D-Day: How was it for you?

loved it mate was nice to meet you and see the vickers

didnt envy you lugging it up those dunes

lol yes your vickers was awsome loved it being set up in the fort that was amazing so intence some really violent fighting there loved the british charge at the end and yes i was the first one to retake the fort also the night patrol was really atmospheric all the pyros and the fireworks smoke and dark made it awsome we did despite getting lost we did succed in securing all our objectives without killing a single german but killing one bit.
the beach assault was insane i missed quite alot of the second round due to steamed up goggles, i did mannage to flank some FJ and eliminate them though, and i ended up alone in a ditch in the last round lol eventually returning to be blown up by tennis balls cat wait to see some pict is post up mine as soon as poss but i was using an old camera so may be a while.

I had a cracking time, weather was superb and it was nice to put faces to names. Just finished unpacking and cleaning my kit, sand got everywhere

that vicars was an awesome gun even though you had so many problems with it,

Yeah, I can't believe just how many parts I forgot to bring along or lost in my car! The brass trigger assembly I could deal with not having, but for me to forget the main beam of tripod was just idiotic of me Yeah, deffo a defensive gun

Three cheers to Josh again. Hope the Gunman crew got back safe with those 88s!

I had a cracking time, weather was superb and it was nice to put faces to names. Just finished unpacking and cleaning my kit, sand got everywhere

Sand in your crack you say?

..oh wait....

Looks like you kids had a blast! I especially like the pic towards the beach with the surfers(?) out in the water- I bet they were all 'WTF Mate?'

Yup that vickers really does look impressive, didnt really get to see it in action unfortunatley as all my contacts were with us types!

Hopefull see it securiing our flank with PBI one day thugh!

Yup that vickers really does look impressive, didnt really get to see it in action unfortunatley as all my contacts were with us types!

Hopefull see it securiing our flank with PBI one day thugh!

Cheers! Will re-make the trigger soon and fit dummy feed-blocks, sights and fuzzie spring cover on, and it should then be 'complete'. Oh and mabey a bore-up kit to help get it closer to ~340fps.

Had an excellent weekend,great play from allies and axis,didn't like the walk put alot of presure on the leg,but loved it what a weekend cant wait for next time,thanks guys for a cracking weekend

Well, well, an excellent event. My views are going to be skewed from most maybe as I'm partly looking at from an organisational POV.

Firstly I think it has to be recognised that to have a battle on the shoreline was audacious. Surely it couldn't be possible? Amazing that Josh pulled it off - the scene was stunning and it's very easy to forget how unique that experience was. OK, it was a long tab but with all these WW2 events it must be remembered that the sole objective is not to just shoot the enemy (meh, get yourself to an open day if that's what you want). If you are in the right mindset (as I try to be) it is just as much part of the event. I loved the sound of trudging feet and rattling hardwear, and getting to the battlezone foot-sore and weary was very realistic. Well, as realistic as I'd want an airsoft game to be! And it was very funny seeing the lardy US troops collapsed on the beach before game-on looking uncannily like a wildlife docu about basking seals!

I have no problem with stopping and starting - we needed R&R and resupply just as the D-Day troops did. There was no way we could have had a rolling 1.5km battle - impossible to organise/marshal and players just aren't up to it.

So, the Allies took advantage of the flanks to gain a foothold on the dunes then overran the MG positions, sustaining heavy losses on the way. Weakened Axis troops were unable to bring enough fresh troops to the frontline in time so consolidated a new holding line further inland. This time it held and the Allies would have to wait until new supplies and men were brought ashore before they could progress futher.
Meanwhile inland Axis 88 crews pounded away, managing to get many rounds down onto the beaches before the guns could be silenced by engineers, though they had to use the cover of darkness to get near them thanks to the heavy German defences and roving patrols.
The area now having been cleared of the Axis allowed the Allies to bring their men and heavy equipment inland and set about consolidating their positions. The occupied a secure fort and established a garrison and it was vital that the Axis secured that objective.
The inbound Axis ran into a small ambush party that held up progress a while but once that had fallen the Axis mechanised unit rolled towards the fort. It took a while to overcome as it was a good stronghold - flanking German snipers took care of roving Allied patrols while heavy transport was organised for a rolling attack on a weakened gateway, the defensive sandbagged MG post having been wiped out early on. A barrage of grenade combined with a storming force of sub-machine guns finally cleared Allied forces from the interior.
Once nearby Allied forces had realised the fort had fallen they tried to organise an attacking force but soon felt the strength of German snipers secreted about the woods and realised that small arms and tired men wouldn't be the way to remove the fort occupiers so swung their 105mm round. The first round killed many - those that remained fled fearing a barrage leaving the fort empty and set about making for the 105mm along with engineer and satchel charge. Sadly, they never reached it as new orders from high command insisted that troops be withdrawn to reinforce a new front that was being set up to try to hold back the Allied forces now flooding into occupied France.

Well done to all the players, good humour and sportsmanship throughout, nice one Josh and the Gunman crew, you worked your nuts off (or equivalent) for that event.

My only gripe? Camps should have been together and near the facilities - OK, it's realistic but a big part of the WW2 scene is the social element (Friday night in the Axis camp was completely bonkers) and we didn't use the CP tents in-game anyway. Still, that's retrospect.

Beautiful weather, cracking location, great players and kit authenticity - couldn't ask for more!

