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Post by Mr. Spank on Jan 15, 2017 17:11:59 GMT -5
Thank you Migs for making this event happen. This was my first WWII themed airsoft event. It wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for people who make the effort to actually make the events, like Migs, and for people who can loan out kit like Nate and Nick. I do 'Namsoft and Cold War Soviet and Russian Federation themed airsoft, so I had essentially no American WWII kit at all. Neither did my teammate, but we came out and the trust and generosity by the above mentioned people meant we could participate and enjoy being in the cold suck of pretend Bastogne (with very real cold and suck). The weather was below freezing, and cloudy, but no snow. With hindsight being 20/20, it would have been better to have the event 1/15/17 (Sunday) because the night of 1/14/17 it snowed, and that day was sunny and above freezing. Which would have made the field a better impression for Bastogne and perhaps temperatures being above freezing would have meant that our AEGs worked better. Due to Saturday's subzero (on Celsius) weather that Saturday, there was a lot less combat than planned for. BARs and Thompsons seemed to have been the biggest victims of the cold. Even with less Germans at the event than Americans, they were able to kick a lot of butt with their lesser numbers because their weapons seemed to have suffered less. Especially their sharpshooter who repeatedly dinged my helmet. And these American helmets make much more noise when hit than my Soviet steel pots. We only played a couple of missions. As Americans we were holding Bastogne and sending patrols to locate dropped supplies. We located I think one of those. But we lost the town. We decided to break to try to resolve our weapons issues and get some hot food in us. When we got back to the game, we had to take a bridge. Or blow up a bridge. Either way, we had to push through the Nazi line. We failed to do that. More weapons went down. Dusk was rolling in, so temperatures we dropping even more. Since it was cloudy, it was getting dark quickly. On paper this seems like a sad skirmish in WWII kit. But it's really more than that. It was great to meet the people from this community. I have been on this board for many years (though I don't post much, because this is not my primary interest in Airsoft). It was also a great experience to get hands on with all this American kit. I've seen it first hand at living history events, but its very different to actually handle it. To me it seemed very cumbersome and over engineered, compared to Soviet stuff. I did find it also surprisingly warm! I also got to handle a BAR finally! And like most events; it's really about what you make of it. After that break, I got some non-immersive food in me while I acquired a new weapon, and then Dan and I returned into the field, took position in one of the buildings in Bastogne, and ate our rations and donations we secured from locals! Eating in those cumbersome gloves and greatcoat. An experience in and of itself. Even after heating the canned food, it got cold fast in that freezing weather. The American helmet feels heavier than the Soviet steel pots. But after a while I forgot it was even on my head, until I'd lean over to peer around a corner. It was fantastic to be around airsoft players who had no M4s! While few of us got into character, we did do it here and there. Things like that are not on the event organizers, but on the participants. Get out of it what you bring into it! I was brought into this event because my 'Namsoft buddies were attending. As I said to the guys that were there: we can have a lot of cross pollination in our niche hobbies, we just have to attend each other's events! Events that are themed with emphasis on immersions bring in a certain type of player, and those are the types of players we need across the board for themed events. Come out to the 'Namsoft events. Come to the other Cold War events. Sometimes there is overlapping in kit. Sometimes there is overlapping in the doctrines of your faction's soldiers. There is always someone super passionate and fortunate enough with resources to have stuff to lend out, if you come like me with almost nothing. I originally had zero interest in Vietnam, and got dragged to an event and been 'Namsofting for around 8 years. Give it a try and be surprised by the like-minded folks you might find. Here are the photos I managed to snap
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Post by manualman on Jan 16, 2017 13:31:14 GMT -5
I had a great time on Saturday. It was my first WWII event and my first outdoor airsoft event. I thank Migs for putting this event on. I'm glad Nate and Nick had a bunch of loaner gear to help the people without gear. I also want to thank Nick for making a phone call to track down the Thompson I loaned out but was left on the field and not returned. It was cold but if you dressed for it it wasn't that bad. There wasn't any snow on the ground to get you wet so that helped a bunch. The cold caused quite a few gun problems but most were worked out one way or another. A lack of Germans caused a few issues. Some had German gear so they switched sides before the game started, and a couple of us became Germans in US gear like in "the Battle of the Bulge". It sure caught people off guard at first but they rebounded fast. I think if the WWII airsofters support the Nam soft events it will help get more people to show at WWII events. Or if a few ware WWII gear and play with the general public at some event it will also get some attention. Stay safe and hope to see everyone again soon, Jim
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Dracul
Master sergeant
Posts: 1,341
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Post by Dracul on Jan 17, 2017 10:46:40 GMT -5
Here is my AAR, mainly my complaints and suggestions.
