Interesting History Behind BF1 Weapon Skin Names?
by HUN_gattaca_lgOriginal Post
Cei-Rigotti skins:
Legendary: The Duke of Aosta, The Kirkpatrick, La Bizzarrìa, The Piave
Distinguished: Amerigo, Bersaglieri, Capello, Monte Nero
Other: Fiamme Verdi
Amerigo skin for Cei-Rigotti (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cei-Rigotti): The Cei-Rigotti (also known as the Cei gas rifle) is an early automatic rifle created in the final years of the 19th century by Amerigo Cei-Rigotti, an officer in the Royal Italian Army. Although the rifle was never officially adopted by any military, it was tested extensively by the Italian Army during the lead-up to the First World War. The gun was supposedly presented by Cei-Rigotti to his superiors in a private demonstration in 1895. An Italian newspaper reported on this event in 1900. According to another source, a demonstration was actually held publicly in Rome on June 13, 1900, when 300 rounds were fired on full automatic before the gun got so hot it seized up. Yet another source mentions a demonstration in the same year at the Brescia Arsenal.
Bersaglieri skin for Cei-Rigotti (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bersaglieri): The Bersaglieri, singular Bersagliere, ("sharpshooter") are a troop of marksmen in the Italian Army's infantry corps. They were originally created by General Alessandro Ferrero La Marmora on 18 June 1836 to serve in the Royal Sardinian Army, which later became the Royal Italian Army. They can be recognized by their distinctive wide-brimmed hats decorated with black western capercaillie feathers, which is worn with the dress uniform. The feathers are also applied to their combat helmets. In World War I, some Bersaglieri served as bicycle troops, better to execute their mission of maneuver warfare. During World War I, the 12 existing Bersaglieri regiments were augmented by nine newly raised regiments and fought with distinction on the Italian Front. Of the 210,000 members of Bersaglieri regiments, 32,000 were killed and 50,000 wounded during the war. A contingent of Bersaglieri drawn from the autonomous battalions of the 1st Bersaglieri Regiment was sent to participate in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign in 1917, where they were attached to the Egyptian Expeditionary Force commanded by General Edmund Allenby.
Fiamme Verdi skin for Cei-Rigotti (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpini): The Alpini are the Italian Army's specialist mountain infantry. Part of the army's infantry corps, the speciality distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. Established in 1872, the Alpini are the oldest active mountain infantry in the world. Their original mission was to protect Italy's border with France and Austria-Hungary. During World War I they fought a three-year campaign on the Alps against Austro-Hungarian Kaiserjäger (reference to the M1914 Taschenpistol' Kaiserjäger skin) and the German Alpenkorps in what has since become known as the "War in snow and ice". On June 7, 1883, the green flames (Italian: "fiamme verdi") collar patch was introduced, thus making the Alpini officially a specialty within the Italian infantry corps. The Alpini were also distinguished by the green cuffs on the dark blue tunics worn for full dress and barrack dress until 1915, and by green piping on their light blue/grey trousers. When grey-green service uniforms were trialled by the Alpini in 1906, before being adopted by the entire army in 1909, the distinctive green collar patches and typical headdress were retained.
Capello skin for Cei-Rigotti (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luigi_Capello): Luigi Capello (14 April 1859, in Intra – 25 June 1941, in Rome) was an Italian general, distinguished in both the Italo-Turkish War (1911–12) and World War I. During World War I he was the commander of several Army corps and led the Italian troops that captured Gorizia (Sixth Battle of the Isonzo, reference to the Automatico M1918's Isonzo skin). In June 1917, he reached the apex of his military career when he took command of the Second Army (Italy) and captured the Bainsizza Plateau (Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo). Later, he was removed from command after the Italian defeat at the Battle of Caporetto (reference to the Frommer Stop Pistol's Caporetto skin). He had failed to check the advance of the Imperial troops (which included for the first time, German troops sent from the Western Front) before being forced to cede his command for health reasons. Capello was blamed for the defeat, and he never returned to service.
The Duke of Aosta skin for Cei-Rigotti https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Emanuele_Filiberto,_Duke_of_Aosta_(1869%E2%80%931931) Prince Emanuele Filiberto Vittorio Eugenio Alberto Genova Giuseppe Maria di Savoia, 2nd Duke of Aosta (Spanish: Manuel Filiberto; 13 January 1869 – 4 July 1931) was an Italian general and member of the House of Savoy (reference to Automatico M1918's The Savioa skin), as the son of Amadeo I, and was also a cousin of Victor Emmanuel III of Italy. Filiberto was also commander of the Italian Third Army during World War I, which earned him the title of the "Undefeated Duke". After the war he became a Marshal of Italy.
Monte Nero skin for Cei-Rigotti (https://meaderingthroughtheprologue.com/high-atop-monte-nero-the-colonel-wept-magic-of-krn/): Over a hundred years after the tumult of the Great War, vestiges of the struggle remain in visible evidence around the 2245-meter-high mountain top of Krn – Monte Nero (Black Mountain) in Italian. Strands of barbed wire twirl about on the slopes adding to the drama of the incredible views from the Adriatic Sea to the Italian Dolomites and into the heart of the Slovene Julian Alps. Here on Krn and its surrounding ridges, mountain warfare on a harsh scale took place from mid-June 1915 through to the end of October 1917 when the Battle of Caporetto (reference to the Frommer Stop Pistol's Caporetto skin) moved the unmovable front far to the west for the Italian Front’s last acts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krn Krn (2,244 metres or 7,362 feet) is a mountain of the southwestern Julian Alps in northwestern Slovenia. It is the highest mountain of the Krn Mountains. During the First World War, the Battles of the Isonzo (reference to the Automatico M1918's Isonzo skin) took place in the area. The 3rd Regiment of Alpini had taken Mount Krn's peak on 16 June 1915 in a daring raid where the elite Italian unit climbed the peak's cliffs "with their boots swaddled in sacks of straw to reduce noise," some of them barefoot, and others wearing only socks, and battled the Hungarian battalion of the 4th Honved Regiment.
The Piave skin for Cei-Rigotti https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piave_(river) The Piave (Latin: Plavis, German: Ploden) is a river in northern Italy. It begins in the Alps and flows southeast for 220 kilometres (140 mi) into the Adriatic Sea near the city of Venice. In 1918, during World War I, it was the scene of Battle of the Piave River (15–23 June 1918), the last major Austro-Hungarian attack on the Italian Front, which failed. The Battle of the Piave River was a decisive battle of World War I on the Italian Front. In Italy the river is thus called Fiume Sacro alla Patria (Sacred River of the Homeland) and is mentioned in the patriotic song "La leggenda del Piave". It was eventually followed by the Battle of Vittorio Veneto (reference to the Automatico M1918's Vittoria skin) later that year.
La Bizzarrìa skin for Cei-Rigotti (https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Bizzarr%C3%ACa): La Bizzarrìa è una villa che venne edificata intorno al 1860 su committenza di Vittorio Emanuele II. Il complesso fa parte del Parco naturale La Mandria. Il nome gli deriva dall'eclettismo fantasioso e portato all'estremo dell'architettura, adatto comunque per un piccolo villino per il ristoro durante le battute di caccia. La Bizzarrìa fu voluta dal re anche come luogo di residenza per sé, Rosa Vercellana (detta la Bela Rosin) e per i due figli Vittoria ed Emanuele. https://www.realportico.com/photoportico/la-bizzarria-hunting-lodge Northwest of Turin (reference to the Vetterli-Vitali M1870/87's Taurinorum skin) lies Castello della Mandria, a royal castle of the House of Savoy (reference to Automatico M1918's The Savioa skin). With its various residences and buildings spread throughout the extensive park, now designated as a nature reserve, the ensemble is one of the most outstanding sights of the region, along with the palace of Venaria Reale, and has therefore also been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. The villa shown here, known regionally as La Bizzarrìa, is in fact one of two extravagant hunting lodges built in the eclectic style by King Victor Emmanuel II around 1861. La Bizzarrìa corresponds in its function to a typical belvedere, as was common in royal hunting grounds of the 19th century.
The Kirkpatrick skin for Cei-Rigotti (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Simpson_Kirkpatrick): John Kirkpatrick (6 July 1892 – 19 May 1915), commonly known as John Simpson, was a stretcher bearer with the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance during the Gallipoli campaign – the Allied attempt to capture Constantinople, capital of the Ottoman Empire, during the First World War. After the landing at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915, Simpson used donkeys to provide first aid and carry wounded soldiers to the beach, from where they could be evacuated. He continued this work for three and a half weeks – often under fire – until he was killed by machine-gun fire during the third attack on Anzac Cove. Simpson and his donkey have become part of the Anzac legend.
Taschenpistole M1914 skins:
Legendary: Maubeuge, The Nickl
Distinguished: Kaiserjäger, Kaiserschutzen
The Nickl skin for Taschenpistole M1914 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauser_Model_1914): The Mauser Model 1914 is a semi-automatic pistol made by Mauser. A derivative of the .25 caliber Model 1910 designed by Josef Nickl, it uses 32 ACP ammunition. The first variant of the Model 1910 was the “Side Latch”, which featured a rotating side-latch just above the trigger which enabled the cover over the side of the lockwork to be removed for cleaning. The second variant was the “New Model” typically referred to as the “Model 1910/14” because it first appeared in 1914. https://www.forgottenweapons.com/nickl-prototype-m191622-pistol-at-james-d-julia/ Josef Nickl was one of the chief R&D designers at Mauser after the Federle brothers (reference to the M1917 Trench Carbine's Feederle skin), and one of his pet projects was a rotating barrel military pistol developed from the Steyr-Hahn M1912 pistol (reference to the Battlefield 1's The Repetierpistole M1912).
