Interesting History Behind BF1 Weapon Skin Names?
by HUN_gattaca_lgOriginal Post
M1917 Enfield skins:
Legendary: Company K, The Unknown Soldier
Distinguished: Cenotaph, Hurley
Special: Hellfire Junction, Jabal Canyon, Mametz, Shellshock
Company K skin for M1917 Enfield (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_March): William March (September 18, 1893 – May 15, 1954) was an American writer of psychological fiction and a highly decorated U.S. Marine (reference to the M1903's Marine skin). The author of six novels and four short-story collections, March was praised by critics but never attained great popularity. In 1917, while working in a Manhattan law office, he volunteered for the U.S. Marine Corps and saw action in World War I, for which he was decorated with some of the highest honors—the French Croix de Guerre, the American Distinguished Service Cross, and the U.S. Navy Cross. After the war he again worked in a law office before embarking on a financially successful business career. While working in business he began writing, first short stories, then in 1933 a novel based on his war experiences, Company K.
Mametz skin for M1917 Enfield (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Mametz): The Capture of Mametz took place on 1 July 1916, when the British Fourth Army attacked the German 2nd Army on the Western Front, during the first day of the Battle of the Somme. British and French attacks south of the Albert–Bapaume (reference to the MG15 n.A's Bapaume skin) road continued on 2 July and by 13 July had pushed up close to the German second position through Mametz Wood to the north of Mametz, ready for the Battle of Bazentin Ridge (reference to Madsen MG's The Bazentin Ridge skin) on 14 July, the 7th Division having been relieved by the 38th (Welsh) Division on 5 July.
Cenotaph skin for M1917 Enfield (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cenotaph): A cenotaph is an empty tomb or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although the vast majority of cenotaphs honour individuals, many noted cenotaphs are instead dedicated to the memories of groups of individuals, such as the lost soldiers of a country or of an empire. The cenotaph in Whitehall, London, designed in 1919 by Sir Edwin Lutyens, influenced the design of many other war memorials in Britain and in the British sectors of the Western Front, as well as those in other Commonwealth nations.
The Unknown Soldier skin for M1917 Enfield (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_the_Unknown_Soldier): A Tomb of the Unknown Soldier or Tomb of the Unknown Warrior is a monument dedicated to the services of an unknown soldier and to the common memories of all soldiers killed in war. Such tombs can be found in many nations and are usually high-profile national monuments. Throughout history, many soldiers have died in war with their remains being unidentified. Following World War I, a movement arose to commemorate these soldiers with a single tomb, containing the body of one such unidentified soldier. The Tombs of the Unknown Soldiers typically contain the remains of a soldier who is unidentified (or "known but to God" as the stone is sometimes inscribed). These remains are considered impossible to identify, and so serve as a symbol for all of a country's unknown dead wherever they fell in the war being remembered. The anonymity of the entombed soldier is the key symbolism of the monument; it could be the tomb of anyone who fell in service of the nation, and therefore serves as a monument symbolizing all of the sacrifices.
Hellfire Junction skin for M1917 Enfield (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellfire_Corner): Hellfire Corner was a junction in the Ypres Salient (reference to the M1907 Selfloading's Ypres skin) in the First World War. The main supplies for the British Army in this sector passed along the road from Ypres to Menin - the famous Menin Road. A section of the road was where the Sint-Jan-Zillebeke road and the Ypres-Roulers (Roeselare) railway (line 64) crossed the road. The German Army positions overlooked this spot and their guns were registered upon it so that movement through this junction was perilous, making it the most dangerous place in the sector. https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Argonne_Forest#Hellfire_Junction_Bridge The Hellfire Junction Bridge is located in the center of the Argonne Forest map and is the center point for most engagements. A railway runs across the two-arch bridge, subsequently allowing the Armored Train to directly influence the capture of this flag.
Hurley skin for M1917 Enfield (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Hurley): James Francis "Frank" Hurley (15 October 1885 – 16 January 1962) was an Australian photographer and adventurer. He participated in a number of expeditions to Antarctica and served as an official photographer with Australian forces during both world wars. He was the official photographer for the Australasian Antarctic Expedition and the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–16. Hurley’s most famous images, his view of Hellfire Corner (reference to the M1917 Enfield's Hellfire Junction skin) on the Menin Road, “the most dangerous place on the Western Front”, taken during the 3rd battle of Ypres in 1917.
Jabal Canyon skin for M1917 Enfield (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wadi_Rum): In the West, Wadi Rum may be best known for its connection with British officer T. E. Lawrence, who passed through several times during the Arab Revolt of 1917–18. In the 1980s one of the rock formations in Wadi Rum, originally known as "Jabal al-Mazmar" (The Mountain of (the) Plague), was named "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom," after Lawrence's book penned in the aftermath of the war, though the 'Seven Pillars' referred to in the book have no connection with Rum. Khaz'ali Canyon in Wadi Rum is the site of petroglyphs etched into the cave walls depicting humans and antelopes dating back to the Thamudic times. https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Sinai_Desert#Jabal_Canyon The Ammunition Depot is located in a gorge within the rocky crags of the south-west side of the Sinai Desert map. Surrounded from all sides by steep cliff faces, there are limited entryways into the capture zone, such as to the west, east and north-east, however an arched rock formation to the south produces a natural ramp for infantry to reach the top of the cliffs, and thus cover the objective from above.
Shellshock skin for M1917 Enfield (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_shock): Shell shock is a term that originated during World War I to describe the type of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that many soldiers experienced during the war, before PTSD was officially recognized. It is a reaction to the intensity of the bombardment and fighting that produced a helplessness, which could manifest as panic, fear, flight, or an inability to reason, sleep, walk or talk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvTRJZGWqF8
Russian 1895 Skins:
Legendary: The Medicine, The Teddy, The Vistula River
Distinguished: Grodno, Kopsodze, Pancho Villa, Rough Rider
Other: Desert Dweller
Desert Dweller skin for Russian 1895 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedouin): The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu (Arabic: بَدْو) are nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia. The Bedouin originated in the Syrian Desert and Arabian Desert but spread across the rest of the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa after the spread of Islam. The English word bedouin comes from the Arabic badawī, which means "desert dweller", and is traditionally contrasted with ḥāḍir, the term for sedentary people. During the First World War, the Negev Bedouin initially fought with the Ottomans against the British. However, under the influence of British agent T. E. Lawrence, the Bedouins switched side and fought against the Ottomans. Hamad Pasha al-Sufi (died 1923), Sheikh of the Nijmat sub-tribe of the Tarabin, led a force of 1,500 men who joined the Ottoman raid on the Suez Canal.
Pancho Villa skin for Russian 1895 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_Model_1895): The remaining 9,900 rifles were sold to M. Harley Company and most were shipped to Cuba in 1906. Some of these rifles found their way to Mexico, where they were favored by Pancho Villa’s troops during the Mexican Revolution. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancho_Villa Francisco "Pancho" Villa (born José Doroteo Arango Arámbula, 5 June 1878 – 20 July 1923) was a general in the Mexican Revolution. Angered at the U.S. aid to Carranza, Villa conducted a raid on the border town of Columbus (reference to the M1909 Benét-Mercié's Columbus skin), New Mexico to goad the U.S. into invading Mexico in 1916–17. Despite a major contingent of soldiers and superior military technology, the U.S. failed to capture Villa.
