Ontario: 5. Kompanie/Fallschirm-Jäger Regiment 5 is founded.
 

Hello all. It's my pleasure to announce the formation of a new unit portraying the German airborne troops of the Second World War.

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We are a group of southern Ontario based hobbyists and historians, intent on promoting the WW2 reenacting community with a high standard of authenticity. Our founding documents, including a general overview of the German parachute troops, the history of the real-world unit we depict, and a uniform and equipment accuracy guide, can be seen here:

https://sites.google.com/site/ontariofjr5/

We are serious about realism, but also want to have fun. The unique history, equipment, and ethos of the German Fallschirmtruppe are fascinating and a joy to recreate. We welcome all like-minded people to contact us.

Welcome Kamaraden:)
Nice website. Will you be at the interprovinciale game in september?

Take care, 5kull

Could you tell me the weapon of the guy on the right?(the ak/rpk looking thing)
Also the jackets they are wearing?
Thanks!
Good to see some new german players, seems everyone wants to be from the 101 lol

All plans point to us being there in the largest number we can muster. Very much looking forward to a large-scale event in Canada, usually I have to go to the States for that sort of thing.

The weapon is a Sturmgewehr 44, the first selective fire intermediate cartridge individual weapon, which gave birth to the entire "assault rifle" concept. Quite a revolutionary design. As elite light infantry the Fallschirmjäger compensated for lack of artillery and other heavy weapons with large amounts of small arms firepower.

The jackets are parachute jump smocks, worn over the personal equipment to prevent the shroud lines fouling on exiting the aircraft, and then used as a combat jacket on the ground. From L -> R, #1, 3, and 4 are wearing the most common camouflage pattern, the jagged, geometric Splittertarnmuster 41/"Splinter B" type. The second man has the rarer Sumpftarn/"Tan and Water" variant, characterized by patches of rust red and blurrier edges between the colour groups.

We think the FJ are rad, unique troops and it is a thrilling challenge to portray them. We welcome anyone who has the interest and dedication to help us pursue this goal.

Thanks for the info. Its a nice rifle and i see it comes in am airsoft version. Now ima have to build a ww2 kit.
The spending never ends lol

Be warned, once WW2 gets ahold of you, it never lets go. Something I once dabbled in is now the great passion of my life. Reenactors of the period are fortunate in that WW2 is the most documented conflict in history; there is endless research material for people who care to look. What I've tried to do with the kit guide, unit history, etc on our site is give a complete newcomer a summary of what it was about. If you do decide you'd like to jump in and try this, with our unit or any other, check out http://www.ontarioairsoftwwiireenactors.com/ , it tells you everything you need to know about the organization we're a part of.

Excellent!

Really glad you decided to found the unit, looking forward to joint operations!

Yesterday's event with Kampfgruppe Haase at CFB Borden. Good times.

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Very nice kit!!!

Here's an example of basic kit from a unit member:

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2nd pattern step in jump smock, M38 para helmet with chicken wire for the attachment of foliage, belt and y-straps, Stg 44 pouches, Zeltbahn shelter quarter, water bottle, bread bag, mess tin. Postwar Canadian combat boots are a common substitute for FJ boots, the primary difference being the rubber treaded soles. A great basis to build upon.

A detailed breakdown of the state of men and equipment of 3. Fallschirmjäger-Division, of which FJR 5 was a part, before and during the Normandy fighting:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/63933263/3-Fallschirmjager-Division-Normandy"]3 Fallschirmjager Division Normandy

(actual link tries to pull scribd's terribly slow viewer, so just cut and paste this in to your address bar)

The division was extraordinarily strong by 1944 standards, with over 17,000 men. As was typical for FJ units, it was short on vehicles and heavy weapons, but in light infantry armament it was very well off. However, it was inexorably ground up by the fierce fighting and only a handful escaped the Falaise Pocket to form the nucleus of the re-raised division.

This is an amazing theme for your team. If someone around Winnipeg started such a team, I'd get myself a Sturmgewehr or my absolute favorite, the FG-42. Go Luftwaffe!