Kaiserschutzen skin for Taschenpistole M1914 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaisersch%C3%BCtzen): The k.k. Landesschützen (in English, "imperial-royal country [or provincial] rifleman") – from 16 January 1917 Kaiserschützen ("imperial rifleman") – were three regiments of Austro-Hungarian mountain infantry during the kaiserliche und königliche Monarchie (the "imperial and royal monarchy"). As a rule, only Tyrolean (reference to Maschinenpistole M1912/P.16's The Tyrolean skin) and Vorarlbergen men were enlisted in the Landesschützen. In 1906, they were reorganized on the pattern of the Italian Alpini as mountain troops. Despite being territorial forces, the Kaiserschützen were used in the First World War in many theatres and took heavy losses. Deployments 1914–1918. -Galicia (reference to the Gewehr M.95's Galicia skin): Lemberg, Gródek, Przemyśl, Pilica, Limanowa Lapanow, Gorlice Tarnów (reference to the Battle of Gorlice-Tarnów skins), Carpathia -Serbia -Tyrol (reference to the Hellriegel 1915's Tyrol skin), Carniola: Monte Cristallo, Monte Piano (reference to the Hellriegel 1915's Monte Piano skin), Falzarego, Tofana, Col di Lana (reference to the Repetierpistole M1912's Col di Lana skin), Marmolada (reference to the Bodeo 1889 Revolver's Marmolada skin), amongst others.
Kaiserjäger skin for Taschenpistole M1914 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiserj%C3%A4ger): The Kaiserjäger (officially designated by the Imperial and Royal (k.u.k.) military administration as the Tiroler Jäger-Regimenter or "Tyrolean Rifle Regiments"), were formed in 1895 as four normal infantry regiments within the Common Army of Austria-Hungary. The regiments were disbanded in 1918 with the end of the k.u.k. monarchy. The word Jäger (meaning "hunter" or "huntsman", reference to the Gewehr 98's Jáger skin) is a characteristic term used for light infantry or light infantrymen in a German-speaking context. The Emperor himself was the Regimental Colonel (or Inhaber, reference to the Frommer Stop Pistol's Inhaber skin); his second-in-command (Zweitinhaber) and the commanding officers were personally appointed by him. During the First World War, the four regiments fought with heavy losses, first in Galicia (reference to the Gewehr M.95's Galicia skin) and the Carpathians against Russia, until they were deployed on the plateau of the Seven Communities Trient and at Isonzo (reference to the Automatico M1918's Isonzo skin) after the start of fighting on the Italian front. The Kaiserjäger were not mountain troops, but regular infantry. The Kaiserjäger were often confused with the Tyrolean Kaiserschützen (reference to the Taschenpistole M1914's Kaiserschutzen skin), who belonged to the k.k. Landwehr, and were part of the regular armed forces of Austria-Hungary. The confusion arose from the decree of April 1917, in which Emperor Charles I (reference to the Frommer Stop Pistol's Emperor skin) granted the title Kaiserschützen to the Tyrolean state rifles. (The state rifles, known as Landesschützen or Kaiserschützen, were mountain troops and wore a different uniform.)
Maubeuge skin for Taschenpistole M1914 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maubeuge): Maubeuge (historical Dutch: Mabuse or Dutch: Malbode; Picard: Maubeuche) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is situated on both banks of the Sambre (here canalized), 36 km (22 mi) east of Valenciennes and about 9 km (5.6 mi) from the Belgian border. As a fortress, Maubeuge has an old enceinte of bastion trace which serves as the center of an important entrenched camp of 18 miles perimeter. The fortress was constructed after the War of 1870 but has since been modernized and augmented. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Maubeuge The siege of Maubeuge took place from 24 August – 7 September 1914, at the Entrenched Camp of Maubeuge (le camp retranché de Maubeuge) the start of the First World War on the Western Front. The forts and infantry shelters (ouvrages) were wrecked by the German and Austrian super-heavy howitzers; German medium artillery proved unexpectedly effective. Parts of Maubeuge were set on fire, causing an exodus of civilians and deserters to the village of Hautmont to the south-west. From 1 to 7 September, the French were forced out into the open and infantry attacks from the east gradually overran the French defences on both sides of the Sambre, forcing the survivors back level with Maubeuge. Brigadier-General Joseph Fournier, the governor of Maubeuge, surrendered to General Hans von Zwehl on 7 September, effective at noon the next day.
I found another new, in-game reference for the MP18's Breakthrough Muller skin.
Operation Kaiserchlacht Narrator/Introduction:
German Soldier: (in German) I saw him yesterday, that Artillery Officer they are calling Durchbruchmüller. He's here to orchestrate the symphony of our 10,000 guns, firing three million shells in just five hours. Over the enemy lines all we can see are rolling clouds of flame and ash. It is like the end of the world. I almost pity poor Tommy in their trenches, trying to make sense of it all.
Selbstlader M1916 skins:
Legendary: Blutigen April, The Chancellor, The Kagohl, Odin
Distinguished: Bavarian, Kronprinz, Linnarz, Nachtflugzeug
Bavarian skin for Selbstlader M1916 (https://www.forgottenweapons.com/early-semiauto-rifles/mauser-selbstlader): The Selbstlader-Karabiner Mauser M 1916 was a further refinement of the 06/08 rifle, and its most notable features was a more ergonomic stock and an overall reduction in length. The 06/08 rifle had been tested as an aviation rifle, but its length was unwieldy. The German Air Corps adopted the rifle officially as the ‘Fliegerkarabine 15’ and the Ballon-und-Zeppelin-Truppe adopted the rifle officially as the ‘Selbstlader-Karabiner Mauser M 1916. Due to the expensive manufacturing costs and intricate high-tolerance machining, only 1000 of the Selbstlader-Karabiner Mauser M 1916 were produced. When the German military acquired sufficient numbers of the much cheaper Flieger-Selbstlader-Karabiner 15 Mondragon Rifle, the Mauser Fliegerkarabine 15 was largely withdrawn from the German Air Corps. The Flieger-Selbstlader-Karabiner 15 Mondragon was inherently less-accurate and more prone to stoppages according to its Bavarian Field Manual. It states that compared to the “previous introduced weapon,” being the Mauser Fliegerkarabine 15, accuracy of the newly-acquired weapons was abysmal: “The unified construction of this self-loading weapon results in greater variations in the targeting position than exist in previously introduced weapons. Only deviations of more than 20cm from the normal group are corrected.”
Blutigen April skin for Selbstlader M1916 (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blutiger_April): Blutiger April (englisch Bloody April) ist der Name, der im englischen Sprachraum einer etwa fünfwöchigen Periode während des Luftkriegs an der Westfront des Ersten Weltkriegs gegeben wurde, in der das Royal Flying Corps (RFC) bei der Unterstützung der Bodenstreitkräfte in der Schlacht bei Arras exorbitante Verluste gegen die deutschen Luftstreitkräfte erlitt. Die Verluste waren so groß, dass die Moral ganzer Staffeln zusammenbrach. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_April Bloody April was the (largely successful) British air support operation during the Battle of Arras (reference to the Lewis Gun's Arras skin) in April 1917, during which particularly heavy casualties were suffered by the Royal Flying Corps at the hands of the German Luftstreitkräfte. The tactical, technological, and training differences between the two sides ensured the British suffered a casualty rate nearly four times as great as their opponents. The losses were so disastrous that it threatened to undermine the morale of entire squadrons. The RFC contributed to the success, limited as it finally proved, of the British Army during the five-week series of battles.
The Kagohl skin for Selbstlader M1916 (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 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. Each Kagohl consisted of a headquarters element and six flights, or Kampfstaffeln, of bomber aircraft. Originally intended as strategic bombers, they were repurposed as tactical bombing units when it became apparent their aircraft did not have the range to reach strategic targets.
Nachtflugzeug skin for Selbstlader M1916 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idflieg_aircraft_designation_system): The Idflieg (Inspekteur der Flieger) designation system was used to classify German heavier-than-air military (as opposed to naval) aircraft from the early days of the Fliegertruppe/Luftstreitkräfte to the end of World War I. The system evolved during this period as new classes of aircraft came into use. The specific, official "name" of a Luftstreitkräfte aircraft type consisted of the name of the manufacturer, the designation allocated to its class or category, and finally a Roman numeral. List of Idflieg class letter prefixes. N: Two-seat single engined night (Nacht) bomber. Basically a "C" type aircraft with longer wing span to enable a heavier war-load. Designation introduced in 1918, superseding "CN" specification. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_bomber Strategic bombing and night bombing were new in World War I, and there was much experimentation at night with aircraft such as the Gotha G.IV, Gotha G.V, Handley Page Type O, and various giant airplanes such as the Riesenflugzeuge (reference to the Mondragon's Riesenflugzeug skin) and the Sikorsky Ilya Muromets. Navigation was difficult and precision was almost nonexistent but the psychological effect was strong. Night bombing worked as a terror weapon.
