Glad you all like the color shots.
Big Red One believe it or not I agree with you color is always better.However, in this case I wanted the pictures to look as much like vintage photos as possible. Since unless we were there most of us experieince WWII as a largely black and white war. Now had I had a vintage camera and film, color may may have been my choice. Digital cameras just don't read color the same as old film. B&W does also have the advantage of hiding a lot of little errors.
I also like to use B&W to check my work. If it looks convincing in grayscale then my job is done.This is especially helpful in dealing with posing, and camera angles. Sometimes color is real distraction to larger issues of composition.
My only reget about this contest was the amount of stuff that was supposed to be a part of the dio that never got finished. I've got a correctly scaled M1910 Maxim that is about 80% done, four more figures that will never see the light of day, and a pile of partly finished homemade equipment. BUT my next batch of godless commies should look nice.