Re: Interesting History Behind BF1 Weapon Skin Names?

M1909 Benét-Mercié skins:
Legendary: The Daylight Gun, The Foch, La Grand Griffon
Distinguished: Columbus, Le Cateau, Pomeroy, Verdun

Columbus skin for M1909 Benét-Mercié (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotchkiss_M1909_Ben%C3%A9t%E2%80%93Merci%C3%A9_machine_gun): U.S. forces used the Benét–Mercié at the Battle of Columbus in 1916 (4 guns fired 20,000 rounds total in the engagement), in the subsequent Pancho Villa Expedition (reference to Russian 1895's Pancho Villa skin) in Mexico of 1916–17, and initially in France. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Columbus_(1916) The Battle of Columbus (Burning of Columbus or the Columbus Raid), March 9, 1916, began as a raid conducted by remnants of Pancho Villa's Division of the North on the small United States border town of Columbus, New Mexico, located 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the border with Mexico. The raid escalated into a full-scale battle between Villistas and the United States Army. Villa himself led the assault, only to be driven back into Mexico by elements of the 13th Cavalry Regiment stationed at the town. The Battle of Columbus resulted in the creation of the Punitive Expedition led by General John J. Pershing (reference to the M1917 MG's Black Jack skin) to track down and capture or kill Villa or disperse the attackers.

The Daylight Gun skin for M1909 Benét-Mercié (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotchkiss_M1909_Ben%C3%A9t%E2%80%93Merci%C3%A9_machine_gun): On the American guns, firing pins and extractors broke frequently. Some members of the U.S. press derisively called the M1909 the "daylight gun" because of the difficulty in replacing broken parts at night and jams caused when a loading strip was inserted upside down in darkness. Major Julian Hatcher was assigned to look into the issue after Columbus and found almost all the issues were due to inadequate training. U.S. troops during the Villa Expedition received additional training and the M1909 was considered an effective weapon.

Pomeroy skin for M1909 Benét-Mercié (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomeroy_bullet): The Pomeroy bullet was designed by New Zealander John Pomeroy (1873–1950) as an anti-zeppelin weapon. Pomeroy bullets were supposed to explode when encountering the minimal resistance of fabric envelopes containing hydrogen gas holding the zeppelin aloft. The explosion might produce a larger hole in the fabric than the small diameter bullet and the energy of the explosion might ignite the hydrogen in the presence of atmospheric oxygen outside of the envelope. After inconclusive comparative testing, aircraft machine gun magazines for anti-Zeppelin missions were loaded with a mix of Pomeroy bullets, Brock bullets (reference to Huot Automatic Rifle's Brock skin) containing potassium chlorate explosive and incendiary Buckingham bullets (reference to the SMLE MKIII's Buckingham Mark I skin) containing pyrophoric yellow phosphorus (reference to BAR M1918's Phosphorus skin). There was disagreement about which bullet type might have ignited the comparatively few Zeppelins destroyed by fighter aircraft.

Le Cateau skin for M1909 Benét-Mercié (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Le_Cateau): The Battle of Le Cateau was fought on the Western Front during the First World War on 26 August 1914. The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and the French Fifth Army had retreated after their defeats at the Battle of Charleroi (reference to the Selbstlader 1906's Charleroi skin) and the Battle of Mons (reference to Selbstlader 1906's The Hound of Mons skin). The British II Corps fought a delaying action at Le Cateau to slow the German pursuit. Most of the BEF was able to continue its retreat to Saint-Quentin.

Verdun skin for M1909 Benét-Mercié (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verdun): Verdun (official name before 1970 Verdun-sur-Meuse) is a large city in the Meuse department (reference to the M1897 Shotgun's Meuse skin) in Grand Est, northeastern France. Verdun was the site of a major battle (21 February – 18 December 1916), the longest-lasting of the First World War. One of the costliest battles in military history, Verdun exemplified the policy of a "war of attrition" pursued by both sides, which led to an enormous loss of life and very large casualty lists. Verdun was the strongest point in pre-war France, ringed by a string of powerful forts, including Douaumont (reference to the Sjögren Inertial's Douaumont skin) and Fort Vaux (reference to the Model 10-A's Vaux skin).