Linnarz skin for Selbstlader M1916 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeppelin_LZ_38): Zeppelin LZ 38 (designated LZ 38) was Zeppelin P Class airship of the German Imperial Army. It was the first to bomb London, United Kingdom. LZ 38 became the first airship to bomb London on 31 May 1915, dropping 1,400 kilograms (3,000 lb) of bombs on the eastern suburb of London, killing seven people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_bombing_of_Britain,_1914%E2%80%931918 The Army received the first of these, LZ38 (Hauptmann Erich Linnarz) raided Ipswich on 29/30 April and Southend on 9/10 May. On the night of 30/31 May, Linnarz commanded LZ38 on the first London raid; LZ37 was also to be part of the raid but was damaged early on and returned to Namur. Flying from Evere LZ38 crossed the English coast near Margate at 9:42 p.m. before turning west over Southend. London police were warned of a raid around 11:00 p.m.; a few minutes later small incendiaries began to fall. These devices, weighing 25 lb (11 kg), were filled with thermite and the exterior was wrapped in tarred rope. About 120 bombs were dropped on a line from Stoke Newington south to Stepney and then north toward Leytonstone. Seven people were killed and 35 injured; 41 fires were started, burning out seven properties and the total damage was assessed at £ 537,900.
The Chancellor skin for Selbstlader M1916 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chancellors_of_Germany): The chancellor of Germany is the political leader of Germany and the head of the federal government. The office holder is responsible for selecting all other members of the government and chairing cabinet meetings. The office was created in the North German Confederation in 1867, when Otto von Bismarck became the first chancellor. With the unification of Germany and establishment of the German Empire in 1871, the Confederation evolved into a German nation-state and its leader became known as the chancellor of Germany. Originally, the chancellor was only responsible to the emperor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theobald_von_Bethmann_Hollweg Theobald Theodor Friedrich Alfred von Bethmann Hollweg (29 November 1856 – 1 January 1921) was a German politician who was Chancellor of the German Empire from 1909 to 1917. He oversaw the German entry into World War I and played a key role during its first three years. He was replaced as chancellor in July of 1917 due in large part to opposition to his moderate policies by leaders in the military. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Michaelis Georg Michaelis (8 September 1857 – 24 July 1936) was the chancellor of the German Empire for a few months in 1917. He was the first (and the only one of the German Empire) chancellor not of noble birth to hold the office. With an economic background in business, Michaelis' main achievement was to encourage the ruling classes to open peace talks with Russia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_von_Hertling Georg Friedrich Karl Freiherr von Hertling, from 1914 Count von Hertling, (31 August 1843 – 4 January 1919) was a German politician of the Catholic Centre Party. He was foreign minister and minister president of Bavaria, then chancellor of the German Reich and minister president of Prussia from 1 November 1917 to 30 September 1918. Hertling's Catholicism played an important role in both his academic and political life. He belonged to the conservative wing of the Centre party and resisted moves towards making the government dependent on the will of parliament rather than on the emperor, a stance that helped bring down his government in the final months of World War I. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Maximilian_of_Baden Maximilian, Margrave of Baden (Maximilian Alexander Friedrich Wilhelm; 10 July 1867 – 6 November 1929), also known as Max von Baden, was a German prince, general, and politician. He was heir presumptive to the throne of the Grand Duchy of Baden, and in October and November 1918 briefly served as the last chancellor of the German Empire and minister-president of Prussia. He sued for peace on Germany's behalf at the end of World War I based on U.S. President Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points and took steps towards transforming the government into a parliamentary system.
Kronprinz skin for Selbstlader M1916 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm,_German_Crown_Prince): Wilhelm, German Crown Prince, Crown Prince of Prussia (Friedrich Wilhelm Victor August Ernst; 6 May 1882 – 20 July 1951) was the eldest child of the last Kaiser, the German Emperor, Wilhelm II (reference to the Gewehr 98's The Kaiser skin), and his consort Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein (reference to the Selbstlader 1906's The Kaiserin skin), and thus a great-grandson of Queen Victoria, and distant cousin to many British Royals, such as Queen Elizabeth ll. As Emperor Wilhelm's heir, he was the last Crown Prince of the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia, until the abolishment of the monarchy. Wilhelm became crown prince at the age of six in 1888, when his grandfather Frederick III died and his father became emperor. He was crown prince for 30 years until the fall of the empire on 9 November 1918. During World War I, he commanded the 5th Army from 1914 to 1916 and was commander of the Army Group German Crown Prince for the remainder of the war. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupprecht,_Crown_Prince_of_Bavaria Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, Duke of Bavaria, Franconia and in Swabia, Count Palatine by (the) Rhine (Rupprecht Maria Luitpold Ferdinand; English: Robert Maria Leopold Ferdinand; 18 May 1869 – 2 August 1955), was the last heir apparent to the Bavarian throne (reference to the Selbstlader M1916's The Bavarian skin). During the first half of the First World War he commanded the 6th Army on the Western Front. From August 1916, he commanded Army Group Rupprecht of Bavaria, which occupied the sector of the front opposite the British Expeditionary Force. Rupprecht and Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia each commanded an army on the western front (the Sixth Army and the Fifth Army, respectively) and were directly involved in the implementation of the Schlieffen Plan (reference to the Gewehr 98's von Schlieffen skin).
Odin skin for Selbstlader M1916 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odin): Odin (from Old Norse: Óðinn) is a widely revered god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, victory, sorcery, poetry, frenzy, and the runic alphabet, and depicts him as the husband of the goddess Frigg. Odin is also associated with the divine battlefield maidens, the valkyries (reference to the Selbstlader 1906's Die Walküre skin), and he oversees Valhalla, where he receives half of those who die in battle, the einherjar, sending the other half to the goddess Freyja's Fólkvangr. Odin consults the disembodied, herb-embalmed head of the wise Mímir, who foretells the doom of Ragnarök and urges Odin to lead the einherjar into battle before being consumed by the monstrous wolf Fenrir. In later folklore, Odin sometimes appears as a leader of the Wild Hunt (reference to the Gewehr 98's Die Wilde Jagd skin), a ghostly procession of the dead through the winter sky. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odin-class_coastal_defense_ship The Odin class was a pair of coastal defense ships built for the German Kaiserliche Marine in the late 19th century. The class comprised two ships: Odin, named after the Norse god Odin, and Ägir, named after the Norse god of the same name. The ships were very similar to the preceding Siegfried-class coastal defense ships, and are sometimes considered to be one class of ships. Like the preceding Siegfried-class ships, Odin and Ägir were obsolete by the time World War I had started. Regardless, they were still used in their primary role until 1915, at which point they were withdrawn from active service. The ships performed a variety of secondary duties until the end of the war.
RSC 1917 skins:
Legendary: Chanson de Craonne, De Scévola, Le Tigre
Distinguished: Grandmaison, Papa Joffre
Chanson de Craonne skin for RSC 1917 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Chanson_de_Craonne): La Chanson de Craonne (English: The Song of Craonne) is an anti-military song of World War I written in 1917. The song was written to the tune of Bonsoir M'Amour (Charles Sablon), sung by Emma Liebel. It is sometimes known by the first line of the chorus, Adieu la vie (Goodbye to life). This song was sung by the French soldiers who mutinied (in sixty eight of the one hundred and ten divisions of the French Army) after the costly and militarily disastrous offensive of General Robert Nivelle at the Chemin des Dames (reference to the Lebel Model 1886's Chemin des Dames skin), spring 1917. The song was prohibited in France until 1974. Even though an award of 1 million francs and the immediate honorable release from the army were offered for revealing the maker, the original author of the song remained unknown. The final version, "The Song of Craonne" was written in 1917 during the French Army's Mutinies. The village of Craonne on the plateau of Californie was the site of bloody fighting on 16 April 1917 during Nivelle's failed Offensives. It was these bloody offensives that pushed the French Army over the edge. The song's chorus is sung in Oh! What a Lovely War (1969). The song is sung by a soldier in A Very Long Engagement (2004).
De Scévola skin for RSC 1917 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucien-Victor_Guirand_de_Sc%C3%A9vola): Lucien-Victor Guirand de Scévola (14 November 1871 in Sète, France – 29 March 1950 in Paris) was a French painter. He is known for his pioneering leadership of the Camoufleurs (the French Camouflage Department) in World War I. De Scévola is considered one of the inventors of military camouflage during World War I, together with Eugène Corbin and the painter Louis Guingot. At the start of the war, in September 1914, De Scévola, serving as a second-class gunner, experimentally camouflaged a gun emplacement with a painted canvas screen. On 12 February 1915 General Joffre (reference to the RSC 1917's Papa Joffre skin) established the "Section de Camouflage" (English: Camouflage Department) at Amiens. By May 1915 the Section de Camouflage put up its first observation tree, an iron lookout post camouflaged with bark and other materials during the Battle of Artois. By the end of 1915, De Scévola became commander of the French Camouflage Corps, employing cubist artists such as André Mare, a specialist in camouflaging lookout posts. By 1917, De Scévola's team had grown to 3000, taking in artists including Jacques Villon, André Dunoyer de Segonzac, Charles Camoin, Louis Abel-Truchet and Charles Dufresne.
Grandmaison skin for RSC 1917 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Loyzeau_de_Grandmaison): Louis Loyzeau de Grandmaison (21 January 1861 - 18 February 1915) was a French military theorist who, in an atmosphere of revanchism, linked the humiliating defeat of the Franco-Prussian War to the French having ceased utilizing Napoleonic methods. De Grandmaison argued for rapid maneuvers by large formations engaging in swift attacks. The school of thought he subscribed to dominated French army thinking by 1914, but in a modified form which combined the contemporaneous philosophy of Élan vital. In the end, such theories proved inadequate against modern weapons and tactics. In the fighting of August 1914 de Grandmaison was wounded three times in 24 hours. The huge casualties and lack of gains during the early months of the First World War resulting from crude offensive à outrance attacks on Lorraine created a pessimistic climate of public opinion, while the deaths of so many of the army's best and most determined young officers had lasting deleterious effects. In January 1915 de Grandmaison's post-1911 meteoric ascent continued when he received promotion to General de Division (equivalent to the Anglophone rank of Major General), being given command of the Fifth Army Reserve group. He was killed in action the next month.