First off, deepest apologies on being late on Saturday. We were on the road for over 8 hours on Friday, and was just turning out to be a bad day for us on the way up. Long story, but if I/you was/are superstitious, we had both a Full Moon and Friday the 13th working against us. We just slept through our alarms Saturday morning, I hope the coffee and donuts made up for the tardiness.
Main piece here, we need more games in the spring and fall. Summer is just miserable, and winter time causes a lot of our pot-metal (which is most) guns and parts to break, let alone the hop-ups stiffening up and causing inaccuracy with shots. The cold also hurts our attendence to these and causes players to drop from playing early and/or not come back on Sunday (also the obvious low amount of actual playing time due to early sundown).
Which brings me to another point: Personally, I don't mind driving up to these things and with extra guns and kits, but if I go through the trouble of taking time off, doing the drive, bring extra stuff, etc etc, just for literally only a few hours of actual play, I'm beginning to feel its not worth all of the trouble. I really enjoy these events and the players, and if winter and summer are going to work against us in terms of players wanting to be dedicated and want to play and get the most out of the weekend, I really, really suggest we start doing things in fall and spring.
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2nd Bat
Master sergeant
Posts: 11,813
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Post by 2nd Bat on Jan 17, 2017 15:34:15 GMT -5
Winter is indeed challenging as while it sounds good in theory (enduring, experiencing and appreciating the challenges our historic hero's went through) the reality is the no show rate, the drop out rate and especially the weapons and equipment challenges are considerable.
Because the Battle of the Bulge and Stalengrad are so iconic they are popular events to WANT to reenact. In practice they might be overly ambitious. I suspect Normandy, Italy and into Germany might make more sense for the ETO.
Huge props to Migs for stepping up to conduct this event. The time, energy risk and expense associated with that responsibility are almost never adequately appreciated.
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Dracul
Master sergeant
Posts: 1,341
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Post by Dracul on Jan 17, 2017 16:55:22 GMT -5
This might be a bit rough, and blunt, I think we need to step back and realize that, no matter how hard we try, it just isn't 1944 Europe and we aren't all soldiers being forced to fight in all climates and places against unimaginable evils. While its great that we want to appreciate those who fought those battles, but this is just a game and hobby we ENJOY.
Meaning that we need to create an environment where people want to go out of their way to come and play, want to take time off to travel to these, to want to enjoy it and not be miserable, and that their weapons and gear won't break significantly, and will work properly. I don't mean we need to sacrifice authenticity, but the entire war wasn't just these few iconic battles. WWII didn't have pauses during the Springs and Falls, I'm sure we could find some catchy names to use for the events.
With this said, I honestly hope I don't come across as being negative. Like always, I greatly appreciate the effort put forth to make these events possible.
