“The Road to Odessa” - Ukraine 1944 diorama in 1/35th scale.

“Road to Odessa” Spring 1944.

The scene depicted shows a farmhouse, occupied by an old couple, located next to a country road leading to the Ukrainian city of Odessa. A German Sdkfz 223 reconnaissance armored car, a BMW motorcycle sidecar combination, and a Sturmgeshutz IV assault gun, are at the front of a column of vehicles hurriedly heading to the front, during the aftermath of the Proskurov–Chernovtsy Offensive. They are probing the Russian lines, scouting a route to help the 1st Panzer Army breakout of an ever-tightening encirclement.
This offensive has already brought the Red Army forces into Poland and Romania, completely destroying 18 Wehrmacht and Romanian divisions, and reducing another 68 to below half of their establishment strength.

Riding on the back of the Stug are troopers from the crack 2nd Fallschirmjäger (Parachute) Division
The division fought it’s last actions on the Eastern Front during the following counterattack against the Red Army bridgehead across the Dniestr river. They were so badly mauled, that they were sent to the Western Front for rest and refit, and unluckily for them, ended up in the Battle of Normandy, where they fared no better.
Wehrmacht soldiers from the German 8th Army, Army Group South, march along the road, ultimately headed to the same objective.

On this same road, traveling in the opposite direction, we see the true cost of war. Refugees are streaming south, desperately fleeing from one of the many small villages left burning in the war zone, carrying as much of their belongings as they could gather at short notice.
When the appalling cost of war is counted, so often it is the displaced civilians who are sadly forgotten. 1 in 8 Ukrainians died during the conflict, totaling 5 million, a further 10 million were made homeless. Also traveling south towards a field hospital, is a commandeered wagon carrying German wounded. If their injuries require long surgery, they will only be made comfortable instead, there are too many wounded to devote the overworked doctor’s valuable time to them.

Paddling upstream, is a raft manned by 3 German soldiers, all that’s left of a squad who have been shooting it out with a group of Russian scouts for the past few days. They plan to investigate the rowboat, which they suspect was left by the scouts, on the bank.
Unknown to them, those same Russian scouts are hiding inside the farmhouse with their German prisoners, two officers captured the previous night.
The officer leading the scouts has been successfully questioning one of them for some time, about the planned German counterattack. His colleague is less helpful and has been gagged and subdued to stop him alerting the nearby Germans. The radio operator is relaying the valuable information gained, as well as the location of the convoy passing outside, to their HQ and as a result, Russian artillery will be targeting the convoy soon.
Another scout nervously watches the German column out of the window, as a curious motorcycle crew have driven over to question the farm’s occupants. They do not want to try and shoot their way out of a potentially bad situation, they are heavily outnumbered and outgunned, but they have completed their mission and are prepared to give their lives for Mother Russia.

Trying to safeguard the scouts, the patriotic farmer’s Ukrainian wife has paused her laundry and plans to ply them with traditional homemade Deruni (Potato Pancakes) and some strong homemade vodka made by her spouse, and send them on their way.
Her Russian husband, together with his granddaughter, are by the rowboat waiting for the men in the raft to come ashore, his plan is to tell them that he was up the ladder fixing his roof, when he saw the Russians escaping back to their lines, having heard the approaching armored vehicles. Hopefully, the food and drink that he’s offering might help distract them too. If the men are discovered, things won’t go well for him and his family.

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Music:
All copyright free-

“Strong” by Gugla

“Music War cinematic soundtrack” by Boom Music

“Epic War Movie background” by Musictronis

“Traditional Ukrainian song” - Unknown

“Horror Chase” by GANEVMUSIC

NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED.