Hi to one and all,

It always good to see a release from DG Artwork and even more so when its a bust (go on... guess what I paint..lol) and that is what we are looking at in this review a bust.

The subject is one of a US Medic

Many fierce and hard fought battles occur in war , in WW2 one of these was the battle for Bastogne ....where both sides not only had the enemy to think about but the weather also played a terrible part in the area, men dying and being affected not only by weapons but also severe frostbite and lack of supply , often getting to the men too little and too late,.

The medics had at times the hardest things to deal with fighting not only for the lives of the wounded but also just to survive themselves in the conditions , always desperate for vital medical supplies , with them using any available including the enemys if found.

Bastogne itself was part of the Battle of the Bulge from 16th Dec 1944 to 25th Jan 1945 , now probably considered one of the most famous battles in the European front.

Snowy weather grounded Allied planes in mid-December, giving the enemy an advantage. On Dec. 16, 1944, more than 200,000 German troops and 1,000 tanks burst through their defensive fortifications known as the Siegfried Line and pushed into Allied territory, quickly forming a “bulge” into the American front (hence the battle’s name).
Four battle-weary divisions of the U.S. Army’s VIII Corps were left to fend for themselves for a week before backup arrived, fighting in deep snow drifts and delaying the Germans from taking vital crossroads. They hid and destroyed gasoline stocks the Germans needed, and they used obscure American trivia to stump Nazi infiltrators who had stolen American uniforms to create more chaos.
The line surrounding the town of Bastogne was a crucial road and rail junction for the Allies. As the Germans approached, the U.S. 101st Airborne Division was sent to defend it, barely getting there ahead of them. They were then surrounded by the enemy, but they did as they were told – hold the town – even as German troops demanded their surrender.
When the weather finally cleared, American airpower took to the skies again, attacking the Germans and bringing much-needed supplies to Bastogne. A few days later, the 4th Armored Division, 37th Tank Battalion of the Third Army – having moved more than 100 miles in five days – was finally able to break the siege from the south, and the enemy never recovered. German commanders convinced Hitler to allow them to withdraw.
Across the Ardennes, the U.S. First Army had shifted to the north, stopping enemy tanks from getting to the Meuse River, as British troops halted any further German progress to the west. While a Nazi loss was imminent, the battle continued through Jan. 25, until all German troops were driven back over the Siegfried Line.
The Battle of the Bulge was an Allied success but it came at a high cost. The U.S. suffered more than 75,000 casualties – 19,276 were killed in the 41-day conflict, nearly 47,500 were wounded and thousands more were reported missing.
To quote the great Winston Churchill, “This is undoubtedly the greatest American battle of the war and will, I believe, be regarded as an ever-famous American victory.”

The battle ended finally after the arrival of Patton's forces .

Books are readily available both on the uniforms and the battle itself .


This release was announced both here on PF



http://www.planetfigure.com/threads/dg-artwork-new-release-for-june-2016.78787/

and of course social media

A true fitting tribute to all those units that fought in the Battle of Bastogne and those brave medics.

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As this is such a great subject here are some more references you should find of usE

Bandages both US and German


Stretcher detail



Beanie Cap



Insignia



Tankers Jacket (this has had elbow patches added)


Webbing
this shows the full medic webbing

Medical bag contents


Helmet


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Lets open up that Box


Title: U.S Medic Bastogne 1944

Reference: DG09B002

Scale: 1/9th

Material: Gray Resin

No of parts: 11

Sculptor: Dae-Hyeong, Kim

Box Art: Dae-Hyeong, Kim



As with the War Pidgeon release (http://www.planetfigure.com/threads/war-pigeon-from-dg-artwork.78512/) , there are no issues with the packaging , astrong box with the artwork in full glorious colour , the resin being in clear bags and in a bubble wrap envelope.

Parts consist of the following: Torso , head, left hand, 2 helmets, stretcher , 2 stretcher supports, 2 medical bags, 2 divisional signs and a base.






Prep

Torso...small casting plugs on elbows and underside where base fits
Head...Remove excess resin from under neck
Hand...small plug from wrist end and fit
Stretcher...Excess resin from base and fit to torso
Stretcher supports ...Sand excess ..be careful quite delicate
Helmets...Casting plug from rear
Bags... Small piece of resin on underside and then fit
Shoulder Insignia...Remove from former and choose which one to fit!!
Base ...Fit if you choose to use

All very small things to deal with and easy to do

We will look at the Torso in this part

This IMO shows that DH really enjoys the process of bringing to life the sculpt , the surface is really smooth with some really great casting as well , our medic wears the Tanker Jacket with the tell tale cuffs and collar , soft folds are seen in keeping with the material



The arms are bent ready to receive his precious stretcher , webbing straps are evident , nicely done but not overdone which is good to see, undercuts are nicely done with the textures of the cuff/collar etc being very good as well , the belt is also well represented as you can see

In his pocket the shape of a field dressing is evident, medics of all nations stowed as much as possible especially here in Bastogne where supply was never a certainty.

The colour of the jacket had many variations but go by the box art and you won't be far wrong ...dirty him up a bit he is in the middle of a battlefield after all.

A cutout ready for the stretcher to fit to with the neck area open for the neck to go into, both when in place needs no filler.

On his arms we have the red cross armband ( this is plain for painting) under this we see the stripes peeking over , you will note the shape of the rest showing underneath the armband itself. , on the other arm there are the full stripes of a Sgt, very cleanly done.



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Now to the remaining parts

Head

A young looking medic , no doubt he has seen far too much horror , he looks straight ahead , fit to the torso is easy and accurate ,he has a strong jawline . good facial features as with the previous releases , sharply sculpted and cast.



Hand

This is the left only ( the right is cast onto the stretcher itself , nice work on the fingers which are gripping tightly the valuable bandages , the front is a german one , but he does not care he can still use it .



Helmet(s)

2 Options on offer one without the beanie cap inside , the shape is excellent overall nice strap details held up at both the front and the rear , the beanie itself has good surface on the peak with the actual helmet rim clearly worked . Fit is as stated very good , again no filler required .

Stretcher

Only one half of the stretcher is sculpted in keeping with the bust level . the handles and the material are all well shown , the material sitting correctly up against his torso and shoulder. 2 holes are ready to have the supports put in .

Sculpted onto the lower part is the right hand , yes its is actually looking like its holding it , finger details are as the left ..excellent.


Supports

These are in 2 pieces , joining together in a "V" , well shown again with all in the correct shape and style.


Insignia

2 Options are on offer ...... 101st Airborne or the 2nd Armd Division , both are well detailed , my choice will be the 101st I think!!!



Medical Bags

These are 2 versions , again well worked with good details on both , one has the straps undone ...perhaps our medic has just got the bandages out he is holding , fit again is no problem .



Base

A simple pedestal type base , cleanly shaped and fitting well




Final Thoughts

This is one of my favourite sculpts I have reviewed , its hard to think if DH can do batter than the last but they have IMO , love the subject matter , excellent quality all the way with DG Artwork, sculpting, casting and boxart are all very well done

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Thank you to DG Artwork for the review piece

For more information why not visit the website at

www.artworkdg.com

or
email : dgdmodel@gmail.com

or PM them via PF .

Finally some pictures of the superb box art by DH Kim .....ENJOY

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