Interesting History Behind BF1 Weapon Skin Names?
by HUN_gattaca_lgOriginal Post
Artillery Truck skins
Legendary: Crimson Silver (Super Rare), Golden Shell (Super Rare), Platinum Chevron (Super Rare)
Distinguished: Canadian, Flanders, Junovicz, Kurzemiesk, Panzerwagen, TwoTone
Flanders skin for Artillery Truck https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Artillery_Truck_(Codex_Entry) A relatively fast, formidable, and versatile but weakly armored gun platform serving many different roles in the Great War. Even though its cross-country performance left a lot to be desired, the ability to carry both smaller artillery and automatic anti-air fire made this truck an adaptable ally. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-propelled_anti-aircraft_weapon Anti-aircraft machine guns have long been mounted on trucks, and these were quite common during World War I. A predecessor of the WWII German "88" anti-aircraft gun, the WWI German 77 mm anti-aircraft gun, was truck-mounted and used to great effect against British tanks. The British QF 3 inch 20 cwt was mounted on trucks for use on the Western Front. The British also had a first dedicated anti aircraft weapon, the QF 1-pounder pom-pom. Mounted on a armoured truck titled the Pierce-Arrow armoured AA lorry, which was produced in limited numbers and only seeing service throughout 1915. Towards the end of the war Germany produced three prototype SPAAGs with AA guns mounted on A7V chassis known as the A7V Flakpanzer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flanders_Fields Flanders Fields is a common English name of the World War I battlefields in an area straddling the Belgian provinces of West Flanders and East Flanders as well as the French department of Nord, part of which makes up the area known as French Flanders. The name Flanders Fields is particularly associated with battles that took place in the Ypres Salient (reference to the M1907 Selfloading's Ypres skin), including the Second Battle of Ypres and the Battle of Passchendaele. For most of the war, the front line ran continuously from south of Nieuwpoort on the Belgian coast, across Flanders Fields into the centre of Northern France before moving eastwards — and it was known as the Western Front. The phrase was popularized by a poem, "In Flanders Fields" (reference to the M1911 Pistol's In Flanders Fields skin), by Canadian Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae which was inspired by his service during the Second Battle of Ypres.
Canadian skin for Artillery Truck (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_combat_vehicles_of_World_War_I): This is a list of combat vehicles of World War I, including conceptual, experimental, prototype, training and production vehicles. The vehicles in this list were either used in combat, produced or designed during the First World War. Armoured cars and trucks: Most of the armoured cars of the war were produced by building armoured bodywork over commercial large car and truck chassis. Austria-Hungary: -Junovicz P.A.1 (reference to the Artillery Truck's Junovicz skin), Canada: -Armoured Autocar. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armoured_Autocar The Armoured Autocar was a Canadian armoured car used as a mobile machine gun nest during the First World War. The Armoured Autocar was developed by Major Raymond Brutinel, who immigrated to Canada from France. Returning to Canada, Brutinel directed the design of the armoured bodies that would be mounted on the truck chassis. The end result was an open topped armoured box with an angled front plate and drop sides. The machine guns were pedestal mounted, capable of firing over the sides of the vehicle, and also able to be dismounted for ground use. The Armoured Autocar weighed 3 tons, had a crew of 8 and had a maximum speed of 40 km/h (25 mph) on roads; its offroad capabilities were limited. The Armoured Autocars were to prove their worth in the German spring offensive (reference to the MP18's The Kaiserschlacht skin) in 1918. While Brutinel had envisioned the unit spearheading an advance through the enemy lines, they were to ultimately excel in the defensive role by utilizing their firepower and mobility. Unfortunately, the open tops of the cars left their crews vulnerable. The one surviving example of the Armoured Autocar is held by the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, Ontario. The example is armed with Vickers machine guns.
