Leaving Sugar Loaf
Sugar Loaf Hill was a small, insignificant-looking mound, barely 50 feet high and about 300 yards long, situated on the southern end of Okinawa. It was part of a triangle of strongpoints set up by the Japanese defenders designed to delay and damage the attacking American forces. The other two points of the triangle were the higher terrain of Shuri Heights and an irregular-shaped set of hills that Marines called the Half Moon.
The Sixth Marine Division was given the task of taking the mound called Sugar Loaf, and it would prove costly. By the time the area was considered secure, 1,656 Marines would be dead and another 7,429 wounded. Regiments were reduced to comΒpany strength, and companies to platoon size. Platoons and squads simply ceased to exist in some cases. It took 11 tries during a 12-day period and ate up most of three regiments before the hill was taken.
Thanks for looking
Tom
We often forget the cost of freedom that was paid during WWII. I can't help but wonder what the media would do with those kind of losses today. Nice figure work Thomas, and thanks for the reminder.
The closer to Japan we got, the harder it became, and more expensive in lives. Take the high ground is a nice slogan, but doing so isn't so easy. This sounds like one of those places I heard described in Viet Nam- "Watching the sun come up over hills that scare us".
The figures have that been thru the mill look. Great job, nice tribute.
Which set(s) of figures were used, Tom...? And anyone who can convincingly paint any sort of figures has MY vote (I suck at it).
Thanks for the kind comments
Craig They are Evolution WWII big set
Tom
"...big set..." ? How big ARE they - 35th scale or what? π
Craig They're 1/35 scale
Tom
Craig All the figures you seein the diorama come in the set. But i modified some changes heads and added cigarettes
Tom
Back in 1963, 18 year after the battle, I stood on Sugar Loaf, and Shuri Castle and Half Moon. You could not take a step, 18 years later, without kicking up some bit of battle detritus, mostly shell casings. I had a friend from high school who had joined the Marines (got thrown on his head too many times as a wrestler π ) who was stationed up at Camp Schwab. Once made a tour of the southern end of the island with his Platoon Gunnery Sergeant, who had been there as a Lance Corporal. The only time I have ever walked a battlefield with a veteran. Definitely not a place I will ever forget.
Your figures are superb, mostly because they communicate that bone-weariness of the man who has been "fought out."
π ... Greetings ... π :
Very nice piece, good attention to details, this diorama for sure will scream out once completed. It is totally different.