La Grand Griffon skin for M1909 Benét-Mercié (Dogs of All Nations by Walter Esplin Mason, 1915): A Grand Griffon Vendéen is a breed of hunting dog originating in France. It was the first of the Vendée griffons to be bred from the Greffier whose lineage dates back to the 16th Century. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Briquet_Griffon_Vend%C3%A9en A Briquet Griffon Vendéen is a breed of hunting dog originating in France. Prior to the first World War it was bred down in size by the Comte d’Elva from the Grand Griffon Vendéen. The Briquet Griffon Vendéen was almost extinct after World War II, but thanks to the effort of Hubert Dezamy, a French dog show judge, the breed was restored.

The Foch skin for M1909 Benét-Mercié skin (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Foch): Ferdinand Foch (2 October 1851 – 20 March 1929) was a French general and military theorist who served as the Supreme Allied Commander during the First World War. An aggressive, even reckless commander at the First Marne, Flanders (reference to the Artillery Truck's Flanders skin) and Artois campaigns of 1914–1916, Foch became the Allied Commander-in-Chief in late March 1918 in the face of the all-out German spring offensive (reference to MP18's The Kaiserschlacht skin), which pushed the Allies back using fresh soldiers and new tactics that trenches could not withstand. He successfully coordinated the French, British and American efforts into a coherent whole, deftly handling his strategic reserves. He stopped the German offensive and launched a war-winning counterattack.

M1903 skins:
Legendary: The Devil Dog, The Eisenhower, The Hartney
Distinguished: Belleau Wood, Bois de Cunel, Camp Perry, Marine

Marine skin for M1903 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1903_Springfield): In service, the Springfield was generally prized for its reliability and accuracy, though some problems remained. The precision rear aperture sight was located too far from the eye for efficient use, and the narrow, unprotected front sight was both difficult to see in poor light and easily damaged. The Marine Corps issued the Springfield with a sight hood to protect the front sight, along with a thicker front blade. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Marine_Corps During World War I, Marines served as a part of the American Expeditionary Force under General John J. Pershing (reference to the M1917 MG's Black Jack skin) when America entered into the war on 6 April 1917. The Marine Corps had a deep pool of officers and non-commissioned officers with battle experience and thus experienced a large expansion. The U.S. Marine Corps entered the war with 511 officers and 13,214 enlisted personnel and by 11 November 1918 had reached a strength of 2,400 officers and 70,000 enlisted.

Belleau Wood skin for M1903 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Belleau_Wood): The Battle of Belleau Wood (1–26 June 1918) occurred during the German spring offensive (reference to MP18's The Kaiserschlact skin) in World War I, near the Marne River in France. The battle was fought between the U.S. 2nd (under the command of Major General Omar Bundy) and 3rd Divisions (reference to Model 10-A's The Rock of the Marne skin) along with French and British forces against an assortment of German units including elements from the 237th, 10th, 197th, 87th, and 28th Divisions. The battle has become a key component in the lore of the United States Marine Corps (reference to the M1903's Marine skin).

The Devil Dog skin for M1903 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Belleau_Wood): Legend and lore has it that the Germans used the term Teufelshunde ('devil dogs') for the Marines (reference to the M1903's Marine skin). However, this has not been confirmed, as the term was not commonly known in contemporary German. The closest common German term would be Höllenhunde which means 'hellhound'. Regardless of the term's origin, ten years after the Battle of Belleau Wood, Lieutenant Colonel Ernst Otto, from the Historical Section of the German Army, wrote of the Marine Corps: "Their fiery advance and great tenacity were well recognized by their opponents.