The Vistula River skin for Russian 1895 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Vistula_River): The Battle of the Vistula River (29 September – 31 October 1914), also known as the Battle of Warsaw, was a Russian victory against the German Empire and Austria-Hungary on the Eastern Front during the First World War.
Kopsodze skin for Russian 1895 (German Infantryman vs Russian Infantryman: 1914–15 by Robert Forczyk) 31 October 1914: The Battle of Kopsodze (now Kaupiškiai, Lithuania). 27th Infantry Division mounts a night attack against a regiment from I. Reservekorps, which has advanced across the border into Lithuania. However, the Germans are alert and repel the attack.
Grodno skin for Russian 1895 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grodno): Grodno (Russian: Гродно, Polish: Grodno; Lithuanian: Gardinas) or Hrodna (Belarusian: Гродна) is a city in western Belarus. The city is located on the Neman River, 300 kilometres (190 mi) from Minsk, about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the border with Poland, and 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the border with Lithuania. After the outbreak of World War I, Grodno was occupied by Germany (3 September 1915) and ceded by Bolshevist Russia under the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1918. After the war the German government permitted a short-lived state to be set up there, the first one with a Belarusian name—the Belarusian People's Republic. This declared its independence from Russia in March 1918 in Minsk (known at that time as Mensk), but then the BNR's Rada (Council) had to leave Minsk and fled to Grodno. All this time the military authority in the city remained in German hands.
The Teddy and Rough Rider skins for Russian 1895 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt): Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26th president of the United States from 1901 to 1909. With the beginning of the Spanish–American War in late April 1898, Roosevelt resigned from his post as Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Along with Army Colonel Leonard Wood, he formed the First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. Referred to by the press as the "Rough Riders", the regiment was one of many temporary units active only for the duration of the war. Under Roosevelt's leadership, the Rough Riders became famous for the charge up Kettle Hill on July 1, 1898, while supporting the regulars. In 2001, Roosevelt was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions; he had been nominated during the war, but Army officials, annoyed at his grabbing the headlines, blocked it. In March 1917, Congress gave Roosevelt the authority to raise a maximum of four divisions similar to the Rough Riders, and Major Frederick Russell Burnham was put in charge of both the general organization and recruitment. However, President Wilson announced to the press that he would not send Roosevelt and his volunteers to France, but instead would send an American Expeditionary Force under the command of General John J. Pershing (reference to the M1917 MG's Black Jack skin). Roosevelt's youngest son, Quentin, a pilot with the American forces in France, was killed when shot down behind German lines on July 14, 1918, at the age of 20.
The Medicine skin for Russian 1895 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_Model_1895): Theodore Roosevelt took two M1895 rifles with him on his 1909 safari to East Africa, both in .405 Winchester. Additionally, Kermit Roosevelt accompanied his father on the trip and brought two more M1895 rifles; one was chambered in .405 Winchester, and the other in .30-03 Springfield. Theodore Roosevelt praised the .405 M1895 in his book African Game Trails, famously referring to this rifle as his "'medicine gun' for lions".
Howell Automatic Skins:
Legendary: The Dead Kings, Flora Sandes, The Sacred Twenty
Distinguished: Haverfield, Higbee
Special: Delville Wood, Endurance, Mocheni, Rostov
Flora Sandes skin for Howell Automatic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flora_Sandes): Flora Sandes (22 January 1876 – 24 November 1956) was a British woman who served as a member of the Royal Serbian Army in World War I. She was the only British woman officially to serve as a soldier in that war. Initially a St. John Ambulance volunteer, she travelled to the Kingdom of Serbia, where she was welcomed and formally enrolled in the Serbian army. She was subsequently promoted to the rank of Sergeant major, and, after the war, to Captain. She was decorated with seven medals. With Evelina Haverfield (reference to the Howell Automatic's Haverfield skin) Sandes founded the Hon. Evelina Haverfield's and Sergt-Major Flora Sandes' Fund for Promoting Comforts for Serbian Soldiers and Prisoners.
Haverfield skin for Howell Automatic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evelina_Haverfield): Evelina Haverfield (9 August 1867 – 21 March 1920) was a British suffragette and aid worker. In the early 20th century, she was involved in Emmeline Pankhurst's militant women's suffrage organisation the Women's Social and Political Union. During World War I she worked as a nurse in Serbia. After the war, she returned to Serbia with her companion Vera Holme to set up an orphanage in Bajina Bašta, a town in the west of the country.
The Sacred Twenty skin for Howell Automatic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Twenty): The Sacred Twenty were a group of nurses who were the first female members to ever formally serve in the United States Navy representing the Nurse Corps. Officially formed in 1908, the Sacred Twenty made broad contributions during wartime, not only including training of field nurses and disease treatment, but also providing education programs for nurses abroad and professional publications to the field of nursing.
Higbee skin for Howell Automatic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenah_Higbee): Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (May 18, 1874 – January 10, 1941) was a pioneering Canadian-born United States Navy military nurse, who served as Superintendent of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps during World War I. She is best known for being the first female recipient of the Navy Cross. In October 1908, she joined the newly established U.S. Navy Nurse Corps as one of its first twenty members. These nurses, who came to be called "The Sacred Twenty" (reference to Howell Automatic's The Sacred Twenty skin), were the first women to formally serve as members of the Navy. In 1945, the USS Higbee became the first fighting ship to be named after a woman in the service.
Delville Wood skin for Howell Automatic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Delville_Wood): The Battle of Delville Wood (15 July – 3 September 1916) was a series of engagements in the 1916 Battle of the Somme in the First World War, between the armies of the German Empire and the British Empire. Delville Wood (Bois d'Elville), was a thick tangle of trees, chiefly beech and hornbeam (the wood has been replanted with oak and birch by the South African government), with dense hazel thickets, intersected by grassy rides, to the east of Longueval. As part of a general offensive starting on 14 July, which became known as the Battle of Bazentin Ridge (reference to the Madsen MG's The Bazentin Ridge skin), General Douglas Haig, Commander of the British Expeditionary Force, intended to capture the German second position between Delville Wood and Bazentin le Petit. Most attacks were defeated by defensive firepower and the effects of inclement weather, which frequently turned the battlefield into a mud slough. Delville Wood is well preserved with the remains of trenches, a museum and a monument to the South African Brigade at the Delville Wood South African National Memorial.
Rostov skin for Howell Automatic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rostov-on-Don): Rostov-on-Don (Russian: Росто́в-на-Дону́) is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East European Plain on the Don River, 32 kilometers (20 mi) from the Sea of Azov, directly north of the North Caucasus. During World War I Rostov-on-Don was briefly occupied by the Germans and Austrians, during 1918. During the Russian Civil War, the Whites and the Reds contested Rostov-on-Don, then the most heavily industrialized city of South Russia. https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/%C5%81upk%C3%B3w_Pass#Rostov's_Hold A castle at the Russian end of the Łupków Pass map, atop the western slopes. In spite of its state of disrepair, the castle sits atop a stepped hill, commanding a significant view over the nearby inclines and the low ground near Narev Depot.
