70th birthday diorama! (and a request...!)

[Leon]

It's my father-in-law's 70th birthday this coming August.  With a bit of snooping about, I found out that he was born on the same day that Kharkov was liberated in (August 23rd 1943).  So, this seemed a perfect opportunity to do something a little special, so after a chat with Andy Mac, we came up with an idea for a diorama.

I have to really thank Andy for doing this, the diorama looks fantastic, much better than the pictures show, and I'm sure the father-in-law is going to be very pleased with it.  I've got a custom display case coming for it as well, so I'll be getting it mounted up when we get back from holiday.



So, to the request for help if possible!  I would like to make a small card to go with the diorama, explaining what's happening in the scene.  I've got a basic knowledge myself, but if there's anyone out there who could put this historical event into a couple of paragraph's, that would be awesome.  I also need to find a suitably 'Russian' looking font to use as well.  Once I've got the card done, I'll knock up something on the laser machine for it to sit in.

And of course, the pics:




   



       




   

[petercooman]

Very nice Leon!

But is that a TIger 2? Don't have my glasses about and to lazy to get them, but i think it is.

[Techno]

 

[Leon]

But is that a TIger 2? Don't have my glasses about and to lazy to get them, but i think it is.

   

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Very nice!

[petercooman]

   

[nikharwood]

Very nice - he's building a nice little collection 

[andymac]

OK I hold my hands up to this error  .

The Tiger II did not get out to the Eastern Front until the following year.  WWII is not my area of expertise so I did not pick this up, I think the idea of having a knocked out King Tiger with the humble T34's in the back ground got the better of me.

Apologies to Leon.

Andy

[petercooman]

IF anyone asks say it was a prototype test lol 

[Leon]

It's completely fine with me, the father-in-law isn't up on Tiger II production runs, so he won't mind at all!  To be honest, we could have stuck a Maus on it, and he still wouldn't have known... 

It's awesome, can't wait to see his face!

[petercooman]

So, it's still not to late then to stick that maus on 

[Hertsblue]

Love the tank-riders, and the senior officers in the ruined house. The whole thing's full of life. 

[ryman1]

Not sure if this is going to be of any use, it's a bit of WIKI background information on the wider operation.

Operation Polkovodets Rumyantsev (Russian: Полководец Румянцев) was a code name for the Belgorod-Kharkov Strategic Offensive Operation conducted by the Soviet Army between 3 August 1943 and 23 August 1943 against the Wehrmacht's 4th Panzer Army and Army Group Kempf during World War II. The operation was named after the 18th-century Field Marshal Peter Rumyantsev) and was conducted by the Voronezh and Steppe Fronts in the Belgorod (southern) sector of the Kursk Bulge. The Germans refer to the battle as the "Fourth Battle of Kharkov".

The operation began in the early hours of 3 August 1943, with the objective of following up the successful Soviet defensive effort at Operation Citadel. The offensive was directed against the German Army Group South's northern flank. By August 23, 1943 the Soviet divisions of the Voronezh and Steppe Fronts had successfully seized Kharkov from German forces. It was the last time that Kharkov changed hands during the Soviet-German War. The operation led to the retreat of the German forces in Ukraine behind the Dnepr River, and it set the stage for the battle of Kiev in autumn 1943.



Not being a student of the period myself, this is the closest I can find to your request, everything else seems to be essay size or weaved into Ukrainian tourist board info.

There's also a good site with a wide variety of Russian looking fonts you can download.
http://www.dafont.com/theme.php?cat=205

Hope it's useful.

Cheers

Ry

[Leon]

Just to update on this, the custom display case arrived safely, and I've written up the brief description of what's going on, so thanks to everyone for their suggestions, and the Ry for the Russian font links.

I'll get some pics taken before it gets handed over.