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Post by SfcMigs on Jan 17, 2017 18:52:54 GMT -5
This might be a bit rough, and blunt, I think we need to step back and realize that, no matter how hard we try, it just isn't 1944 Europe and we aren't all soldiers being forced to fight in all climates and places against unimaginable evils. While its great that we want to appreciate those who fought those battles, but this is just a game and hobby we ENJOY. Meaning that we need to create an environment where people want to go out of their way to come and play, want to take time off to travel to these, to want to enjoy it and not be miserable, and that their weapons and gear won't break significantly, and will work properly. I don't mean we need to sacrifice authenticity, but the entire war wasn't just these few iconic battles. WWII didn't have pauses during the Springs and Falls, I'm sure we could find some catchy names to use for the events. With this said, I honestly hope I don't come across as being negative. Like always, I greatly appreciate the effort put forth to make these events possible. No worries Alucard. No one should question your dedication and efforts to make these events. Always happy to see you and Tracy at these. And BTW, great entrance!! I too agree with putting on more events in the spring and fall. The last two I put on were in hellish weather. In August it was brutally hot and this one the cold did have some effects. The reason for my timing on these events was part selfish and part timing. I manage these events around my son Dean leaving for college and being home on break. The other is my schedule and field availability. All of these factors came into play. With that being said, I think we are moving in the right direction. And with the addition of Nick's unit and the Nam guys, we should really see a boost in attendance. I do believe Nate has an event in the planning stages for April, so hopefully the weather will cooperate with us for that one. If all goes well, I'll work on a June event. My AAR coming soon. Migs
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Jerry-ADK
Private 1st Class
Unteroffizier, Heeresgruppe Nord-Ost
Posts: 418
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Post by Jerry-ADK on Jan 18, 2017 8:54:37 GMT -5
Hopefully I can make the next one and bring a few more Germans with me. Keep up the good work Migs! Great job to all who made it out to APE for the Bulge! Got to say, temps didn't sound as bad as it was a couple of winters ago at Lash's when it was only in the single digits. That was the one where ScottCollins got his tooth broke by a direct hit in the smile! We only got about 2 to 3 hours of play that day too. But some good skirmishes non the less. I have to agree, we should avoid both deep winter and mid summer for airsoft, too many problems from the heat or cold, not to mention traveling from afar if the weather doesn't cooperate.
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Post by insterburger on Jan 19, 2017 19:09:16 GMT -5
I have no problem with mid-summer games. It's easier for many people to make the time (especially students and, in my case, teachers), and while things can be difficult if a heat wave happens to hit game weekend, it's no more of a risk than the chance of torrential rain in spring or autumn. If temps do get high, making sure people stay hydrated, keeping things as much as possible to the woods (as in, shade), and utilizing scenarios that don't demand excessive rapid movement can go a long way to alleviating the issues.
Winter is a different deal, as stated above. While some days can be mild, the chance of bone-chilling (and weapon-killing) cold is very high, and when that's taken along with the painfully short days, it makes games that much less viable. As someone who is wearied by loaner weapons going down all the time in GOOD weather, I have to say a part of me was glad I missed this one just from the angle of not being able to afford the hit I would take from multiple guns going south. Kudos to Migs for making this last game happen, and I know we had some legendary winter games in the past (the Bulge event a few years back, where it wasn't too cold but we had a flocking of wet snow was one). But winter is a particularly hit-or-miss time of year, and I can see how the gamble may not be worth it for many, especially those travelling a long way.
Realistically, this should probably be a three season hobby.
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Dracul
Master sergeant
Posts: 1,341
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Post by Dracul on Jan 19, 2017 22:58:57 GMT -5
I agree that the summer is more doable than the winter, but even the mild winter days are still very non-viable.
This event was very well "mild" winter, and I still took a hit when the stock mount braces on one of my ZB-26's broke completely off. Wasn't too happy, not many ways to fix a proprietary body part on a $300+ gun....
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Post by SfcMigs on Jan 20, 2017 12:58:04 GMT -5
First I would like to thank the following people for helping and making this event possible:
Nick Diez for spreading the word, organizing his unit, training the men before game play and just adding a air of military professionalism to the event. Bravo.
Nate Brown for also helping to spread the word, setting up the Facebook page, and all of his loaner gear and guns. Always great to have Nate at these events. He offers so much to our hobby, no one is as grateful as I to have him present.
Alucard and Tracy for making the long trip from the DC area. Both are truly dedicated to this hobby and will always help in any way they can (including bringing Donuts). Thanks for the loaner gear and guns as well. Always glad you guys make the trip.
