Interesting History Behind BF1 Weapon Skin Names?

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numbers of the much cheaper Flieger-Selbstlader-Karabiner 15 Mondragon Rifle, the Mauser Fliegerkarabine 15 was largely withdrawn from the German Air Corps.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.