Bois de Cunel skin for M1903 (http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/cunel.htm): On October 4, 1918, the 2nd Battalion of the 30th Infantry [3rd Division] (reference to Model 10-A's The Rock of the Marne skin) was in reserve in the Bois de Cunel [5 miles north of Montfaucon (reference to the BAR M1918's Bois de Montfaucon skin) and 2 miles southeast of Romagne]. On the previous day, as an assault unit, it had reached the north edge of the wood and was therefore somewhat familiar with the terrain beyond. arly on the 10th the 1st Battalion of the 30th Infantry had attacked to the north, but after advancing a short distance had been pinned to the ground in front of a German trench located north of the Bois de Cunel. It was ordered to withdraw to the woods, reorganize and resume the attack at 7:30 p.m., assisted by a new artillery preparation. The withdrawal began shortly after dark, but in the process the battalion became so disorganized that it was unable to launch the attack at the designated hour.

Camp Perry skin for M1903 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Perry): Camp Perry is a National Guard training facility located on the shore of Lake Erie in northern Ohio near Port Clinton. In addition to its regular mission as a military training base, Camp Perry also boasts the second largest outdoor rifle range in the world after the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, NM. The firing is done in the direction of the open water of the lake, that lies just beyond an earthen berm and the targets. During World War I, Camp Perry served as a training center for Army officers and marksmanship instructors. Around 1918 an additional area immediately adjacent to the existing Camp Perry grounds was used to construct the Erie Army Depot for artillery ordnance storage. Camp Perry has been the host of the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) and the NRA-sponsored National Rifle Matches since 1907. The National Matches, considered America's "World Series of the Shooting Sports," attracts shooting sports competitors from all across the world to compete in matches of all multitudes.

The Hartney skin for M1903 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Evans_Hartney): Harold Evans Hartney (April 19, 1888 – October 5, 1945) was a Canadian-born World War I flying ace who served in the Royal Flying Corps and then in the United States Army Air Service, credited with seven confirmed and one unconfirmed aerial victories.

The Eisenhower skin for M1903 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_D._Eisenhower): Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. Eisenhower served initially in logistics and then the infantry at various camps in Texas and Georgia until 1918. His unit was later ordered to France, but, to his chagrin, he received orders for the new tank corps, where he was promoted to brevet lieutenant colonel in the National Army. He commanded a unit that trained tank crews at Camp Colt – his first command – at the site of "Pickett's Charge" on the Gettysburg Civil War battleground. Though Eisenhower and his tank crews never saw combat, he displayed excellent organizational skills as well as an ability to accurately assess junior officers' strengths and make optimal placements of personnel. His new expertise in tank warfare was strengthened by a close collaboration with George S. Patton (reference to the 1903 Hammerless's Patton skin), Sereno E. Brett, and other senior tank leaders. Their leading-edge ideas of speed-oriented offensive tank warfare were strongly discouraged by superiors, who considered the new approach too radical and preferred to continue using tanks in a strictly supportive role for the infantry. Eisenhower was even threatened with court-martial for continued publication of these proposed methods of tank deployment, and he relented.

MP 18 skins:
Legendary: Der Weimaraner, The Hutier, The Kaiserschlacht, The Selle, Siegfriedstellung
Distinguished: Breakthrough Muller, Canal du Nord, Hazebrouck, Ramscapelle

Ramscapelle skin for MP 18 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nieuwpoort,_Belgium): Nieuwpoort is a city and municipality located in Flanders (reference to the Artillery Truck's Flanders skin), one of the three regions of Belgium, in the province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the town of Nieuwpoort proper, as well as Ramskapelle and Sint-Joris. During the Battle of the Yser, part of the First Battle of Ypres (reference to the M1907 Selfloading's Ypres skin) in World War I, Hendrik Geeraert opened the sluice gates on the mouth of the river Yser twice to flood the lower lying land, thus halting the German advance. Two World War I monuments, the Nieuport Memorial and King Albert I Memorial, are in close proximity of the Ganzepoot.

