Russian Capture of Maus/E-100 Tanks Diorama

Personally I think that the bottom picture on the fourth page on the Maus over at the excellent AFV Interiors page just *begs* to be made into a diorama, even if it means that one would have to scratchbuild some of its interior (and intestines):

Maus in a bombed factory. Russian soldiers inside factory looking at monster tank. T-34 outside with tank riders. Russian soldier at factory door beckoning comrades off tank to see what they just found. Possible diorama title: "Finders Keepers!"

Jimi

Did a diorama many years (still in the display case) called "Expensive Souvenirs".

Hasegawa Kubelwagen stopped in the desert behind a grenade hole. Driver and passengers (Hasegawa and Preisser) with hands up surrendering to a Desert Rat patrol.

The German in the back seat is a pilot. In the back seat with him are the battered rudder and bent prop from a Hurricane that he has shot down.

Done from a dim memory of a similar scene that I saw in a magazine years before.

Tom

Watching many of the WW2 programmes on the History Channel, etc, I've seen the same scene over and over again. Its the one with German soldiers hiding behind bushes/house as a column of Shermans go by, with the leader of the German soldiers telling his men to be quiet.

I've always wanted to do a diorama of this with a title of "Shhhush!!" :-)

Jimi

IIRC they were found in a field south of Berlin near Zossen Wunsdorf, just abandoned. The British captured the factory where E-100 was being built.

About 10 years ago the Germans approached the Russians to get the Maus back (it's currently in Kubinka outside of Moscow) but when the Russians demanded $5 million US up front they gave up on the idea...

Cookie Sewell AMPS

why was a monster like that named 'Maus' . Exactly. Not sure why they did it other than it did sort of conceal its purpose rather than use another "big cat" name (e.g. Tiger, Panther, Lynx, etc.)

Cookie Sewell AMPS

Thanks Cookie, That's actually so uninteresting as to be most likely true ;) Wonder if the Vickers works is even now getting ready to announce the Challenger Nanotank? Chek

isn't an elephant a mouse built to government spec?

lol Chek

or for the same reason that we call my 350 lb, 6'5 friend "tiny". but then again, if it was named using the german sense of humor, Cookies' version is probably more accurate.

Sean Neilan Peace leads to strength. Strength leads to war. War leads to weakness. Weakness leads to peace.

Imagine what we will learn when people are not afraid to ask whatever they wish?- JH

If sense is so common, why do so few people have it?

Yeah, and they probably would have tried to name the 1000 ton tank either "Floh" (flea) or "Kaefer" (beetle)... 8-)

Cookie Sewell AMPS