Battle of the Bulge 2010

Here’s a neat video I found this morning of my reenacting buddies fighting a “Battle of the Bulge” scenario in 2010, just before I joined the unit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8GGmvhCJJc

@Gargantua:

And howcome everyone doesn’t just dress in rank Colonel and Above?  I know I would :D

There is a group that dose that, they’re called, 101st airborne reenactors, where everyone is a 1st Sargent and they all weigh about +250 lbs  :-D

@Gargantua:

What’s it cost to get into that?

It depends on what kind of impression you want to do. The first question is do you want to be tactical (like the guys in the video) or living history. Tactical guys (like me) buy their kits (uniform, gear and weapons) geared toward practical use in the field, being able to fun and jump and duck and fight in what ever we have. For instance, all Germans were issued with a gas mask can that they carried hooked onto their webbing around the small of their backs and alot of guys wear this (its actually a really handy lunch box for carrying rations out into the field with). I however don’t because I find it restricts my movements and keeps me from being able to throw myself flat on my back if I need too, and I have (gave myself an amateur chiropractic visit doing that wearing one of those things once). Living historians have a bit more leeway with what they buy and wear. As living historians don’t always fight in the tacticals  they tend to have more dress style uniforms and more extra kit, like a full tailoring kit complete with rations kit and personal gear and shaving kit, stuff that looks great on display and gives you something to talk to the public about, but has little other use.

The next question you need to ask is what country you’d want to represent. I do both Soviet Infantry, German Gebirgsjager, and Finnish light infantry. The German kit was easily the most expensive with helmets going for upwards of $65 and a full webbing kit, with belt and buckle, Y-strap, ammo pouches, bread bag, bayonet with frog, canteen and gas mask canister going for $260, and then you’ve got to add the uniform, a weapon, and boots to the mix. The Soviet kit was probably the second cheapest to start, but once you have everything(from helemt, to rain kit a winter gear) including a weapon (M91/30 mosin-nagant) it cost me around $300. My cheapest is my Finnish kit, as I am able to use Soviet and German gear in this one and only had to buy a different tunic and field hat, which only ran me about $100. The more indepth of an impression you want to do will dictate how much you end up spending (I have some friends who do WW2 Canadian Black Watch if you’re interested).

@Gargantua:

How often do these events occur?

Just about year round, with things dropping off between late November to early January, depending on the period. WW2 tacticals take place from January through to about May, with one or two done in June. Mostly the summer months are when American Civil War and Rev war events go on. The two periods have a few that take place into October, with Cedar Creek (UScivilwar) being the last event of the season (baring one odd local event).

@Gargantua:

Sending re-enacters to their deaths, for no other reason that gaining mud is what it’s all about.

Every now and again we all get to die gloriously for the “insert parental noun here”-land!  :-D

@CWO:

I suppose that someone who was badly strapped for cash could choose to represent a Japanese last-ditch defender from a place like Saipan, since in extreme cases all the clothing and equiment they’d need would be a loincloth and a rifle.

Thats actually a pretty brilliant idea, people do something kinda similar to that with the Soviets, by which I mean they show up as “partisans” just wearing civilian clothes, and ammo pouch and a rifle. I’m supposed to go down to a Jap event next month, I was going to go as a solider but instead i’m going for a meet and greet and as an envoy to the Japanese reenactors from the Soviets, we’re trying to get a Manchurian event going for next year.

@CWO:

Another variant of this idea would be to wear civilian clothes but to add a brassard to one arm.  I doubt that the Soviet partisans bothered with such niceties, but I have a vague recollection that armbands were occasionally used elsewhere in some situations – such as in Paris when it was liberated.

Sometimes they do that, though the group of Soviet reenactors that do partisan impressions tend to be well……, how to put his nicely… a bunch of half-wit yabos. I saw one of the wearing a complete post-war 1980’s style Soviet uniform, none of which is period correct, except his foot wraps (ww2 soviet socks) the one item no one would see!

I suppose a group of Volkstrum could do that, but I don’t know that anyone dose Volkstrum impressions

Hey guys,

here’s an event my unit puts on every year (that I wasn’t able to go to this year!  :-(  )that got some media attention, it really is alot of fun. The guy they are interviewing is my Friend and unit commander Hauptmann Jud Spangler. Enjoy!

http://www.stripes.com/news/us/world-war-ii-battles-take-center-stage-near-gettysburg-1.189847