The Kaiserschlacht skin for MP 18 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP_18): The MP 18 served in the final stages of World War I in 1918, especially in the Kaiserschlacht offensive. More than 25,000 were produced, until the Treaty of Versailles banned German production of military submachine guns in 1920. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_spring_offensive The German spring offensive, or Kaiserschlacht ("Kaiser's Battle"), also known as the Ludendorff offensive (reference to the C96 Pistol's Ludendorff skin), was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during the First World War, beginning on 21 March 1918. Following American entry into the war in April 1917, the Germans decided that their only remaining chance of victory was to defeat the Allies before the United States could ship soldiers across the Atlantic and fully deploy its resources. The German Army had gained a temporary advantage in numbers as nearly 50 divisions had been freed by the Russian defeat and withdrawal from the war with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. There were four German offensives, codenamed Michael, Georgette, Gneisenau (reference to the P08 Pistol's Count Gneisenau skin), and Blücher-Yorck.

Hazebrouck skin for MP 18 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazebrouck): Hazebrouck is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France. It was a small market town in Flanders (reference to the Artillery Truck's Flanders skin) until it became an important railway junction in the 1860s. World War I, Fourth Battle of Ypres and Hazebrouck: An attack by the German army was proposed in October 1917 by the Army Group Commander Field Marshal Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria (reference to the Selbstlader M1916's Kronprinz skin) as a large-scale attack either carried by itself or as an attack to relieve pressure on the German Front. Rupprecht's Army Group held the German Front in Flanders and Picardy; his command covered the Belgian coast to Ypres (reference to the M1907 Selfloading's Ypres skin) and on to Armentières. The operation was given the codename of "George" and plans were submitted for an offensive attack between Ypres and Bethune. The breakthrough would be made in the British Front just south of the Belgian-French border in the Lys river area with the intention to get past the Allied Front there and advance to Hazebrouck.

The Hutier skin for MP 18 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oskar_von_Hutier): Oskar Emil von Hutier (27 August 1857 – 5 December 1934) was a German general during the First World War. He served in the German Army from 1875 to 1919, including war service. During the war, he commanded the army that took Riga, Russian Republic, in 1917. The following year he was transferred to the Western Front to participate in Operation Michael that year. He is frequently but mistakenly credited with having created the stormtrooper tactics of small, rapid forces, which he employed to great effect during the Michael offensive. These tactics had been developed by other officers on the Western Front before he was reassigned there.

Breakthrough Muller skin for MP 18 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Bruchm%C3%BCller): Georg Bruchmüller (11 December 1863 – 26 January 1948) was a German artillery officer who greatly influenced the development of modern artillery tactics. He was nicknamed Durchbruchmüller, a combination of the German word Durchbruch (breakthrough) with his name. Bruchmüller commanded the artillery of the 8th Army (General Oskar von Hutier) (reference to MP 18's The Hutier skin) in the victory at Riga in September 1917. The 8th Army moved west soon thereafter and, in the first months of 1918, Bruchmüller's techniques were taught to gunners at a special school in Belgium before the German spring offensive of 1918 (reference to MP 18's The Kaiserschlacht skin). Infantry officers were also taught his methods and there were joint infantry-artillery exercises with live ammunition, with advances shielded by the creeping barrage. The first attack, Operation Michael, began with a barrage of 3.5 million shells in five hours, almost 200 shells a second.

Siegfriedstellung skin for MP 18 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindenburg_Line): The Hindenburg Line (German: Siegfriedstellung, Siegfried Position) was a German defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front during the First World War. The line ran from Arras (reference to the Lewis Gun's Arras skin) to Laffaux, near Soissons on the Aisne. The Hindenburg Line, built behind the Noyon Salient, was to replace the old front line as a precaution against a resumption of the Battle of the Somme in 1917. By wasting the intervening ground, the Germans could delay a spring offensive in 1917. A shortened front could be held with fewer troops and with tactical dispersal, reverse-slope positions, defence in depth and camouflage, German infantry could be conserved. The retirement to the Hindenburg Line (Alberich Bewegung/Operation Alberich/Alberich Manoeuvre) took place from February to March 1917. The Hindenburg Line was attacked several times in 1917, notably at St Quentin, Bullecourt (reference to the Revolver MK VI's Bloody Bullecourt skin), the Aisne and Cambrai and was broken in September 1918 during the Hundred Days Offensive.

