BATTLE of AMIENS
3 - 5 March, 2017
Zavalla, Texas

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED!

August 8th, 1918, the beginning of the end of Imperial Germany.  And you are there. 

  Experience World War One in the trenches at our trench warfare site at Zavalla, Texas.  We have hundreds of yards of trenches and a village behind each of the Allied and German trench systems.  Wire entanglements, pyrotechnics, and other battlefield effects, along with authentic rations and other ammenities will combine to immerse you deep into the world of The Great War.  Join us for a trip back in time that you won't forget. 

This event is open to all British Commonwealth, American, French, Russian Legion (Western Front Russian impressions) and German reenactors who will be portraying soldiers of their nationality that fought on the western front in 1918.  Uniforms, insignia and equipment must be appropriate for August 1918. 

A few photos below of our trench warfare site at Zavalla, Texas

.GETTING THERE
  The GPS grid location for the entrance to the site is 31.143135, -94.410823
  From the North from Lufkin or South from Houston, take Highway 69 to Zavalla, and then go east on Highway 63 into Zavalla.  From the east, take Highway 63 into Zavalla.  From either direction, once in Zavalla on Hwy 63, turn south onto Barge Road at Huntington State Bank.  Barge road doesn't have a sign marking it.  It's the only road at Huntington Bank you can turn onto.  Go 0.2 mile (less than a quarter mile) on Barge Road, and turn left/east onto Cooper Road.  Be careful or you'll miss the sign. 
Go 1.1 mile on Cooper Road, and you'll come to a fork in the road.  Go to the left, onto Rushing Road.  Go 0.1 mile on Rushing Road, and you will arrive at the gate.  There will be Black and white signs guiding you to the event, and a registration and parking sign at the site itself.  See photos below.  Park your vehicle and report to registration.
  BATFE address is 1 Rushing Road, Zavalla, Texas, 75980 

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED!

.RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

1. Everyone is a safety officer. If you see an unsafe act, immediately intervene and stop the unsafe act. If necessary, call a halt to the activity in the vicinity of the unsafe act until the situation has been corrected.

2. Pyrotechnics will be in use during the event. Rules for pyrotechnics are as follows:
  a. pyrotechnic devices that use commercially produced whistling devices to indicate impending detonation are acceptable.
  b. only pyrotechnics that contain a bursting charge that can be set off safely on the ground between the legs of the person or members of the unit using them will be allowed in the event. This will be done during safety inspection using a random example produced by the person detonated between the person’s legs.
  c. pyrotechnics may not be made with any components that produce potentially harmful fragments.
  d. no weapons may use projectiles that fire on a flat trajectory/direct fire. I.E. no nerf warheads, model rocket engines, etc.
  e. all small arms that use a wooden or plastic tip blank must be fitted with a blank adaptor or shredding device.
  f. all final decisions on the use of pyrotechnics or safety issues are retained by the officers of the  255th Machine Gun Company.
  g. if a fire starts, all participants will halt their activity and help put out the fire. Someone from the unit who used the pyrotechnic that started the fire will be posted after the fire is out to ensure that the fire does not re-ignite for 30 minutes. This person is exempt from becoming a target.

3. Vehicle Safety:
  a. every vehicle must have a fire extinguisher and first aid kit on board.
  b. Vehicles may move on or off road without the use of ground guides. Ground guides are required only when movement is so confined that the driver and vehicle commander cannot move the vehicle without potentially damaging other vehicles, personal property, or inflicting injury on personnel.
  c. NO-ONE will stand or walk behind or beside a vehicle whether it is moving or not during tactical movement. Anyone getting near a vehicle will get the attention of the vehicle commander before approaching the vehicle. Tactical vehicles, to operate realistically, need to reverse and swerve at any moment. It is the dismounted personnel’s duty to stay out of the vehicle’s way, as well as the driver’s and vehicle commander’s duty to ensure they are operating the vehicle safely as well as tactically correctly.
 