If you wait around for "someone" to do it, it'll never happen. I ran alone for years, but when I actually gauged interest I found there were others who wanted to give it a go also. Nothing stops you from starting something yourself.

Of course, you're right. I've been involved in the creation of a couple of new teams here, so that is something I can do. I'm committed to my current team, but I'd still like to be a fallschirmjaeger for a day. :p

Well, nothing says you can't have secondary impressions, either. I also do British Airborne. Rarely get a chance to get it out of the trunk, but I'm comforted knowing it's there. In any case, have you considered trying to come to Operation Woodsman in the fall, our big interprovincial event? There's still plenty of time to start working on kit before then.

Operation Woodsman, eh?

I'm the sort who's known for attending such events. Let me do some pondering...

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After Saturday's action. Jägers Meiners and Heidt.

Ausgezeichnet!

72 years ago today, Unternehmen Merkur (Operation Mercury) began. The paras of the German 7. Flieger-Division jumped on the Allied-held island of Crete. Jumped to their doom...and glory. More than half of them would be dead or wounded by the time the 11 day struggle was over and the island in German hands.

It was a bitterly fought battle. Respect and memory are due to both sides.

I found this video on YouTube about Germany's parachute units during the latter parts of WWII, and immediately thought of you guys:


Enjoy! :D

That's a good one, thanks. In general the British documentaries are far more objective and less dumbed-down than the "history lite" stuff you see over here.

Jamie, that the one I was telling you about at our last game. Knowing you, I figured you already seen it :) Crazy stuff, how FJ's with 3 StuG's managed to hold on for so long against all odds. I guess Allies didin't learn from Stalingrad, you bomb enemy controlled place - you get stuck with attacking even more fortified position.

Hi Karsten
I saw you out at the last Borden event, great seeing you there, hope to see you again this up coming one.
I encourage all to give it a try on the blank side.
Thinking about the German airborne myself.
Al
FSSF

I'll be there, yes. Bringing one of the 9.SS airsoft guys as well. My mission is to encourage greater contact and exchange between the airsoft and blank fire reenacting communities. We're all coming from the same place, just approaching the hobby from a different direction...it feels only natural that we should exchange knowledge and recruits, grow the ww2 scene as a whole.

If you're interested in the FJ, do take a look at the unit link in the original post, I did up a basic kit guide, unit history, etc, which will be hopefully be useful to you. I remember how it was when I started out in this and had no one to guide me.

You guys should put some pressure on Revolution Airsoft to get the Javelin Sturmgewehrs back in stock!

There's still the AGM, but apparently the hand guard is copper and is hard to deal with once it wears through

Not the hand guard, the gas tube. Mines sitting at a few years old (3-4?) still holding fine!

We're all in on the blank side, got my K98.. I'm good to go

when are some of you Blank Firing Fellows going to come out to one of our Airsoft Tacticals?

Funny enough, I was talking to one of the guys about this, IMHO it would be respectful by going out to one of your events.
I personally have no issues with it, I've been to a couple of airsoft games a few years back.
We can chat some more about this next weekend, I'll be on the german side for that one but dressed in FSSF.

Consider this a standing invitation to all who want to try the WW2 airsoft thing out...whether you're from the mainstream airsoft community, blank fire reenacting, or any other background, we love our hobby and want other people to experience how great it is. Most units, Axis and Allied, have a fund of loaner kit and weapons and many scenarios accept civilian/partisan impressions as well, so really, there's nothing stopping you.

http://ontarioairsoftwwiireenactors....forum.php?f=16 has all the details of what's coming up next.

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We just finished a 3 day full period immersion field training exercise. Patrols, digging fighting positions, sleeping and eating with no modern kit at all...it was awesome. Here's yet another reason to go FJ: sexay Luftwaffe tropical MC Hammer pants. You laugh, but wait until you're crawling in the dust at 30+ degrees: they are heavenly.

