Post by crazydima on Mar 7, 2011 14:16:33 GMT -5
Tovarischi,
Well another Eastern Front event has come and gone at Ft. Ben and it was a darn good time. My thanks to the folks with the DNR as well as the folks at the Museum for putting on a good event and taking care of us. Brian and I of the 9th Airborne had a great time.
The weather was cold and rainy then snowed a little later in the weekend giving a nice Eastern Front winter feeling to the event. Soviet forces made use of their wonderful plasches to keep warm and dry. None the less the hearty souls of the RKKA turned out to take part in the event. There were members at the event from the 9th Airborne, 19th GMB, 95th Rifles, 343rd Rifles, and Chris Smead with his detachment with a jeep. In total there were a little over 20 Frontoviks at the event. Germans were about equal to our number by the time of the public battle on Saturday.
Friday night found the Soviet and German forces taking part in a tactical exercise involving a couple of bridges in the lower portion of the park. Soviet forces were on the defense and were given the task of holding the bridges until a particular time which this case was to be 21:50 hours. The Germans were given the task of taking the bridges. Sadly the Germans were slightly outnumbered so the odds of success were not with them. I praise the Soviet forces for standing fast and holding the line under some very wet and cold conditions which found many of our defenders lying on the cold wet ground, concrete and asphalt for extended periods of time with only a plasch to protect them from the elements. I also must give the Germans a great deal of praise for not only the ferocity of their attacks but also the tactical prowess and ingenuity they showed by hitting us from all directions and their willingness to cross swollen creeks and maneuver through very nasty terrain at night. They made our job of holding the bridges very difficult. Had their numbers been greater I am sure they would have taken the bridges from us.
Saturday morning again was still rainy and cold but true to form the German and Soviet forces deployed to conduct a tactical operation in the area known as the Glen. Soviet forces were given the task of sweeping the Germans from the area and driving them South. The Germans once again presented a worthy adversary and despite the Soviets best efforts we were unable to drive them completely from the area in the time given us. All forces then reported back to the barracks to dry out and get ready for the public battle. I fixed a pot of potato soup and it warmed the soul.
Saturday afternoon was still rainy and cold but the public turned out to see us and so both Germans and Soviets deployed to the quad and conducted a brief but intense public battle. Sadly we had to do some reconfiguring due to some of the Soviet forces missing since they had left the event to visit a local gun shop and thus did not make it back in time for the battle. Fortunately those who remained on site did a splendid job adapting to the situation.
Saturday night was somewhat subdued due to the weather and the fact that all forces were worn out from the various operations and the dealing with the weather. A nice hot meal of borscht as well as sausage, potato, cabbage stew plus some beans was served by the event and helped to warm the insides of the cold and tired Frontoviks and Germans. Everyone settled into the barracks to stay warm and dry and sacked out early.
Sunday morning was still cold but not quite as rainy. Soviet forces completed packing up their gear and then conducted cleaning, sweeping and mopping of their barracks thus returning them back to the DNR in good shape.
All in all it was a good time and we look forward to next year’s event.
Again thanks to all who made the event possible.
Sincerely,
9th Airborne
VDV
Well another Eastern Front event has come and gone at Ft. Ben and it was a darn good time. My thanks to the folks with the DNR as well as the folks at the Museum for putting on a good event and taking care of us. Brian and I of the 9th Airborne had a great time.
The weather was cold and rainy then snowed a little later in the weekend giving a nice Eastern Front winter feeling to the event. Soviet forces made use of their wonderful plasches to keep warm and dry. None the less the hearty souls of the RKKA turned out to take part in the event. There were members at the event from the 9th Airborne, 19th GMB, 95th Rifles, 343rd Rifles, and Chris Smead with his detachment with a jeep. In total there were a little over 20 Frontoviks at the event. Germans were about equal to our number by the time of the public battle on Saturday.
Friday night found the Soviet and German forces taking part in a tactical exercise involving a couple of bridges in the lower portion of the park. Soviet forces were on the defense and were given the task of holding the bridges until a particular time which this case was to be 21:50 hours. The Germans were given the task of taking the bridges. Sadly the Germans were slightly outnumbered so the odds of success were not with them. I praise the Soviet forces for standing fast and holding the line under some very wet and cold conditions which found many of our defenders lying on the cold wet ground, concrete and asphalt for extended periods of time with only a plasch to protect them from the elements. I also must give the Germans a great deal of praise for not only the ferocity of their attacks but also the tactical prowess and ingenuity they showed by hitting us from all directions and their willingness to cross swollen creeks and maneuver through very nasty terrain at night. They made our job of holding the bridges very difficult. Had their numbers been greater I am sure they would have taken the bridges from us.
Saturday morning again was still rainy and cold but true to form the German and Soviet forces deployed to conduct a tactical operation in the area known as the Glen. Soviet forces were given the task of sweeping the Germans from the area and driving them South. The Germans once again presented a worthy adversary and despite the Soviets best efforts we were unable to drive them completely from the area in the time given us. All forces then reported back to the barracks to dry out and get ready for the public battle. I fixed a pot of potato soup and it warmed the soul.
Saturday afternoon was still rainy and cold but the public turned out to see us and so both Germans and Soviets deployed to the quad and conducted a brief but intense public battle. Sadly we had to do some reconfiguring due to some of the Soviet forces missing since they had left the event to visit a local gun shop and thus did not make it back in time for the battle. Fortunately those who remained on site did a splendid job adapting to the situation.
Saturday night was somewhat subdued due to the weather and the fact that all forces were worn out from the various operations and the dealing with the weather. A nice hot meal of borscht as well as sausage, potato, cabbage stew plus some beans was served by the event and helped to warm the insides of the cold and tired Frontoviks and Germans. Everyone settled into the barracks to stay warm and dry and sacked out early.
Sunday morning was still cold but not quite as rainy. Soviet forces completed packing up their gear and then conducted cleaning, sweeping and mopping of their barracks thus returning them back to the DNR in good shape.
All in all it was a good time and we look forward to next year’s event.
Again thanks to all who made the event possible.
Sincerely,
9th Airborne
VDV