A Close Shave

摘要

The Battle of the Bulge, or the Wacht am Rhein campaign as the operation was called, when the German forces launched their surprise attack on the Americans in the Ardennes on 16th December 1944, has been an inspiration to many modellers through the years, with a wealth of different tanks and uniforms being used. Over the years I have made several dioramas depicting different actions in the campaign, but all of them are long gone, either as gifts to friends and family, or into the bin... Of particular interest to me are the actions of Kampfgruppe Peiper, and first and foremost, the breakthrough of the German lines on the 23rd and 24th December after being cut off at La Gleize, where the formation was forced to abandon all vehicles and heavy equipment. I had worked on another diorama for months and while rummaging around for some bits and pieces, I found a half finished Jeep and Warriors 'Panzerknacker' set. The Jeep had initially been part of an idea that turned out to be very similar to the excellent diorama entered by Douglas Lee at Euro Militaire 2008, of an American jeep on a sabotaged mountain road. After seeing this, the Jeep went back into the drawer, but now the idea of the retreating Germans avoiding an American patrol suddenly arose.