Papa Joffre skin for RSC 1917 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Joffre): Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre (12 January 1852 – 3 January 1931) was a French general who served as Commander-in-Chief of French forces on the Western Front from the start of World War I until the end of 1916. He is best known for regrouping the retreating allied armies to defeat the Germans at the strategically decisive First Battle of the Marne in September 1914. His political position waned after unsuccessful offensives in 1915, the German attack on Verdun (reference to the M1909 Benét-Mercié's Verdun skin), in 1916, and the disappointing results of the Anglo-French offensive on the Somme (reference to the Auto Revolver's Somme skin) in 1916. At the end of 1916 he was promoted to Marshal of France, the first such elevation under the Third Republic, and moved to an advisory role, from which he quickly resigned. Later in the war he led an important mission to the United States.
Le Tigre skin for RSC 1917 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Clemenceau): Georges Benjamin Clemenceau (28 September 1841 – 24 November 1929) was a French statesman who served as Prime Minister of France from 1906 to 1909 and again from 1917 until 1920. Clemenceau, a physician turned journalist, played a central role in the politics of the Third Republic, most notably successfully leading France through the end of the First World War. After about 1,400,000 French soldiers were killed between the German invasion and Armistice, he demanded a total victory over the German Empire. Clemenceau stood for reparations, a transfer of colonies, strict rules to prevent a rearming process, as well as the restitution of Alsace–Lorraine, which had been annexed to Germany in 1871. He achieved these goals through the Treaty of Versailles signed at the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920). Nicknamed Père la Victoire ("Father of Victory") or Le Tigre ("The Tiger"), he continued his harsh position against Germany in the 1920s, although not quite so much as President Raymond Poincaré (reference to the Lebel Model 1886's Poincaré skin) or former Supreme Allied Commander Ferdinand Foch (reference to M1909 Benét-Mercié's The Foch skin), who thought the treaty was too lenient on Germany, famously stating: "This is not peace. It is an armistice for twenty years."
Automatico M1918 skins:
Legendary: Il Bracco, The Mignatta, The Savoia
Distinguished: Isonzo, Monte Cismone, Papadopoli, Vittoria
The Savoia skin for Automatico M1918 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Savoy): The House of Savoy (Italian: Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of the Kingdom of Sicily from 1713 to 1720, when they were handed the island of Sardinia, over which they would exercise direct rule from then onward. Through its junior branch of Savoy-Carignano, the House of Savoy led the Italian unification (reference to the Modello 1915 Pistol's Il Risorgimento skin) in 1860 and ruled the Kingdom of Italy until 1946; they also briefly ruled the Kingdom of Spain in the 19th century. The Savoyard kings of Italy were Victor Emmanuel II, Umberto I, Victor Emmanuel III, and Umberto II. The last monarch reigned for a few weeks before being deposed following the institutional referendum of 1946, after which the Italian Republic was proclaimed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Emmanuel_III_of_Italy Victor Emmanuel III (11 November 1869 – 28 December 1947), born Vittorio Emanuele Ferdinando Maria Gennaro di Savoia, was King of Italy from 29 July 1900 until his abdication on 9 May 1946. A member of the House of Savoy, he also reigned as Emperor of Ethiopia (1936–1941) and King of the Albanians (1939–1943). During his reign of nearly 46 years, which began after the assassination of his father Umberto I, the Kingdom of Italy became involved in two world wars.
Isonzo skin for Automatico M1918 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/So%C4%8Da): The Soča (in Slovene) or Isonzo (in Italian; other names Friulian: Lusinç, German: Sontig, Latin: Aesontius or Isontius) is a 138-kilometre (86 mi) long river that flows through western Slovenia (96 kilometres or 60 miles) and northeastern Italy (43 kilometres or 27 miles). Prior to the First World War, the river ran parallel to the border between Kingdom of Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. During World War I, it was the scene of bitter fighting between the two countries, culminating in the Battle of Caporetto (reference to the Frommer Stop Pistol's Caporetto skin) in 1917. The valley was the stage of major military operations including the twelve battles of the Isonzo on the Italian front in World War I between May 1915 and November 1917, in which over half a million Austro-Hungarian and Italian soldiers lost their lives.
Monte Cismone skin for Automatico M1918 (https://www.firstworldwar.com/onthisday/1916_07_24.htm): On This Day - 24 July 1916. Source: Chronology of the War (1914-18). Western Front: Struggle for Pozieres continues (reference to the Madsen MG's Pozieres skin); British gain some important advantages. Persistent German counter-attacks at High Wood and Guillemont. Eastern Front: Russians repulse Germans from Uxkull to Riga. Southern Front: Italian advance on Asiago Plateau and Trentino border continues; after a night attack troops capture Monte Cismone.
Papadopoli skin for Automatico M1918 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vittorio_Veneto): The Battle of Vittorio Veneto was fought from 24 October to 3 November 1918 (with an armistice taking effect 24 hours later) near Vittorio Veneto on the Italian Front during World War I. After having thoroughly defeated Austro-Hungarian troops during the defensive Battle of the Piave River (reference to Cei-Rigotti's The Piave skin), the Italian army launched a great counter-offensive: the Italian victory marked the end of the war on the Italian Front, secured the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and contributed to the end of the First World War just one week later. As night fell on 23 October, leading elements of Lord Cavan's Tenth Army were to force a crossing at a point where there were a number of islands. Cavan had decided to seize the largest of these – the Grave di Papadopoli – in preparation for the full-scale assault on the far bank. The plan was for two battalions from the 22nd Brigade of the British 7th Division to occupy the northern half of Papadopoli, while the Italian 11th Corps took the southern half. The British troops detailed for the night attack were the 2/1 Honourable Artillery Company (an infantry battalion despite the title) and the 1/ Royal Welch Fusiliers. These troops were helpless to negotiate such a torrent as the Piave and relied upon boats propelled by the 18th Pontieri under the command of Captain Odini of the Italian engineers. On the misty night of the 23rd, the Italians rowed the British forces across with a calm assurance and skill which amazed many of those who were more frightened of drowning than of fighting the Austrians. For the sake of silence, the HAC used only their bayonets until the alarm was raised, and soon seized their half of the island. The Italian assault on the south of Papadopoli was driven off by heavy machine-gun fire. Nevertheless, the Austrians surrendered the island by the end of the night. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grave_di_Papadopoli Le Grave di Papadopoli sono un'isola lambita dal Piave e compresa nei comuni di Maserada, Cimadolmo e, in minima parte, Spresiano.
Vittoria skin for Automatico M1918 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arditi): Arditi (from the Italian verb ardire, lit. "to dare", and translates as "The Daring [Ones]") was the name adopted by a Royal Italian Army elite special force of World War I. They and the opposing German Stormtroopers were the first modern shock troops, and they have been defined as "the most feared corps by opposing armies". Their motto was O la vittoria, o tutti accoppati meaning "Either victory, or everyone dies". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bollettino_della_Vittoria The Bollettino della Vittoria is the official document after the Armistice of Villa Giusti with which General Armando Diaz (reference to the Modello 1915 Pistol's Diaz skin), the supreme commander of the Royal Italian Army, announced, on November 4, 1918, the surrender of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the victory of the Kingdom of Italy in World War I. Its material author was, in reality, general Domenico Siciliani, head of the press office of the supreme command. Every year, Italian institutions celebrate the event with National Unity and Armed Forces Day on November 4.
The Mignatta skin for Automatico M1918 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_torpedo): Human torpedoes or manned torpedoes are a type of diver propulsion vehicle on which the diver rides, generally in a seated position behind a fairing. The concept of a small, manned submarine carrying a bomb was developed and patented by a British naval officer in 1909, but was never used during the First World War. The Italian Navy experimented with a primitive tiny sub (Mignatta) carrying two men and a limpet mine: this craft successfully sank Austro-Hungarian battleship SMS Viribus Unitis on 1 November 1918. 1 November 1918: Two men of the Regia Marina, Raffaele Paolucci and Raffaele Rossetti, in diving suits, rode a primitive manned torpedo (nicknamed Mignatta or "leech") into the Austro-Hungarian Navy base at Pola (Istria), where they sank the Austrian battleship Viribus Unitis and the freighter Wien using limpet mines. They had no breathing sets so they had to keep their heads above water, and thus were discovered and taken prisoner.
Il Bracco skin for Automatico M1918 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bracco_Italiano): The Bracco Italiano is an Italian breed of pointing dog. Other names: Italian Pointer, Italian Pointing Dog. The first dog registered by the Kennel Club Italiano, founded in 1882, was a Bracco Italiano. Early in 1949 a breed standard was approved by the Ente Nazionale della Cinofilia Italiana, and later the same year a breed society, the Società Amatori Bracco Italiano, was formed. The breed was fully accepted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1956. In the 41 years from 1970 to 2011, a total of 24,613 of the dogs were registered. From 2010 to 2018 there were approximately 700 new registrations per year in Italy, of which in every year the majority were of white-and-orange colouration.
