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Post by huxy on Dec 18, 2014 18:35:57 GMT -5
Hi all, I'm one of the few Norwegians doing re-enactment. It's not a very big thing here - WW2 re-enactment doesn't have more than 70 people, that is counting all of that have been inactive for years as well. Blank firing weapons aren't legal here, and thus the use of airsoft weapons is really the only way to go. Anyways, WW2 reenactment started out when airsoft was legalized back in 2001, and now count 30-40 more or less active members. We aren't really any more organized than that we have a forum, and some group of friends have the same kit. I have, however, for many years always looked to those serious units in England and in the states, those huge units, and thought "...one day!". We are now one step closer! I, and my good friend along with four/five others have formed the first actual re-enactment unit in the country! We actually started a year ago, but have gotten more and more serious now recently. We portray the 9th Panzer Aufklärung Abteilung, 9th Panzer Division. Have a look at our Facebook-page, and don't forget to hit "like"! www.facebook.com/9pzafkKind regards.
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Post by luftwelle93 on Dec 18, 2014 19:18:03 GMT -5
Congratulations on you and the unit!It must be a great honor to be in the first WW2 reenacting unit in your nation.I'm sure more will be to come
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Post by huxy on Dec 19, 2014 1:15:30 GMT -5
Thanks, Luftwelle! Hopefully re-enacting will get bigger now that atleast one unit is public...
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Post by luftwelle93 on Dec 19, 2014 1:19:40 GMT -5
No prob,its great to see your unit surface.I saw your pics of the Fury premier.It looked very cool and seemed like good fun.
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Post by huxy on Dec 21, 2014 16:36:59 GMT -5
Thanks! It was REALLY fun, but damn. Lowboots hurts after 13 hours on the pavement! Also got to see the movie with German uniform on. Was kinda awkward!
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Post by ssgjoe on Dec 21, 2014 18:17:32 GMT -5
Did anyone look at you guys funny?
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Post by huxy on Dec 22, 2014 5:29:02 GMT -5
When answearing that question, please keep in mind that Norway was occupied from early war till the war ended. Norway was one of two countries that were never liberated from the Germans. The cinema that showed Fury was a popular cinema during the war for German soldiers as well. So, the short answear is no. Many elders came up to me and talked about what they remembered from the war and everyone (funny, like ALL the elders) pointed at my K98-pouches and said that they remember those very well. They were everywhere! They since thanked me for what I did and went off. But, ridicolously enough, one asian immigrant in the early twenties-ish yelled, from the back of the crowd in poor engrish, "Dlessing up like nazis is a leal shame! LEAL SHAME!!" he had the most insane look on his face and he walked off, angrily. And that was basically the only fuzz. Everyone else loved it
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Post by luftwelle93 on Dec 22, 2014 12:29:17 GMT -5
When answearing that question, please keep in mind that Norway was occupied from early war till the war ended. Norway was one of two countries that were never liberated from the Germans. The cinema that showed Fury was a popular cinema during the war for German soldiers as well. So, the short answear is no. Many elders came up to me and talked about what they remembered from the war and everyone (funny, like ALL the elders) pointed at my K98-pouches and said that they remember those very well. They were everywhere! They since thanked me for what I did and went off. But, ridicolously enough, one asian immigrant in the early twenties-ish yelled, from the back of the crowd in poor engrish, "Dlessing up like nazis is a leal shame! LEAL SHAME!!" he had the most insane look on his face and he walked off, angrily.
And that was basically the only fuzz. Everyone else loved it Lol :DThat must have been awkward and ironic since most of those who were actually there didn't have a problem with it.Its great that it turned out well!
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Post by ssgjoe on Dec 22, 2014 14:36:00 GMT -5
Yeah. I've actually heard from people that live in countries that were occupied and they seem to be similar to what you say. They say that the elders don't refer to it as the nazi occupation but the German occupation. They also didn't hate the Germans, the Germans were just kids and try realized that. There wasn't a bad relationship between the Germans and the civilians in occupied countries it seems, but I wasn't there so I cannot speak from experience.
