/1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/Radetzki/Figurines/british%20infantry%20Italy%2044/3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/Radetzki/Figurines/british%20infantry%20Italy%2044/4.jpg

Hope you like it.
Radek

[RickLawler]

I peeked at your blog the other day and saw this fellow...you have become quite the sculptor.

congrats,
Rick

[Flak]

Great sculpting job on the figure :thumb:

[Radek Pituch]

Thanks Rick, Marco.
I hope to post some pictures of the progress on this scene (by the way I changed the base to a smaller variant) soon.
Thanks for looking

Radek

[Markus]

Hey Radek,
awesome work on the Thommy!
To me, you are a real artist, even more since I saw your last thread over on Planet Figure (the polish noblemen).
This, my friend, is true art!
To let everyone else see what I mean, have a look at this:
http://www.planetfigure.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28063

Really mate, you are able to do wonders with some putty :).
I´m your fan :thumb:!
I really would appreciate a SBS on how you sculpt your figures as this is something I really need to try sometime in the future.

[Gopher]

Great figure Radek!

[Radek Pituch]

Hi guys
Thanks for comments,
Markus, you make me blush man :) I think that I'm becoming more a figure modeller than a afv one, I haven't finished any armor since Hetzer was done...
I have a small issue concerning this project, I talked a bit with James about it and he advised me to ask in public, maybe any of you guys will help.
Here's the thing:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/Radetzki/Models/KO%20StuG%20III%20G%20Italy%201944/stugcropped.jpg
I'm trying to find out what this encirceled thing is? Maybe a ripped armored bar that normally would be fitted in front of the driver's visior? It has 5 holes in in, just like the armored bar. The vehicle seems to be blown up by those two frontal hits so maybe the explosion ripped this thing too?
I'll appreciate any help.

Radek

[Markus]

Hey Radek,
no need to blush mate, I´m just telling the truth ;).
Even my girl, while not so much interested, loves your polish noblemen.
I would love to see those, and your other works, live some time in the future.

As to your question,
I would say it is the armored bar as it looks like it is missing in front of the visor while it would be (if only a bit) visible if it would still be in situ. But, like you and James, I can only guess.

[Radek Pituch]

Hallo Markus

Thanks again :) I'm hoping to make a sbs one day and psot it at my blog, but making a step by step photographs is very tiresome and time consuming so for now I have to put it aside. Now I'm in the middle of several figure projects and have to finish them first.
Thanks for the analisys, it also seems to me that it's the armored bar, and I think I just drill the holes in the kit part and glue it to the suspension hatches.
Here are a few pictures of the current progress (most of the parts of the model like wheels, superstructure, gun, tracks etc. are dry fitted) :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/Radetzki/Models/KO%20StuG%20III%20G%20Italy%201944/overal.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/Radetzki/Models/KO%20StuG%20III%20G%20Italy%201944/Resizeof2008-11-20013-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/Radetzki/Models/KO%20StuG%20III%20G%20Italy%201944/Resizeof2008-11-20016.jpg

Still a lot to do.

Radek

[Flak]

Cool layout...

[Sticky]

Looking Sharp Radek! The part in question to me looks like a piece of the bullet splash guard. See red circle below.

http://tankbuilder.net/Non-siteImages/Radek's%20Stug.jpg

[Petarted]

wow looks great

[Radek Pituch]

Hey John
So you say that it's a piece of the armored bar I was writing about? Am I following you correctly? :) For a moment I thought that maybe it's a piece of the destroyed part of the fender, but nah. By the way, don't you think that this StuG hit a land mine? The suspension seems bogged and one fo the wheels is damaged.
Thanks for comment Petarted.

Radek

[Derkaiser]

Radek,

the broken wheel is near the internal ammo stowage racks:confused:. quite possibly after a direct hit the ammo cooked off and blasted out the mantlet, view ports and the side armor, after all they were AP and HE rounds. the axle and suspension arm could be warped and twisted from the strain of the explosion.

could explain the disturbed ground but its just a theory of mine

Mat:thumb:

[Radek Pituch]

Thanks Mat
I think you're right. The explosion blew the torsion bar. On the other hand I was thinking that maybe this stug was actually disabled by a mine, and when abandoned by the crew, was shot by the British. Those hits seem to be too accurate to be shot "in action".
I think that I'll stop divagating and simply get on with this project :)

Radek

[Sticky]

I dunno bout a mine, I would think the suspension would be worse. I think this is a classical cook-off of the ammo. Remember there is an ammo bin where the radio operator would be in a Pz III.