Registration link: http://www.battlesim.com/battlesim/foru ... php?t=5322
WHAT: LIVING HISTORY 30 HOUR EVENT
WHEN: 0700 17 SEP - 1300 18 SEP
WHERE: VAUGHN, WA
COST: $55 W/ Your OWN WWII KIT $70 W/O WWII KIT
BACKGROUND:
Italian Campaign - Sept 1944
The Gothic Line, also known as Linea Gotica, formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last line of defence along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of Nazi Germany's forces from Italy in the final stages of World War II. The Gothic Line developed as a result of one of the Allies' missteps, and a tactic mastery of the Axis powers.
After the nearly concurrent breakthroughs at Cassino and Anzio in spring 1944, the 11 nations representing the Allies in Italy finally had a chance to trap the Germans in a pincer movement and to realize some of Churchill's strategic goals for the long, costly campaign against the Axis "underbelly". This would have required U.S. 5th Army General Mark Clark to commit most of his Anzio forces to the drive east from Cisterna, and to execute the envelopment evisioned in the original planning for the Anzio landing (i.e., flank the German 10th Army, and sever its northbound line of retreat from Cassino). Instead, fearing that the British Eighth Army might beat him to Rome, Clark diverted a large part of his Anzio force in that direction in an attempt to ensure that he and the 5th Army would have the honor of liberating the Eternal City.
As a result, most of Kesselring's forces slipped the noose and fell back to the Arno River, where they built a 16 km-deep belt of fortifications extending from south of La Spezia (on the west coast) to the Foglia Valley, through the natural defensive wall of the Apennines mountains, to the Adriatic Sea between Pesaro and Ravenna, on the east coast. The emplacements included numerous concrete-reinforced gun pits and trenches, and 2,376 machine-gun nests with interlocking fire.
The Battle of Gemmano (September 1944), nicknamed by some historians as the "Cassino of the Adriatic", took place along the Gothic line; a second major battle occurred between August 25, 1944-September 30 at Rimini.
Hitler had concerns about the state of preparation of the Gothic Line. He feared the Allies would use amphibious landings to out-flank its defenses. To downgrade the importance of the Gothic Line in the eyes of both friend and foe, Hitler ordered the name, with its historic connotations, changed. He reasoned that if the Allies managed to break through they would seize upon the more pretentious name as ground for magnifying their victory claims. Kesselring renamed it the "Green Line".
The Allies finally broke through the Gothic line in the spring of 1945, thanks to fresh reinforcements from India, France, the United States and Poland; British landings in Greece, and Yugoslav partisan activity.
OPERATION DETAILS:
Rather then a full "force on force" event we will be running this event as a "Living History". This means that there will be more focus on training, rehearsal and completing specific missions designed to challenge participants to use the training they have received. BE ADVISED FROM 0700 SATURDAY UNTIL 1300 SUNDAY THIS WILL BE A "LIVE AO". The possibility of night probes on Allied positions is HIGH. Participants will be required to sleep with eye protection within hands reach. THIS IS A 30 HOUR CONTINUOS EVENT! Anything can happen at ANY TIME!
AXIS roles will be played by dedicated OPFOR and *NO* OPFOR will be located in the ALLIED base through out the weekend. The only time you will see the enemy will be when you are in the field on specific missions or if the Axis are attacking the ALLIED base. The overall concept of the operation will be to re-create a small squad during the Battle of Giogo. Historically, Gen. Keyes developed a diversionary attack with the 34th Infantry Division "The Red Bull" against the Futa Pass. We will be simulating a Platoon in the 34th Infantry Division. For our purposes, the Vaughn AO will be transformed in the Futa Pass and missions will be designed to harass and throw off German forces who might otherwise be able to deal with the 91st and 85th Infantry divisions who are operating on our flanks.
Training will be facilitated by OC Josh Warren (RangerWarren). Josh has extensive military training and experience in small squad tactics and has recently been accepted as an Officer Cadet turning in his SGT stripes! The training you receive will not only be put to use at this operation but will be something you can take with you to new airsoft events. This is a unique and exciting opportunity to train with a Ranger qualified instructor who has years of real combat experience in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
There will be artillery simulation with pyro and full period vehicle support. Causalities will be handled "real world" with med-evacs and medical "treatment" on the field. Missions will be realistic and will push your field craft and training to a whole new level.
THE EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. Start time on Saturday will be 0700. For those coming from out of town who want to camp Friday, we will have limited space available. We ask that people make the effort to come out Saturday morning if possible. There are no scheduled activities for Friday but campers will be required to be in gear by 1900.
Get ready for a whole new level of game play!
PHOTOS from PREVIOUS EVENTS:
