Pippingford Park Tactical 2012 ....21st/22nd APRIL

[hanser]

Nothing much to add Manny, but if everyone remembers that there are going to be plenty of photos taken at this event. It would be a pity if we didn`t make the effort and look `farby` in the pics. little things we fall short of, is modern wrist watches, lighters and little things like that. There is always someone who will pick it up if the pic ends up on a forum.
My unit have re-labelled all their food supplies which looks so good in the field. Here are some links if you want to do the same:

http://www.panzergrenadier.net/resources-labels.php


http://www.wiking.org/

many thanks to the guys who bother to put this stuff free for us to use

Dave

[Pete Skillman]

For Pip Pk, I am putting together differing groups into x5 Kampfgruppes..Manny Trainer will be Axis CO, these will have one commander that the Axis co will give orders to...to cover what threat has been Identified..
to combat the encroaching allied forces looking to get into Fritzler!...

Just off the blower and I can confirm that an M10 is now coming to Pip Pk....
Possible quite a big event is going to happen?...


all coming will be expected to leave behind any small mindedness about "their group being the best " etc etc.. and join in with the idea?...
Pete

[Jugend Repper]

foooook this event is going to rock and love the pic of the US troops moving in to the town and my kits looking like that at the mo

[Jugend Repper]

Also not not to much OD7 in the photo also quite a few have HBTs on some have M41s and so on so our (N44) lot wont look wrong

[Gebirgsziege]

Bitsch was liberated in a series of tough fights between December 1944 and March of 1945 by elements of the 100th Infantry Division. The men in the photo are probably all wearing M1943 Field Jackets and Trousers, even the suspect closest to the camera. You would be hard pressed to find a photo of the divisions infantry or engineers from this period in anything but M1943s. I haven't seen any. I most definitely see a good number of OD 7 items (shovel covers, gas mask bags, etc.) along with a some highly suspect cartidge belts and spare ammo bags. The 100th like the other late arrival divisions was so full of fresh replacements (ASTP, Army Air Corps) by the time it shipped for combat that the newest pieces of gear (OD 7) were all over the place. I know for certain that the 70th Division's men were even issued new M1943 items (jacket, trousers, boots, shovels) just as soon as they got off ship, and before they could get loaded on to the trucks. The fore-mentioned fresh replacements were needed because the trained infantryman had been combed out and shipped over as replacement for other divisions multiple times during the course of 1944. Everytime the divisons would finish training themselves, their men would be skimmed out (by the thousands). This made for divisions that had been around since 1942 and 1943, but the combat soldiers were obviously highly deficient in practiced skills.

David

[Jugend Repper]

Well having OD7 shovel covers and gas mask bags dosent mean all their kit is OD7 when most of them were made in OD7 and if you look you can see guys wearing HBT trousers. Also if there is still loads of OD3 grear in stores they arnt really going to keep it in there just because its older than the other stuff.

[Gebirgsziege]

I did not say'

all their kit is OD 7

Rather,

I most definitely see a good number of OD 7 items (shovel covers, gas mask bags, etc.) along with a some highly suspect cartidge belts and spare ammo bags.

And no, the only soldier I see possibly in HBTs is the one colsest to the camera. That is why I said,

The men in the photo are probably all wearing M1943 Field Jackets and Trousers, even the suspect closest to the camera.

I singled him out as "suspect" because of the baggyness just to the front of his bayonet along with the not-so pronounced cuff on his trousers as seen in the others in the file. This heavy cuff appearance comes from wearing layers of clothing [wool trousers underneath] and is commonly seen in other photos of units fighting in the Vosges Mountains alongside the 100th Division. There are not so many photos of the 100th, but there are plenty of others from its flanking units. These Divisions were nearly all late entries, arriving in whole or in part just before, or right at the start of Winter '44-'45.

A few commonalities I have seen are: the wearing of M1943 clothes over wool shirts and trousers; lack of issuance of the M1943 Field Cap; and lack of issuance of Pac Shoes. There were a smattering other items being worn like Makinaw coats, but I have only seen them in non-Infantry or non-Combat Engineer pictures [signal, quartermaster, ordnance]. This is likely due to the rear echelon types not being as heavily combed out for the replacement system in the summer of '44. The Infantryman did not have the luxury of selceting his wardrobe from a reenactor's closet, but rather wore, and carried, the few clothing items that were issued at each time juncture.

I completely agree that items were not issued on a "last in, last out" or "use until exhausted" basis. This thinking is supported the fact of huge quantites of mint/unissued quality '41-'43 OD 3 and '43-'45 OD 7 kit in the collector markets.

Here is a link to a fantastic blog on a few hundred letters as written by a member of the 100th Division:
http://taylorletters.blogspot.com/

David

[dagda]

Must.Kill.M10

[Jugend Repper]

Count 6 guys with HBT's and. HBT's and wools were also worn quite often together during that time period of the war

[dagda]

Bitsch was liberated in a series of tough fights between December 1944 and March of 1945 by elements of the 100th Infantry Division. The men in the photo are probably all wearing M1943 Field Jackets and Trousers, even the suspect closest to the camera. You would be hard pressed to find a photo of the divisions infantry or engineers from this period in anything but M1943s. I haven't seen any. I most definitely see a good number of OD 7 items (shovel covers, gas mask bags, etc.) along with a some highly suspect cartidge belts and spare ammo bags. The 100th like the other late arrival divisions was so full of fresh replacements (ASTP, Army Air Corps) by the time it shipped for combat that the newest pieces of gear (OD 7) were all over the place. I know for certain that the 70th Division's men were even issued new M1943 items (jacket, trousers, boots, shovels) just as soon as they got off ship, and before they could get loaded on to the trucks. The fore-mentioned fresh replacements were needed because the trained infantryman had been combed out and shipped over as replacement for other divisions multiple times during the course of 1944. Everytime the divisons would finish training themselves, their men would be skimmed out (by the thousands). This made for divisions that had been around since 1942 and 1943, but the combat soldiers were obviously highly deficient in practiced skills.

David

Not to piss on a parade, but this is an Axis forum,there are plenty of places to discuss Yank stuff, secondly this has nothing to do with Pip Park. Nice one

[Gilhusen]

I will be coming to this one for sure

[Pete Skillman]

With what group?..I had invited SBG along...like sending a "hard core" living history section, I went thru proper channels.....to Glen s and Andy C both who said there was no interest from their group, which is fine of course...no probs.
But you dont just role up and join in, I need your name.... signed disclaimer...... and site fee.
PM me and we can talk.Das Reich are on board so you have "friends",,,
Pete

[Matelot]

Can I ask that all attending see me before deploying to your areas,please?

Also, if erecting tents at the CP, please stay OFF THE GRASS VERGE. Put your tents along the tree line and around the derelict building.

Manny

[mikebie]

Zu befehl, Herr Hauptmann.

[Pete Skillman]

Can I ask that all attending see me before deploying to your areas,please?

Also, if erecting tents at the CP, please stay OFF THE GRASS VERGE. Put your tents along the tree line and around the derelict building.

Manny

You defo all should see Manny first before yu nun pack / go see Oxlade etc..
Or you could end up in the wrong area balsing it all up for everyone.
There is no rush...all will happen when its supposed to do if all follow instructions....as it should be.