 24. August 1918 - Ospedaletto, Italy, Southwestfront - Airfield of the Airmen-Company (FliK) 9J
Historical background
After the italian declaration of war to Austria-Hungary on 23rd May 1915 in eleven Isonzo-Battles during 23rd June 1915 and 20th September 1917 the Italian troops could not achieve worth mentioning area profits. But the first Austrian-Hungarian offensive (the 12th Isonzo-Battle) brings an overwhelming victory. During the “Battle of Karfreit (Carporetto)” between 24th October 1917 and 2nd December 1917. The Italian troops have been pushed back to the Piave.
“The Italians estimates her losses with: 800.000 soldiers (10.000 death, 30.000 wounded, approximately 300.000 prisonend and more than 400.000 missed or deserters), 3.152 heavy guns – the Austrians have started the war with approx. 2.000 heavy guns – 1.732 heavy mortars, 3.000 machine-guns, a lot of ammunition, food supply and clothing, countless horses and vehicles. Measured at this numbers the 12 th Isonzo-Battle was the greatest incident in case of war at this time.
The Diorama – the scene
The Pilot – Karl Linner – has finished the morning briefing and use the time, during his Poenix DII is in servicing, to study the maps and have a talk with comrade of the technical troops. Nondy knows, if he have a forboding; later in the day he will be ordererd to a alarm-flight over the front. Over Levico he will meet 4 Bristol F2b of the 139 th Squadron. This fight he will not survive.
Sources:
Heeresgeschichtliches Museum Vienna, Exhibition and archive
Austrian National Archive
Book: “die Flugzeuge der k.u.k.Luftfahrttruppe und Seeflieger” (the planes of the emperor and royal aviation-troop and sea-airmen), H. Weishaupt
The Diorama – the building
The plane – the “Phoenix DII”
I have used the Spezial-Hobby-Kit, that represents a DI-Version, baut some modification and it was a DII. Painted by airbrush with Revell and Vallejo-Air. Some smaller details – like the machine-guns- was scratch-built. On the left side I have cutted the maintenance tailboard, to allow view on the engine. This engine is a very pretty model of the Hiero-BA (6 Cylinder-watercooled, 230 HP), but after inserting there is nothing to see of him …….
The filigree struts between airframe and upper-wings I have built from wire – the original parts was inspire little confidence.
Further construction was easy, only the propeller need more than one trial, to look like wood.
Then a washing, dry-brushing ad some pigments for an older, weather-beaten look.
The tanker
As a base I have used an old Matchbox-toycar (Oper 1913); it was dismantled and neu built under using of some scratch-built parts.
The crew
The figures was Preiser’s industry-worker’s, they I had redesigned by using lead-foil and painted.
The terrain
For the terrain I have foamed a board with Ploy-Urethan-foam, after drying cutted, sanded and painted. A small coat of real earth, some gras-imitate and paint, paint, paint …..
The water on the backside is from Epoxy, the trees and aller over plant was digged in the garden, dried and brushed.
The shelter
The cabin was built from Mahagoni-strips of wood, the tables, the telefon, the benches are also built from Mahagoni.
The stove was in his former life a part of a toy-X-Wing-Fighter (R2D2).
The maps at the table are smaller made originals, the pilots-goggles was made of wire.
Expenditure, including recherché, for this diorama was approximately 200 hours.
With modellers best wishes
Wolfgang Strassmayer
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