Lewis Gun Skins:
Legendary: The Blood Tub, The Golden Retriever, The Rattlesnake, Reckless Rex, The Yells
Distinguished: Arras, Messines, Nash, P.B.31E
The Rattlesnake skin for Lewis Gun (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_gun): The Lewis gun was invented by U.S. Army colonel Isaac Newton Lewis in 1911, based on initial work by Samuel Maclean. Lewis left the United States in 1913 and went to Belgium, where he established the Armes Automatique Lewis company in Liège (reference to the Gewehr 98's Liège skin) to facilitate commercial production of the gun. Lewis had been working closely with British arms manufacturer the Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited (BSA) in an effort to overcome some of the production difficulties of the weapon. The Belgians bought a small number of Lewis guns in 1913, using the .303 British round and, in 1914, BSA purchased a licence to manufacture the Lewis machine gun in England, which resulted in Lewis receiving significant royalty payments and becoming very wealthy. Lewis and his factory moved to England before 1914, away from possible seizure in the event of a German invasion. During the first days of the war, the Belgian Army had put in service 20 prototypes (5 in 7.65×53mm and 15 in .303) for the defense of Namur. As their enemies used the mobility of the gun to ambush German raiding parties, the Germans nicknamed the Lewis "the Belgian Rattlesnake". https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/The_Lewis_Gun_(Codex_Entry) Unusually, the Lewis Gun also had an adjustable clock-type recoil spring which allowed the rate of fire of the weapon to be adjusted. It was called "the Belgian rattlesnake" by the Germans that came up against it in 1914, and already by 1916 about 50,000 Lewis Guns had been produced and the weapon was being extensively used at sea, in the air and in armored vehicles.
Reckless Rex skin for Lewis Gun (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Warneford): Reginald Alexander John Warneford (15 October 1891 – 17 June 1915), also known as Rex Warneford, was a British aviator and Royal Naval Air Service (reference to Farquhar-Hill's The RNAS skin) officer who received the Victoria Cross for air-bombing a Zeppelin during the First World War. It was the first victory of a heavier-than-air aircraft over a lighter-than-air dirigible. On 7 June 1915 at Ghent, Belgium, Warneford, flying a Morane-Saulnier Type L, attacked another German Army airship, LZ 37. He chased the airship from the coast near Ostend and, despite its defensive machine-gun fire, succeeded in dropping his six 20-pound (9 kg) Hale bombs on it, the last of which set the airship on fire. LZ 37 subsequently crashed in Sint-Amandsberg (51°3′43.2″N 3°44′54.7″E), Ghent. It crashed into a convent school, killing two nuns. The commander of LZ 37, Oberleutnant Otto van der Haegen, and seven members of the crew were killed. The explosion overturned Warneford's aircraft and stopped its engine. Having no alternative, Warneford had to land behind enemy lines, but after 35 minutes spent on repairs, he managed to restart the engine just as the Germans realised what was going on, and after yelling "Give my regards to the Kaiser!" (reference to Gewehr 98's The Kaiser skin), he was able to achieve lift off and returned to base. On 17 June 1915, Warneford received the award of Légion d'honneur from the French Army Commander in Chief, General Joffre (reference to the RSC 1917's Papa Joffre skin).
P.B.31E skin for Lewis Gun (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermarine_Nighthawk): The Supermarine P.B.31E Nighthawk was a British aircraft of the First World War and the first project of the Pemberton-Billing operation after it became Supermarine Aviation Works Ltd. It was an anti-Zeppelin night fighter operated by a crew of three to five and had a planned flight endurance of 9–18 hours. The prototype flew in February 1917 with Clifford Prodger at the controls. It proved to not meet the promised specification and no more were built. The Nighthawk had six-bay swept quadraplane wings and a biplane tailplane with twin fins and rudders. The fuselage filled the gap between the second and third wings; the cockpit, which carried up to the top wing "turret", was enclosed and heated. For armament, it had a trainable nose-mounted searchlight, a 1½-pounder (37 mm) Davis gun mounted above the top wing with 20 shells, and two .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis guns. Although touted as being able to reach 75 miles per hour (121 km/h), the P.B.31E prototype only managed 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) at 6,500 feet (2,000 m) and took an hour to climb to 10,000 feet (3,000 m), which was totally inadequate for intercepting Zeppelins. German airships, such as P, or R Class military Zeppelins were themselves capable of top speeds of around 60 miles per hour (97 km/h).
The Yells skin for Lewis Gun (https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/anzacs-entered-damascus-ahead-of-lawrence-of-arabia/news-stor...): An influential emir of the holy city of Mecca, Sherif Hussein, also contacted the British to say he was planning a revolt. As Lawrence had a good knowledge of Arabic he was sent to negotiate. He joined the Arab rebel army of Hussein’s son Feisal and urged the British to provide arms, money and other support. The revolt was declared in June 1916, by which time Feisal and Lawrence were already conducting a guerrilla campaign. In 1917, when Lawrence acquired Lewis light machineguns for the revolt, Sgt Charles Reginald Yells, from South Australia, was sent to teach the Arab army how to use them. British Lance-Cpl Walter Herbert Brooke, of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, instructed the Arabs on the use of trench mortars. After training Feisal’s men, Brooke and Yells joined the Arab irregulars. Yells played a crucial part in an attack on the railway station at Mudowwara earning him a Distinguished Service Medal, on Lawrence’s recommendation. But many Australian soldiers blamed Lawrence for the Arab irregular’s lack of discipline.
Nash skin for Lewis Gun https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Nash_(artist) Paul Nash (11 May 1889 – 11 July 1946) was a British surrealist painter and war artist, as well as a photographer, writer and designer of applied art. Nash was among the most important landscape artists of the first half of the twentieth century. He played a key role in the development of Modernism in English art. The artworks he produced during World War I are among the most iconic images of the conflict. Nash began officer training in August 1916 and was sent to the Western Front in February 1917 as a second lieutenant in the Hampshire Regiment. He was based at St. Eloi (reference to the Ross MKIII's St. Eloi skin) on the Ypres Salient (reference to the M1907 Selfloading's Ypres skin) at a relatively quiet time and although the area did come under shelling, no major engagements took place while he was there. Whilst clearly aware of the destruction that had taken place there, he was delighted to see that, with spring arriving, the landscape was recovering from the damage inflicted on it. However, on the night of 25 May 1917, Nash fell into a trench, broke a rib and, by 1 June, had been invalided back to London. A few days later the majority of his former unit were killed in an assault on a position known as Hill 60. Nash considered himself lucky to be alive.
Arras skin for Lewis Gun (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arras): Arras (Picard: Aros; historical Dutch: Atrecht) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department, which forms part of the region of Hauts-de-France; before the reorganization of 2014 it was in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The historic centre of the Artois region, with a Baroque town square, Arras is in northern France at the confluence of the rivers Scarpe and Crinchon. During most of the First World War, Arras was about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) away from the front line, and a series of battles took place around the city and nearby, including the Battle of Arras (1914), the Second Battle of Arras (1917) and the Second Battle of the Somme component of 1918's Hundred Days Offensive. On 31 August 1914, German light cavalry (Uhlans) arrived in Tilloy-lès-Mofflaines, and an army patrol made a foray into Arras. On 6 September 1914, 3,000 soldiers led by General Hans-Jürgen von Arnim barracked within the city and in the citadel. Shortly after, Louis Ernest de Maud'huy's soldiers partly repelled the German army troops, and trenches were dug in the Faubourgs d'Arras. On 7 October 1914 the city hall burned. On 21 October 1914 the belfry was destroyed, and so was Arras Cathedral on 6 July 1915. In 1917, a series of medieval tunnels beneath the city, linked and greatly expanded by the New Zealand Tunnelling Company, became a decisive factor in the British forces holding the city - particularly during that year's Battle of Arras. By the end of World War I (1918), the city was so heavily damaged that three-quarters had to be rebuilt. The reconstruction was extremely costly, yet it proved to be a success and allowed the city to expand.
Messines skin for Lewis Gun (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesen): Mesen (French: Messines, historically used in English) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. Three battles were fought over the town during World War I (1914–1918): -Battle of Messines (1914), -Battle of Messines (1917) and Mines in the Battle of Messines, -Battle of the Lys (1918). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Messines_(1914) The Battle of Messines was fought in October 1914 between the armies of the German empire and British empire and France as part of the Race to the Sea, between the river Douve and the Comines–Ypres canal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mines_in_the_Battle_of_Messines_(1917) The Mines in the Battle of Messines comprised a series of underground explosive charges which were fired during the First World War at the start of the Battle of Messines (7–14 June 1917) by the British Second Army (General Sir Herbert Plumer) near the village of Mesen (Messines in French, historically also used in English and German) in Belgian West Flanders. The mines, secretly planted and maintained by British tunnelling units beneath the forward position of the German 4th Army (General Friedrich Bertram Sixt von Armin), killed approximately 10,000 German soldiers and created 19 large craters. Their joint explosion ranks among the largest non-nuclear explosions of all time. The evening before the attack, General Sir Charles Harington, Chief of Staff of the Second Army, remarked to the press, "Gentlemen, I don’t know whether we are going to make history tomorrow, but at any rate we shall change geography".
