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Welcome to the 29th Infantry Division |
The 29th Infantry Division is a realism unit in the online World War II game, Darkest Hour: Normandy 1944. Realism is the conducting of a gaming group as close to real combat as possible.
Above, you will find our primary navigation menu with five links on it. For each of the links, a submenu is provided on the left of the page with related links.
For more information about the 29th, read our About page. | |
| Sunday, June 13, 2010 |
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The Journey of a Warrior by
SSgt. Ilo
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 On the 66th Anniversary of D-Day, we had a bright moment to celebrate. Cpl. Boughen was commissioned as an officer, 2nd Lieutenant in the 29th ID.
2nd Lt. Boughen started his career in the unit with the 283rd Training Platoon in early August 2009. He completed his Basic Training with flawless honors and attendance. As a Private he was assigned to Charlie Company's 3rd European Platoon. The skills he displayed were quickly noticed, leading him to pass many milestones early on. Pvt. Boughen received his first promotion to Private, First Class in a little over two months. This was just the first step. He was assigned as the Assistant Squad Leader a month later. On December 2009, he completed his Squad Leader Training and was promoted to Corporal. Soon after, he was put in charge of his own squad. Cpl. Boughen was not afraid to lead by example, his actions on the battlefield merited one of the 29th's most coveted awards, the Bronze Star. This award was granted for his marksmanship with the machine-gun and his ability to position the squad in an optimal way to achieve total victory over the enemy.
Cpl. Boughen has also been very active in the Lighthouse Corps, one of the most important parts of this unit, tasked to train new cadets to the 29th ID. He has always been keen and observant to his fellow unit members. Whenever called upon he has provided sound advice to his squad and platoon members when needed. He has helped people to find motivation when there seems to be none, and found ways for them to work together on common goals. He has done this even through the most dire of times.
On 6th of June, 2010, Cpl. Boughen entered his OCS Scrimmage, the final test to become an Officer in the 29th ID. He said he was nervous, and so were all of us. Despite the tension and pressure, he pulled through with flying colors. He was aided by utterly solid, innovative, and flexible planning. His motivational charisma and support from the able men of 2nd Platoon served him well. Rarely I have seen such an event take place, and I was fortunate to take part in it.
I am honored to serve under the command of our newest Officer of the 29th Infantry Division, 2nd Lieutenant Boughen.
Able and Ready Sir!
*Salute*
11 Comments
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| Tuesday, April 6, 2010 |
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What's it Take to Become an Officer? by
Lt. Col. Wilson
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 The Officer Candidate School (OCS) has been a mysterious programme for many years in the 29th. Most people know that soldiers are 'in it' before they become Commissioned Officers, but few people know what it's about, and what it takes to get 'in it.'
We have seen many Senior NCOs lead platoons by themselves with great stride. In fact, nearly all of our current Platoon Sergeants were on their own in Platoon HQ at one point, or still are. But the match that is made between an Officer and NCO in a Platoon Leader / Platoon Sergeant pair is unbeatable. Both roles are equally important and have always been our goal for every platoon.
A Platoon Sergeant is there to keep things in order in the platoon, and keep things moving. He ensures the Squad Leaders are getting their jobs done and the soldiers are following their orders, and he can handle the day-to-day problems and resolutions of his men. If the Platoon were a boat, the Platoon Sergeant would be its motor, while the Platoon Leader would be its steering wheel.
The Platoon Leader decides where the platoon is headed and how to get it there. He is ultimately responsible for whether the platoon succeeds or fails, just as a business owner is ultimately responsible for his business' success or failure. The PL must make strategic decisions not only in battle but in the administration of his platoon. He is ultimately responsible for upkeeping morale and keeping his men motivated and active. He can decide on size, structure and composition of his platoon.
With an understanding of the differences between the Platoon Sergeant and Platoon Leader positions, it is easier to understand what Headquarters looks for in new Officers. The fact that the Officer is responsible for upkeeping morale and keeping his men motivated requires a 'self-starting initiative' quality in candidates - the ability to keep coming up with new ideas and keep things moving on their own, without being guided or pushed by their superiors. The high-rank of the position requires professionalism and demonstrated leadership capacity (do people 'look up to' the candidate?). And most importantly, stability - there is nothing worse than spending months in OCS training a candidate to become an Officer, commissioning him only to find that he needs to retire because he's busy...Furthermore, the men of the platoon need a stable and consistent leader who knows where he is and knows he's in it for the long-haul, just like the 29th itself.
Lastly, Headquarters has always liked to identify these qualities in candidates 'naturally', that is, without revealing what is being looked for. Telling someone to take initiative defeats the purpose of initiative.
