I've previously posted a couple of pictures of my Sculpey Fort Ward bastion. As it is drying out, shrinking and cracking with age I thought I'd take some time to give it its due before it gets plowed up and paved over to make room for a 54mm Walmart, as do so many historic places.
Fort Ward is a one of the Civil
War ring forts which defended Washington DC. It is in Alexandria Virginia and is maintained as a state park. Much of the fort is in a remarkably good state of preservation and an entire bastion has been restored to its Civil War appearance complete with three 30-pounder Parrot guns. Its really worth a visit if you find yourself in the Washington area.
My version of Fort Ward has three embrasures for Armies in Plastic 30-pounders. Revetments are made with sandbags and gabions, all sculpted from Sculpey (European friends can use Fimo)
The guns overlook a menacing no-man's-land of chevaux de frise; ouch!
If this gun looks menacing from this angle...
its even more so from the business end.
What's this? I didn't realize the position was manned. These officers seem to be zeroing in on a target.
"Action front! Case, 850 yards!"
I'll leave off here lest the faint of heart swoon at the terrible destruction about to be wrought by this wrought-iron monster.
Cracked, and showing its age, my 54mm Fort Ward has now had its day in the sun.
Here's hoping we all do.
Soldier on!
Mannie
Postscript:
Many comments on this post reflect a concern that I'm going to somehow destroy this piece; not at all I'm merely "retiring" it to let gravity, age, and the environment have their way with it. Sounds like a parable for all of us.