The Blood Tub skin for Lewis Gun (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubert_Gough): General Sir Hubert de la Poer Gough (August 1870 – 18 March 1963) was a senior officer in the British Army in the First World War. A controversial figure, he was a favourite of the Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front, Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig. He experienced a meteoric rise through the ranks during the war, ultimately rising to command the British Fifth Army from 1916 to 1918, including during the Battle of the Somme (reference to the Auto Revolver's Somme skin) in 1916, the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917, and during the German spring offensives (reference to MP18's The Kaiserschlacht skin) in 1918, in the aftermath of which he was relieved of his command. Building on his experiences on the Aisne in September 1914, Gough formed mixed brigades of infantry, cavalry, artillery and engineers during the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line (reference to the MP18's Siegfriedstellung skin) in mid March 1917. 2–9 April saw costly fighting on the outskirts of the Hindenburg Line. Over the protests of the ANZAC Commanders Gough launched an attack at (First) Bullecourt (10–11 April), described by Sheffield as "hasty, ill-prepared and ultimately disastrous" ... "the infantry plan was disrupted at a late stage by Gough's ill-fated employment of tanks". 4th Australian Brigade lost three-quarters of their men in action, 12th Australian Brigade half of each battalion engaged. Simkins writes that "(Haig) yet again indulged Gough's tendency to launch precipitate and ill-considered attacks", while Prior & Wilson describe the attack as "singularly barren". Bullecourt (reference to the Revolver MK VI's Bloody Bullecourt skin) became known as the "Blood Tub".
The Golden Retriever skin for Lewis Gun (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Retriever): The Golden Retriever is a Scottish breed of retriever dog of medium size. It is characterised by a gentle and affectionate nature and a striking golden coat. The breed was created by Sir Dudley Marjoribanks at his Scottish estate Guisachan in the late nineteenth century. He cross-bred Flat-coated Retrievers with Tweed Water Spaniels, with some further infusions of Red Setter, Labrador Retriever and Bloodhound (reference to the Martini-Henry's Bloodhound skin). The breed was recognised by the Kennel Club in 1913, and during the interwar period spread to many parts of the world. In the early days Golden Retrievers were called the 'Flat-coated Retriever, Golden', Initially the Golden Retriever was considered a colour variety of the former breed. In the years after the First World War its popularity increased markedly and in the 1920s and 1930s it spread through much of the Western world.
Madsen MG skins:
Legendary: The Atterdag, The Bazentin Ridge, The Dane
Distinguished: Deathshead, Pozières, Sailly le Sec, Tannenberg
The Dane skin for Madsen MG (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madsen_machine_gun): The Madsen is a light machine gun that Julius A. Rasmussen and Theodor Schouboe designed and proposed for adoption by Colonel Vilhelm Herman Oluf Madsen, the Danish Minister of War, and that the Royal Danish Army adopted in 1902. It was the world's first true light machine gun produced in quantity and Madsen was able to sell it in 12 calibres to over 34 countries. The gun saw extensive combat usage for over 100 years, with continued use in limited quantities worldwide into the 2010s. The Madsen was produced by Compagnie Madsen A/S (later operating as Dansk Rekyl Riffel Syndikat A/S and then Dansk Industri Syndikat A/S). https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Madsen_MG_(Codex_Entry) The Madsen is one of the first true light machine guns, designed in Denmark in 1899. It is a magazine-fed, air-cooled weapon with a complex and unusual recoil-operated mechanism, making it expensive to produce for its time. Despite this the weapon was of high production quality and usually performed well.
Tannenberg skin for Madsen MG (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tannenberg): The Battle of Tannenberg, also known as the Second Battle of Tannenberg, was fought between Russia and Germany between 23 and 30 August 1914, the first month of World War I. The battle resulted in the almost complete destruction of the Russian Second Army and the suicide of its commanding general, Alexander Samsonov. A series of follow-up battles (First Masurian Lakes) destroyed most of the First Army as well and kept the Russians off balance until the spring of 1915. The battle is particularly notable for fast rail movements by the German Eighth Army, enabling them to concentrate against each of the two Russian armies in turn, first delaying the First Army and then destroying the Second before once again turning on the First days later. It is also notable for the failure of the Russians to encode their radio messages, broadcasting their daily marching orders in the clear, which allowed the Germans to make their movements with the confidence they would not be flanked. The almost miraculous outcome brought considerable prestige to Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg and his rising staff-officer Erich Ludendorff (reference to the C96 Pistol's Ludendorff skin). Although the battle actually took place near Allenstein (Olsztyn), Hindenburg named it after Tannenberg, 30 km (19 mi) to the west, in order to avenge the Teutonic Knights' (reference to the C96 Pistol's Teutonic Fury skin) defeat at the First Battle of Tannenberg 500 years earlier.
The Bazentin Ridge skin for Madsen MG (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bazentin_Ridge): The Battle of Bazentin Ridge (14–17 July 1916) was part of the Battle of the Somme (1 July – 18 November) on the Western Front in France, during the First World War. On 14 July, the British Fourth Army (General Henry Rawlinson) made a dawn attack against the German 2nd Army (General Fritz von Below) in the Brown Position (Braune Stellung), from Delville Wood (reference to the Howell Automatic's Delville Wood skin) westwards to Bazentin le Petit Wood. Dismissed beforehand by a French commander as "an attack organized for amateurs by amateurs", the British succeeded. Attempts to use the opportunity to capture High Wood failed, due to the German success in holding on to the north end of Longueval and parts of Delville Wood, from which attacks on High Wood could be engaged from the flank. The British cavalry, intended to provide a faster-moving exploitation force, was badly delayed by the devastated ground, shell-holes and derelict trenches. The cavalry attack was supported by an artillery-observation aircraft, whose crew saw the Germans in the crops and fired at them with their Lewis guns. The British struggled to exploit the success and the 2nd Army recovered, leading to another period of attritional line straightening attacks and German counter-attacks before the British and French could resume general attacks in mid-September.
Pozières skin for Madsen MG (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pozi%C3%A8res): Pozières is a commune in the Somme (reference to the Auto Revolver's Somme skin) department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. The commune is situated on the D929 road, 34 kilometres (21 mi) northeast of Amiens between Albert and Bapaume (reference to the MG15 N.A's Bapaume skin), on the Pozières ridge. The village was completely destroyed in World War I during what became the Battle of Pozières (23 July–7 August 1916), which was part of the Battle of the Somme. The village was subsequently rebuilt, and is now the site of several war memorials. The Australian flag flies over Pozières in recognition of the sacrifice of the ANZACs in the Battle of Pozières. Amongst the British and other Commonwealth forces who fought at Pozières, the Australians suffered over 5,000 killed, wounded or taken prisoner. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Pozi%C3%A8res At 4:00 a.m. on 7 August, shortly before dawn, the Germans launched their final counter-attack. On a front of 400 yards (370 m) they overran the thinly occupied O.G. Lines, catching most of the Australians in shelters in the old German dugouts and advanced towards Pozières. For the Australians, the crisis had arrived. At this moment, Lieutenant Albert Jacka (reference to the Revolver Mk VI's Jacka's Mob skin), who had won the Victoria Cross at Gallipoli, emerged from a dugout where he and seven men of his platoon had been isolated, and charged the German line from the rear. His example inspired other Australians scattered across the plateau to join the action and a fierce, hand-to-hand fight developed. Jacka was badly wounded but as support arrived from the flanks, the Australians gained the advantage and most of the surviving Germans were captured. No more attempts to retake Pozières were made.
Sailly le Sec skin for Madsen MG (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailly-le-Sec): Sailly-le-Sec (Picard: Sailly-Sé) is a commune in the Somme (reference to the Auto Revolver's Somme skin) department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. The commune is situated some 13 miles (21 km) east of Amiens, by the banks of the river Somme, on the D233 road. 21 April 1918 - Manfred Von Richthofen, The Red Baron, was finally shot down here. On the night of August 8–9, 1918, as three Battalions of Doughboys (reference to the BAR M1918's The Doughboy skin) from the 33rd U.S. Infantry Division were joining the Allied offensive during the Battle of Amiens, American war poet Lieut. John Allan Wyeth and Lieut. Thomas J. Cochrane were assigned to deliver sealed orders from Division HQ at Molliens-au-Bois to the Field Headquarters of all three Battalions engaged in the attack. The location of each Battalion was unknown, but they were believed to be along the northern bank of the Somme River, near the village of Sailly-le-Sec. Wyeth would later describe the mission in detail in his six interlinked Chipilly Ridge sonnets.
Deathshead skin for Madsen MG (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totenkopf): Totenkopf (literally "dead person's head") is the German word for skull, it's a figurative, graphic or sculptural symbol common in Western culture, consisting of the representation of a human skull usually frontal, more rarely in profile with or without the mandible. In some cases, other human skeletal parts may be added to the depiction of the head skeleton; especially often includes two crossed long-bones (femurs) depicted below or behind the skull. It is an old international symbol for death, the defiance of death, danger, or the dead, as well as piracy or toxicity. Use of the Totenkopf as a military emblem began under Frederick the Great, who formed a regiment of Hussar (reference to the Howdah Pistol's Hussar skin) cavalry in the Prussian army commanded by Colonel von Ruesch, the Husaren-Regiment Nr. 5 (von Ruesch). The skull continued to be used by the Prussian and Brunswick armed forces until 1918, and some of the stormtroopers that led the last German offensives on the Western Front in 1918 used skull badges. Luftstreitkräfte fighter pilots Georg von Hantelmann and Kurt Adolf Monnington are just two of a number of Central Powers military pilots who used the Totenkopf as their personal aircraft insignia.