Canal du Nord skin for MP 18 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Canal_du_Nord): The Battle of Canal du Nord was part of the Hundred Days Offensive of the First World War by the Allies against German positions on the Western Front. The battle took place in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, along an incomplete portion of the Canal du Nord and on the outskirts of Cambrai between 27 September and 1 October 1918. To prevent the Germans from sending reinforcements against one attack, the assault along the Canal du Nord was part of a sequence of Allied attacks at along the Western Front. The attack began the day after the Meuse-Argonne Offensive commenced, a day before an offensive in Belgian Flanders and two days before the Battle of St. Quentin Canal.

The Selle skin for MP 18 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Selle): The Battle of the Selle (17–25 October 1918) was a battle between Allied forces and the German Army, fought during the Hundred Days Offensive of World War I. By 11 October, the Fourth Army had closed up on the retreating Germans near Le Cateau (reference to the M1909 Benet Mercie's Le Cateau skin), with the Germans taking up a new position, immediately to the east of the Selle River. General Henry Rawlinson was faced with three problems: crossing the river, the railway embankment on the far side and the ridge above the embankment. The decision was made to commence the assault at night, and as the river was not very wide at this point, planks would be used for the soldiers to cross in single file. Later, pontoons would be required for the artillery to cross the river. https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Battle_of_the_Selle_(Codex_Entry) Battle of the Selle is a Codex Entry featured in Battlefield 1, introduced in the July 2017 update. It is unlocked by winning one game on Giant's Shadow.

Der Weimaraner skin for MP 18 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weimaraner): The Weimaraner is a large dog that was originally bred as a hunting dog in the early 19th century. Early Weimaraners were used by royalty for hunting large game such as boar, bear and deer. As the popularity of hunting large game began to decline, Weimaraners were used for hunting smaller animals like fowl, rabbits and foxes. The name comes from the Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Karl August, whose court, located in the city of Weimar (now in the state of Thuringia in modern-day Germany), enjoyed hunting. The Weimaraner was kept in the Weimar court in the 19th century and carried a good deal of Leithound ancestry. Two theories propose that they descended from the Chien-gris, or from the St. Hubert hound, whose descendant is the bloodhound (reference to Martini-Henry's The Bloodhound skin). The breed arrived to America in the late 1920s, and its popularity increased in the 1950s, largely because of celebrities like Grace Kelly, President Dwight D. Eisenhower (reference to the M1903's The Eisenhower skin), and * Clark.

SMLE MKIII skins:
Legendary: The Black Watch, The Corbett, The Fuller, The Pegahmagabow
Distinguished: Buckingham Mark I, Jericho, Lone Pine, The Silent One

Buckingham Mark I skin for SMLE MKIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.303_British): Tracer and armour-piercing cartridges were introduced during 1915, with explosive Pomeroy bullets (reference to the M1909 Benét-Mercié's Pomeroy skin) introduced as the Mark VII.Y in 1916. Several incendiaries were privately developed from 1914 to counter the Zeppelin threat but none were approved until the Brock design late in 1916 as BIK Mark VII.K Wing Commander Frank Brock RNVR (reference to the Huot Automatic Rifle's Brock skin), its inventor, was a member of the Brock fireworks-making family. Anti-zeppelin missions typically used machine guns loaded with a mixture of Brock bullets containing potassium chlorate, Pomeroy bullets containing dynamite, and Buckingham bullets containing pyrophoric yellow phosphorus (reference to the BAR M1918's Phosphorus skin).