THANKYOU!, I had a fantastic time, the gameplay was great, all got into the spirit of things and the quality of the players kit was beyond all expectations.
I am a firm believer that you get out as much as you put in and everyone put in 110% to make this weekend the sucess that it was. Thankyou to all the germans who were most sporting and great fun to shoot! (perhaps next time you can all put on dodgy kraut accents for night games to make it easier to tell friend from foe!)
A big thankyou to all allied players, you all worked well and got the job done, kudos to the rangers, 29th and brits who had to stay on the beach to mop up the german pockets of resistance- I didn't envy you that task and respect to you all for doing a hard job whilst we airborne were mobilised back to barracks for tea and a sit down prior to our airdrop.
Big thanks to my 1st-section sergeant who was invaluable help for the attack on the '88's (a map of the guns locations would have been a great help!)
My thanks to all who organised this great weekend, you did a great job, although some games were cut short for the safety of all in play-the quality of the fighting was all the better for it.
apologies to the german officer I shot and then captured sunday morning, (chomley warner?) as a fellow officer I couldn't let you bleed out so my men could loot you!
(a warning to some, next time I'll bring a pair of scissors to tidy up a few haircuts that are way beyond regulation length!)
"Currahee!"

Yes, schweinhund that was me. Your kindness shows no bounds

We thoroughly enjoyed the whole weekend.

The long trudge to the beach was atmospheric, from where we were near the back of the allied column it looked just like a war film in technicolor.

The landing craft may not have looked like much from the outside but inside, waiting for the ramp to drop was really quite intense. It was almost a shame we got up the beach so quickly because I wouldn't have minded a few more suicide runs just for the hell of it.

Best bit for me was my Dick Winters moment reaching the top of a sand dune and bang killing two germans before getting pistoled by yet another (I think this was the high water mark of the whole allied advance from the beach).

Plus the valiant stand of our little rangers squad, just six of us on Sunday, holding up the whole german advance. That is until my misplaced grenade killed Craig, our linchpin. Followed by Anne and my Pimms O'Clock appointment with about 50 germans when we got captured.

I liked the occasional pauses in the gameplay as it gave everyone a chance to get back into their squads and promoted the teamplay element as well as giving us a chance to get our breath back.

Also, everyone, allied or axis, went home happy in the sure knowledge they had clearly won the day. The axis because they got more kills (er - it's a beach assault) and us because we completed most of our objectives.

Thanks to everyone who had a hand in laying this one on, and cheers to the Rangers squad for making it a great weekend.

On another note, whilst there were a good few familiar faces on the german side, there was very few "CiA regulars" on the allied side out of about 50 odd.

The point being that Josh seems to have tapped in to a completely different set of people who hadn't heard of or been to a CiA event but were still interested enough to drive across the country to take part in a WWII game.

Perhaps further cross-fertilisation is in order.

it was a top day congrats to everybody great airsoft event

This was my first ever ww2 airsoft event.

Site: The site is one of the best i have had the pleasure of playing on with some super terrain in the forrested area's. I feel we did not utilise the open space as much as we could. barring a 2 mile treck across it (with some idiot with a great coat on ). But all round i would have to give the site a 9/10

Game play: The game play was well orginised and very flowing. I think a lot would of liked to see a bit more of a stand off on the beach but the lack of cover prevented this. Josh and all of Gunman airsoft get my vote it was great. no long gaps or hanging around, just all out war....

Camps: This is were i was a tiny bit miffed as i arrived. i had gon to the trouble of getting as much original stuff as poss. all the way to my food packaging. inside my tent all modern kit was hidden by hessian sacks. all of this and i ended up by a big blue igloo with a calour gass stove and wind up tourches. Pmsl. That sed in the long run it was great i got to know some brilliant people round one of the fire and as well as, a new hobby, a dent in my bank balance, the urge to buy 15 nore guns, and the compulsion to build a MG, I also gained friends, contacts, and people who dont think im nuts........

Overall: Overall speaking as a ww2 noob. i think if there all as good as that you wont be able to get rid of me for a long time. I might not make every event but i wont be a starnger and i am gonna go even more nuts next time and get full loadout. 2 new guns recomended by the resident luffwaffe, and as well as rations exact to ww2 specs i will have 1940's money, toiletries, bedding. i tried to kill him but the reenactor in me keeps coming out.

Last of all i feel i should share this information i learnd

L96 + 02g bb's = more chance of hitting urself than a enemy.
.43s were bob on.

L96 + Sand = B*&%$rd, s**t, tw*t,
quote: 'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrghhhhhhhh'

L96 in general i found quite good and i cronoed at 444fps and its sold at 450, thats straight from box not modding or hop adjusting.
But i am gonna flog mine to get a more fitting weapon.

that holdout by the tower truely was fantastic fun barrie. watching old 'un leading a column down the road as if they were walking to sundy lunch not knowing what was ahead was priceless. I was amazed 6 of us held as long as we did. and then again at the allied camp before retreating to the fort.

Meh, that was me bringing the 1st group of Axis into your ambush at the trot.

I knew the Allies would be staked out in the tower and we would have first contact there but was very surprised when you were content to take out the first two men of the column instead of waiting and slaughtering 30 or so! Pish, I gave you the chance for some carnage

I feel your pain with the sand and the L96 Chappell, mine was making really quite unpleasant crunching sounds every time I cocked it for a while Still, a complete strip down (the gun, not me) Saturday night cleared that up at least.

I think my highlight of sand vs airsoft guns was blasting wildly at an axis hidden the other side of a very small bush with my pistol and not firing a single BB And then he finally finished reloading and shot me

thats craig for you chommers. always going off early