Mocheni skin for Howell Automatic (https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valle_dei_Mocheni): Durante la prima guerra mondiale la valle viene toccata dalle operazioni militari (lo scrittore Robert Musil vi combatté in qualità di tenente dell'esercito austroungarico, esperienza che ricorderà nei suoi diari e in alcune novelle e poesie). In particolare la novella dal titolo italiano Grigia è ambientata in quella che lo scrittore per primo definisce "valle incantata". https://www.cultura.trentino.it/eng/Further-reading/Robert-Musil-in-valle-dei-Mocheni Robert Musil (Klagenfurt, 1880 - Geneva, 1942), being second lieutenant and then lieutenant, in September 1914 was sent to the southern frontline, initially around Stelvio, then in Levico. The day before Italy went to war, on the 23rd of May 1915 he was posted to the sector of Palù dei Mocheni, where he stayed till August. The Valle dei Mocheni impressed Musil with all its peculiar features: the landscapes of the mountain peaks, the fields and woods, its inhabitants and their daily activities, their homes and languages, the mining history which has marked both places and legends. From the reworked version and examinations of his Diaries he wrote "Grigia", a short story set in Palù di Fersina and published in 1921. https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Monte_Grappa#Mocheni_Turret Back uphill on the southwest side of the mountain (Monte Grappa map) is Mocheni Turret. As with San Rocco, the objective cannot be captured from below and features an expanded capture area that now includes the orphaned, curved trench lines on the southwest side of the summit.
The Dead Kings skin for Howell Automatic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Ledwidge): Francis Edward Ledwidge (19 August 1887 – 31 July 1917) was a 20th-century Irish poet. From Slane, County Meath, and sometimes known as the "poet of the blackbirds", he was later also known as a First World War war poet. He befriended the established writer Lord Dunsany, who helped with publication of his works. He was killed in action at Ypres in 1917. The Dead Kings, a poem by Francis Ledwidge, read by Anthony Murphy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG8HzEiBBGg
Endurance skin for Howell Automatic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endurance_(1912_ship) Endurance was the three-masted barquentine in which Sir Ernest Shackleton and a crew of 27 men sailed for the Antarctic on the 1914–1917 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. The ship, originally named Polaris, was built at Framnæs shipyard and launched in 1912 from Sandefjord in Norway. After her commissioners could no longer pay the shipyard, the ship was bought by Shackleton in January 1914 for the expedition, which would be her first voyage. A year later, she became trapped in pack ice and finally sank in the Weddell Sea off Antarctica on 21 November 1915. On 13 November, a new pressure wave swept through the pack ice. The forward topgallant mast and topmasts collapsed as the bow was finally crushed. These moments were recorded on film by expedition photographer Frank Hurley (reference to the M1917 Enfield's Hurley skin).
M1909 Benét-Mercié skins:
Legendary: The Daylight Gun, The Foch, La Grand Griffon
Distinguished: Columbus, Le Cateau, Pomeroy, Verdun
Columbus skin for M1909 Benét-Mercié (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotchkiss_M1909_Ben%C3%A9t%E2%80%93Merci%C3%A9_machine_gun): U.S. forces used the Benét–Mercié at the Battle of Columbus in 1916 (4 guns fired 20,000 rounds total in the engagement), in the subsequent Pancho Villa Expedition (reference to Russian 1895's Pancho Villa skin) in Mexico of 1916–17, and initially in France. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Columbus_(1916) The Battle of Columbus (Burning of Columbus or the Columbus Raid), March 9, 1916, began as a raid conducted by remnants of Pancho Villa's Division of the North on the small United States border town of Columbus, New Mexico, located 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the border with Mexico. The raid escalated into a full-scale battle between Villistas and the United States Army. Villa himself led the assault, only to be driven back into Mexico by elements of the 13th Cavalry Regiment stationed at the town. The Battle of Columbus resulted in the creation of the Punitive Expedition led by General John J. Pershing (reference to the M1917 MG's Black Jack skin) to track down and capture or kill Villa or disperse the attackers.
The Daylight Gun skin for M1909 Benét-Mercié (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotchkiss_M1909_Ben%C3%A9t%E2%80%93Merci%C3%A9_machine_gun): On the American guns, firing pins and extractors broke frequently. Some members of the U.S. press derisively called the M1909 the "daylight gun" because of the difficulty in replacing broken parts at night and jams caused when a loading strip was inserted upside down in darkness. Major Julian Hatcher was assigned to look into the issue after Columbus and found almost all the issues were due to inadequate training. U.S. troops during the Villa Expedition received additional training and the M1909 was considered an effective weapon.
Pomeroy skin for M1909 Benét-Mercié (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomeroy_bullet): The Pomeroy bullet was designed by New Zealander John Pomeroy (1873–1950) as an anti-zeppelin weapon. Pomeroy bullets were supposed to explode when encountering the minimal resistance of fabric envelopes containing hydrogen gas holding the zeppelin aloft. The explosion might produce a larger hole in the fabric than the small diameter bullet and the energy of the explosion might ignite the hydrogen in the presence of atmospheric oxygen outside of the envelope. After inconclusive comparative testing, aircraft machine gun magazines for anti-Zeppelin missions were loaded with a mix of Pomeroy bullets, Brock bullets (reference to Huot Automatic Rifle's Brock skin) containing potassium chlorate explosive and incendiary Buckingham bullets (reference to the SMLE MKIII's Buckingham Mark I skin) containing pyrophoric yellow phosphorus (reference to BAR M1918's Phosphorus skin). There was disagreement about which bullet type might have ignited the comparatively few Zeppelins destroyed by fighter aircraft.
Le Cateau skin for M1909 Benét-Mercié (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Le_Cateau): The Battle of Le Cateau was fought on the Western Front during the First World War on 26 August 1914. The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and the French Fifth Army had retreated after their defeats at the Battle of Charleroi (reference to the Selbstlader 1906's Charleroi skin) and the Battle of Mons (reference to Selbstlader 1906's The Hound of Mons skin). The British II Corps fought a delaying action at Le Cateau to slow the German pursuit. Most of the BEF was able to continue its retreat to Saint-Quentin.
Verdun skin for M1909 Benét-Mercié (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verdun): Verdun (official name before 1970 Verdun-sur-Meuse) is a large city in the Meuse department (reference to the M1897 Shotgun's Meuse skin) in Grand Est, northeastern France. Verdun was the site of a major battle (21 February – 18 December 1916), the longest-lasting of the First World War. One of the costliest battles in military history, Verdun exemplified the policy of a "war of attrition" pursued by both sides, which led to an enormous loss of life and very large casualty lists. Verdun was the strongest point in pre-war France, ringed by a string of powerful forts, including Douaumont (reference to the Sjögren Inertial's Douaumont skin) and Fort Vaux (reference to the Model 10-A's Vaux skin).
La Grand Griffon skin for M1909 Benét-Mercié (Dogs of All Nations by Walter Esplin Mason, 1915): A Grand Griffon Vendéen is a breed of hunting dog originating in France. It was the first of the Vendée griffons to be bred from the Greffier whose lineage dates back to the 16th Century. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Briquet_Griffon_Vend%C3%A9en A Briquet Griffon Vendéen is a breed of hunting dog originating in France. Prior to the first World War it was bred down in size by the Comte d’Elva from the Grand Griffon Vendéen. The Briquet Griffon Vendéen was almost extinct after World War II, but thanks to the effort of Hubert Dezamy, a French dog show judge, the breed was restored.