The Black Watch skin for SMLE MKIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Watch): The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The regiment was created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, when the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot (The Black Watch) was amalgamated with the 73rd (Perthshire) Regiment of Foot. It was known as The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) from 1881 to 1931 and The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) from 1931 to 2006. The force was known in Gaelic as Am Freiceadan Dubh, "the dark" or "black watch". This epithet may have come from the uniform plaids of dark tartan with which the companies were provided. Other theories have been put forward; for instance, that the name referred to the "black hearts" of the pro-government militia who had sided with the "enemies of true Highland spirit", or that it came from their original duty in policing the Highlands, namely preventing "blackmail" (Highlanders demanding extortion payments to spare cattle herds). The Black Watch fielded 25 battalions and lost 8,390 officers and other ranks during the course of the First World War.

Lone Pine skin for SMLE MKIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lone_Pine): The Battle of Lone Pine (also known as the Battle of Kanlı Sırt) was fought between Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) and Ottoman Empire forces during the Gallipoli Campaign of the First World War, between 6 and 10 August 1915. The battle was part of a diversionary attack to draw Ottoman attention away from the main assaults being conducted by British, Indian and New Zealand troops around Sari Bair (reference to the Martini-Henry's Sari Bair Ridge skin), Chunuk Bair and Hill 971, which became known as the August Offensive. Nevertheless, despite the Australian victory, the wider August Offensive of which the attack had been a part failed and a situation of stalemate developed around Lone Pine which lasted until the end of the campaign in December 1915 when Allied troops were evacuated from the peninsula.

Jericho skin for SMLE MKIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Jericho): The Capture of Jericho occurred between 19 and 21 February 1918 to the east of Jerusalem beginning the Occupation of the Jordan Valley during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War. Fighting took place in an area bordered by the Bethlehem–Nablus road in the west, the Jordan River in the east, and north of a line from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea. Here a British Empire force attacked Ottoman positions, forcing them back to Jericho and eventually across the Jordan River. Winter rains put an end to campaigning after the advance from the Gaza–Beersheba line to the capture of Jerusalem in December 1917. This lull in the fighting offered the opportunity for the captured territories to be consolidated. Extensive developments were also required along the lines of communication to ensure that front-line troops were adequately supplied, approximately 150 miles (240 km) from their main bases at Moascar and Kantara (reference to the Revolver MK VI's Kantara skin) on the Suez Canal.

The Silent One skin for SMLE MKIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivor_Gurney): Ivor Bertie Gurney (28 August 1890 – 26 December 1937) was an English poet and composer, particularly of songs. He was born and raised in Gloucester. He suffered from bipolar disorder through much of his life and spent his last 15 years in psychiatric hospitals. Gurney's studies were interrupted by World War I, when he enlisted as a private soldier in the Gloucestershire Regiment in February 1915. At the front, he began writing poetry seriously, sending his efforts to his friend, the musicologist and critic Marion Scott, who worked with Gurney as his editor and business manager. He was in the midst of writing the poems for what would become his first book, Severn and Somme, when he was wounded in the shoulder in April 1917. He recovered and returned to battle, still working on his book and composing music, including the songs "In Flanders" and "By A Bierside". In the meantime, Gurney was gassed in September the same year and sent to the Edinburgh War Hospital, where he met and fell in love with a VAD nurse, Annie Nelson Drummond, but the relationship later broke down. Gurney slowly regained some of his emotional stability and in October 1918 was honourably discharged from the army. Gurney received an unconventional diagnosis of nervous breakdown from "deferred" shell shock (reference to the M1917 Enfield's Shellshock skin). The following poems provide an introduction to his work: "The Silent One" – An account of a moment of terror during a battle.

The Fuller skin for SMLE MKIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._F._C._Fuller): Major-General John Frederick Charles "Boney" Fuller (1 September 1878 – 10 February 1966) was a senior British Army officer, military historian, and strategist, known as an early theorist of modern armoured warfare, including categorising principles of warfare. With 45 books and many articles, he was a highly prolific author whose ideas reached army officers and the interested public. Fuller emphasised the potential of new weapons, especially tanks and aircraft, to stun a surprised enemy psychologically. During the First World War, Fuller was a staff officer with the Home Forces and with VII Corps in France, and from 1916 in the Headquarters of the Machine-Gun Corps' Heavy Branch which was later to become the Tank Corps. He helped plan the tank attack at the 20 November 1917 Battle of Cambrai and the tank operations for the Autumn offensives of 1918. His Plan 1919 for a fully mechanised offensive against the German army was never implemented.

