1:1000 MO-S 18 ,,Obora,,

MO-S 18 Obora 1:1000 (ROP o.s.)

A miniature model of a work of the Czechoslovak heavy fortifications in 1:1000 scale from the Czech publisher ROP o.s. The very small scale is a deliberate choice — it lets you stand a whole row of casemates from one sector side by side, compare their shapes and sizes or settle them into a relief diagram of a defensive line on an area where a model of the usual size would not fit.

The real subject

The infantry casemate MO-S 18, listed as Obora or V obore, belongs to the Moravska Ostrava construction sector of the Hlucin engineer group command. It was built between 1936 and 1938 by the Prague construction firm of Vaclav Nekvasil. It is a one-sided left-hand casemate of the second resistance class with a roof 200 cm thick and a front wall of 225 cm. The original infantry cupola was removed from the work after 1939, but the surviving embrasures are the original ones. The work lies in the cadastral area of Silherovice in the Opava district, not far from the casemate MO-S 19, and is part of the well-known grounds of the Czechoslovak fortifications at Hlucin and Darkovicky, where the fortifications are open to the public.

Finishing and display tips

In this scale the silhouette and the settling into the terrain are what count. The model is helped by a simple base with a suggested slope and earth backfill, because the casemate was largely covered with soil. A gray base coat with a darker tone blended into the edges and joints captures the concrete surfaces, while the alloy steel of a cupola tends to be noticeably darker. If you are building an overview of a whole sector, a single shared base and labels for the works pay off.

Who it is for

• Collectors of models of the Czechoslovak border fortifications
• Visitors to the grounds at Hlucin and Darkovicky who want the monument at home as well
• Makers of relief maps and diagrams of defensive lines
• Anyone interested in the military history of the years 1935 to 1938

The exact execution, the material and the degree of completion of the model follow the manufacturer's current range; the base and the paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.