Sledgehammer Project; Preparation Pt VII - Collecting More Materials

A couple of more packages arrived yesterday that bring me closer to the point where I feel like I'm really getting started on this project. The first is a picture that I found on eBay, which is a fantastic reference shot and is pretty much the scene that I want to recreate. The rest was just some mundane detail items, specifically Nut/Bolt/Washer and rivet castings. These are in plastic from Tichy Train Group. I prefer the ones from Grandt Line but the sale of that company as resulted in a lot of empty pegs in hobby shops while the new owners get organized. Still a couple of steps closer than before.

This a photo taken sometime in WWII on the Eastern front of the artillery crew for a B4 Howitzer loading the gun. It has a lot of fascinating details and I find the fact that they had to load this with a ramrod I find particularly fascinating. I also learned why I wasn't see shell cases in any of the other "action" photographs of this beast. It uses separate powder charges as can be seen in the cradle used to help hoist the 203mm round into place. This is a 6"x4" BW photo that is going to get used a lot. There are a lot of little details that can be gleaned from it.