The Foch skin for M1909 Benét-Mercié skin (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Foch): Ferdinand Foch (2 October 1851 – 20 March 1929) was a French general and military theorist who served as the Supreme Allied Commander during the First World War. An aggressive, even reckless commander at the First Marne, Flanders (reference to the Artillery Truck's Flanders skin) and Artois campaigns of 1914–1916, Foch became the Allied Commander-in-Chief in late March 1918 in the face of the all-out German spring offensive (reference to MP18's The Kaiserschlacht skin), which pushed the Allies back using fresh soldiers and new tactics that trenches could not withstand. He successfully coordinated the French, British and American efforts into a coherent whole, deftly handling his strategic reserves. He stopped the German offensive and launched a war-winning counterattack.
M1903 skins:
Legendary: The Devil Dog, The Eisenhower, The Hartney
Distinguished: Belleau Wood, Bois de Cunel, Camp Perry, Marine
Marine skin for M1903 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1903_Springfield): In service, the Springfield was generally prized for its reliability and accuracy, though some problems remained. The precision rear aperture sight was located too far from the eye for efficient use, and the narrow, unprotected front sight was both difficult to see in poor light and easily damaged. The Marine Corps issued the Springfield with a sight hood to protect the front sight, along with a thicker front blade. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Marine_Corps During World War I, Marines served as a part of the American Expeditionary Force under General John J. Pershing (reference to the M1917 MG's Black Jack skin) when America entered into the war on 6 April 1917. The Marine Corps had a deep pool of officers and non-commissioned officers with battle experience and thus experienced a large expansion. The U.S. Marine Corps entered the war with 511 officers and 13,214 enlisted personnel and by 11 November 1918 had reached a strength of 2,400 officers and 70,000 enlisted.
Belleau Wood skin for M1903 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Belleau_Wood): The Battle of Belleau Wood (1–26 June 1918) occurred during the German spring offensive (reference to MP18's The Kaiserschlact skin) in World War I, near the Marne River in France. The battle was fought between the U.S. 2nd (under the command of Major General Omar Bundy) and 3rd Divisions (reference to Model 10-A's The Rock of the Marne skin) along with French and British forces against an assortment of German units including elements from the 237th, 10th, 197th, 87th, and 28th Divisions. The battle has become a key component in the lore of the United States Marine Corps (reference to the M1903's Marine skin).
The Devil Dog skin for M1903 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Belleau_Wood): Legend and lore has it that the Germans used the term Teufelshunde ('devil dogs') for the Marines (reference to the M1903's Marine skin). However, this has not been confirmed, as the term was not commonly known in contemporary German. The closest common German term would be Höllenhunde which means 'hellhound'. Regardless of the term's origin, ten years after the Battle of Belleau Wood, Lieutenant Colonel Ernst Otto, from the Historical Section of the German Army, wrote of the Marine Corps: "Their fiery advance and great tenacity were well recognized by their opponents.
Bois de Cunel skin for M1903 (http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/cunel.htm): On October 4, 1918, the 2nd Battalion of the 30th Infantry [3rd Division] (reference to Model 10-A's The Rock of the Marne skin) was in reserve in the Bois de Cunel [5 miles north of Montfaucon (reference to the BAR M1918's Bois de Montfaucon skin) and 2 miles southeast of Romagne]. On the previous day, as an assault unit, it had reached the north edge of the wood and was therefore somewhat familiar with the terrain beyond. arly on the 10th the 1st Battalion of the 30th Infantry had attacked to the north, but after advancing a short distance had been pinned to the ground in front of a German trench located north of the Bois de Cunel. It was ordered to withdraw to the woods, reorganize and resume the attack at 7:30 p.m., assisted by a new artillery preparation. The withdrawal began shortly after dark, but in the process the battalion became so disorganized that it was unable to launch the attack at the designated hour.
Camp Perry skin for M1903 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Perry): Camp Perry is a National Guard training facility located on the shore of Lake Erie in northern Ohio near Port Clinton. In addition to its regular mission as a military training base, Camp Perry also boasts the second largest outdoor rifle range in the world after the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, NM. The firing is done in the direction of the open water of the lake, that lies just beyond an earthen berm and the targets. During World War I, Camp Perry served as a training center for Army officers and marksmanship instructors. Around 1918 an additional area immediately adjacent to the existing Camp Perry grounds was used to construct the Erie Army Depot for artillery ordnance storage. Camp Perry has been the host of the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) and the NRA-sponsored National Rifle Matches since 1907. The National Matches, considered America's "World Series of the Shooting Sports," attracts shooting sports competitors from all across the world to compete in matches of all multitudes.
The Hartney skin for M1903 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Evans_Hartney): Harold Evans Hartney (April 19, 1888 – October 5, 1945) was a Canadian-born World War I flying ace who served in the Royal Flying Corps and then in the United States Army Air Service, credited with seven confirmed and one unconfirmed aerial victories.
The Eisenhower skin for M1903 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_D._Eisenhower): Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. Eisenhower served initially in logistics and then the infantry at various camps in Texas and Georgia until 1918. His unit was later ordered to France, but, to his chagrin, he received orders for the new tank corps, where he was promoted to brevet lieutenant colonel in the National Army. He commanded a unit that trained tank crews at Camp Colt – his first command – at the site of "Pickett's Charge" on the Gettysburg Civil War battleground. Though Eisenhower and his tank crews never saw combat, he displayed excellent organizational skills as well as an ability to accurately assess junior officers' strengths and make optimal placements of personnel. His new expertise in tank warfare was strengthened by a close collaboration with George S. Patton (reference to the 1903 Hammerless's Patton skin), Sereno E. Brett, and other senior tank leaders. Their leading-edge ideas of speed-oriented offensive tank warfare were strongly discouraged by superiors, who considered the new approach too radical and preferred to continue using tanks in a strictly supportive role for the infantry. Eisenhower was even threatened with court-martial for continued publication of these proposed methods of tank deployment, and he relented.
MP 18 skins:
Legendary: Der Weimaraner, The Hutier, The Kaiserschlacht, The Selle, Siegfriedstellung
Distinguished: Breakthrough Muller, Canal du Nord, Hazebrouck, Ramscapelle
Ramscapelle skin for MP 18 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nieuwpoort,_Belgium): Nieuwpoort is a city and municipality located in Flanders (reference to the Artillery Truck's Flanders skin), one of the three regions of Belgium, in the province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the town of Nieuwpoort proper, as well as Ramskapelle and Sint-Joris. During the Battle of the Yser, part of the First Battle of Ypres (reference to the M1907 Selfloading's Ypres skin) in World War I, Hendrik Geeraert opened the sluice gates on the mouth of the river Yser twice to flood the lower lying land, thus halting the German advance. Two World War I monuments, the Nieuport Memorial and King Albert I Memorial, are in close proximity of the Ganzepoot.
The Kaiserschlacht skin for MP 18 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP_18): The MP 18 served in the final stages of World War I in 1918, especially in the Kaiserschlacht offensive. More than 25,000 were produced, until the Treaty of Versailles banned German production of military submachine guns in 1920. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_spring_offensive The German spring offensive, or Kaiserschlacht ("Kaiser's Battle"), also known as the Ludendorff offensive (reference to the C96 Pistol's Ludendorff skin), was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during the First World War, beginning on 21 March 1918. Following American entry into the war in April 1917, the Germans decided that their only remaining chance of victory was to defeat the Allies before the United States could ship soldiers across the Atlantic and fully deploy its resources. The German Army had gained a temporary advantage in numbers as nearly 50 divisions had been freed by the Russian defeat and withdrawal from the war with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. There were four German offensives, codenamed Michael, Georgette, Gneisenau (reference to the P08 Pistol's Count Gneisenau skin), and Blücher-Yorck.
