One of the highlights of this past event, was the Friday night pre-battle Feier in der Bierstuben. The period atmosphere, spirit of camaraderie, good beer, and singing made it an excellent addition to the events usual activities. The music performed by the renowned entertainer, Sigalinde Kopke, was enjoyed by all. Hopefully, these Friday night festivites will become a regular feature of all subsequent battle re-enactment.
Given the excellent condition of the German forces, with the depleted ranks of our Allied adversaries, and the primitive nature of their defenses, the battle for the most part was one sided. Saturday afternoon was characterized with the usualy stalemate of trench warfare. Once the sun went down, the Germans began to dominate the battlefield. The Strosstruppen, with the support of the infantry continually punched holes in the Allied lines. For the first time, the German lines were not breached during the night. The few Allied soldiers who continued to resist the German onslaught were lost in the chaos and confusion of the hailstorm.
Even with the arrival of morning and a few Allied reinforcements, the Germans continued to hold a deadlock on no-man's-land, and could not be forced back to their own lines. This was made possible through the newly adopted practice of fortifying shell holes with sandbags, and manning them with rifle and grenade teams.
It seems as though each event carries the German forces onto a higher level of First World War re-enacting. There is of course always room for improvement, and most of our Soldaten are ready and willing to work toward this. Teamwork and consistency are essential for the betterment of the German forces and future events. The Allies have not yet learned this, and it is very apparent.
A. Minnich, I.R. 23
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