4. Combat:
  a. THERE WILL BE NO HIT CALLING!! THERE WILL BE NO HIT CALLING!!
Casualties will be inflicted using the HONOR SYSTEM ONLY. If a combatant does not realize he has been hit, then the combatant attempting to inflict the casualty needs to try harder. It historically takes several tons of metal to inflict one casualty, and the single bullet is the exception, not the rule. No-one ever called hits in WW 1, so neither do we. If someone tries to call a hit or starts an argument, EVERYONE AROUND HIM WHETHER FRIENDLY OR ENEMY, needs to band together and politely correct him, or remove him from the scene if necessary through the chain of command. We are here to reenact history, not play cowboys and Indians. Hit calling and turning this into a game is the most disrespectful thing a person can do in the name of the men who fought and died in real combat.  The first time someone has to be corrected, they will be warned. The second time they violate this rule, they will be thrown off the property and will not be invited back to future events.
  b. When combatants are hit, they will fall in place and remain still until the action has passed over them, and/or remove their headgear and move to the rear of the combat area. Wait a few minutes, and then re-join your unit. If medics are being used in the scenario, casualties will remain in place until a medic has come to you, escorted you to the rear of the battle, and then you are rejuvenated and free to rejoin your unit.
   c. When mortar rounds are being fired, everyone is required to don their helmet. Combatants who do not have a helmet are required to take shelter or move to the rear of the area of impact until the shelling is over. Don’t piss and whine if you get hit in
 the head with no helmet on. It’s your own fault.
  d. Mortar rounds have a killing radius of 10 paces. If it lands near you, take your hit.
  e. Grenades have a killing radius of 5 paces. If it lands near you, take your hit.
  f. Antipersonnel mines have a killing radius of 5 paces. Whether you set it off or not, take your hit.
  g. Explosive projectiles, whether grenades, mortar rounds, artillery shells, etc., inflict the vast majority of casualties in war. Unless you are inside an armoured vehicle, in a bunker, or in a trench and the round lands outside the trench, take your hit. When targeted by explosives, trees don’t count as cover, period.
  h. antitank mines destroy only the vehicle that detonates them.
  i. no steel bayonets or edged weapons may be used.  Rubber knives, rubber e-tools, rubber clubs, etc., may be used in hand-to-hand combat. Safely conducted mock hand to hand combat is encouraged. Shake hands after you’re done.
  j. weapons should always be fired over the heads of opponents, not directly at them or into the ground in front of them.
 WEAPONS FIRED AT NIGHT WILL WITHOUT EXCEPTION ALWAYS BE FIRED STRAIGHT INTO THE AIR.
  k. grenades may be thrown into bunkers, etc., BUT NO LIT PYROTECHNICS MAY BE THROWN INTO OR UNDER VEHICLES.
  l. soft skinned vehicles may be destroyed by small arms, but armoured vehicles may only be destroyed by weapons capable of destroying armour. Armoured vehicle crews may not be targeted, even machine gunners in halftracks etc., as they are essential to the safe operation of the vehicle. Open topped armoured vehicles may be destroyed by grenades, if the un-lit grenade (NO LIT PYROTECHNICS) is thrown into the open compartment of the vehicle. Armoured vehicles are very difficult to knock out in reality, as they should be in reenacting.

5. DO NOT:
  a. disturb or pillage corpses on the battlefield. They are
someone’s loved ones and so is their gear. They are placed on the
battlefield to remind us of the sacrifices of those who died in battle. Respect them.
  b. Loot or damage enemy trenches and positions. Everything out there belongs to someone.
  c. Attempt to use over-run weapons or equipment. Everything out there belongs to someone.
  d. Cut field telephone wires. Wire is expensive, belongs to someone, and does not work well after repair. You wouldn’t intentionally take a knife and slash someone’s uniform. Same thing.
  e. remove landmines. You may disarm them, but do not move them. Leave them in place. If they are on a road, you may only move them to the side of the road to prevent damage to them.
  f. YOU MAY cut through barbed wire obstacles.

6. Commanders:
  a. all combatants are required to follow the orders of the commanders and NCO’s appointed over them.
  b. commanders will be held responsible for the actions of the troops assigned under them.
  c. commanders will ensure that the Rules of Engagement are complied with by all combatants of both sides.
  d. commanders will ensure that when their soldiers are not engaged in combat, if they are in dug-in trenches and fighting positions, that they are working to improve their trenches and fighting positions. Everyone is required to help improve the earthworks while using them when participating in events here. This helps everyone’s time trip back into history, no matter who is using the defensive positions. We are working hard to ensure that this is and will remain a quality site for all of us.

7. Thank you.

If you would like more information on the Battle of Amiens reenactment, please fill out the contact form below and say in the comment section that you are REQUESTING INFORMATION ON THE BATTLE OF AMIENS REENACTMENT, along with your specific questions.  Thanks!