Junovicz skin for Artillery Truck (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junovicz_P.A.1): The Junovicz P.A.1 (Pancél Auto 1) was an armored car of Austria-Hungary, designed by Hauptmann Junovicz. Five were built. First Lieutenant Engineer Rudolf Junovicz decided that what was needed was a universal armored body that could fit on multiple truck chassis, leading to five improvised designs built upon 3-ton truck bodies (3ton Subventionslastautos). The P.A.1 featured riveted armor, 7mm thick at the front, and 5mm thick on both sides. Overall weight was at least 4 tons. It was powered by a 40 HP, 12L Fiat engine. The radiator was protected by an armored plate that could be raised to keep from overheating when not in combat. A single headlight was mounted on the front of the hood. Access was via a rear door, two hatches on the sides, and two on the roof. Crew consisted of 5 men: driver, commander, two gunners and a loader. It was armed with two Schwarzlose 1907/12 machine guns, one facing forward and the other fitted to one of the four ports on the sides as appropriate. 6,000 rounds of 8mm ammunition were carried. Unfortunately there is little information regarding operational history of these vehicles other than one in particular. One vehicle was deployed in Serbia, and later transferred to the Isonzo Front (reference to the Automatico M1918's Isonzo skin) in 1915. In 1916 it was sent to the Eastern Front, where it was used for three patrols but did not engage with any enemy forces. In 1918 it was transferred to the 6th Army in Udine, Italy. On June 1, 1918, the K.u.K. Panzerautozug 1 (Armored Car Platoon 1) was formed, and the P.A.1 was attached to it. https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/junovicz/ Before the war, Lieutenant Junovicz was an officer with the 70th Infantry Regiment, based in Zagreb (present day capital of Croatia). Thanks to his expertise in automotive technology, he was soon appointed Automotive Officer of the 13th Corps. After the outbreak of war in 1914, he was attached to the workshops of the Hungarian State Railway in Resiczabánya [present day Reșița, Romania], also known as Resicai Állami Vas és Gépgyárban [Eng. Reșița State Iron and Machinery Factory], and placed in command of the repair department. They were tasked to repair both damaged and captured vehicles. However, given that the Junovicz was a state-approved vehicle, the plans must have been accepted only after the Romfell armored car (reference to the Battlefield 1's Romfell Armored Car) was inspected in August 1915, as before, the Army was firmly against the concept of armored vehicles which were seen as a waste of perfectly capable trucks. The available sources either give 1915 or 1916 as the date of actual construction, but it is known that production was already underway in the summer of 1915.
Panzerwagen skin for Artillery Truck (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzerwagen): Als Panzerwagen wurden ursprünglich gepanzerte Automobile, die Vorläufer der militärischen Panzer, bezeichnet. Umgangssprachlich wird dieser Begriff sowohl für militärische als auch für zivile gepanzerte Fahrzeuge verwendet. Da es keine exakte Definition gibt, ist die Begriffsverwendung nicht eindeutig. Gepanzerte Wagen waren bereits in der Antike und im Mittelalter bekannt. 1902 stellte Frederick Richard Simms einen motorisierten Panzerwagen vor, der als Motor War Car bekannt wurde. 1903 folgte der Austro-Daimler Panzerwagen. Danach wurden in Deutschland auch Panzerwagen gebaut: -Daimler DZVR 21 Die Basis bildete die Artillerie-Kraftzugmaschine Krupp-Daimler 100 PS KD 1 aus dem Ersten Weltkrieg. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austro-Daimler_Panzerwagen Der Austro-Daimler-Panzerwagen von Austro-Daimler gilt als typprägend für die Klasse der Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts entstandenen Panzerwagen. Die Bauart des allradgetriebenen gepanzerten Fahrzeuges, das mit einem um 360 Grad drehbaren Geschützturm ausgerüstet war, wurde später von mehreren Herstellern für Polizei- und Militäraufträge gefertigt. Das Fahrzeug hat sich bei den Kaisermanövern 1906 überraschend gut bewährt. Gesteuert wurde es von Heinrich Schönfeldt, dem späteren Rennfahrer, Kfz-Ingenieur und ab 1916 Leiter des Kaiserlichen Automobilwesens. Jedoch als der laute Motor gestartet wurde, scheute das Pferd des Chefs des Generalstabs des österreichisch-ungarischen Heeres, Friedrich von Beck-Rzikowsky. Kaiser Franz Joseph I. (reference to the Frommer Stop Pistol's The Emperor skin) lehnte daraufhin den Panzerwagen als für militärische Zwecke unbrauchbar ab. Das Konzept des Panzerwagens von Austro-Daimler wurde im Ersten Weltkrieg für einige Militärfahrzeuge genutzt.
