June 1st...2026 nearly half over and five days until D-Day. June is always an interesting month for WW2 historians. YouTube will be filled with then and now videos and people participating in the annual D-Day remembrance activities throughout Europe. I honestly really enjoy this time of the year and of course having to remind my wife of 40 years what day June 6th is...
As historians/wargamers...we are definitely called upon to keep the memory of World War II alive. We honestly shouldn't have to remind someone that June 6th is a significant day or December 7th...or May 8th...but increasingly, today's popular culture is inundated with ridiculous super hero nonsense. The exploits of actual men and women in the face of incredible adversity skipped over for Marvel this or that x 5. Combine that with the accelerated loss of WWII era human beings and you have the ingredients for a severe WW2 memory loss. While Saving Private Ryan (28 years ago) remains fresh for most of us in this community...it's now being watched on YouTube by social media influencers doing 1st watch reactions to generate views/revenue. I've watched a few of these and it's staggering watching twenty somethings watch Saving Private Ryan and have no clue what they are watching...some not even able to tell the sides apart. Good grief...I knew the difference between US and Germans soldiers when I was four years old...sorry...old man grievance at work...but I'm preaching to the choir to here. So..yeah...let's keep on making the people around us remember the sacrifices of fellow Americans at a time when the world was in a war that would define humanity to the very present day.
Two of the 1st watch reactions videos to Saving Private Ryan that give insight into how young people respond to the history, the violence and the enormity of the events on screen. Understanding their relationship to history helps us identify how to guide them to a fuller understanding of the history that defined the world that they live in...
Yeah...not sure what got me started on that...but good to get it out of my system. And yes...there is a June scenario GJ161 Ein Ritterkreuz und Kuehe (if the German is messed up...just roll with it.).
This month's scenario is based on the exploits of German Hauptmann Mager.
Below are two accounts from Hauptmann Mager's time in FJR6 that demonstrate his leadership and courage:
Holland, October 1944.
"On Sunday, 1 October 1944, the 1st Polish Armoured Division of Major General Stanisław Maczek advanced from Mewrksplas towards the Belgian-Dutch border. In Zondereigen, they encountered heavy resistance, especially from the German paratroopers under veteran Captain Rolf Mager, commander of the 2nd Battalion of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 6. The attack on the village began early in the morning, and around noon, the first soldiers of the 9th Infantry Battalion reached the church in the village centre. However, it took another half day to drive out the German forces and the village was not liberated until 18:30.
This was just the beginning of an extremely bloody battle. The next morning, Polish soldiers sighted a herd of cows approaching in the morning mist, but they didn't understand what this could mean! Suddenly, they discovered German soldiers sneaking towards them, amongst the cattle. The attack was stopped at the last minute. The next two German counterattacks were also repelled, albeit with great difficulty. When peace was restored, the Poles spoke of an enemy who had fought ‘admirably’, praise that the Poles rarely expressed about the much-hated occupier of their homeland.
And you know...you have been dying to use those Cow Counters from St. Mere Eglise...you can thank me later...
As always, these monthly "Basement Quality" Scenarios are offered for fun only and as a thank you to the readers of this blog.
Remember to open pictures in a new window in order to maximize the size.
All Grumble Jones scenarios are available from the ASL Archive website.
(Just search on Grumble Jones)
No comments:
Post a Comment