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On the Eastern Front Campaign

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Historical background
A few days before World War II started, August 23rd 1939, Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov and German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop signed a Treaty of Non-aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The agreement renounced warfare between the two countries and pledged neutrality by either party if the other were attacked by a third party. The treaty included also a secret protocol dividing the independent countries of Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Romania into Nazi and Soviet spheres of influence.

Two years later, June 22nd 1941 the German army broke the Treaty and attacked the Soviet Union starting the biggest front in history: The Eastern Front was the largest theatre of war in history and was notorious for its unprecedented ferocity, destruction, and immense loss of life. More people fought and died on the Eastern Front than in all other theatres of World War II combined. With over 30 million dead, many of them civilians, the Eastern Front has been called a war of extermination. It resulted in the destruction of the Third Reich, the partition of Germany and the rise of the Soviet Union as a military and industrial superpower.

The Eastern Front ended on 8 May 1945 with capitulation of Nazi Germany.

Armorama Campaign
22nd June 2008 – exactly 67 years after the start of fighting on the Eastern Front, 121 modellers started their work on depicting weapons used by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union during the war between these two countries. On The Eastern Front campaign has very simple rules resulting in many different entries focused on miscellaneous types of vehicles and weapons – from tanks through cars, motorcycles and artillery to Panzerfausts and heavy machine guns. The rules of the campaign allowed scales from 1/6 to 1/72.

The campaign officially finished 16th February 2009. Fifty five modellers finished and presented their entries. Some of them were able to build more than one model. Several dioramas were presented as well, since there was no restriction on the method of presenting the models. Many more builds were started but - unfortunately - not finished before the campaign’s end.

Each participant who presented a finished model on the over-670-comment-long forum or in the campaign gallery received an OTEF award: a ribbon showing the German Iron Cross on the left side and Soviet Order of the Patriotic War on the right.

The succesful participants
AirLedge, Anirudharun, ant88, anti-hero, blackbug67, Buzz, c5flies, CaptainA, crossiron, curseoftheundead, Desmoquattro, endrju007, FAUST, foose54, FredRMA, gbyrnsie, grayghost666, GregCloseCombat, Guardian, Gvoakes, gwyndaffandy, Hederstierna, integraguy95, jaypee, JeepLC, Jupiterblitz, Kastanova, KAYELL, Kladivo, Mobious, monkybutt, MSGsummit, musicwerks, muttley, Nito74, PanzerKiel, pdelsoglio, plstktnkr2, pzkfwmk6, REMEARMR, Roy, rtvmodeler, SGTJKJ, sourkraut, SsgtMack, Tarkus, tread,_geek, troubble27, TuomasH, vindicare_assassin, wanagun, WARLORD, warreni, William_Bradley, and yeahwiggie.
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About the Author

About Andrzej Snigorski (endrju007)
FROM: WOJEWODZTWO PODKARPACKIE, POLAND

My first contact with model making took place over 20 years ago – I’ve made few models of planes when I was 9. They were all destroyed in one disastrous accident. Pain after loosing results of my own work was so big that I’ve left model making for about 15 years ;) . I’ve returned to building models...


Comments

I am pleased this is so popular, and I am pleased to have been of help. Mark deserves the praise for asking me to do it , and Andrzej for supplying the material to me.
FEB 22, 2009 - 01:27 AM
Really good idea, this is the best way I feel to display all the great models that builders made to participate in a campaign. Well done Armorama!! Bob
FEB 22, 2009 - 05:49 AM
great models, great idea great way to see a finnished campain! Thanks Geraint
FEB 24, 2009 - 06:37 AM
Some very nice work on display there and it's nice to see it show-cased all in one spot. Hopefully this is something that will continue for the future, a lot of good stuff goes on in the Campaigns area but doesn't get the exposure unless you go down there on a regular basis as a participant.
FEB 24, 2009 - 07:44 AM
I agree with the others.A great way to finish. One of the main reasons I love this site is to see the contribution done by others, others that is besides just professional modelers.Well done.
AUG 17, 2009 - 05:24 PM
I really liked seeing everything done for this campaign. Great idea and excellent work by all.
AUG 17, 2009 - 06:25 PM
Great work guys, and a big congrats to all who finished, and are included in the feature. Most definately. Im surprised its not been thought of before. This has to be easiest decision ever .. content for the site, as well as the ultimate reward for those taking part. Its also great to see so many new names included. Hopefully this will be a first step to getting more involved.
AUG 17, 2009 - 09:59 PM
Great work!!!! Nice to see it presented in this format. To William Bradley, Totally dug the paint job on yours. How did you acheive that paint job?
AUG 18, 2009 - 03:54 AM
I have nothing to say that hasn't been said already-- excellent idea, nicely executed!
AUG 19, 2009 - 07:33 AM
The photo recap is an excellent idea. I would like to see a brief paragraph by the creator of each model detailing the subject, unit, location, date, and a brief history of the vehicle. I am not talking about a blow by blow build up, just 50 to 100 words on each model to provide context, sort of like the photo caption from a Concord book. Example: "Porsche Tiger 003, Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion 653, Army Group Center, July, 1943. Though most Porsche Tiger chassis were used for Ferdinand production, a single vehicle was completed as a command tank and shipped to the Eastern Front at the request of Sw.Pz.Jgr.Ab. 653. The tank fought for approximately two months before disappearing from the unit roster, presumed lost." Excellent work, all around! -Doug
AUG 19, 2009 - 08:13 AM