The word "fun" is an understatement. I mean, I thought I had a great time researching and building my Tiger, but a new dimension was added when I went down to Danville and saw the battlefield with it's buildings, roads, bridges, rivers and mountains. In many of the battle scenarios, heavy German tanks could ouly use the one stone bridge, whereas the allies could use that bridge and the three other wooden bridges. I also can't forget seeing all the other tanks that were there. It was really something to see other folks' tanks, paint schemes and configurations. But the best part was actually working as a team against another force. Since the Tiger has a slower rate of fire than the Sherman and couldn't move as fast, it was a real contest. You couldn't just lumber your Tiger right out to meet them and expect to win. The Sherman would just run circles around you and pick you off. The best ways to do it was to approach the enemy at an angle with your turret pointed at him. I was told this was also an actual tactic since the Tiger had flat armor, they would attack at a 45 degree angle to maximize their armor. Sadly though, there was only one Sherman operating that day, so it was mainly a contest between Tigers and Pershings.
The battlefield was also equipped with smoke dischargers for fires and explosions and a fog machine to simulate clouds and fog. the battles also brought in tons of people to watch, which brought in a lot of dough for the museum.
Although I'm extremely busy, I'm glad I took the time to go to this event. I found out they have an Amtrak station in Danville, so next time I'll forego driving the 6-7 hours.
Okie