Reality check

[gstrand]

Some pics from Camp Mabry Muster Days here in Austin this weekend... enjoy.

One of my favorites... standing there while they rattled off rounds through a working MG42:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/piscator/house/2007%20Muster%20Days/april075_resize.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/piscator/house/2007%20Muster%20Days/april081_resize.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/piscator/house/2007%20Muster%20Days/april076_resize.jpg

[gstrand]

More... The Hetzer prepared for battle

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/piscator/house/2007%20Muster%20Days/april085_resize.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/piscator/house/2007%20Muster%20Days/april083_resize.jpg

and on the field...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/piscator/house/2007%20Muster%20Days/april111_resize.jpg

[gstrand]

The Sherman prepared and on the field...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/piscator/house/2007%20Muster%20Days/april072_resize.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/piscator/house/2007%20Muster%20Days/april073_resize.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/piscator/house/2007%20Muster%20Days/april126_resize.jpg

[gstrand]

The Infantry...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/piscator/house/2007%20Muster%20Days/april091_resize.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/piscator/house/2007%20Muster%20Days/april089_resize.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/piscator/house/2007%20Muster%20Days/april088_resize.jpg

[gstrand]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/piscator/house/2007%20Muster%20Days/april087_resize.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/piscator/house/2007%20Muster%20Days/april099_resize.jpg

[thommieh]

Great pics! Is this a war simulation (dare I say it) game?

[gstrand]

Yes... this weekend was Muster Days at Camp Mabry:
http://www.texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org/

Here is a thread of more pics of the museum area from a few months ago...
http://boards.avalonhill.com/showthread.php?t=16871

[TheCygnysGuardian]

Great pictures! I had no idea the Hetzer was so small. :D

[J.L.Robert]

From those pictures, you'd think the Wehrmacht never existed. Only Waffen-SS. :confused:

[gstrand]

Yes, there was a lot of SS... Possibly due to the popularity of the uniforms...

I dunno the true troop distribution versus the reenactor's costumes, but the reenactment was supposed to be representative of the March 1945 36th "Texas" Infantry (http://www.texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org/texas.htm) fighting at the Siegfried Line (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegfried_Line).

Either way, it was WAY interesting... and there were many, many kids there who saw their first living history. My son took one of his friends who went with us Saturday and his Dad back for the second day.

[gstrand]

Oh, and here. After I watched this Saturday, I started reading more about the Siegfried line... came across a cool website: http://www.bunkerpictures.nl/

-G

[Mpedersen84]

I like that bunker pic site! I have actually been to a couple of the bunkers in normandy, france. It was very erie walking through there with no natural light and no electricity. Cool website though:D

[horacus]

Hey, great pictures. The equipment is great.

[Predator666]

That looks great. I think I'll have to make a trip down there one day.

[Moderator Kayn]

Nice nice nice! Thanks for sharing the pics with us.

And really what better way to make history interesting to the kids than something like this?

Cheers!
Mod Kayn

[Flyboy]

Wow! From how close you got it seems like you might have been in on the action;) Loveit Thaks a milion:D

[gstrand]

Close? The MG42 left ears ringing, the casings landed near my feet when I was taking a couple of the pics... it's an awesome piece of weaponry. The Hetzer and Sherman (with a 105mm gun) fired "tank blanks" throughout the time as well - When the Sherman fired, you really felt the concussion - it was about 20 yards from the observation area.

Another cool one that I don't have a pic of is the Flak 30 that was constantly firing on the German side... They had mortars on both sides as well, with wired pyrotechnics throughout the scene. The noise during the "battle" was awesome.

[Sheppard1972]

Thanks for the pics.:D Love seeing this sort of pics and wish I was a Millionaire so I could travel to all these places that put on these reenactments.:cool:

[Kimblee_Clone]

Sveeto-neato! Love the pics!

[tragicmishap]

From those pictures, you'd think the Wehrmacht never existed. Only Waffen-SS. :confused:

What? The SS aren't the regular German unit? But my extensive studies of AAM show that the Germans would've been stupid to field anything else!

[whitewind]

The area up there in Austin is great. I like going there when we can but we always wind up finding a cool game store or other and spend lots of money. Last time I bought over 1500$ in this indian crafts store. Nice stuff to be sure. Is this once a year? I'd like to make the next one with my Grognard buddie in tow!

[gstrand]

Yup... it's Annual, but the museum itself is worth a trip, and open year round...