Kurzemiesk skin for Artillery Truck (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garford-Putilov_Armoured_Car): Garford-Putilov armoured cars were an armoured fighting vehicle produced in Russia during the First World War era. They were built on the chassis of Garford Motor Truck Co. lorries imported from the United States. During its production from 1915 to 1916 the Putilov factory produced 48 of these armoured cars which were used during the First World War and the Russian Civil War. It is not clear how Garfords fell into the hands of the Latvians. The captured Garford was quickly included in the German Freikorps (reference to the Assault Truck's Freikorps skin) and used in battle against its former owners on the approach to Riga. Further information about the Garford diverges, according to some reports the armoured car was sent to Germany where it was used against the rebellious Spartacus League and finally was dismantled for scrap. According to other data (supported by photographs) after the defeat of the Western Volunteer army in November 1919 all of the Freikorps's armoured vehicles, including the former "Lacplesis", (reference to the Assault Truck's Lacplesis skin) went to the Latvians. The Garford continued to bear German markings for some time and was then renamed to "Kurzemnieks". So during this time the Latvians possessed only one Garford which changed its name twice during 1919.
TwoTone skin for Artillery Truck: I think it's the same fictitious name as the Light Tank's "Two Tone" skin name (the two words are separate here).
Destroyer skins
Distinguished: Black Shark, Checker Dazzle, Stripe Dazzle
Checker Dazzle and Stripe Dazzle skins for Destroyer https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Camouflage_(Codex_Entry) Optics also came into play. Camouflage was needed to defeat these newer kinds of weapons. It was also needed to create concealed positions to shoot from. The development of camouflage was ever-changing, ranging from psychedelic "dazzle camo" on naval ships and vessels to fake trees and fake dead cows providing excellent sniper positions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazzle_camouflage Dazzle camouflage, also known as razzle dazzle (in the U.S.) or dazzle painting, is a family of ship camouflage that was used extensively in World War I, and to a lesser extent in World War II and afterwards. Credited to the British marine artist Norman Wilkinson, though with a rejected prior claim by the zoologist John Graham Kerr, it consisted of complex patterns of geometric shapes in contrasting colours interrupting and intersecting each other. Unlike other forms of camouflage, the intention of dazzle is not to conceal but to make it difficult to estimate a target's range, speed, and heading. Norman Wilkinson explained in 1919 that he had intended dazzle primarily to mislead the enemy about a ship's course and so cause them to take up a poor firing position. Dazzle was adopted by the Admiralty in the UK, and then by the United States Navy. Each ship's dazzle pattern was unique to avoid making classes of ships instantly recognisable to the enemy. The result was that a profusion of dazzle schemes was tried, and the evidence for their success was, at best, mixed. In 1914, Kerr persuaded the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill (reference to the C96 Pistol's Churchill skin), to adopt a form of military camouflage which he called "parti-colouring". However, following Churchill's departure from the Admiralty, the Royal Navy reverted to plain grey paint schemes, informing Kerr in July 1915 that "various trials had been undertaken and that the range of conditions of light and surroundings rendered it necessary to modify considerably any theory based upon the analogy of [the colours and patterns of] animals". At sea in 1917, heavy losses of merchant ships to Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare campaign led to new desire for camouflage. The marine painter Norman Wilkinson promoted a system of stripes and broken lines "to distort the external shape by violent colour contrasts" and confuse the enemy about the speed and dimensions of a ship. Dazzle's effectiveness was highly uncertain at the time of the First World War, but it was nonetheless adopted both in the UK and North America. In 1918, the Admiralty analysed shipping losses, but was unable to draw clear conclusions.
