The Timecastmodels Grain Elevator is not 100% correct but it’s very close. Barrie and Mark from Timecastmodels and myself were hired as consultants for the 2011 remake of the movie “Straw dogs” which is running in theaters in the USA right now.
In the 2011 version the main character is writing a movie script about the battle of Stalingrad and the fighting around the Grain Elevator during the battle. In the living room scenes in the movie to can see a large diorama with the Elevator and the surrounding area they created sitting on a pool table.
I supplied the research including plans, 3D computer models and detail photos of the area before, during and after the battle to Timecastmodels.
The Timecastmodels guys told me that they had limited photos when they first produced their product but I was able to fill the holes in their research. The most prominent change to their original model would be the extension building that you noted, which collapsed before the close combat fighting of the early part of the battle.
Here are some photos of the production phases, Barrie and Mark in front of the model and the model now displayed in my Stalingrad archives/exhibit.
The model/scenario now being played in RO2: Heroes of Stalingrad was created and completed before I was hired by Tripwire Interactive as a consultant for that project. As it was a finish product Tripwire decided to not make any revisions to it because they had 9 other maps they need to complete.
The outside Grain Elevator map/model/scenario you play right now in RO2 closer to how it appears in 2011 than in 1942-43.
I wrote and submitted to Tripwire a summary report of the graphical appearance and 3D modeling for its Grain Elevator map. Here are some photos and portions of that report.
1.) I see no evidence that the Grain Elevator was the green color as shown in the current RO2 map. A postwar friend of Gen Chuikov¹s from Volgograd (Stalingrad) and two other Russian sources tell me it was painted in the early 1950¹s. I have found German period reference that it was Concrete/Gray color. Also, noted Stalingrad author Jason Mark agrees with my conclusions.
2.) This section collapsed after August 30, 1942 but before September 17, 1942 likely from the German bombing raid against the nearby railway line. The September 17 Luftwaffe recon aerials show bomb craters 360⁰ around the Grain Elevator to support this claim. Also the collapsed of this section was why the soviets were able to defend the Elevator with so much vigor because it limited the Germans approach and penetration points into the building.
3.) After the collapsed of the noted (2.) extension building the Russians built an unusual “H” shaped brick building with an inverted flatted “V” shaped roof. There are photo confirmation that this is building was built after August 30, 1942 but before September 17, 1942. I have been told this building was built in direct response to the collapsed of the extension building (2.) and damage that was sustain beneath the belt/conveyer under the southern interior of the Silos and the odd shape roof (and protrusions) are Screw Conveyors to extract the grain.
4.) Stalingrad (Volgograd) is at a similar latitude of the Island of Newfoundland (Canada) and because of the time frame for the battle for the Grain Elevator (Mid September, 1942) the leaves on the trees should be changing to early falls colors also there should be very few leaves on the trees because this area had been subject to four different aerial bombing attacks since August 23, 1942.
5.) Luftwaffe aerial photos from September 17, 1942 show widespread damage to all roofs and building s throughout the Grain Elevator sector.
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Russ
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