KOENIGSBERG SCHLACT!

[Hoffman Grink]

Packing now for the Ostfront Association's first outing! Living History over three days to capture the forest engagements around Koenigsberg near the end of the war.
This was one of the last operations of the East Prussian Offensive during World War II. In four days of violent urban warfare, Soviet forces of the 3rd Belorussian Front captured the city of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia). The siege started in late January 1945 when the Soviets initially surrounded the city. There was heavy fighting for the overland connection between Königsberg and the port of Pillau, but by March 1945 Königsberg was hundreds of kilometres behind the main front line. The battle finished when the German garrison surrendered to the Soviets on 9 April after a three day assault made their position untenable.

I'm going to be behind the moon until Sunday evening but the rest of our team will be contactable online should anyone need us. I'm going to supply the SFx and also take some pictures which should hopefully provide some interesting material.

Living in schutzenlochen and Scrapes in the ground, eating half warmed rations cooked on Esbits and standing guard duty around the clock will give the Ostfront Association a deeper understanding of the privations of a solder in 1945..... The last thing on their mind will be the latest Oak Leaf Print or which boots have the sharkiest nose...... Many might think them mad - But I think the knowledge they gain stands them in good stead to better understand their reasons for engaging in Living History. What did someone once call it? Reconstructive Archaeology. Hey Ho! I'm off!!!!! See you when I get back!!!!

[Hennig]

Respect


mike

[Tychsen]

I do see where you are coming from - sleeping out is no easy option , especially if you have to eat sleep and exist in pretty much the same clothes for a week or so.
There is a huge difference between what you describe HG and running across a fresh piece of grass in kit which is too clean , too well pressed and not a hair out of place.

[Franz repper]

Living in schutzenlochen and Scrapes in the ground, eating half warmed rations cooked on Esbits and standing guard duty around the clock will give the Ostfront Association a deeper understanding of the privations of a solder in 1945..... The last thing on their mind will be the latest Oak Leaf Print or which boots have the sharkiest nose...... Many might think them mad - But I think the knowledge they gain stands them in good stead to better understand their reasons for engaging in Living History. What did someone once call it? Reconstructive Archaeology. Hey Ho! I'm off!!!!! See you when I get back!!!!

Good luck and enjoy that is what living history is about

[KB Martinsen]

Sounds good! I look forward to seeing the photos.

[Hoffman Grink]

Well - back on a beautiful sunny day that belies the previous night where temperatures of -9 were recorded! Thankfully no one succumbed to the freezing conditions and a very enjoyable weekend was spent (I didn't take many photos as was kept busy blowing things up) but Stu and Nick were around doing some snapping The positions were manned throughout the night and apart from the officer's HQ tent (Herr UnterHolz and Lt Jungmann) zelts with heaps of straw and blankets were the habitat of those in need of rest.

There is a debate running on Living History and Re-enactment...... The Grenadiers and Fusiliers I spent this weekend with cooked eintopfen over fires made of collected deadwood, Drank moderate amounts of alcohol to be sociable, recounted tales of old and actually got to grips with the conditions. The overriding theme at night was the fact that the young men of 39-45 may not have had tents and straw - and after a day in freezing temperatures may not even been able to cook a hot meal. Their bed would have been a zeltbahn around them under the bracken in a hedgerow to keep out of the wind. And this morning when I woke up to see my exhaled breath iced on the inside of my zeltbahn I stopped and thought a moment. The attrition from exposure, hypothermia, rheumatic fever etc.must have been horrendous. Seeing a guy thawing out his boots by the fire to be able to put them on was a minute piece of Living History. - Looking at the firelit faces huddled in a circle the previous evening, a moments silence with everyone pondering the flames - was a tiny piece of Living History...... Seeing the young, new recruits such as Nathan Peardon digging their positions deeper and spreading dirt over the cover boards then preparing a straw bed to wrap themselves into their blankets and zeltbahns was a scrap of living history. The smell of coffee and esbit fuel on the breeze......... moments from a time gone but not forgotten.......

That's living history. Maybe - just maybe, if we can ever divorce the absolute requirement to run around with guns from the forefront of this hobby - Living History weekends can be made popular without a shot being fired or a rifle being hired....... Something to ponder over

[Franz repper]

Well done herr Grink thats what I like to hear

[dagda]

That for me, is what it is all about. Good work

[Gott Mit Uns]

Well - back on a beautiful sunny day that belies the previous night where temperatures of -9 were recorded! Thankfully no one succumbed to the freezing conditions and a very enjoyable weekend was spent (I didn't take many photos as was kept busy blowing things up) but Stu and Nick were around doing some snapping The positions were manned throughout the night and apart from the officer's HQ tent (Herr UnterHolz and Lt Jungmann) zelts with heaps of straw and blankets were the habitat of those in need of rest.

There is a debate running on Living History and Re-enactment...... The Grenadiers and Fusiliers I spent this weekend with cooked eintopfen over fires made of collected deadwood, Drank moderate amounts of alcohol to be sociable, recounted tales of old and actually got to grips with the conditions. The overriding theme at night was the fact that the young men of 39-45 may not have had tents and straw - and after a day in freezing temperatures may not even been able to cook a hot meal. Their bed would have been a zeltbahn around them under the bracken in a hedgerow to keep out of the wind. And this morning when I woke up to see my exhaled breath iced on the inside of my zeltbahn I stopped and thought a moment. The attrition from exposure, hypothermia, rheumatic fever etc.must have been horrendous. Seeing a guy thawing out his boots by the fire to be able to put them on was a minute piece of Living History. - Looking at the firelit faces huddled in a circle the previous evening, a moments silence with everyone pondering the flames - was a tiny piece of Living History...... Seeing the young, new recruits such as Nathan Peardon digging their positions deeper and spreading dirt over the cover boards then preparing a straw bed to wrap themselves into their blankets and zeltbahns was a scrap of living history. The smell of coffee and esbit fuel on the breeze......... moments from a time gone but not forgotten.......

That's living history. Maybe - just maybe, if we can ever divorce the absolute requirement to run around with guns from the forefront of this hobby - Living History weekends can be made popular without a shot being fired or a rifle being hired....... Something to ponder over

Well said PD - those boots were damn freezing and my blanket was gipping this morning. I know that the new lads in the Grenadiers really enjoyed themselves, and their young spirit is a warm welcome to the group - even if the weather wasnt lol.

[Matelot]

It was so cold, we considered a little bit of "spooning" just to help a kameraden out..........

I said we CONSIDERED it!!!!

Manny(very priviledged to have had the oportunity to participate in a great event!!! Thanks to all who attended and especially those who helped to organise!)

[dagda]

mmmmmm! There is an image that I would not think about!! lol

[Walther]

Great weekend all in all, I enjoyed my start of season blowout.

A few bits went wrong throughout the day, but I felt overall it worked very well indeed and with a few tweaks should work perfectly next time.

I've never known it so cold though. As an example, I took a bottle of water into my tent for a drink in the night and came to it this morning and it was frozen!

I think it certainly gave us an insight into some of the hardships that troops of the time had to endure and as Herr Grink points out there were certainly some atmospheric things going on that put you there in a funny kind of way.

For me it was getting the communications set up between the various positions through a central switchboard.The sight of our Funker running wires from his cable reel, trying to strip wires and connect them to the switchboard with frozen fingers and receiving and dispatching orders was a joy to watch.

Look forward to seeing the pics coming out of this one.

Neil.

[Gott Mit Uns]

[Gott Mit Uns]

[Gott Mit Uns]

Credit to Dave Forde from GD2kp - some quality pictures.