CV 33 – Diorama
This "sardine can", as the CV 33 light tank was nicknamed, really needed a diorama with a human figure beside it to show how tiny it actually was!
I built my 24th model from August 2017 to January 2018. This was also a gift for a friend, chosen for its small size. You can find all the related posts here.
The CV 33 (later L3/33) took part in several wars with the Royal Italian Army, from that against Ethiopia in 1935-1936 to the Second World War. In particular, I wanted this diorama to take place in the latter conflict, precisely in the North African front in 1940.
Base
The scene takes place in a track of the Libyan desert, between Benghazi (Bengasi in Italian) and Tobruk, as the two road signs below show.
For the sand, I used the product Vallejo Diorama Effects 26.213 Rough Grey Pumice, colored with acrylic paint Vallejo Model Color 70.914 Green Ochre. On it, then, I put some light washes with several shades of sepia and grey. Moreover, I left the traces of the tracks in a lighter color.
The signs are made with balsa strips, properly weathered with oil colors. Finally, I wrote the names with a felt pen.
Vehicle
The vehicle has stopped due an engine malfunction, and one of its crew members has just finished to fix it... cleaning his greasy hands on his overalls!
The base color of the tank is Vallejo Model Air 71.075 Sand, with oil washes in Raw Umber. Also in this case I added some scratches and a dry brush in white.
Figure
The figure belongs instead to the Miniart Italian Tank Crew kit (model no. 35093). The rag is in tissue paper and the oil stains in black glossy acrylic.
To complete the CV 33 diorama, I built also a Plasticard struct beside the tank for the label. It shows the Royal Italian Army flag, the vehicle model (in 1940 the new name L3/33 had been already adopted) and the setting.