The Corbett skin for SMLE MKIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Corbett): Edward James Corbett (25 July 1875 – 19 April 1955) was an Indian-born British hunter, tracker, naturalist, and author who hunted a number of man-eating tigers and leopards in the Indian subcontinent. He held the rank of colonel in the British Indian Army and was frequently called upon by the Government of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, now the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, to kill man-eating tigers and leopards that were preying on people in the nearby villages of the Kumaon-Garhwal Regions. He authored Man-Eaters of Kumaon, Jungle Lore, and other books recounting his hunts and experiences, which enjoyed critical acclaim and commercial success. He became an avid photographer and spoke out for the need to protect India's wildlife from extermination.

The Pegahmagabow skin for SMLE MKIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Pegahmagabow): Francis Pegahmagabow (March 9, 1891 – August 5, 1952) was an Ojibwe soldier, politician and activist in Canada. He was the most highly decorated Indigenous soldier in Canadian military history and the most effective sniper of the First World War. Three times awarded the Military Medal and seriously wounded, he was an expert marksman and scout, credited with killing 378 Germans and capturing 300 more. Later in life, he served as chief and a councillor for the Wasauksing First Nation, and as an activist and leader in several First Nations organizations.

Sjögren Inertial skins:

Legendary: Le Mort-Homme, Thord-Grey
Distinguished: Carl Axel, Douaumont

Carl Axel skin for Sjögren Inertial (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sj%C3%B6gren_shotgun): The Sjögren Inertia Shotgun is a 12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun that was designed by the Swedish inventor Carl Axel Theodor Sjögren, initially manufactured by AB Svenska Vapen- och Ammunitionsfabriken in Sweden and then by Håndvåbenværkstederne Kjøbenhavn in Denmark. It used an inertia system later revived by the Italian firm Benelli and today widely used in shotguns. https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Sj%C3%B6gren_Inertial_Shotgun_(Codex_Entry) The Sjögren Inertia Shotgun is a 12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun designed by Swedish inventor Carl Axel Theodor Sjögren in 1900, making it one of the very first automatic shotguns ever - only just beaten by the American A5 desgined in 1899. Sjögren's shotgun used a novel inertia-based operating mechanism, an approach which was later revived by an Italian shotgun manufacturer and is widely used in semi-automatic shotguns today. Sjögren also designed a military rifle based on the same inertia mechanism, but it was never adopted and only ever manufactured in very few copies.

Le Mort-Homme skin for Sjögren Inertial (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Mort_Homme): The heights of Le Mort Homme or Dead Man's Hill (German: Toter Mann) lie within the French municipality of Cumières-le-Mort-Homme around 10 km (6 mi) north-west of the city of Verdun (reference to the M1909 Benét-Mercis's Verdun skin) in France. The hill became known during the Battle of Verdun during the First World War as the site of much fighting. The hill has two summits which are named after their height in metres: the northern crest is Côte 265 and the southern one is Côte 295. These names were not used at the time, setting aside that modern survey has measured their heights at 287 and 280 metres respectively. In late February 1916, following German attacks on the right bank of the River Meuse (reference to the M1897 Shotgun's Meuse skin) during the Battle of Verdun, the French had established artillery batteries on the hills on the left bank commanding the opposite, right-hand bank. Despite the cost, the Germans had identified in March that the key to taking Le Mort Homme was Côte 304 (reference to the Battle of Côte 304 skins), which dominated the approach to Le Mort Homme and was able to fire on the Germans attacking the hill.