Remember that the role of the Platoon Sergeant/NCO is just as important as that of the Platoon Leader/Officer, but the former was a bit more clearly explained than the latter. Think you have what it takes to be an officer? Use your brain to figure out how to demonstrate it! We're always watching ;)
6 Comments
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| Friday, March 5, 2010 |
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Fallschirmjäger by
Sgt. Heck
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 A short look on one of the 29th's opposing forces in Normandy.
The Wehrmacht (German Armed forces) began recruiting for the first paratrooper units on January 26th, 1936. Until July, two regiments of Fallschirmjäger were reorganized as 7. Luftwaffendivision (7th Air Force Division), a unit that was renamed to 1. Fallschirmjägerdivision in 1943.
As you can see from the name, German paratroopers belonged to the Luftwaffe (German Air Force). This was unlike most other nations where paratroopers were part of the land forces that were transported by Air Force units. Another unique quality of the Fallschirmjäger was that when they jumped off the plane, they only had grenades and their pistols. Other small arms were dropped in special containers, since it was considered to dangerous to jump with a rifle or sub-machine gun (SMG) "am Mann" (on the person).
The armament of Fallschirmjäger was slightly different when compared to that of regular army forces:
For example, 25% of the men were standard issued with the Maschinenpistole 40 SMG, a very high amount compared to other units. About one in ten soldiers was equipped with a Maschinengewehr 34 machine gun. Due to the nature of a parachute unit, almost no heavy weapons were kept available with the exception of recoilless rifles (Leicht-Geschütz 40).
The division did not reach the full amount of manpower until the landings upon Crete. The first Airborne forces that saw action consisted of company sized units dropped behind enemy lines in Poland, Scandinavia, and the western front.
After the defeat of Allied forces in Greece, the island of Crete was the last stronghold for British forces in the Mediterenian theater of war. Since the naval bases on the island were a key element to Britain's superiority in this region, the OKW (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, German high command) decided to conquer Crete with airborne forces that were remaining in Greece near Korinthe.
7th division attacked Crete on May 20th, 1941 with 15.000 paratroopers dropped by 500 Ju52 transport planes. After proper airfields were captured, 14.000 mountain infantry soldiers were landed. British forces on the island consisted 35.000 men with 7000 Greek soldiers amongst them.
Although "Operation Merkur" was listed as a success, German paratrooper suffered more than 6000 casualties. No more airborne operations in WWII were planned, paratroopers served as quick reaction forces in Sicily, Italy, and Normandy.
91. Luftlande-Infanterie-Division's (91st Air Landing Division) 6th regiment participated in the defense of St. Lo and therefore, more than likely, faced 29th ID during Operation Overlord.
9 Comments
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| Sunday, February 7, 2010 |
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Back From a Vacation, Back into the Routine by
Cpl. Brewer
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 Some of us in the 29th ID are having to expend more effort getting back into the routine of drills and the life as a member in this unit. Some of us feel as if we need another vacation to recuperate from our recent one. Some of us find ourselves looking at the calendar or having to be reminded by a fellow comrade about the day and time of our drills. If you have felt as if you've had to somewhat give more effort towards remembering and attending drills, then you're not alone. It is just natural for people to struggle after a time of not having to attend a regular obligation. But we all must remember one thing about being a member of the 29th Infantry Division...
The truth is, we never go on vacation from being a member of this magnificent unit. Even if we are on a break from drills, we are still representing the 29th Infantry Division every time we play on the server, post on our forums, or any others. Being a member of this unit, you have proven that you can and do conduct yourself in a manner becoming of a 29th ID member. Many people in the unit have jobs and some of those jobs keep on working right through the holidays, day in and day out. The Military Police cannot take a break from patrolling the server, monitoring the forums, or preventing spammers from doing as they wish. The workers in the Medical Office do not ignore the constant requests for help so that they can go on a skiing trip with their girlfriend. These men and women represent the selfless service of the members in the 29th Infantry Division.
While we are technically not on a vacation, being in the 29th ID practically is a vacation since every aspect of it is enjoyable. As I am writing this article, it is not a chore for me. I enjoy it. Drills are mandatory to attend, but I would still go even if they were not. When we come back from one vacation, we are practically going into another. The 29th ID is that little boost at home you need to get through your school and work days.
If you are a Darkest Hour player who has considered joining the 29th, but is still unsure, then ask yourself a few questions. Do you want to be apart of the longest lasting realism unit in DH as well as one of the longest lasting units in all-around realism? Do you want to be apart of an organization that exemplifies honor, respect, and professionalism? Do you want to have continuous fun playing unique, realistic in-game scenarios? I cannot see how any reasonable person would say no to any of these questions. If you are still in consideration of joining the unit, I suggest personally talking to a unit member or even just trying it out by scrolling up and clicking on that button "Enlist!"
6 Comments
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