The Atterdag skin for Madsen MG (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valdemar_IV_of_Denmark): Valdemar IV Atterdag (the epithet meaning "Return of the Day"), or Waldemar (1320 – 24 October 1375) was King of Denmark from 1340 to 1375. He is mostly known for his reunion of Denmark after the bankruptcy and mortgaging of the country to finance wars under previous rulers. His nickname "Atterdag" is usually interpreted as "day again" (its literal meaning in Danish), indicating that he brought new hope to the realm after a dark period of bad kingship. The epithet has also been suggested as a misinterpretation of the Middle Low German phrase "ter tage" ("these days"), which can best be interpreted as "what times we live in!" In his biography of Valdemar, Fletcher Pratt stated it meant "another day", that is, whatever happened today, good or bad, tomorrow would be another day. Many stories, ballads, and poems have been made about Valdemar. He was "reinvented' as one of the Danish hero kings during the mid-19th century when Denmark was fighting Germany for its traditional southern Jutland region. 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, the dragon slayer Sigurd (reference to the Heavy Tanks'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.
BAR M1918 skins:
Legendary: The Boykin Spaniel, The Doughboy, The Fighting First
Distinguished: Bois de Montfaucon, Malancourt, Phosphorus, Warhorse
The Doughboy skin for BAR M1918 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1918_Browning_Automatic_Rifle): The Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) is a family of American automatic rifles and machine guns used by the United States and numerous other countries during the 20th century. The primary variant of the BAR series was the M1918, chambered for the .30-06 Springfield rifle cartridge and designed by John Browning (reference to the Model 8 Autoloading's Moses skin) in 1917 for the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe as a replacement for the French-made Chauchat and M1909 Benét–Mercié machine guns that US forces had previously been issued. Despite being introduced very late in the war, the BAR made an impact disproportionate to its numbers; it was used extensively during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and made a significant impression on the Allies (France alone requested 15,000 automatic rifles to replace their Chauchat machine rifles). US Marines briefly took possession of the BAR. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doughboy Doughboy was a popular nickname for the American infantryman during World War I. Though the origins of the term are not certain, the nickname was still in use as of the early 1940s. Examples include the 1942 song "Johnny Doughboy Found a Rose in Ireland", recorded by Dennis Day, Kenny Baker, and Kay Kyser, among others, the 1942 musical film Johnny Doughboy, and the character "Johnny Doughboy" in Military Comics. It was gradually replaced during World War II by "G.I." Doughboy as applied to the infantry of the U.S. Army first appears in accounts of the Mexican–American War of 1846–1848, without any precedent that can be documented.
The Fighting First skin for BAR M1918 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Infantry_Division_(United_States) The 1st Infantry Division is a combined arms division of the United States Army, and is the oldest continuously serving division in the Regular Army. It has seen continuous service since its organization in 1917 during World War I. It was officially nicknamed "The Big Red One" (abbreviated "BRO") after its shoulder patch and is also nicknamed "The Fighting First". The division has also received troop monikers of "The Big Dead One" and "The Bloody First" as puns on the respective officially sanctioned nicknames. Soissons was taken by the 1st Division in July 1918. The Soissons victory was costly – 700 men were killed or wounded. The 1st Division took part in the first offensive by an American army in the war, and helped to clear the Saint-Mihiel (reference to the P08 Pistol's Saint-Mihiel skin) salient by fighting continuously from 11 to 13 September 1918. The last major World War I battle was fought in the Meuse-Argonne Forest. The division advanced a total of seven kilometers and defeated, in whole or part, eight German divisions. By the end of the war, the division had suffered 4,964 killed in action, 17,201 wounded in action, and 1,056 missing or died of wounds. Five division soldiers received Medals of Honor.
Bois de Montfaucon skin for BAR M1918 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montfaucon-d%27Argonne): Montfaucon-d'Argonne (literally Montfaucon of Argonne) is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It is home to the Meuse-Argonne American Memorial. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meuse-Argonne_American_Memorial The Meuse-Argonne American Memorial (Montfaucon American Monument; French: Monument Américain de Montfaucon) is an American World War I memorial commemorating "the brilliant victory of the American First Army in the Meuse-Argonne offensive, September 26 – November 11, 1918, and pays tribute to the previous heroic services of the Armies of France on the important battle front upon which the memorial has been constructed." It was erected by the United States Government and is the largest of the American war memorials in Europe. Outside Montfaucon in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France, it was unveiled on August 1, 1937. The Meuse-Argonne American Memorial is made of a large Doric-style granite column, on top of which stands a statue symbolizing liberty. The memorial was built near the ruins of the ancient village, destroyed during World War I. On the walls of the foyer is an account of the offensive. It pays homage to the troops who served there. The observation platform of the memorial can be reached by ascending 234 stairs, and offers an excellent view of the battlefield.
Malancourt skin for BAR M1918 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malancourt): Malancourt is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. http://roadstothegreatwar-ww1.blogspot.com/2015/11/fateful-crossroads-malancourt-village.html However, Malancourt shows up in history books much more often than most of its sister communities because three memorable events occurred there. Malancourt was the site of the first use of flamethrowers on 26 February 1915. Their successful deployment by German engineers in assisting with the capture of a French trench insured their expanded use by all the combatants, thus giving warfare one of its most frightful weapons. In late March 1916, as part of their expansion of the Verdun offensive (reference to the M1909 Benet-Mercie's Verdun skin) to the west side of the Meuse (reference to the M1897 Shotgun's Meuse skin), German forces were attempting to capture the high ground in the area, including Hill 304 (reference to the Battle of Côte 304 skins), located just a couple of miles east of Malancourt. The 69th Regiment of Infantry was positioned around the village to defend the hill. In less than a week every man of the regiment's six companies, over 1,300 in total, was lost. By 5 April the village fell and was held by the Germans until 26 September 1918. The plaque on the memorial also recognizes the third event, the capture of the village by the American 79th Division in the opening the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Malancourt was the division's first obstacle in their advance to their main target — the single most important objective in the opening of the battle — the enemy strong point and observation post at Montfaucon (reference to the BAR M1918's Bois de Montfaucon skin).
Phosphorus skin for BAR M1918 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphorus): Phosphorus is a chemical element with the symbol P and atomic number 15. Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms, white phosphorus and red phosphorus, but because it is highly reactive, phosphorus is never found as a free element on Earth. It has a concentration in the Earth's crust of about one gram per kilogram (compare copper at about 0.06 grams). In minerals, phosphorus generally occurs as phosphate. White phosphorus emits a faint glow when exposed to oxygen – hence the name, taken from Greek mythology, Φωσφόρος meaning 'light-bearer' (Latin Lucifer, reference to the M1911 Pistol's Lucifer skin), referring to the "Morning Star", the planet Venus. White phosphorus was first made commercially in the 19th century for the match industry. This used bone ash for a phosphate source, as described above. The bone-ash process became obsolete when the submerged-arc furnace for phosphorus production was introduced to reduce phosphate rock. The electric furnace method allowed production to increase to the point where phosphorus could be used in weapons of war. In World War I, it was used in incendiaries, smoke screens and tracer bullets. A special incendiary bullet was developed to shoot at hydrogen-filled Zeppelins over Britain (hydrogen being highly flammable).
Warhorse skin for BAR M1918 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horses_in_World_War_I): The use of horses in World War I marked a transitional period in the evolution of armed conflict. Cavalry units were initially considered essential offensive elements of a military force, but over the course of the war, the vulnerability of horses to modern machine gun, mortar, and artillery fire reduced their utility on the battlefield. This paralleled the development of tanks, which ultimately replaced cavalry in shock tactics. While the perceived value of the horse in war changed dramatically, horses still played a significant role throughout the war. The military used horses mainly for logistical support; they were better than mechanized vehicles at traveling through deep mud and over rough terrain. Horses were used for reconnaissance and for carrying messengers as well as for pulling artillery, ambulances, and supply wagons. Novels, plays and documentaries have also featured the horses of World War I. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Horse_(novel) War Horse is a British war novel by Michael Morpurgo. It was first published in Great Britain by Kaye & Ward in 1982. The story recounts the experiences of Joey, a horse bought by the Army for service in World War I in France and the attempts of 15-year-old Albert, his previous owner, to bring him safely home. It formed the basis of both an award-winning play (2007) and an acclaimed film adaptation (2011) by Steven Spielberg.
The Boykin Spaniel skin for BAR M1918 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boykin_Spaniel): The Boykin Spaniel is a medium-sized breed of dog, a Spaniel bred for hunting wild turkeys and ducks in the Wateree River Swamp of South Carolina, in the United States. It is the state dog of South Carolina, where it was discovered and further developed by hunters in the 1900s. 1 September, 1984 is Boykin Spaniel Day in South Carolina. The first Boykin Spaniel, or the precursor of today's breed, was reportedly a small, stray spaniel type dog that befriended a banker walking from his home to the First Presbyterian Church in Spartanburg, South Carolina around 1900. Alexander L. White (1860–1942) liked the little dog and took it home. After the dog showed some aptitude for retrieving, White sent the dog called "Dumpy" to his longtime friend and hunting partner Lemuel Whitaker Boykin near Camden, South Carolina. "Whit" Boykin (1861–1932) experimented with crossbreeding different breeds, and the resulting dog is named after him. This breed is only one of two US-made breeds named for the family responsible for their creation. In Boykin's hands the little stray developed into a superb turkey dog and waterfowl retriever. This dog became the foundation stock for the Boykin spaniel. The dogs had to be small enough to ride in the small boats used by hunters in the swamps. The Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Springer Spaniel, Cocker Spaniel, American Water Spaniel, and various pointing breeds were used in the development of the breed, according to Whit Boykin's grandson Dr. Baynard Boykin.