Hazebrouck skin for MP 18 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazebrouck): Hazebrouck is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France. It was a small market town in Flanders (reference to the Artillery Truck's Flanders skin) until it became an important railway junction in the 1860s. World War I, Fourth Battle of Ypres and Hazebrouck: An attack by the German army was proposed in October 1917 by the Army Group Commander Field Marshal Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria (reference to the Selbstlader M1916's Kronprinz skin) as a large-scale attack either carried by itself or as an attack to relieve pressure on the German Front. Rupprecht's Army Group held the German Front in Flanders and Picardy; his command covered the Belgian coast to Ypres (reference to the M1907 Selfloading's Ypres skin) and on to Armentières. The operation was given the codename of "George" and plans were submitted for an offensive attack between Ypres and Bethune. The breakthrough would be made in the British Front just south of the Belgian-French border in the Lys river area with the intention to get past the Allied Front there and advance to Hazebrouck.
The Hutier skin for MP 18 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oskar_von_Hutier): Oskar Emil von Hutier (27 August 1857 – 5 December 1934) was a German general during the First World War. He served in the German Army from 1875 to 1919, including war service. During the war, he commanded the army that took Riga, Russian Republic, in 1917. The following year he was transferred to the Western Front to participate in Operation Michael that year. He is frequently but mistakenly credited with having created the stormtrooper tactics of small, rapid forces, which he employed to great effect during the Michael offensive. These tactics had been developed by other officers on the Western Front before he was reassigned there.
Breakthrough Muller skin for MP 18 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Bruchm%C3%BCller): Georg Bruchmüller (11 December 1863 – 26 January 1948) was a German artillery officer who greatly influenced the development of modern artillery tactics. He was nicknamed Durchbruchmüller, a combination of the German word Durchbruch (breakthrough) with his name. Bruchmüller commanded the artillery of the 8th Army (General Oskar von Hutier) (reference to MP 18's The Hutier skin) in the victory at Riga in September 1917. The 8th Army moved west soon thereafter and, in the first months of 1918, Bruchmüller's techniques were taught to gunners at a special school in Belgium before the German spring offensive of 1918 (reference to MP 18's The Kaiserschlacht skin). Infantry officers were also taught his methods and there were joint infantry-artillery exercises with live ammunition, with advances shielded by the creeping barrage. The first attack, Operation Michael, began with a barrage of 3.5 million shells in five hours, almost 200 shells a second.
Siegfriedstellung skin for MP 18 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindenburg_Line): The Hindenburg Line (German: Siegfriedstellung, Siegfried Position) was a German defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front during the First World War. The line ran from Arras (reference to the Lewis Gun's Arras skin) to Laffaux, near Soissons on the Aisne. The Hindenburg Line, built behind the Noyon Salient, was to replace the old front line as a precaution against a resumption of the Battle of the Somme in 1917. By wasting the intervening ground, the Germans could delay a spring offensive in 1917. A shortened front could be held with fewer troops and with tactical dispersal, reverse-slope positions, defence in depth and camouflage, German infantry could be conserved. The retirement to the Hindenburg Line (Alberich Bewegung/Operation Alberich/Alberich Manoeuvre) took place from February to March 1917. The Hindenburg Line was attacked several times in 1917, notably at St Quentin, Bullecourt (reference to the Revolver MK VI's Bloody Bullecourt skin), the Aisne and Cambrai and was broken in September 1918 during the Hundred Days Offensive.
Canal du Nord skin for MP 18 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Canal_du_Nord): The Battle of Canal du Nord was part of the Hundred Days Offensive of the First World War by the Allies against German positions on the Western Front. The battle took place in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, along an incomplete portion of the Canal du Nord and on the outskirts of Cambrai between 27 September and 1 October 1918. To prevent the Germans from sending reinforcements against one attack, the assault along the Canal du Nord was part of a sequence of Allied attacks at along the Western Front. The attack began the day after the Meuse-Argonne Offensive commenced, a day before an offensive in Belgian Flanders and two days before the Battle of St. Quentin Canal.
The Selle skin for MP 18 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Selle): The Battle of the Selle (17–25 October 1918) was a battle between Allied forces and the German Army, fought during the Hundred Days Offensive of World War I. By 11 October, the Fourth Army had closed up on the retreating Germans near Le Cateau (reference to the M1909 Benet Mercie's Le Cateau skin), with the Germans taking up a new position, immediately to the east of the Selle River. General Henry Rawlinson was faced with three problems: crossing the river, the railway embankment on the far side and the ridge above the embankment. The decision was made to commence the assault at night, and as the river was not very wide at this point, planks would be used for the soldiers to cross in single file. Later, pontoons would be required for the artillery to cross the river. https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Battle_of_the_Selle_(Codex_Entry) Battle of the Selle is a Codex Entry featured in Battlefield 1, introduced in the July 2017 update. It is unlocked by winning one game on Giant's Shadow.
Der Weimaraner skin for MP 18 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weimaraner): The Weimaraner is a large dog that was originally bred as a hunting dog in the early 19th century. Early Weimaraners were used by royalty for hunting large game such as boar, bear and deer. As the popularity of hunting large game began to decline, Weimaraners were used for hunting smaller animals like fowl, rabbits and foxes. The name comes from the Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Karl August, whose court, located in the city of Weimar (now in the state of Thuringia in modern-day Germany), enjoyed hunting. The Weimaraner was kept in the Weimar court in the 19th century and carried a good deal of Leithound ancestry. Two theories propose that they descended from the Chien-gris, or from the St. Hubert hound, whose descendant is the bloodhound (reference to Martini-Henry's The Bloodhound skin). The breed arrived to America in the late 1920s, and its popularity increased in the 1950s, largely because of celebrities like Grace Kelly, President Dwight D. Eisenhower (reference to the M1903's The Eisenhower skin), and * Clark.
SMLE MKIII skins:
Legendary: The Black Watch, The Corbett, The Fuller, The Pegahmagabow
Distinguished: Buckingham Mark I, Jericho, Lone Pine, The Silent One
Buckingham Mark I skin for SMLE MKIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.303_British): Tracer and armour-piercing cartridges were introduced during 1915, with explosive Pomeroy bullets (reference to the M1909 Benét-Mercié's Pomeroy skin) introduced as the Mark VII.Y in 1916. Several incendiaries were privately developed from 1914 to counter the Zeppelin threat but none were approved until the Brock design late in 1916 as BIK Mark VII.K Wing Commander Frank Brock RNVR (reference to the Huot Automatic Rifle's Brock skin), its inventor, was a member of the Brock fireworks-making family. Anti-zeppelin missions typically used machine guns loaded with a mixture of Brock bullets containing potassium chlorate, Pomeroy bullets containing dynamite, and Buckingham bullets containing pyrophoric yellow phosphorus (reference to the BAR M1918's Phosphorus skin).
The Black Watch skin for SMLE MKIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Watch): The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The regiment was created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, when the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot (The Black Watch) was amalgamated with the 73rd (Perthshire) Regiment of Foot. It was known as The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) from 1881 to 1931 and The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) from 1931 to 2006. The force was known in Gaelic as Am Freiceadan Dubh, "the dark" or "black watch". This epithet may have come from the uniform plaids of dark tartan with which the companies were provided. Other theories have been put forward; for instance, that the name referred to the "black hearts" of the pro-government militia who had sided with the "enemies of true Highland spirit", or that it came from their original duty in policing the Highlands, namely preventing "blackmail" (Highlanders demanding extortion payments to spare cattle herds). The Black Watch fielded 25 battalions and lost 8,390 officers and other ranks during the course of the First World War.
