Dec. 14 2008
This previous Sunday the Torrid Snallygasters attended the Battle of the Bulge V Scenario game at the OA paintball field in Bowie Maryland.
History
If you remember your history the Battle of the Bulge took place on Dec 16, 1944 where more than a half million German soldiers launched a major offensive in the Ardennes Forest area of Belgium. The German forces had surrounded Bastogne, which was defended by the 101st Airborne Division and Combat Command B of the 10th Armored Division. Conditions inside the perimeter were tough—most of the medical supplies and medical personnel had been captured. Food was scarce, and ammunition was so low that artillery crews were forbidden to fire on advancing Germans unless there was a large, heavy concentration of them. Despite determined German attacks, however, the perimeter held. This event was a re-creation of the Siege of Bastogne. One fifth of the Allied forces started in Bastogne, completely surrounded by the German Army.
The Event
Registration Started at 7:30 am and already we could tell this game was going to be big. Close to six hundred people showed up for this year’s event from as far as NJ to the Carolinas.
The game started at 10:00 am sharp Americans were blue and Germans were red. At the start 45 members of the blue team were set inside the castle. The entire red team was setup surrounding the castle from all sides. Blue reinforcements started from the upper right side of the map which included team Snallygasters and team Excavators.
The first mission was to hold the castle for 30 minutes the Blue team reinforcements meet the red team at nightmare alley blue realized this would not be an easy day, But the Americans kept there spirits up and succeeded in holding the castle for 30 minutes.
The rest of the day went back and forth for control of the filed and the mission. The Germans snapped back and trounced the blue team on the next two missions using smoke as diversionary tactic. This helped to push the Americans back to their HQ.
The Americans re-evaluated the situation and mounted a small strike force lead by the Torrid Snallygasters to flank the Germans along the tape line.
At the final mission The Americans had regained control of the castle. This put the blue team in an opportune place to for the final two objectives of hanging the blue flag and moving an artillery rocket from the castle to the town of Gouvy.
The German team was fierce in the final mission pushing on the Americans lines and steadily raining paint upon them. It seemed all was lost as both teams could not make headway in either raising the flag or placing the Rocket. Finally, the Americans mounted a major offensive with a phalanx line of about 50 troops running and shooting there way to the flag. This tactic allowed the Americans to place the rocket and hang the flag tipping the points scale in favor of the Americans for the game win.
All in all it was a great day. Both teams played well with respect for each other. I can’t wait for next year.