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Post by huxy on Dec 23, 2014 18:46:51 GMT -5
Lol :DThat must have been awkward and ironic since most of those who were actually there didn't have a problem with it.Its great that it turned out well! Exactly, Luftwelle. We all found it ridicolously silly! Yeah. I've actually heard from people that live in countries that were occupied and they seem to be similar to what you say. They say that the elders don't refer to it as the nazi occupation but the German occupation. They also didn't hate the Germans, the Germans were just kids and try realized that. There wasn't a bad relationship between the Germans and the civilians in occupied countries it seems, but I wasn't there so I cannot speak from experience. There's a lot of things you got to remember here. Of course one tried to be nice towards the germans (mostly austrians stationed in Norway, actually) because if you weren't, well... sucks for you! Hitler loved Norway. Mainly because of the aryan race, but quite a few other reasons as well. Norway also "hosted" the first battle in WW2 which the Germans lost (1st battle of Narvik) and had an enormous resistance. There are so many different resistance-groups it's redicolous. Most were well trained by the SOE back in the UK, and illegal propaganda was quite normal. The Germans executed many Norwegians. Post war, the women who had sex with the enemy (read; young men) were harassed for decades and decades. What's worse, their kids were tormented harshly. It's a chapter well hidden, and one that comes up every now and then where they demand an official apology. None yet. You also have the Norwegians who volunteered into the SS to fight on the eastern front - most of them out of adventure, some out of hatred against russia, and a few for nazi ideologies. Crazy stuff comes up about these poor souls every now and then - most recently in september regarding holocaust. I could go on and on but this post is mainly about the re-enactment group. Short story is, Norwegian civilians did infact have one of the better days during the occupation compared to other occupied countries, but it was a very complicated one. I've met many elders who refuse to even talk about it, and then there are those who approached me during the Fury-event and simply thanked me. Thankfully, the majority would indeed thank me. Sadly, it's a chapter in our history that still haunts us.
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Post by huxy on Jan 11, 2015 18:53:19 GMT -5
Ohh, we got a G&G MG42 on the way to us...
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stuka
Sergeant
The one and only
Posts: 1,205
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Post by stuka on Jan 11, 2015 21:13:09 GMT -5
uh...how?
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Post by huxy on Jan 11, 2015 21:30:41 GMT -5
Erm.. Afraid I can't say. Good contacts! - but I'll give you guys many pictures when it arrives! Maybe a video-review too!
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Post by huxy on Feb 1, 2015 11:36:50 GMT -5
I hate misunderstandings. Now I'm really sad. Money refunded, however!
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Jerry-ADK
Private 1st Class
Unteroffizier, Heeresgruppe Nord-Ost
Posts: 418
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Post by Jerry-ADK on Feb 1, 2015 12:01:40 GMT -5
So...you didn't get the MG 42?
Also, I may be visiting Norway sometime in the next few years. If I come I will try to coordinate it with one of your events. Although I will prolly be going to Oslow, then Moulda. My wife spent a year there after high school as a exchange student and is still close to her host family. We have been talking about a trip for sometime, and want to take our kids to Europe. I have never left North America so I am looking forward to it. I would love to fight as a Fallschirmjäger in a reenactment of the battle of Narvik on the soil where it occurred.
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Post by huxy on Feb 1, 2015 13:37:14 GMT -5
No MG42! Bugs me like hell! I got to wait until the regular release like everyone else! You are weolcome to play with us anytime! I think I spoke to you about this a few years ago actually. Our main field is an hour north of Oslo. We have no fields near Molde, but we have several members from there that travels to us. I'm sure transport from Molde can easily be arranged. I myself live in Oslo. I'm afraid we don't have any fields near Narvik either! But a game in the same country as as Narvik is in must surely be something?
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2nd Bat
Master sergeant
Posts: 11,813
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Post by 2nd Bat on Feb 4, 2015 15:44:20 GMT -5
The German occupation of Norway was extreme in that Hitler had an obsession with the country and kept far far more troops there even when those troops were desperately needed elsewhere. It made no strategic sense whatsoever and is one of many decisions that emphasize how incompetant Hitler was as a military leader.
