Here's a somewhat tardy follow-up report on the History of Heroes event from the WWI reenactment standpoint:
After seating off many pounds during the first days' battles, we proceeded to rest up and re-group for the night battle. Being out-numbered some 3-1, it was going to be a grim night for the Allies. We decided to pursue the strategy of the "somewhat forwards defense", figuring that if we didn't deploy far enough forward, we wouldn't have the tactical depth to adequately defend. Out main position just wasn't deep enough. It was analogous to NATO vs the Soviets in Central Europe during the 70s and 80s.
After seating off many pounds during the first days' battles, we proceeded to rest up and re-group for the night battle. Being out-numbered some 3-1, it was going to be a grim night for the Allies. We decided to pursue the strategy of the "somewhat forwards defense", figuring that if we didn't deploy far enough forward, we wouldn't have the tactical depth to adequately defend. Out main position just wasn't deep enough. It was analogous to NATO vs the Soviets in Central Europe during the 70s and 80s.
As soon as it got reasonably dark, the night battle commenced. Although the event was closed to the public, we still had an audience of reenactors, mostly Civil War types with a large contingent of drunk Confederate reenactors who were impatient for the battle to start ("hey, hurry up and get going there! We want to see a battle"). Nothing like a bunch of drunk inbreds to make things complete. I was tempted to lob a smoke grenade or two into the stands but I restrained myself.
The first assault went pretty badly for the Allies, not helped by the fact that we lacked numbers and, in my case, the fact that my rifle kept jamming because I wasn't using the correct stripper clips (I only had two Springfield clips, the rest were actually intended for use in the Gew98/98a rifles) so at several critical moments, I had an inoperable rifle. What a pain (note to self: buy more Springfield stripper clips!). It was a sound thrashing, to say the least. We were more of a speed bump than anything.
The second assault worked out much better and we actually held them off! Amazing. The problem was, we used up all of out grenades doing so and there was no way to recover them in the relative darkness (and not helped by the glare coming from big spot lights off on the sides). I was actually able to nail two storm troopers with my trusty rubber hatchet as they jumped into the trench. I saw them coming and figured that they'd seen my so I was amazed how easily I got them both. I later found out that the glare from spotlights had totally blinded them to actually being able to see into the Allied trench.
A few more grenades lobbed into the shell holes in front of the Allied line took out the rest of the German assault party and thus the attack ended. What a rush! Not only did I nail two soldaten in hand-to-hand, but my grenade aim was actually decent enough to hit the targets in the shell holes in front of me (trust me, I suck at throwing stuff and it was very evident when I messed up on the grenade range in Basic Training some 20 years ago!).
The third assault pretty much finished us since we lacked grenades or other firepower sufficient to hinder (or even annoy) the German assault troops. It was a massacre and the Germans were off to the rear to loot the supply depot (doughnuts left over from the "Donut Dolly" display).
After that, we decided to call the battle since we were out of grenades and blanks- we had to keep some for the next day's public battles. Although we'd been given a two-hour window to do our battle, we had actually gone on for about 45 minutes. It was noted by all that it had been such a long time since we'd done a real battle that everyone had forgotten that these battles expend a high volume of ordnance. Lesson learned!
The moral of the story here is that you can never have enough grenades or blanks!
Sunday saw us doing only one public battle and we had to tightly script it since we had to convince people that the outnumbered Allies were going to defeat the Germans, even when outnumbered 3-1. The cool part was that the Germans wired up three black powder ground charges that they set off before launching their ill-fated assault. The first assault we beat off and then we counter-attacked, charging the main position.
This time, I went out as a bomber, just carrying a ammo bag full of grenades and my trusty rubber hatchet. We worked in two-man teams with my trusty companion Bob covering me with his rifle. Basically, we didn't want the battle to degenerate into the usual "sniping from shell hole to shell hole" so instead, we agreed to an all-out charge with no casualties to the shell holes in front of the German main positions. As part of the battle scenario, we had to get close enough to lob one or more grenades into the German machinegun position (if that didn't work, the gunner was going to fake a jammed machinegun).
The plan went off without a hitch and we successfully took the position. I even managed to clean out a bunker by pitching a couple grenades inside (nobody was actually inside so it was safe). Pretty cool!