Huot Automatic skins:
Legendary: The Canadian Cur, The Pimple, The Seaforth Highlander
Distinguished: Brock, Crucifier, Regina, Vimy Ridge
The Seaforth Highlander skin for Huot Automatic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huot_Automatic_Rifle): The Huot Automatic Rifle was a Canadian World War I era light machine gun project. In 1916, the Canadian Expeditionary Force was desperately short of light machine guns. Since the Ross rifle had finally been taken out of service, there were large numbers of surplus rifles. That year, Joseph Huot, an engineer from Richmond, Quebec, adapted the Ross' straight-pull bolt action. The Dominion Rifle Factory (formerly the Ross rifle factory) built a finished version of the design, under the supervision of Assistant Inspector of Small Arms Major Robert Mills of the Seaforth Highlanders. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seaforth_Highlanders The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, the Duke of Albany's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, mainly associated with large areas of the northern Highlands of Scotland. The regiment existed from 1881 to 1961, and saw service in World War I and World War II, along with many smaller conflicts. In 1961 the regiment was amalgamated with the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders to form the Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons), which merged, in 1994, with the Gordon Highlanders (reference to Auto Revolver's The Gordon Highlander skin) to form the Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons). This later joined the Royal Scots Borderers, the Black Watch (reference to the SMLE MKIII's The Black Watch skin), the Royal Highland Fusiliers and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders to create the present Royal Regiment of Scotland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seaforth_Highlanders_of_Canada The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The regiment was formed in 1910 and served overseas in both World War I and World War II. The Seaforths were involved in some of the bloodiest battles of the war including Ypres (reference to the M1907 Selfloading's Ypres skin), the Somme (reference to the Auto Revolver's Somme skin), and Vimy Ridge (reference to the Huot Automatic's Vimy Ridge skin).
Regina skin for Huot Automatic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Regina_Trench): The Capture of Regina Trench (Staufen Riegel) was a tactical incident in 1916 during the Battle of the Somme (reference to the Auto Revolver's Somme skin) during the First World War. Regina Trench was the Canadian name for a German trench dug along the north-facing slope of a ridge running from north-west of the village of Le Sars, south-westwards to Stuff Redoubt (Staufenfeste, reference to the Geweher 98's Schwaben Feste skin), close to the German fortifications at Thiepval. It was the longest such German trench on the Western Front. Attacked several times by the Canadian Corps during the Battle of the Ancre Heights (reference to the RSC SMG's Ancre skin), the 5th Canadian Brigade of the 2nd Canadian Division briefly controlled a section of the trench on 1 October but was repulsed by counter-attacks of the German Marine Brigade (equivalent to an army division), which had been brought from the Belgian coast. On 8 October, attacks by the 1st Canadian Division and the 3rd Canadian Division on Regina Trench also failed. Three counter-attacks were repulsed by the Canadians and by 22 October, more than a thousand Germans had been taken prisoner. The east end of the trench was captured by the 4th Canadian Division during the night of 10/11 November. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Regina_Rifles The Royal Regina Rifles is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. Prior to 1982 the regiment was known as The Regina Rifle Regiment. The Royal Regina Rifles are part of 3rd Canadian Division's 38 Canadian Brigade Group. Originated 3 July 1905 in Regina, Saskatchewan when a "regiment of infantry in the districts of Assiniboia and Saskatchewan" was authorized. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regina,_Saskatchewan Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, after Saskatoon, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan.
Vimy Ridge skin for Huot Automatic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vimy_Ridge): The Battle of Vimy Ridge was part of the Battle of Arras (reference to the Lewis Gun's Arras skin), in the Pas-de-Calais department of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the four divisions of the Canadian Corps in the First Army, against three divisions of the German 6th Army. The battle took place from 9 to 12 April 1917 at the beginning of the Battle of Arras, the first attack of the Nivelle Offensive, which was intended to attract German reserves from the French, before the French attempt at a decisive offensive on the Aisne and the Chemin des Dames (reference to the Lebel Model 1886's Chemin des Dames skin) ridge further south, several days later. Historians attribute the success of the Canadian Corps to technical and tactical innovation, meticulous planning, powerful artillery support and extensive training, as well as the inability of the 6th Army to properly apply the new German defensive doctrine. The battle was the first occasion when the four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force fought together and it was made a symbol of Canadian national achievement and sacrifice. A 100 ha (250-acre) portion of the former battleground serves as a memorial park and site of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.
The Pimple skin for Huot Automatic (https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/wars-and-conflicts/first-world-war/battle-of-vimy-ridge): The Battle of Vimy Ridge (reference to the Huot Automatic's Vimy Ridge skin) began at 5:30 a.m. on Easter Monday, April 9, 1917. The first wave of 15,000-20,000 Canadian soldiers, many heavily laden with equipment, attacked through the wind-driven snow and sleet into the face of deadly machine gun fire. The Canadians advanced behind a "creeping barrage." This precise line of intense Allied artillery fire moved ahead at a set rate and was timed to the minute. The Canadian infantrymen followed the line of explosions closely. This allowed them to capture German positions in the critical moments after the barrage moved on to the next targets but before the enemy soldiers could emerge from the safety of their underground bunkers. Canadian battalions in the first waves of the assault suffered great numbers of casualties, but the assault proceeded on schedule. Most of the heavily defended ridge was captured by noon. Hill 145, the main height on the ridge, was taken on the morning of April 10. Two days later, the Canadians took "the Pimple," as the other significant height on the ridge was nicknamed. The Germans were forced to withdraw three kilometres east and the Battle of Vimy Ridge was over. The Allies now commanded the heights overlooking the Douai Plain, which was still occupied by the enemy.
Brock skin for Huot Automatic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Arthur_Brock): Wing Commander Frank Arthur Brock (29 June 1884 – 23 April 1918) was a British officer commissioned into the Royal Artillery, the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) (reference to Farquhar-Hill's The RNAS skin) and finally, when the RNAS merged with the RFC, the Royal Air Force. He invented the explosive bullet that destroyed the German Zeppelins and he devised and executed the smoke screen used during the Zeebrugge Raid on 23 April 1918, an attempt by the Royal Navy to block the Belgian port of Bruges-Zeebrugge during the First World War. Brock was a member of the Admiralty Board of Invention and Research and founded, organized and commanded the Royal Navy Experimental Station at Stratford. Among his many developments were: -The Brock Bullet (or Brock Incendiary Bullet or Brock Anti-Zeppelin Bullet) – the first German airship to be shot down was destroyed by this bullet. Most British fighter aircraft machine guns used a mixture of Brock, Pomeroy (reference to the M1909 Benét-Mercié's Pomeroy skin) and Buckingham (reference to the SMLE MKIII's Buckingham Mark I skin) bullets when attacking Zeppelins.
Crucifier skin for Huot Automatic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crucified_Soldier): The Crucified Soldier refers to the widespread story of an Allied soldier serving in the Canadian Corps who may have been crucified with bayonets on a barn door or a tree, while fighting on the Western Front during World War I. Three witnesses said they saw an unidentified crucified Canadian soldier near the battlefield of Ypres (reference to the M1907 Selfloading's Ypres skin), Belgium, on or around 24 April 1915, but eyewitness accounts were somewhat contradictory, no crucified body was recovered and the identity of the crucified soldier was not discovered at the time. The story often varied, though the most common version told how the Germans had captured a Canadian soldier and crucified him with bayonets on a wooden cross, while Maple Copse, near Sanctuary Wood in the Ypres sector, was the favoured setting. The victim was not always Canadian: Ian Hay, who dated the incident to spring 1915, maintained that the victim was British, and that he was crucified on a tree by German cavalrymen. A version which appeared in the Los Angeles newspapers kept the Canadian nationality, but made it two soldiers. The story made headline news around the world and the Allies repeatedly used the supposed incident in their war propaganda, including the US propaganda film The Prussian Cur (1918) produced by the Fox Film Corporation, which included scenes of an Allied soldier's crucifixion. In popular culture: -The story is mentioned frequently in Paul Gross' film Passchendaele, although the main character, Michael Dunne, claims that the incident stems from exaggeration and that artillery fire was responsible for appearing to pin the body of a soldier to a barn door. -The story is referenced in Dalton Trumbo's 1938 novel Johnny Got His Gun; the main character mentions that he read it in the news.
The Canadian Cur skin for Huot Automatic (https://nationalpurebreddogday.com/the-evolution-of-cur-and-curs-today/): At one point in the southern United States, a cur was thought of as a type of dog acknowledged by the job it performed, a name similar to “terrier” or “hound.” Curs could exhibit immense variety, but they had in common drop-ears, prodigious athleticism, and strong hunting and herding instincts. Over time, these descendents of dogs brought to the American south by immigrants evolved into several “types” to meet the needs of different climates and functions, and specifically, dogs that were purpose-bred treeing hounds. They were called “curs,”and they had their regional differences reflected by their names: Bavarian Cur, Canadian Cur, American Leopard Cur, Western Mountain Cur, Southern Black Mouth Cur, Florida Cur, Henderson Cur, Kemmer Mountain Cur, Parnell’s Carolina Cur, Stephens Cur, Treeing Cur, and Yellow Black Mouth Cur. Yes, there are many of them, and we suspect we even missed a few.
