Well, I think it was a success. Some good, honest feedback from regular players seems to indicate that they preferred the play on sunday in spite of the weather. Most of the noobs got stuck in and the gameplan stayed intact more or less. Seems they missed the more mundane "soldierly" tasks from previous games, perhaps a sign of how we should approach future games?
Myself and Steve struggled to keep the yanks together at times, as many of them seemed to want to do their own thing, having little regard for orders, which lead to much shouting on my part! Nowt to do with the site or gameplan though, just individuals being tossers and that was magnified by loss of visual contact in the dense terrain. Those of you commanding the Germans have much better material to work with!
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
The singular problem we had was command and control. First day was fine, we could hold a line pretty well and still be able to push forward or reinforce. On Sunday though I almost immediately lost contact with the flanks as the terrain was so dark and dense they only had to step away a few yards and they had vanished! Subsequently I was the first to be shot as I tried to locate the line ends. Luckily Guy had a solid group on the right and Dave B had a group on the left so they managed well unattended. However, once the centre had been punched through we couldn't keep up, let alone pull a regen higher up, so there was nothing to stop you ploughing up as you were regenning on yourselves and we were spread all over the place. The Germans thought for themselves though and regrouped where they could and selected their own targets, finally realising they had to get up high to have a hope of stopping you. All in all, absolutely no complaints about the German players at all - a complete contrast to Autumn Mist where Germans lacked initiative and motive. Just goes to show the folly of the "lets make up real-life squads and stick together" - absolutely impossible beyond the first 60 seconds!
So, what could have been done better? Well, the game scenario promised:
GAME STYLE For those who attended Op Jedburgh it will come as some relief that this event won't be nearly as much hardship. In fact Devil's Hill is diametrically opposite the gameplay that was seen at Jedburgh.
The gaming areas is much the same as most 'normal' airsoft sites, so easily manageable by foot. However, the twist is that on both days play will be up and down a large hill so there will be some effort involved. This is a varied and interesting terrain, changing at every turn. This game will be tactical and aggressive. The US will have to work very hard to fight uphill and land taken will have to be held if there is to be any progress. Much the same goes for the Germans - a moments inattention or a sudden depletion of ammo or a dead player leaving a gap in defences could lead to sudden over-running and a loss of defences. A game of snakes and ladders perhaps.
And so delivered exactly what it said on the tin.
Regen was the biggest problem I think - even I didn't know which direction some pre-planned regens were. I got fed up of lying there bleeding out watching Americans just getting up and walking off a soon as they were shot, first or second time. There was no need for the unlimited ammo rule for the MG's as it wasn't used. We didn't get to see half of the site - pretty sure a Jed type game could work there. Germans got a bit fed up holding lines and wanted to route the US, only to have me stopping them for fear of demoralising the US side even further and end up using 1/20th of the site.
I agree, that the Germans are made of sterner stuff than yank players! Having Stu along can be a real bonus sometimes, as many didn't know he is my Brother and, he heard all of their petty moans and reported them straight back to me! I could not believe what pussies some of them were.
The main reason that I had them regen on myself or Steve on the sunday was so that we could at least hold them and retask them as they came in to regen, rather than have them wandering around god knows where to regen. Once you made me aware Dave, that some yanks were taking the piss with bleed outs, I tore a strip off them, so that was a good example of organisers working together. I think it's preferable to use radios to sort out stuff like that, as we did, rather than trying to find each other to talk.
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
I got fed up of lying there bleeding out watching Americans just getting up and walking off a soon as they were shot, first or second time.
Whilst I don't doubt that happened, there were quite a few people who had lost bandages early on in the morning (about five people, me included!) as they were so wet they were almost impossible to tie so fell off, so they may have been hit twice and then moved off without a bandage visible.
No excuses if this happened on the first day though.
No, it was happening almost as soon as they were shot, both days.
Was it Napoleon who said there are no bad troops only bad commanders? 
Kidding aside IMHO the Germans are made generally of sterner stuff, and are a lil older and maybe more experienced?, the US are softer . It's a reflection of the true state of '44 combat. What we don't suffer from on the German side yet (historically) is a large number of young players.
Also I note that the Germans do not have any "clubs" anymore (other than the 16th which is pretty open minded), everyone mucks in together. This also means when I or Kermit grab 4 or 5 known players for an ad hoc KG the unknown ones tag along and do as they are told .
Event wise, agree with CW, a total departure from our last two games and very pleasant for it . Do I care we used 1/10 of the site, not at all...still feel that experience is everything and covering ground for it's own sake isn't alawys a good plan .
The three events this year have been all different and amongst our best .
Was it Napoleon who said there are no bad troops only bad commanders?
Older than that, Sun Tzu.
When we were a Kingdom it was run by a King
When we were an Empire it was run by an Empress
Now we're a country we're run by a..........
David, ISTR that the mortar rounds have changed in size again. Can you let me know the actual dimensions of the ones you've got there - means I can make some spare shell holders up at leisure.
When we were a Kingdom it was run by a King
When we were an Empire it was run by an Empress
Now we're a country we're run by a..........
The new ones are 38mm dia. Stephen must have been using both types in the larger shell on Sunday as there were loads used - were there any problems?
Some were a little tight, but they all ejected ok and could all be easily removed from the shell holder.
Some, regardless of size, blew in the barrel and blew the shell into bits, so all that came out of the barrel was a load of card! I think it may have been that they were a little old perhaps.
I don't think age has anything to do with it - they weren't old and they have been correctly stored. (They make fireworks up a year before you buy them in the shops - could be even longer). Sounds more like duff manufacture or just getting stuck in the shell, in which case the contents of the card tube would be expelled.
Note: I have 47 rounds left and they are all of the new, narrower size.
They definitely weren't getting stuck, some of them were a snug fit, but I never had to jam them in and there was never anything left in the tube at the end, so they must have been duds.