Black Shark skin for Destroyer: triple question mark (???). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Shark_(1912) HMS Shark, was an Acasta-class destroyer built in 1912 for the Royal Navy. Shark was sunk during the Battle of Jutland (reference to the Battle of Jutland skins) on the evening of 31 May 1916. Shark was laid down at Swan Hunter's Wallsend shipyard on 27 October 1911 and was launched on 30 July 1912. In 1913 the Admiralty decided to reclassify the Royal Navy's destroyers into alphabetical classes, with the Acasta class becoming the K class. New names were allocated to the ships of the K class, with the name Kestrel being reserved for Shark, but the ships were not renamed. Shark was completed in April 1913. On the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, the 4th Flotilla, including Shark, became part of the Grand Fleet based at Scapa Flow in Orkney. During the Battle of Jutland, Shark was one of four destroyers from the 4th Flotilla assigned to cover the 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron. The other three destroyers escaped with little damage, but Shark was crippled by gunfire, having her fuel pipes and steering gear wrecked. The forecastle gun was completely blown away with most of its gun crew shortly before the captain, Commander Loftus Jones, declined an offer of assistance from the destroyer Acasta, as it would put Acasta in too much danger. Soon afterwards the aft 4-inch gun was also destroyed and the bridge wrecked. Jones and three seamen continued working the midship gun, engaging nearby German destroyers and leading to the sinking of V48. The German destroyers closed on the ship and returned heavy fire, during which Jones lost a leg. Shortly before 7 pm he ordered the ship to be abandoned and around thirty of the crew got onto the rafts. In total, 86 men out of a crew of 92 were killed. At 7 pm, the destroyer was sunk by a torpedo launched by the German torpedo boat S54 and which hit her abreast of the aft funnel. In March 1917, Jones was gazetted with a posthumous Victoria Cross. The wrecksite is designated as a protected place under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.
I just noticed that I forgot 3 skin names for Heavy Tank.
https://answers.ea.com/t5/Battlefield-1/Interesting-History-Behind-BF1-Weapon-Skin-Names/td-p/123519...
Heavy Tank skins
Other: Mephisto (Basic skin, everyone's got it), Faust and Wotan (You get these skins at Tanker class rank 10)
Mephisto skin for Heavy Tank https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mephisto_(tank) Mephisto is a World War I German tank, the only surviving example of an A7V. In April 1918, during a German attack at Villers-Bretonneux (reference to the Battle of Villers-Bretonneux skins) on the Western Front, it became stuck in a shell-hole and was abandoned by its crew. It was recovered by Allied troops about three months later and, after the war, taken to Australia as a trophy. Mephisto is housed at the Queensland Museum, in Brisbane, in the Anzac Legacy Gallery. It is not in running order. The vehicle was issued to the army in late December 1917 or early January 1918, and was given vehicle number 506. It was then taken to the German tank workshop near Charleroi (reference to the Selbstlader 1906's Charleroi skin), for minor repairs and repainting, and was re-issued in mid-April. Its new commander was Lieutenant Heinz Theunissen. By this time it had become fashionable to name A7Vs after figures from German history or mythology, and it is believed that Theunissen chose the name Mephisto, a demon from German folklore. The name was painted on the front and rear armour. A figure was also painted on the front armour depicting a red demon running off with part of a British tank under its arm. Meanwhile, the German high command was planning an attack on Villers-Bretonneux, hoping to capture the town and the hill to the north so that their artillery could dominate the important road and rail junction of Amiens, some 20 kilometres to the west. The battle and counter-attack: They were now some way behind the other tanks, so Theunissen set off in pursuit. However, soon after a shell landed immediately in front of the tank, creating a large crater. The tank pitched into it and became stuck. The crew had no option but to abandon the vehicle. A replica A7V named "Wotan" (reference to the Heavy Tank's Wotan skin) but modelled substantially on "Mephisto" was built in Germany in 1988, and is on display at the German Tank Museum in Munster. In popular culture: -Mephisto appears as a visual overhaul (skin) in the 2016 first-person shooter Battlefield 1.
Faust and Wotan skins for Heavy Tank (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A7V): A7V chassis listing. -Chassis number: 502/503 and Tank name: Faust, Kronprinz Wilhelm (reference to the Selbstlader M1916's Kronprinz skin), Wilhelm, Heiland. Possibly named König Wilhelm (reference to the Heavy Tanks's König Wilhelm skin) at one point. 502 became a Geländewagen ("cross-country vehicle"), and was not fitted with armour. After a defect of chassis 502 in March 1918, its structure was set to chassis 503 (503 suffered a cylinder head crack in April 1918). Gifted in October 1918 and taken by the British who scrapped it locally. -Chassis number: 563 and Tank name: Wotan. Scrapped by the Allies in 1919; a replica A7V was built in the late 1980s, based largely on Mephisto but named "Wotan". It is now in the Deutsches Panzermuseum in Munster, Germany.