Now on to the AAR:
Weather leading up to event day was mild and in the low 40's all week, but on the day of the event, the cold crept in and temps were right around freezing. Without a doubt weather would play a contributing factor in the days activities.
The one thing that I feel necessary to mention right off the bat is something that has to be made clear to all going forward. When organizing an event and it's timeline, these predetermined and posted times should be adhered to with reasonable effort. As I understand things do happen, people are traveling long distances (some on the day of) and unforeseen circumstance occur, we can not have players waiting hours on end for others to show. While one can say "why wait, just go and play?" I will answer this way. From this past events logistics, we were lopsided on the U.S side with almost no Germans present, so we really couldn't start. But in addition to that, the field requires players to sign waivers and financial obligations have to be completed with me and the field owner. So I am asking everyone to be considerate and make a reasonable effort to arrive during the 1 1/2 hour window I always allow for Registration, safety briefing and gear up time. So thank you all in advance.
So while all those that were present waited, Nick Diez took the reigns and started to train the U.S. forces in basic military formations, basic tactics, hand signals and so forth. Special thanks to Nick for doing this.
With a sizable numbers advantage, U.S. forces moved out into the town of Bastogne for it's defense. Numbers were as follows: U.S. 14 (which had two German Greif spies included) Germans 6.
As U.S forces set up a defensive perimeter, SSgt. Nick Diez received intel that an ammo drop occurred in the NW direction from the town of Bastogne. SSgt Diez rounded up a squad to locate and retrieve the drop. While he was rounding up his squad, Two Greif players slipped out of the town. it was their mission to mislead, capture/kill U.S. forces. Retrieving the ammo drop was critical as forces in the town were only allowed to have two mags on their person. One in the gun and one spare. All extra ammo can only be accessed once the ammo drop bag was brought back to Bastogne.
German forces advanced on Bastogne from 3 sides. With their forces being limited and split, defending the town was accomplished. German after German was KIA for the first hour or so of the event. Just as U.S. forces were successful in their defense of the town, they were unsuccessful in locating the ammo drop. Squad after squad was sent out and either repelled or KIA. With ammo getting perilously low, First Sgt. Migs sent out a crack two man squad to scour the DZ and locate the drop. SSgt Diez now had his squad assist in the towns defense. As German forces made a desperate push to take the town, U.S. mags running low and batteries dying, U.S. forces seem to have more and more men at the re-spawn than in the town itself. As our numbers were dwindled down, a voice from the trees yelled "COVERING FIRE" as SSgt Dean Migs sprinted into the town having located and retrieved the ammo drop. Cross fire erupted with many casualties occurring. it was at the conclusion of this small fire fight that we called for a cease fire. Guns were failing and all players agreed to take a lunch break.
Once the break was over, most took part in a final battle scenario. U.S forces will try to take a bridge and the German HQ. With some players packing it in, some U.S. players changed into German smocks to even the sides out. U.S forces were led by SSgt Nick and First Sgt Migs's squads. After about a half hour or so of stand still positions. The battle was called due to weapon failures and dusk setting in. U.S forces never took the German HQ.
Overall I look as this event as a stepping stone as there were so many new faces present. Most present have a connection to Nick Diez and most mentioned Nam airsoft that they also do. This cross pollination of themes should prove to be advantageous to our hobby and build our attendance. I encourage all to try and attend their events as well.
So a big thank you to all that attended. It was great meeting you all. As I previously mentioned, I will try and host an event in June. So keep checking the site for my next event and hopefully Nate's event sometime in April.
Cheers,
Migs
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Post by sgtdiez on Jan 20, 2017 19:37:07 GMT -5
i had a blast...thanks for having me. it was my pleasure to help out in anyway...i look forward to future events. hopefully we can grow and work together in the future.to make historical airsoft appealing to everyone. thanks again
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Post by CPL. Mills 2nd Rangers on Jan 26, 2017 23:22:52 GMT -5
Pics look great! Impressions look good, wish I could have made it out
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