Lone Pine skin for SMLE MKIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lone_Pine): The Battle of Lone Pine (also known as the Battle of Kanlı Sırt) was fought between Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) and Ottoman Empire forces during the Gallipoli Campaign of the First World War, between 6 and 10 August 1915. The battle was part of a diversionary attack to draw Ottoman attention away from the main assaults being conducted by British, Indian and New Zealand troops around Sari Bair (reference to the Martini-Henry's Sari Bair Ridge skin), Chunuk Bair and Hill 971, which became known as the August Offensive. Nevertheless, despite the Australian victory, the wider August Offensive of which the attack had been a part failed and a situation of stalemate developed around Lone Pine which lasted until the end of the campaign in December 1915 when Allied troops were evacuated from the peninsula.
Jericho skin for SMLE MKIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Jericho): The Capture of Jericho occurred between 19 and 21 February 1918 to the east of Jerusalem beginning the Occupation of the Jordan Valley during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War. Fighting took place in an area bordered by the Bethlehem–Nablus road in the west, the Jordan River in the east, and north of a line from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea. Here a British Empire force attacked Ottoman positions, forcing them back to Jericho and eventually across the Jordan River. Winter rains put an end to campaigning after the advance from the Gaza–Beersheba line to the capture of Jerusalem in December 1917. This lull in the fighting offered the opportunity for the captured territories to be consolidated. Extensive developments were also required along the lines of communication to ensure that front-line troops were adequately supplied, approximately 150 miles (240 km) from their main bases at Moascar and Kantara (reference to the Revolver MK VI's Kantara skin) on the Suez Canal.
The Silent One skin for SMLE MKIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivor_Gurney): Ivor Bertie Gurney (28 August 1890 – 26 December 1937) was an English poet and composer, particularly of songs. He was born and raised in Gloucester. He suffered from bipolar disorder through much of his life and spent his last 15 years in psychiatric hospitals. Gurney's studies were interrupted by World War I, when he enlisted as a private soldier in the Gloucestershire Regiment in February 1915. At the front, he began writing poetry seriously, sending his efforts to his friend, the musicologist and critic Marion Scott, who worked with Gurney as his editor and business manager. He was in the midst of writing the poems for what would become his first book, Severn and Somme, when he was wounded in the shoulder in April 1917. He recovered and returned to battle, still working on his book and composing music, including the songs "In Flanders" and "By A Bierside". In the meantime, Gurney was gassed in September the same year and sent to the Edinburgh War Hospital, where he met and fell in love with a VAD nurse, Annie Nelson Drummond, but the relationship later broke down. Gurney slowly regained some of his emotional stability and in October 1918 was honourably discharged from the army. Gurney received an unconventional diagnosis of nervous breakdown from "deferred" shell shock (reference to the M1917 Enfield's Shellshock skin). The following poems provide an introduction to his work: "The Silent One" – An account of a moment of terror during a battle.
The Fuller skin for SMLE MKIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._F._C._Fuller): Major-General John Frederick Charles "Boney" Fuller (1 September 1878 – 10 February 1966) was a senior British Army officer, military historian, and strategist, known as an early theorist of modern armoured warfare, including categorising principles of warfare. With 45 books and many articles, he was a highly prolific author whose ideas reached army officers and the interested public. Fuller emphasised the potential of new weapons, especially tanks and aircraft, to stun a surprised enemy psychologically. During the First World War, Fuller was a staff officer with the Home Forces and with VII Corps in France, and from 1916 in the Headquarters of the Machine-Gun Corps' Heavy Branch which was later to become the Tank Corps. He helped plan the tank attack at the 20 November 1917 Battle of Cambrai and the tank operations for the Autumn offensives of 1918. His Plan 1919 for a fully mechanised offensive against the German army was never implemented.
The Corbett skin for SMLE MKIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Corbett): Edward James Corbett (25 July 1875 – 19 April 1955) was an Indian-born British hunter, tracker, naturalist, and author who hunted a number of man-eating tigers and leopards in the Indian subcontinent. He held the rank of colonel in the British Indian Army and was frequently called upon by the Government of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, now the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, to kill man-eating tigers and leopards that were preying on people in the nearby villages of the Kumaon-Garhwal Regions. He authored Man-Eaters of Kumaon, Jungle Lore, and other books recounting his hunts and experiences, which enjoyed critical acclaim and commercial success. He became an avid photographer and spoke out for the need to protect India's wildlife from extermination.
The Pegahmagabow skin for SMLE MKIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Pegahmagabow): Francis Pegahmagabow (March 9, 1891 – August 5, 1952) was an Ojibwe soldier, politician and activist in Canada. He was the most highly decorated Indigenous soldier in Canadian military history and the most effective sniper of the First World War. Three times awarded the Military Medal and seriously wounded, he was an expert marksman and scout, credited with killing 378 Germans and capturing 300 more. Later in life, he served as chief and a councillor for the Wasauksing First Nation, and as an activist and leader in several First Nations organizations.
Sjögren Inertial skins:
Legendary: Le Mort-Homme, Thord-Grey
Distinguished: Carl Axel, Douaumont
Carl Axel skin for Sjögren Inertial (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sj%C3%B6gren_shotgun): The Sjögren Inertia Shotgun is a 12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun that was designed by the Swedish inventor Carl Axel Theodor Sjögren, initially manufactured by AB Svenska Vapen- och Ammunitionsfabriken in Sweden and then by Håndvåbenværkstederne Kjøbenhavn in Denmark. It used an inertia system later revived by the Italian firm Benelli and today widely used in shotguns. https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Sj%C3%B6gren_Inertial_Shotgun_(Codex_Entry) The Sjögren Inertia Shotgun is a 12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun designed by Swedish inventor Carl Axel Theodor Sjögren in 1900, making it one of the very first automatic shotguns ever - only just beaten by the American A5 desgined in 1899. Sjögren's shotgun used a novel inertia-based operating mechanism, an approach which was later revived by an Italian shotgun manufacturer and is widely used in semi-automatic shotguns today. Sjögren also designed a military rifle based on the same inertia mechanism, but it was never adopted and only ever manufactured in very few copies.
Le Mort-Homme skin for Sjögren Inertial (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Mort_Homme): The heights of Le Mort Homme or Dead Man's Hill (German: Toter Mann) lie within the French municipality of Cumières-le-Mort-Homme around 10 km (6 mi) north-west of the city of Verdun (reference to the M1909 Benét-Mercis's Verdun skin) in France. The hill became known during the Battle of Verdun during the First World War as the site of much fighting. The hill has two summits which are named after their height in metres: the northern crest is Côte 265 and the southern one is Côte 295. These names were not used at the time, setting aside that modern survey has measured their heights at 287 and 280 metres respectively. In late February 1916, following German attacks on the right bank of the River Meuse (reference to the M1897 Shotgun's Meuse skin) during the Battle of Verdun, the French had established artillery batteries on the hills on the left bank commanding the opposite, right-hand bank. Despite the cost, the Germans had identified in March that the key to taking Le Mort Homme was Côte 304 (reference to the Battle of Côte 304 skins), which dominated the approach to Le Mort Homme and was able to fire on the Germans attacking the hill.