I summarized what there were not yet in this topic:
Assault Tank
Attack Plane
Bomber
"Camouflage" special skins
Fighter
Landship
"Royal" special skin
"Veteran" special skins
The skin names of these weapons have already occurred in this topic:
12G Automatic
1903 Hammerless
Airship
Annihilator
Artillery Truck
Assault Truck
Auto Revolver
Autoloading 8
Automatico M1918
BAR M1918
Bodeo 1889
Bull Dog Revolver
C93
C96
Carcano M91
Cei-Rigotti
Chauchat
"default" special skins
Destroyer
Farquhar-Hill
Fedorov Avtomat
Frommer Stop
Gasser M1870
General Liu Rifle
Gewehr 98
Gewehr M.95
Heavy Bomber
Heavy Tank
Hellriegel 1915
Howdah Pistol
Howell Automatic
Huot Automatic
"In the Name of the Tsar" special skins
Kolibri
lMG 08/18
Lebel Model 1886
Lewis Gun
Light Tank
M1897 Shotgun
M1903
M1907 SL
M1909 Benét-Mercié
M1911
M1917 Enfield
M1917 MG
M1917 Trench Carbine
Madsen MG
Mars Automatic Pistol
Martini-Henry
Maschinenpistole M1912/P.16
MG15 N.A.
Mle 1903
Model 10-A
Model 1900
Modello 1915
Mondragón
Mosin-Nagant M91
MP 18
Nagant Revolver
No. 3 Revolver
Obrez Pistol
P08
Parabellum MG 14/17
Perino Model 1908
Repetierpistole M1912
Revolver Mk VI
Ribeyrolles 1918
Ross MkIII
RSC 1917
RSC SMG
Russian 1895
Selbstlader 1906
Selbstlader M1916
Sjögren Inertial
SMG 08/18
SMLE MKIII
Taschenpistole M1914
"They Shall Not Pass" special skins
"Turning Tides" special skins
Type 38 Arisaka
Vetterli-Vitali M1870/87
Fighter skins
Distinguished: Black Falcon, Bumble Bee, Garnie, La Triple-Entente, Red Hawk, Yellow Circus
Other: Blue Skies (Basic skin, everyone's got it), Red Baron (You get this skin if you own the Deluxe Edition of the game), Night Fighter and Woodland Raider (You get these skins at Pilot class rank 10)
La Triple-Entente skin for Fighter (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_Entente): The Triple Entente (from French entente meaning "friendship, understanding, agreement") describes the informal understanding between the Russian Empire, the French Third Republic, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It was built upon the Franco-Russian Alliance of 1894, the Entente Cordiale of 1904 between Paris and London, and the Anglo-Russian Entente of 1907. It formed a powerful counterweight to the Triple Alliance of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Kingdom of Italy. The Triple Entente, unlike the Triple Alliance or the Franco-Russian Alliance itself, was not an alliance of mutual defence. At the start of World War I in 1914, all three Triple Entente members entered it as Allied Powers against the Central Powers: Ottoman Turkey, Germany and Austria-Hungary. On September 4, 1914, the Triple Entente issued a declaration undertaking not to conclude a separate peace and only to demand terms of peace agreed between the three parties. Historians continue to debate the importance of the alliance system as one of the causes of World War I. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allies_of_World_War_I . The term "Allies" became more widely used than "Entente", although the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and Italy were also referred to as the Quadruple Entente and, together with Japan, as the Quintuple Entente. The colonies administered by the countries that fought for the Allies were also part of the Entente powers such as American Philippines, Belgian Congo, British India, French Algeria, and Japanese Korea. The United States joined near the end of the war in 1917 (the same year in which Russia withdrew from the conflict) as an "associated power" rather than an official ally. Other "associated members" included Serbia, Belgium, Montenegro, Asir, Nejd and Hasa, Portugal, Romania, Hejaz, Panama, Cuba, Greece, China, Siam, Brazil, Armenia, Luxembourg, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Haiti, Liberia, and Honduras. The treaties signed at the Paris Peace Conference recognized the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Japan, and the United States as "the Principal Allied and Associated Powers".