We just finished a shoot for a TV series, as well. Positioning yourself as a fully equipped, knowledgeable WW2 reenactor has lots of fringe benefits...

Found an absolute treasure trove of info on 3. Fallschirm-Division, of which FJR 5 was a part, scanned from a German language divisional history. Unit leader names, join dates, whether they were killed, wounded, captured, missing, birthplaces, feldpost numbers...this is a dream for researching our Soldbuchs and the like:

http://www.historicalwarmilitariafor...4ger-division/

A good overview of 3. FJD, of which FJR 5 was a part, during the Normandy Campaign:

http://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=817

Some pics from recent events. Kit is progressing, definitely looking for more recruits to fill out the Gruppe.

Blast Off Military Shoot:

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Anzio blank fire event, Newville, PA:

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Operation Woodsman, last weekend:

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Duplicating maps for the operation at the Kompanie Gefechtstand.

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Home sweet home.

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Our comrade Jäger Dietz from II./FJR 2, Gefreiter Heidt, and Jäger Meiners.

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Celebrating my promotion to Gefreiter. 5 more Reichsmarks a month, baby!

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And, the slightly less glamorous reality.

Anyone who values history, authenticity, and comradeship is welcome to join us. Our objective is to become the finest FJ reenacting unit in Canada.

Working on something neat for the unit. Keeping the lid on it until it's closer to done, but here's a taste:

Fallschirmjäger Platoon Organization, 1944

The Luftwaffe Kriegsstärkenachweisung (unit organization chart) 8121(L) dated 1.5.44 gives the following "on paper" strength of a Fallschirmjäger Zug (platoon):

1 platoon headquarters, with:

1 Leutnant as platoon commander with machine pistol, pistol
1 Senior NCO (probably Unterfeldwebel or Feldwebel) as second in command with rifle
3 Messengers with rifles (when not engaged in delivering messages these acted as security and a personal reserve for the platoon commander)
1 Armourer with pistol

3 Gruppen (Sections), each with:

Section Leader with machine pistol
Assistant section leader with machine pistol
2 Machine gunners with light machine gun, pistol
2 Assistant machine gunners with pistol, MG ammunition
4 riflemen with rifles (1 with telescopic sight and 2 with rifle grenade launchers)

There were also two drivers for the platoon's pair of 3-ton trucks, each with a machine pistol. In total the platoon consisted of 1 officer and 37 men. Total firepower was:

16 rifles (3 with telescopic sights and 6 with rifle grenade launchers)
14 pistols
9 machine pistols
3 Kampfpistole (flare guns that could also fire small grenades)
6 light machine guns

This table represents the official authorized strength, and it would be unusual for units actually in the field to have everything exactly "by the book" due to supply fluctuations and casualties. Still, it can easily be seen that the platoon so organized has a stupendous amount of automatic firepower, double the allocation of regular Heer infantry. This helped to compensate for the lack of artillery and other heavy weapons in the FJ divisions, which by this time were fighting almost exclusively in the conventional infantry role.

Keep up the good work guys! Been a wonderful season with you folks, here's to many more.

Cheers.

At long last, I can announce the official unveiling of FJR 5's own website:

https://sites.google.com/site/ontariofjr5/

Rather than just being another drab and generic "join us, we're awesome, no reasons given" recruitment site, my objective was to create a comprehensive research resource also, with lots of generally useful info for reenactors, much like Der Erste Zug. Please take a look and give your feedback, and direct anyone you think might like to join us to visit also. Many thanks go to Jg. Meiners for doing the vast bulk of the heavy lifting to bring this off the ground.

Site looks awesome guys, message with in is full of top notch info. Very impressed.......hope we can entice you up to Muskoka some day for a good old time of WW2 action,,, keep up the good work...

Host it, and they (and others, including me) will come!

IF you have a host I have the property, bring it on lol.....anytime you would like to use the property just get in touch with me. I personally don't do the hosting, but I like building the field up. Leekas and Brian can tell you all about it. All I need are dates and your good to go.......Cheers Recon...

haha, I can't host either, just trying to foster a 'Field of Dreams' vibe!