Douaumont skin for Sjögren Inertial (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douaumont): Douaumont is a former commune in the Meuse (reference to the M1897 Shotgun's Meuse skin) department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Douaumont-Vaux. The village was totally destroyed during World War I. Today the Douaumont Ossuary (reference to RSC SMG's The Ossuary skin), which contains the remains of more than 100,000 unknown soldiers of both French and German nationalities found on the battlefield, stands high above the landscape. The Douaumont Fort was built south-east of the village. At the very beginning of the Battle of Verdun (February 1916) and due to French unpreparedness, the fort was easily captured by a small German raiding party. Douaumont was later recaptured by the French Army in October 1916, after major casualties on both sides.
Thord-Grey skin for Sjögren Inertial (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivor_Thord-Gray): Ivor Thord-Gray (born Thord Ivar Hallström) (April 17, 1878 – August 18, 1964) was a Swedish-born adventurer, sailor, prison guard, soldier, government official, police officer, rubber plantation owner, ethnologist, linguist, investor, and author. He participated in thirteen wars spanning the continents of Africa, Asia, North America, and Europe. In 1897 he enlisted in the Cape Mounted Riflemen as a Private and fought in the Boer War in 1899–1902. Joined Mexican Revolution as Captain and Commander of Pancho Villa's artillery (reference to the Russian 1895's Pancho Villa skin) in 1913. Joined British Army 1914, and served in the First World War. His initial rank was of Major and he was the second in command of 15th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. Lieutenant-Colonel in the Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force, which was deployed as part of the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War in 1918. Transferred to Russian "White" Army February 1919 as Colonel.
Mondragón skins:
Legendary: Ah Tabai, The Bogohl, The Mexican
Distinguished: Löwenhardt, Magnesium, Mesopolonica, Riesenflugzeug
The Mexican skin for Mondragón https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Mondrag%C3%B3n_(Codex_Entry) In 1908, the Mexican army was the first one in the world to officially adopt a semi-automatic rifle. The weapon was the Mondragón rifle, a gas-operated weapon patented the year before by a Mexican General. Since Mexico did not have the manufacturing capabilities to produce large batches of the Mondragón rifle, orders were instead issued to a Swiss manufacturer. However, because of political instability in Mexico at the time, only about 400 of the ordered rifles had been delivered to the Mexican army by 1910. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_Mondrag%C3%B3n Manuel Mondragón (1859–1922) was a Mexican military officer who played a prominent role in the Mexican Revolution. He graduated from the Mexican Military Academy as an artillery officer in 1880. He designed the world’s first gas-operated semi-automatic rifle, the M1908 rifle, and a 75mm howitzer.
Ah Tabai skin for Mondragón (https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ah_tabai): El Ah tabai, también llamado Ah-tabai o Itakay, es una criatura de la mitología maya, que tiene un poco de vigencia sobre todo en Cobá, Quintana Roo (México). La leyenda cuenta sobre la aparición de un hermoso hombre que se manifiesta por las noches, en la cual seduce a las mujeres para finalmente darles un destructivo final. A menudo representado con un elaborado tocado de maíz o una maceta con mazorcas de maíz en la mano, Yum Kaax fue posiblemente venerado tanto por agricultores como por cazadores. La primera conexión alude a cómo este dios maya también fue rezado como una deidad de la agricultura, tanto que muchos ofrecían sus primeras cosechas a la deidad del bosque. En cuanto al segundo, los cazadores tenían que ofrecer oraciones y rituales especiales para recibir el permiso y la guía de Yum Kaax para tener fortuna en la caza, especialmente cuando cazaban ciervos. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/415/the-mayan-pantheon-the-many-gods-of-the-maya/ The following list, then, is by no means comprehensive as far as defining every god the ancient Maya worshipped in every region, village, or city but attempts to be comprehensive in detailing as much as is presently known about the gods and hopes to do so concisely. Ah-Tabai: The god of the hunt and protector of animals.
Mesopolonica skin for Mondragón (https://www.daytranslations.com/blog/trench-talks-english/): Engaging in war is never a good thing, however, the trench talks that went on during the First World War had enriched the English vocabulary. Some of the common trench slang: -Mesopolonica. This term was a mix of Mesopotamia and Thessalonica, the word soldiers used when they did not know where they were sent, especially those that got stationed in the Middle East or the Balkans.
Riesenflugzeug skin for Mondragón (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riesenflugzeug): A Riesenflugzeug (plural Riesenflugzeuge, German for "giant aircraft"), sometimes colloquially referred to in English as an R-plane, was any member of a class of large World War I German bombers, possessing at least three aircraft engines, although usually four or more engines. These were large multi-engine aircraft capable of flying several hours with larger bomb loads than the smaller Grossflugzeug bombers such as the Gotha G.V. The Idflieg (Inspektion der Fliegertruppen (Inspection of the Air Force), the German Army department responsible for military aviation), assigned the letter R to this type of aircraft, which would then be followed by a period and a Roman numeral type number. Seaplanes were denoted by the addition of a lower case "s" after the "R" in the designation. The largest built, the Siemens-Schuckert R.VIII of 1918 had a wingspan of 48.0 m (157.5 ft).
The Bogohl skin for Mondragón (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kampfgeschwader): Kampfgeschwader are the German-language name for (air force) bomber units. In WW1, they were air squadrons, while in WW2, they were air wings. During World War I, Kampfgeschwader were specialized bomber units in the Luftstreitkräfte. Formally known as Kampfgeschwader der Obersten Heeresleitung, or Kagohl (reference to Selbstlader M1916's The Kagohl skin) for short, they were assets directly controlled by the Oberste Heeresleitung, the German Army's high command, rather than by army, corps, or division commanders. In 1917, the Kagohls were reorganized into Bombengeschwader der Obersten Heeresleitung (Bogohl) of three Bombenstaffeln 
, each of six heavy bombers and several additional light bombers.
Löwenhardt skin for Mondragón (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_Loewenhardt): Erich Loewenhardt (7 April 1897 – 10 August 1918) was a German soldier and military aviator who fought in the First World War and became a fighter ace credited with 54 confirmed aerial victories. Originally enlisting in an infantry regiment even though he was only 17, he fought in the Battle of Tannenberg (reference to the Madsen MG's Tannenberg skin), winning a battlefield commission on 2 October 1914. He would serve in the Carpathians and on the Italian Front before being medically discharged in mid-1915. Following a five month recuperation, Loewenhardt joined the Imperial German Air Service in 1916. After serving as an aerial observer and reconnaissance pilot, he underwent advanced training to become a fighter pilot with Jagdstaffel 10 in March 1917. Between 24 March 1917 and 10 August 1918, Loewenhardt shot down 45 enemy airplanes, as well as destroying nine observation balloons. Shortly after his final victory, he was killed in a collision with another German pilot.
Magnesium skin for Mondragón (https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/magnesium-from-the-sea-to-the-stars): Outside of the laboratory, magnesium was used almost exclusively for its illuminating properties, particularly as a flashbulb in photography. Although uses for the metal were initially limited, demand boomed with the outbreak of war. Magnesium found many uses in the trenches of Europe during World War I, particularly in the aptly named “star shells,” which were used to light up the battlefield at night. The element was also used in tracer bullets, flares, and incendiaries. Yet production outside of Germany remained small and sporadic until the British navy’s blockade of Germany forced American manufacturers into the business. Herbert H. Dow, founder of the Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan, was quick to answer the call.