Red Baron skin for Fighter (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manfred_von_Richthofen): Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918), known in English as Baron von Richthofen or the Red Baron, was a fighter pilot with the German Air Force during World War I. He is considered the ace-of-aces of the war, being officially credited with 80 air combat victories. Originally a cavalryman, Richthofen transferred to the Air Service in 1915, becoming one of the first members of fighter squadron Jagdstaffel 2 in 1916. He quickly distinguished himself as a fighter pilot, and during 1917 became the leader of Jasta 11. Later he led the larger fighter wing Jagdgeschwader I, better known as "The Flying Circus" or "Richthofen's Circus" (reference to the Fighter's Yellow Circus skin) because of the bright colours of its aircraft, and perhaps also because of the way the unit was transferred from one area of Entente air activity to another – moving like a travelling circus, and frequently setting up in tents on improvised airfields. By 1918, Richthofen was regarded as a national hero in Germany, and respected by his enemies. Richthofen was shot down and killed near Vaux-sur-Somme on 21 April 1918. There has been considerable discussion and debate regarding aspects of his career, especially the circumstances of his death. https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/DR._1_(Codex_Entry) DR. 1 is a Codex Entry featured in Battlefield 1. What's better than two wings? Obviously the answer is three wings. Those three wings carried legendary ace pilots such as Baron von Richthofen, known as the "Red baron" and legend ace pilot Werner Voss (reference to the P08 Pistol's Werner Voss skin).
Yellow Circus skin for Fighter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagdgeschwader_I_(World_War_I) Jagdgeschwader I (JG I) of World War I, was a fighter wing of the German Luftstreitkräfte, comprising four Jastas (fighter squadrons). The first unit of its type formed under that classification, JG I was formed on 24 June 1917, with Manfred von Richthofen (reference to the Fighter's Red Baron skin) as commanding officer, by combining Jastas 4, 6, 10 and 11. JG I became known as "The Flying Circus" (German: Der Fliegende Zirkus) or "Richthofen's Circus" because of the bright colours of its aircraft, and perhaps also because of the way the unit was transferred from one area of Allied air activity to another – moving like a travelling circus in trains, and frequently setting up in tents on improvised airfields. The Geschwader moved again on 19 July, 1918 to Soissons, claiming its 500th victory on 25 July. Yet another move followed on 10 August, to the 2nd Army front west of Saint-Quentin. JG I's then top scorer, 53-kill Leutnant Erich Loewenhardt (reference to the Mondragon's Löwenhardt skin), was killed in an air collision on this day. Having been subjected to intensive operations over the Amiens battle in August 1918, by mid-September an exhausted JG I was withdrawn from the British part of the front, having lost all four Jasta commanders by the end of August; Lowenhardt of Jasta 10 was killed, Jasta 6's Co Lt. Paul Wenzel and Lothar von Richthofen of Jasta 11 both wounded and hospitalised, and Lt. Ernst Udet (Jasta 4) exhausted and sent on leave. Thereafter until the end of the war shortages of fuel and spares, increasing Allied numerical air superiority and continual retreats in the face of Allied ground advances meant JG I struggled to emulate earlier successes. From June 1917 until November 1918, JG I claimed 644 Allied aircraft destroyed, while losing 52 pilots killed in action and 67 wounded.
Night Fighter skin for Fighter (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_fighter): A night fighter (also known as all-weather fighter or all-weather interceptor for a period of time after the Second World War) is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility. Night fighters began to be used in World War I and included types that were specifically modified to operate at night. At the start of the First World War, most combatants had little capability of flying at night, and little need to do so. The only targets that could be attacked with any possibility of being hit in limited visibility would be cities, an unthinkable target at the time. Things changed on 22 September and 8 October 1914, when the Royal Naval Air Service (reference to the Farquhar-Hill's The RNAS skin) bombed the production line and hangars of the Zeppelin facilities in Cologne and Düsseldorf. As early as 1915, a number of B.E.2c aircraft (the infamous "Fokker Fodder") were modified into the first night fighters. After lack of success while using darts and small incendiary bombs to attack Zeppelins from above, ultimately a Lewis gun loaded with novel incendiary ammunition, was mounted at an angle of 45° to fire upwards, to attack the enemy from below. After over a year of night Zeppelin raids, on the night of 2–3 September 1916, a BE2c flown by Captain William Leefe Robinson downed the SL 11, the first German airship to be shot down over Britain. Because of airships' limitations, the Luftstreitkräfte began to introduce long-range heavy bombers, starting with the Gotha G.IV aircraft that gradually took over the offensive. While their early daylight raids in May 1917 were able to easily evade the weak defenses of London, the strengthening of the home defence fighter force led to the Germans switching to night raids from 3 September 1917. To counter night attacks, Sopwith Camel day fighters were deployed in the night fighter role.