The Allies maintained the illusion of a threat to invade through Norway but it defied logic.
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stuka
Sergeant
The one and only
Posts: 1,205
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Post by stuka on Feb 4, 2015 22:09:08 GMT -5
While I would agree about too many troops, you would want that sea area under your control or they could just invade germany via amphibious assault.
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Post by volkssturm on Feb 4, 2015 22:59:08 GMT -5
Wasn't the 10th Mountain originally formed with an eye towards invading Norway? There were a couple reasons they considered it. The heavy water production at Hydro Norsk, needed for the German atom bomb program. Iron ore exports through Narvik. German bases on North Cape used to attack Murmansk convoys. And of course the Tirpitz was hiding in Norwegian fjords. You could make some interesting scenarios based on an Allied invasion or large scale raid on Norway.
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2nd Bat
Master sergeant
Posts: 11,813
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Post by 2nd Bat on Feb 5, 2015 21:07:34 GMT -5
Early in the war the Iron Ore Deposits and both submarine and German Navy portages were strategic consideration but by 1944 neither was really relevant as Germany was essentially under seize from the East and West. With the surrender of Finland Germany transfered the 200,000 troops it had there into Norway to reinforrce the 370,000 they already had there listening to their pores open and close and playing cribbage until the war ended. Thats 21 DIVISIONS or THREE ARMIES in Norway through 1944!
There was, by 1944 one German occupier for every five or six Norwegians. What universe of crazy was that? i'm sure Hitler thought he was defending the production of his wonder weapons and didn't fully appreciate that his phantom on his actual front line units didn't exist. If he knew how short handed he was and listened to his Generals he could have shifted at least 15 divisions where they were needed most and still maintained an adequate force in Norway.
Think of how long he might have held out or how successful the Bulge might have been with 15 more divisions. (in reality he probably didn't have the logistic wherewithall to support them)
Certainly Norway was a fabulous duty station for any German lucky enough to have ended up there.
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Jerry-ADK
Private 1st Class
Unteroffizier, Heeresgruppe Nord-Ost
Posts: 418
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Post by Jerry-ADK on Feb 6, 2015 7:20:54 GMT -5
No MG42! Bugs me like hell! I got to wait until the regular release like everyone else! You are weolcome to play with us anytime! I think I spoke to you about this a few years ago actually. Our main field is an hour north of Oslo. We have no fields near Molde, but we have several members from there that travels to us. I'm sure transport from Molde can easily be arranged. I myself live in Oslo. I'm afraid we don't have any fields near Narvik either! But a game in the same country as as Narvik is in must surely be something? Yeah, I believe I have already told you about visiting Norway, woops for being redundant! We would probably visit during the winter as we are avid Telemark skiers and would be looking for snow. Do you happen to do winter events?
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Post by huxy on Feb 8, 2015 18:19:27 GMT -5
There's so much I could say about the German occupation of Norway. 2nd BAT sums it up pretty much. About reinforcing the Bulge - they did ship down some men. The ship was sunk by Norwegian saboteurs however. See the history of the ship "Donau", amongst others. Jerry: We do have winter events! We are having one in just six days - and there's a good 2 feet of snow. I can't wait!! We have now purchased a Shoei MG42 by the way. It will however not be operational by this event. Sadly.
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Post by huxy on Feb 19, 2015 17:06:41 GMT -5
Here's the latest team weapon. Shoei MG42. Bought it from a Norwegian one who gave up on modifying it to MG3 - thus the muzzle and top cover are MG3 parts. Shortly to be replaced by MG42 parts. The sling, bipods and stock is original. Looking for a feed tray now.. We also had the WW2 winter-game last weekend. Was greeeeat fun! Here's a photo of me and a team mate:
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Post by luftwelle93 on Feb 19, 2015 21:58:02 GMT -5
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Post by huxy on Feb 21, 2015 20:58:13 GMT -5
Thanks! It for sure is very pretty! It's a shame to spend all this money and not use it myself! Latest news now is an original M40 shell. Can't wait to restore it
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