I have to ask 'cause I'm in CFB Gagetown, do you play force on force Airsoft at CFB Borden? If so could you elaborate?

JK

The events we do at Borden are blank fire. I do both that and a/s, love them both, always happy for an opportunity to get out there and use the kit.

What"s the name of the pouch that you have on your right side?

http://i.imgur.com/mwiwQVU.jpg?1

Maschinengewehr Werkzeug Tasche Modell 34, Machine gun tool pouch model of 1934. Every first gunner on an MG 34 or 42 would have one to take care of his piece and remedy common problems.

http://www.mp44.nl/equipment/mg_pouch.htm

Thanks, I'm trying to find people who use any base to play force on force Airsoft so I can communicate with Gagetown here, and tell them it's being done other places, can we do it here?

Images from the latest event, all Winterschlacht im Osten-stylee:

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Check out our site to learn more about our unit, reenacting as a species distinct from "airsofting", and the Fallschirmjäger.

FJR 5 will have a display of period uniforms, weapons, and equipment at Toronto Airsoft Convention on March 15th:

http://airsoftcanada.com/showthread.php?t=161380

Feel free to come visit and check out what we do in person. We'd be happy to answer all your questions.

I started a group on Facebook for FJ-centered research and discussion:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/699167316802162/

It's public, open to all who are interested in learning more about the real deal upon which we model ourselves. Only a few weeks old and already over a hundred members. Feel free to join if this sounds interesting to you.

Here's some shots from recent events:

https://sites.google.com/site/ontari...93609672_n.jpg

Recruitment and living history display at the Toronto Airsoft Convention.

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At a full immersion weekend training event where we learned and put in to practice period tactics and drill in a practical setting.

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Living history display at the museum of the Ontario Regiment in Oshawa. We did a battle demo involving 2 universal carriers, 2 tanks, antitank weapons, artillery, for a crowd of thousands. This is something that happens when you roll ww2 stylee.

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From our recent Normandy event. If this is something you want to get in on, and you're fit, motivated, and have a passion for history, check us out at the link in my sig.

FJR 5 will be at Operation Woodsman in full force:

https://sites.google.com/site/operationwoodsman/home

If anyone else doing an FJ impression wants to plug in to a hard-charging, authentic unit, please contact me. We welcome all like-minded comrades.

Members of FJR 5 recently took part in the annual D-Day reenactment at Conneaut, Ohio. This vast blank fire event comprised fully 1200 reenactors, 30,000 spectators, real tanks, landing craft, artillery, aircraft, and more mortars and machine guns than could be counted. We fell in with a crew of excellent US FJ reenactors and it was a brilliant experience.

This is the sort of things that happen when you roll with FJR 5:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/jag...?sort=3&page=1

And a gallery featuring our esteemed opponents in the Commonwealth Company, who are without doubt the finest WW2 Allied unit I've seen:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...9553037&type=1

If you want in on this, hit up our unit site from the banner link below.

The unit is growing. We are now up to three full members and three prospects. Our objective this year is to create a full strength Gruppe/squad of 10-12 men. For this we need fit, hard-charging guys with a passion for history and a willingness to challenge themselves mentally and physically. What we do goes beyond mere pew-pew in the forest...if you've been there, done that, and are prepared for something entirely more immersive, let us know.

Photos from recent events are available in our gallery:

https://sites.google.com/site/ontariofjr5/photo-gallery

Well that's good! nice to see some active ww2 airsoft groups... now if only we can do this in Manitoba...

FJR 5 is still going strong! If your interested in re-enacting as a German Paratrooper let us know and we will get you into a uniform, and onto the field. 2017 is going to be a busy year so get started now!

If you have any questions, let us know.

*You must be 18 to join, no exceptions.

FJR5 Website:
https://sites.google.com/site/ontariofjr5/home

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Training ex, Sunday Feb 26th:

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