Overall, it was a good weekend even though temperatures were in the 90s (Gatorade made serious $$ off of us that weekend!) and we, the Allies, lacked sufficient numbers or firepower. Something to work on for the future. We also managed to attract a few potential recruits but I don't hold out much hope since they're mostly youngsters with no money- I seriously doubt if any are going to have the will or desire to raise the cash to buy the necessary uniforms and equipment (we'll provide loaners to a point but people have to demonstrate some sort of committment by actually investing in their own kit).
Anyway, it looks positive and hopefully with the buzz generated by the night battle, we can attract back some more former WWI people (who were primarily powderburners and capbusters) who drifted away when we left Jack Rabbit Trail (JRT).
Only time will tell...
The first assault went pretty badly for the Allies, not helped by the fact that we lacked numbers and, in my case, the fact that my rifle kept jamming because I wasn't using the correct stripper clips (I only had two Springfield clips, the rest were actually intended for use in the Gew98/98a rifles) so at several critical moments, I had an inoperable rifle. What a pain (note to self: buy more Springfield stripper clips!). It was a sound thrashing, to say the least. We were more of a speed bump than anything.
The second assault worked out much better and we actually held them off! Amazing. The problem was, we used up all of out grenades doing so and there was no way to recover them in the relative darkness (and not helped by the glare coming from big spot lights off on the sides). I was actually able to nail two storm troopers with my trusty rubber hatchet as they jumped into the trench. I saw them coming and figured that they'd seen my so I was amazed how easily I got them both. I later found out that the glare from spotlights had totally blinded them to actually being able to see into the Allied trench.
A few more grenades lobbed into the shell holes in front of the Allied line took out the rest of the German assault party and thus the attack ended. What a rush! Not only did I nail two soldaten in hand-to-hand, but my grenade aim was actually decent enough to hit the targets in the shell holes in front of me (trust me, I suck at throwing stuff and it was very evident when I messed up on the grenade range in Basic Training some 20 years ago!).
The third assault pretty much finished us since we lacked grenades or other firepower sufficient to hinder (or even annoy) the German assault troops. It was a massacre and the Germans were off to the rear to loot the supply depot (doughnuts left over from the "Donut Dolly" display).
After that, we decided to call the battle since we were out of grenades and blanks- we had to keep some for the next day's public battles. Although we'd been given a two-hour window to do our battle, we had actually gone on for about 45 minutes. It was noted by all that it had been such a long time since we'd done a real battle that everyone had forgotten that these battles expend a high volume of ordnance. Lesson learned!
The moral of the story here is that you can never have enough grenades or blanks!
Sunday saw us doing only one public battle and we had to tightly script it since we had to convince people that the outnumbered Allies were going to defeat the Germans, even when outnumbered 3-1. The cool part was that the Germans wired up three black powder ground charges that they set off before launching their ill-fated assault. The first assault we beat off and then we counter-attacked, charging the main position.
This time, I went out as a bomber, just carrying a ammo bag full of grenades and my trusty rubber hatchet. We worked in two-man teams with my trusty companion Bob covering me with his rifle. Basically, we didn't want the battle to degenerate into the usual "sniping from shell hole to shell hole" so instead, we agreed to an all-out charge with no casualties to the shell holes in front of the German main positions. As part of the battle scenario, we had to get close enough to lob one or more grenades into the German machinegun position (if that didn't work, the gunner was going to fake a jammed machinegun).
The plan went off without a hitch and we successfully took the position. I even managed to clean out a bunker by pitching a couple grenades inside (nobody was actually inside so it was safe). Pretty cool!
Overall, it was a good weekend even though temperatures were in the 90s (Gatorade made serious $$ off of us that weekend!) and we, the Allies, lacked sufficient numbers or firepower. Something to work on for the future. We also managed to attract a few potential recruits but I don't hold out much hope since they're mostly youngsters with no money- I seriously doubt if any are going to have the will or desire to raise the cash to buy the necessary uniforms and equipment (we'll provide loaners to a point but people have to demonstrate some sort of committment by actually investing in their own kit).
Anyway, it looks positive and hopefully with the buzz generated by the night battle, we can attract back some more former WWI people (who were primarily powderburners and capbusters) who drifted away when we left Jack Rabbit Trail (JRT).
Only time will tell...
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