They're buzzing about the war in Stow
As if World War II still raged on, Allied infantry will charge from the woods this weekend to attack paratroopers of the German Wehrmacht attempting to recapture a vital airfield.
Yanks from the 101st Airborne and Canadians of the Black Watch will advance with weapons blazing until a dreaded Stuka divebomber screeches across the peaceful skies over Stow.
Stow? Stow! Yes, indeed rural peaceful Stow where the Collings Foundation will host World War II battle scenarios this weekend as part of its Experience Living History! initiative.
Don't come expecting a pack of weekend warriors in leftover cammies from the Army-Navy store.
About 60 veteran re-enactors from the Living History Foundation will portray American, British, Canadian and German units in authentic uniforms and equipped with authentic gear and weapons in Saturday and Sunday battles and campsites.
Providing a unique degree of authenticity, the two battle re-enactments will feature a Fiesler Storch reconnaissance plane, a German 88 mm flak cannon both owned by the foundation and a replica of the infamous Stuka dive bomber that lead the Nazi blitzkrieg across Europe.
Allied forces will employ a U.S Avenger torpedo bomber and a fully restored U.S. M-16 halftrack which will play a key role in the scripted battles scheduled for 2 p.m. each day.
Established by Bob Collings in 1979, the Collings Foundation supports about 150 "living history" events across the country annually. A nonprofit, it maintains an extensive collection of vintage automobiles and aircraft as part of its mission to "preserve the machines that helped build the world and helped keep it free and to educate future generations about them."
Located at 137 Barton Road, the Foundation's 75-acre grounds will be open Oct. 6 and 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Several events are planned for both days to provide insights into the service and sacrifices of members of the armed forces who fought in World War II to keep the world free:
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<li>11 a.m.: A round table discussion in the hangar including Frank Tedesco and Dick Denning who both flew bombers over Europe during World War II.</li>
<li>2 p.m.: The World War II battle re-enactment will take place on the grass landing strip in front of the hangar.</li>
</ul>
Starting Friday, re-enactors from the the World War II committee of the Living History Association will begin pitching campsites and digging machine gun emplacements for the German forces, said Steve Kapotis, commander of the LHA's World War II section.
He estimated between 50 and 70 re-enactors from across New England will represent eight different Allied units and a German paratroop regiment.
John Pyne, a Gardner resident who helped plan the battle scenarios, said re-enactors portray members of the regular German army, or Wehrmacht, but not the Waffen SS, which participated in the Holocaust.
Kapotis said LHA re-enactors value authenticity so much they use or make exact period products like chewing gum, eat military K-rations and sauerkraut for the Germans and speak in 1940s military argot.
Equipped with authentic uniforms and weapons, the U.S. units will include the 26th Yankee Division, 82nd Airborne, 101st Airborne and the 1st Infantry Division, while British military will be represented by forces portraying the Black Watch of Canada and Royal Northumberland Fusiliers of England.
A truck driver for Allied Waste Resources, Kapotis began re-enacting 19 years ago with the Vermont-based LHA to pursue his personal interest in history initially portraying soldiers from the Revolutionary and Civil wars. About 10 years ago he and others petitioned the association to branch out into re-enactments of both world wars.
"It's fun for us. But the point we try to get across is that we're honoring our veterans," said the Rhode Island resident. "If not for our veterans, we wouldn't enjoy the freedoms we have today."
Armed with his Mauser rifle, Kapotis will portray Lt. Stefan Kern who will command German paratroopers from the 914th Regiment. He took the name from a character in the 1977 film "Cross of Iron" directed by Sam Peckinpah.
His twin brother, George, will command an American unit portraying the 82nd Airborne. "In past re-enactments, I actually shot my brother and he's captured me," he said.
The re-enactments will feature several flying aircraft and simulated gunfire, explosions and smoke cannisters. Collins' son, Rob Collins, will pilot the Storch reconnaissance plane that will call in air strikes by the Stuka on Allied attackers. At a key moment, the U.S. halftrack will roll into battle with Hunter Chaney firing quad 50-caliber machine guns at the dive bomber.
The foundation's spokesman, Chaney said visitors can also see the Foundation's 10 vintage 20th century airplanes, including a replica of the Wright brothers "Vin Fizz" which was the first plane to cross the continent, and 23 classic automobiles.
The 3/4-scale black Stuka with a 40-foot wingspan is owned by Mitch Sammons who will fly it to battle from Belgrade, Maine, where he keeps it.
"I've always been intrigued by the World War II era. My father flew a B-26 during the war," said the 55-year-old construction company owner. "The Stuka was quite a sophisticated aircraft."
Sammons' Stuka was constructed by Louis Langhurst, a Michigan engineer who spent 8,000 hours in 1977 and 1978 building it from scratch. Sammons, who bought it in 2002, believes it is the only flying Stuka or Stuka replica in the world.
Recognized by their signature "inverted gull wing" design, Stukas served as the aerial vanguard of the German blitzkrieg that raced across Europe.
During the re-enactment, Sammons will wear the flight suit of a Luftwaffe officer. Although Stukas were generally manned by a two-member crew, he will fly alone from his hangar in Maine without the rear-seated navigator/gunner.
In the two battles, the Stuka and U.S. halftrack will play key roles that lead to a turning point in the engagement.
"It's going to be a pretty exciting show," said Sammons. "I don't think many people have seen this kind of action before."
Now in his 80s, Tedesco who will participate in the round tables, flew 35 combat missions across Europe with the 451st Bomb Group as the pilot of a B-24 Liberator bomber.
"It wasn't a sleek plane to look at it but it was sleeker than it looked once it was airborne," said the Norton resident who worked as an engineer after the war. "Our base was in a wheat field in Italy. We pitched our tents in the mud. We bombed Italian targets in the Alps and rail and military facilities in Austria and Italy."
While hospitalized with malaria, Tedesco said his bomber, which was named "Our Gal," was shot down on its fifth mission over Austria on Aug. 23, 1943, with four crew members killed and six taken prisoner.
"I hope people see a show like this (at the Foundation) and understand what people sacrificed so many years ago," he said.
THE ESSENTIALS:
The Collings Foundation's "Living History Weekend" is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 6 and Sunday Oct. 7.
It is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Gate donations of $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 years or younger are suggested. Reservations aren't required.
The Foundation's collection of vintage airplanes and cars will be on display.
There is limited availability for rides in a PT-17 Spearman "Kaydet" biplane. Rides are $100 for 15 minutes and $175 for half an hour. Call 978-562-9182 for reservations. For more information, call 978-562-9182 or visit www.collingsfoundation.org.