Bored German Landsturm on Sentry Duty, 1915

[lazyschnauzer]

I started this one several months ago, but after having quite a lot of difficulty with the 1888 Mauser rifle, finally this vignette is complete. Actually, not quite, I still have some rifle buckles to do and a thorough cleaning.

This figure is a German Landsturm in 1915 on sentry duty in a quiet part of the front. He's bored, thinking about home. Maybe he's musing about the local beer garden, his little farm and wondering whether his frau is managing to get the crops harvested.

Unless I've given John something impossible to cast (!!!!), this will be the third The Old Contemptibles kit.

As you can see, you can build it with one of two head-and-hat choices, either the Landsturm M1861 schako or the M1813 Landsturm oilcloth visor cap. In 1915, the Landsturm were mostly issued with obsolete equipment and uniforms. The Litewka coat he is wearing is the 1903 version. As I mentioned, he's armed with an 1888 Mauser rifle, but he also has a wicked-looking Pionierfaschinenmesser (I hope I'm not butchering the German!) bayonet, one side of which is a blade and the other is a sawtooth. The bayonet can be slide-mounted on and off the rifle. Unlike most bayonets, which fit below the rifle barrel, this one fit sideways and below the barrel. There is one ammunition container, a brotbeutel bag and a water bottle (canteen), a trench head-breaker - wooden with embedded metal studs, and a "potato-masher" grenade.

In the trench observation wall, there is an armored metal plate with an observation slit, a piece of cloth used to cover the slit when not in use, and - two apples he picked and brought with him from his last rest period in the rear. Unfortunately for our hero, one of the apples has a little worm in it.

I know you probably can't see all this in the photos. Sorry!

As soon as John McNenney has this one cast, our good friend Ulrich Biroth will be painting the box art.

Hope you like it!

All the best,

Dan

[lazyschnauzer]

More pics of the Landsturm...

[lazyschnauzer]

The Mauser 1888 rifle and a head-basher - wooden with metal studs.

All the best,

Dan

[Guest IMHF]

The Mauser 1888 rifle and a head-basher - wooden with metal studs.

All the best,

Dan

These are very nice anothr great added addition to your Sentry Duty Diorama:

I sure would hate to get hit by that club....

Thank you

Lorenzo

[herr]

its what we call in Flanders a Good Day.

Nothing good about the day you got hit with that though !

Herr

[Guest IMHF]

its what we call in Flanders a Good Day.

Nothing good about the day you got hit with that though !

Herr

To me that would be a bad day, to get hit by one of them clubs.

Lorenzo :D

[ccj]

To me that would be a bad day, to get hit by one of them clubs.

Lorenzo

very talented. I'd like to be able to do such a thing...

[Guest IMHF]

very talented. I'd like to be able to do such a thing...

Hit me up side the head????

Lorenzo

[ccj]

Hit me up side the head????

Lorenzo

That too!!! :P

[Guest IMHF]

That too!!!

hehehehehehehe

Lorenzo

[lazyschnauzer]

Lorenzo, Herr and Charles: Many thanks for your kind comments (and jokes ) ! The Landsturm is about to go off to John McNenney (Military Miniatures Warehouse) to be cast. It will be the third kit in The Old Contemptibles product line.

http://www.milminwh.com/theoldcontemptibles.htm

During our online discussions about the casting process, John recommended removing the apples and the "cloth" to cover the viewing slot. These were part of the trench wall. I separated them successfully and now we should be good to go for casting. The apples will be cast and the "cloth" will be a piece of lead foil. The kit will be resin mostly, but the trench bits may be plaster of paris to reduce the cost.

All the best,

Dan

[Guest IMHF]

Man, he is very lucky to receive this beautiful piece of military history art.

You did an awesome job:

Lorenzo

[Guest IMHF]

Just don't for get to post a picture of the finished Model:

Thank you

Lorenzo

[lazyschnauzer]

Lorenzo - Your comments are most kind! As soon as John has cast the entire piece, he'll send it to my good friend, Ulrich Biroth, who will be painting the cover art. Hopefully I'll be able to show you a painted example and tell you of its' availability on the TOC web page.

All the best,

Dan

[Guest IMHF]

Lorenzo - Your comments are most kind! As soon as John has cast the entire piece, he'll send it to my good friend, Ulrich Biroth, who will be painting the cover art. Hopefully I'll be able to show you a painted example and tell you of its' availability on the TOC web page.

All the best,

Dan

Thank you

Lorenzo