Hong Kong war games soldiers prepare for Battle of the Bulge simulation in Tuen Mun
Two teams of 80 will each take turns delivering prop tanks to point ‘Antwerp’ and defending their position for 45 minutes in annual airsoft event
The second world war’s Battle of the Bulge comes to Hong Kong this month with 160 war games enthusiasts signed up for the annual airsoft event in Tuen Mun.
Organised by Hong Kong company Day Army, the January 28 simulation will feature two teams of 80 soldiers carrying airsoft weapons and trying to replicate the battle that marked Germany’s last major offensive on the Western Front from December 1944 to January 1945.
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“This is an annual event and we try as best as we can to ensure we replicate major battles from the past at around the same time of the year at which they actually occurred,” said Day Army’s Justin Lau.
“War games in Hong Kong is growing in popularity. In 2016, on average we would have 80 players for an event but now it's up to about 150. The Battle of the Bulge event is almost full up.”
The January event is an entry level, “mission-based” competition in which each team must attempt to complete a fixed objective. The mission is for one team to deliver a number of prop tanks to point “Antwerp” and defend it until the end of the game, which lasts for 45 minutes. The roles are reversed for the next round.
Warm-up exercises and shooting games are held before the main event. Players enrol as individuals or teams and can either pick their own sides or are assigned to teams by organisers.