Flakfire's question to Indy Neidell?
Gewehr 98 skins:
Legendary: Die Wilde Jagd, The Kaiser, Von Hausen
Distinguished: Jäger, Liège, Schwaben-Feste, von Schlieffen
Jäger skin for Gewehr 98 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%A4ger_(infantry) Jäger ("hunter") is a German military term referring to specific light infantry units. Jäger is usually translated into English as "rifleman" (in an infantry role) or "Rifles" (in regimental names). By the early twentieth century, Jäger units were part of the Imperial German, Austro-Hungarian, Swedish, Dutch and Norwegian armies. They corresponded to the rifles, light infantry, chasseurs à pied or bersaglieri (reference to the Cei-Rigotti's Bersaglieri skin) units of the British, French, Italian and other armies. While such units still enjoyed considerable prestige and high esprit de corps (reference to the Ribeyrolles 1918's Esprit de corps skin), their training, equipment and tactical roles had for the most part become aligned with those of the line infantry of their respective armies. Best known were the German Jäger units who were distinguished by their peace-time wear of dark green tunics and shakos (in contrast to the dark blue tunics and spiked helmets of most German infantry). During the early stages of World War I, the German Jäger maintained their traditional role as skirmishers and scouts, often in conjunction with cavalry units. With the advent of trench warfare, they were committed to an ordinary infantry role, integrated into divisions and lost their status as independent units. Cyclist Jäger served in the Balkan and Russian theatres of war, while Württemberg and Bavaria raised Ski-Jäger during the winter of 1914–15. Another specialist formation was the Jäger Storm Companies, serving as trench raiders during 1917–1918.
von Schlieffen skin for Gewehr 98 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_von_Schlieffen): Graf Alfred von Schlieffen, generally called Count Schlieffen (28 February 1833 – 4 January 1913) was a German field marshal and strategist who served as chief of the Imperial German General Staff from 1891 to 1906. His name lived on in the 1905–06 "Schlieffen Plan", then Aufmarsch I, a deployment plan and operational guide for a decisive initial offensive operation/campaign in a two-front war against the French Third Republic.
Liège skin for Gewehr 98 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li%C3%A8ge): Liège (Walloon: Lîdje; Dutch: Luik; German: Lüttich) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège. Liège's fortifications were redesigned by Henri Alexis Brialmont in the 1880s and a chain of twelve forts was constructed around the city to provide defence in depth. This presented a major obstacle to the Imperial German Army in 1914, whose Schlieffen Plan (reference to the Gewehr 98's von Schlieffen skin) relied on being able to quickly pass through the Meuse valley (reference to the M1897 Shotgun's Meuse skin) and the Ardennes en route to France. The German invasion of Belgium on 5 August 1914 soon reached Liège, which was defended by 30,000 troops under General Gérard Leman in the Battle of Liège. The forts initially held off General Alexander von Kluck's (reference to the SMG 08/18's Von Kluck skin) German First Army of about 100,000 men but were pulverised into submission by a five-day bombardment by heavy artillery, including thirty-two 21 cm mortars and two German 42 cm Big Bertha howitzers. Due to faulty planning of the protection of the underground defense tunnels beneath the main citadel, one direct artillery hit caused a huge explosion, which eventually led to the surrender of the Belgian forces. As part of Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg's (reference to Selbstlader M1916's The Chancellor skin) Septemberprogramm, Berlin planned to annexe Liege under the name Lüttich to the German Empire in any post-war peace agreement.
Von Hausen skin for Gewehr 98 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_von_Hausen): Max Clemens Lothar Freiherr von Hausen (December 17, 1846 – March 19, 1922) was a German army commander. He participated in the Austro-Prussian and Franco-German Wars and became Generaloberst of Saxon troops and War Minister in the Kingdom of Saxony. At the beginning of the First World War, he was the head of the Third Army which he led during the Battles of the Frontiers, Charleroi (reference to the Selbstlader 1906's Charleroi skin), and the Marne (reference to the Model 10-A's The Rock of the Marne skin). He was relieved of his command because of illness in September 1914.
Schwaben-Feste skin for Gewehr 98 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Schwaben_Redoubt): The Capture of Schwaben Redoubt (Schwaben-Feste) was a tactical incident in the Battle of the Somme (reference to the Auto revolver's Somme skin), 1916 during the First World War. The redoubt was a German strong point 500–600 yd (460–550 m) long and 200 yd (180 m) wide, built in stages since 1915, near the village of Thiepval and overlooking the River Ancre (reference to the RSC SMG's Ancre skin). It formed part of the German defensive system in the Somme sector of the Western Front during the First World War and consisting of a mass of machine-gun emplacements, trenches and dug-outs. The redoubt was defended by the 26th Reserve Division, from Swabia in south-west Germany, which had arrived in the area during the First Battle of Albert in 1914. Troops of the 36th (Ulster) Division captured the redoubt on 1 July 1916, until forced out by German artillery-fire and counter-attacks after dark.
The Kaiser skin for Gewehr 98 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_II,_German_Emperor): Wilhelm II or William II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 1859 – 4 June 1941) was the last German emperor (German: Kaiser) and king of Prussia from 15 June 1888 until his abdication on 9 November 1918. Despite strengthening the German Empire's position as a great power by building a powerful navy, his tactless public statements and erratic foreign policy greatly antagonized the international community and are considered by many to be one of the underlying causes of World War I. When the German war effort collapsed after a series of crushing defeats on the Western Front in 1918, he was forced to abdicate, thereby marking the end of the German Empire and the House of Hohenzollern's (reference to the LMG 08/18's Hohenzollern skin) 300-year reign in Prussia (reference to Parabellum MG14/17's The Prussian skin) and 500-year reign in Brandenburg.
Die Wilde Jagd skin Gewehr 98 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Hunt): The Wild Hunt is a folklore motif occurring across various northern European cultures. Wild Hunts typically involve a chase led by a mythological figure escorted by a ghostly or supernatural group of hunters engaged in pursuit. The leader of the hunt is often a named figure associated with Odin (reference to the Selbstlader M1916's Odin skin) in Germanic legends, but may variously be a historical or legendary figure like Theodoric the Great, the Danish king Valdemar Atterdag (reference to Madsen MG's The Atterdag skin), the dragon slayer Sigurd (reference to the Heavy Tank's Siegfried skin), the Welsh psychopomp Gwyn ap Nudd, biblical figures such as Herod, Cain, Gabriel, or the Devil, or an unidentified lost soul or spirit either male or female. The hunters are generally the souls of the dead or ghostly dogs, sometimes fairies, valkyries, or elves. Based on the comparative study of the German folklore, the phenomenon is often referred to as Wilde Jagd (German: 'Wild Hunt/chase') or Wütendes Heer ('Raging Host/army'). The Wild Hunt is the subject of Transcendental Étude No. 8 in C minor, "Wilde Jagd" (Wild Hunt) by Franz Liszt, and appears in Karl Maria von Weber's 1821 opera Der Freischütz and in Arnold Schönberg's (reference to the Maschinenpistole M1912/P.16's Schoenberg skin) oratorio Gurre-Lieder of 1911. In act 1 of Richard Wagner's 1870 opera Die Walküre (reference to the Selbstlader 1906's Die Walkure skin), Siegmund relates that he has been pursued by “Das wütende Heer”, which is an indication to the audience that it is Wotan himself who has called up the storm which has driven him (Siegmund) to Hunding's dwelling.
