1/35 scale U.S. 81 mm Mortar Pit in Vietnam

[Tankbuilder]

Hi there.

This is my 81 mm mortar pit set in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive. If you can enlarge the hand-painted map in front of the radio operator you would see that it is of the area around Khe Sanh.

The mortar and rounds and the M-16 are from Italeri and the figures are all from Tamiya. The lower legs of the trooper who is eating are from a WW2 Tamiya .30 caliber machine gunner.

The sandbags around the top of the mortar pit and also the ones protecting the case with the mortar rounds in it are simply Chicklets that were soaked to remove the candy-coating and then pressed into place and textured with scrap cloth before being allowed to dry and then being painted.

The frame around the outside of the diorama is getting refinished.

All painting was done using Folk Art acrylic paints applied by brush.

Cheers from Peter

 

[Sherman 18]

Great start. I like it. I think there is something missing. I can't quite put my finger on yet. Somethings that comes to mind is maybe some more junk like discarded mortar round tubes? Some packs? Some jerry cans? M60 machinegun? Maybe just moving the ready rounds closer to the mortar itself. I really like the design and lay out. I think if you play with it a bit the diorama would pop.

 

[JSteinman]

Sherman 18 wrote:

Great start. I like it. I think there is something missing. I can't quite put my finger on yet. Somethings that comes to mind is maybe some more junk like discarded mortar round tubes? Some packs? Some jerry cans? M60 machinegun? Maybe just moving the ready rounds closer to the mortar itself. I really like the design and lay out. I think if you play with it a bit the diorama would pop.

Maybe Vegetation? too

 

[moon puppy]

Bingo!