Garnie skin for Fighter (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garnet_Malley): Garnet Francis Malley (2 November 1892 – 20 May 1961) was an Australian fighter ace of World War I, credited with six aerial victories. Born in Sydney, Malley first saw service in World War I as an artilleryman with the Australian Imperial Force. He transferred to the Australian Flying Corps in 1917, and the following year flew Sopwith Camels with No. 4 Squadron on the Western Front. Malley was awarded the Military Cross for his achievements in combat, and his subsequent work as a flying instructor in England earned him the Air Force Cross. In March 1916, he was posted to the Western Front in France, and joined his unit in May. The 1st Brigade took part in the Battles of Pozières (reference to the Madsen MG's Pozières skin) and Mouquet Farm in July and August 1916. Malley transferred to the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) as a mechanic in April 1917, before undertaking flying instruction at the Oxford University air school. Equipped with Sopwith Camel fighters, No. 4 Squadron deployed to Bruay, France, in December 1917, and commenced operations on 9 January 1918. That same day Malley, nicknamed "Garnie" (or "George", by No. 4 Squadron's leading ace, Harry Cobby), was promoted lieutenant. On 16 March, he achieved his first aerial victory, sending a fighter belonging to Manfred von Richthofen's (reference to the Fighter's Red Baron skin) Red Circus (reference to the Fighter's Yellow Circus skin) out of control above Annoeullin, near Douai. Early reports identified the German plane as an Albatros, but later sources record it as a Pfalz D.III. Malley claimed two Albatroses on 23 March 1918, during an attack on German positions in Vaulx-Vraucourt, near Bapaume (reference to the MG15 N.A's Bapaume skin). Three days later he was promoted captain and appointed a flight commander. His official tally was six German aircraft destroyed—four fighters, an observation balloon, and an unidentified observation plane—and he was wounded in action twice, by a bullet through the leg in March, and by shrapnel from anti-aircraft fire in May.
Black Falcon skin for Fighter (https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Black_Falcon): The Black Falcon is a villainous German fighter pilot and the primary antagonist in the WWI aerial combat film Flyboys. The Black Falcon, whose alias was due to the all-black triplane with a black falcon insignia he flew, was one of the most feared and skilled German aces in World War I, and was known to show no mercy to his enemies, even when they were downed on the ground and unable to protect themselves. Trivia: -The Black Falcon seems to be the antithesis of the stereotypical World War I fighter pilot, known to be chivalrous (reference the Revolver MK VI's Chivalry skin) and honorable to downed or unarmed enemies, as exemplified by the Falcon's comrade, Wolfert. -The Black Falcon wasn't in fact a real-life pilot and was based on the real-life Manfred Von Richthofen (reference to the Fighter's Red Baron skin), best known as "The Red Baron".
Bumble Bee skin for Fighter: triple question mark (???). https://www.ncpedia.org/aviation/copters-and-gliders William Luther Paul was known in his hometown of Davis as Mr. Fixit. This talented handyman made his own laborsaving tools for every use imaginable. In 1903, around the time that the Wright brothers were testing their flyer, Paul was experimenting with his Bumble Bee, a compound helicopter. Powered by an engine that Paul had made from four motorcycle engines bolted together, the machine had two four-blade rotors on top for vertical lift and a pulling propeller for forward flight. Paul tested his helicopter in an open-ended barn that functioned as a wind tunnel. In 1907 the Bumble Bee lifted about five feet while tethered to the ground and carrying sixty pounds of sandbags. There were several eyewitnesses. Paul planned to test it with himself as the pilot, but after reading about a fatal plane crash, his wife begged him not to continue the experiments. Paul abandoned his project, without any tangible proof of its success. http://beaufortartist.blogspot.com/2014/09/william-luther-paul-1869-1946.html Raymond and Fannie Paul's second son WILLIAM LUTHER PAUL (1869‒1946), inventor and entrepreneur, was born in Davis Shore, Carteret County. Though Luther had little formal education (7th grade), he had “a drive and curiosity for all things mechanical.” Among many inventions, Luther built flying machine "Bumble Bee." In 1908, after an Orville Wright test flight crashed and killed the passenger, Paul's family convinced him to stop work on what may have been America's first helicopter.
