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The Newville site is unique to the reenactment community in that it is owned by the GWA sanctioned units. Unlike other reenacting periods such as Civil War or WWII, it is difficult to accurately reproduce the true feeling of WWI without a permanent trench system from which each side can operate. The GWA as a whole has accurately reproduced a permanent trench system for each opposing side with a crater filled no-mans land in between. Each unit has been given ownership of a piece of the line in which to build and maintain their trench system. This includes trench revetting, barbed wire, underground bunkers as well as machine gun bunkers and mortar pits if necessary.
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Short of lice, rats and the actual threat of death, life at the "Newville Front includes many aspects what life was like for the average WWI soldier. Beside eating and sleeping in the trenches, daily life includes the constant threat of being hit by Allied rifle grenades or even being overrun during a full out attack and either being shot, stabbed, blown up or taken back for prisoner interrogation. On the positive side, there is the occasion when you receive orders to go “over the top” and attack the Allied side. First, you must manage to avoid all of the, grenades, rifles and machine guns which are aiming for you while slipping through, first your own, and then the enemies barbed wire to reach their trench line. Then, if you still have a strong enough squad of men, you may be able to fight your way along the enemy line and capture a few prisoners, if the German mortars don’t accidentally find you first.
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Aside from the routine function of harassing the Allies with mortar fire, the primary responsibility of the 12th Minenwerfer Kompagnie is to bombard the Allied machine gun positions and strong points just prior to a major German attack. Following the start of the attack, we continue with a rolling barrage which stays just ahead of the German advance in an effort to help drive the Allies out of their fortified position, thus allowing the Germans to further their advance. Once the attack is in full swing, we may be ordered to move forward with one of our portable Granatenwerfer to continue supporting the advance while at the same time, reducing the chances of being located by the Allied rifle grenadiers.
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Occasionally, the Commander orders us to stand down from the front line. During this time, we usually
relocate to our period campsite, which includes both zeltbahn shelters and period German tents.
There, we are free to cook a hot meal, sleep or maintain our equipment. Some of our members like to use
this time to ride into the near by town on one of our two period motorcycles. The mechanized
transportation gives them a great advantage over the other soldiers with the local frauleins.
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