Douaumont skin for Sjögren Inertial (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douaumont): Douaumont is a former commune in the Meuse (reference to the M1897 Shotgun's Meuse skin) department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Douaumont-Vaux. The village was totally destroyed during World War I. Today the Douaumont Ossuary (reference to RSC SMG's The Ossuary skin), which contains the remains of more than 100,000 unknown soldiers of both French and German nationalities found on the battlefield, stands high above the landscape. The Douaumont Fort was built south-east of the village. At the very beginning of the Battle of Verdun (February 1916) and due to French unpreparedness, the fort was easily captured by a small German raiding party. Douaumont was later recaptured by the French Army in October 1916, after major casualties on both sides.

Thord-Grey skin for Sjögren Inertial (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivor_Thord-Gray): Ivor Thord-Gray (born Thord Ivar Hallström) (April 17, 1878 – August 18, 1964) was a Swedish-born adventurer, sailor, prison guard, soldier, government official, police officer, rubber plantation owner, ethnologist, linguist, investor, and author. He participated in thirteen wars spanning the continents of Africa, Asia, North America, and Europe. In 1897 he enlisted in the Cape Mounted Riflemen as a Private and fought in the Boer War in 1899–1902. Joined Mexican Revolution as Captain and Commander of Pancho Villa's artillery (reference to the Russian 1895's Pancho Villa skin) in 1913. Joined British Army 1914, and served in the First World War. His initial rank was of Major and he was the second in command of 15th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. Lieutenant-Colonel in the Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force, which was deployed as part of the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War in 1918. Transferred to Russian "White" Army February 1919 as Colonel.

Mondragón skins:
Legendary: Ah Tabai, The Bogohl, The Mexican
Distinguished: Löwenhardt, Magnesium, Mesopolonica, Riesenflugzeug

The Mexican skin for Mondragón https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Mondrag%C3%B3n_(Codex_Entry) In 1908, the Mexican army was the first one in the world to officially adopt a semi-automatic rifle. The weapon was the Mondragón rifle, a gas-operated weapon patented the year before by a Mexican General. Since Mexico did not have the manufacturing capabilities to produce large batches of the Mondragón rifle, orders were instead issued to a Swiss manufacturer. However, because of political instability in Mexico at the time, only about 400 of the ordered rifles had been delivered to the Mexican army by 1910. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_Mondrag%C3%B3n Manuel Mondragón (1859–1922) was a Mexican military officer who played a prominent role in the Mexican Revolution. He graduated from the Mexican Military Academy as an artillery officer in 1880. He designed the world’s first gas-operated semi-automatic rifle, the M1908 rifle, and a 75mm howitzer.

Ah Tabai skin for Mondragón (https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ah_tabai): El Ah tabai, también llamado Ah-tabai o Itakay, es una criatura de la mitología maya, que tiene un poco de vigencia sobre todo en Cobá, Quintana Roo (México). La leyenda cuenta sobre la aparición de un hermoso hombre que se manifiesta por las noches, en la cual seduce a las mujeres para finalmente darles un destructivo final. A menudo representado con un elaborado tocado de maíz o una maceta con mazorcas de maíz en la mano, Yum Kaax fue posiblemente venerado tanto por agricultores como por cazadores. La primera conexión alude a cómo este dios maya también fue rezado como una deidad de la agricultura, tanto que muchos ofrecían sus primeras cosechas a la deidad del bosque. En cuanto al segundo, los cazadores tenían que ofrecer oraciones y rituales especiales para recibir el permiso y la guía de Yum Kaax para tener fortuna en la caza, especialmente cuando cazaban ciervos. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/415/the-mayan-pantheon-the-many-gods-of-the-maya/ The following list, then, is by no means comprehensive as far as defining every god the ancient Maya worshipped in every region, village, or city but attempts to be comprehensive in detailing as much as is presently known about the gods and hopes to do so concisely. Ah-Tabai: The god of the hunt and protector of animals.

Mesopolonica skin for Mondragón (https://www.daytranslations.com/blog/trench-talks-english/): Engaging in war is never a good thing, however, the trench talks that went on during the First World War had enriched the English vocabulary. Some of the common trench slang: -Mesopolonica. This term was a mix of Mesopotamia and Thessalonica, the word soldiers used when they did not know where they were sent, especially those that got stationed in the Middle East or the Balkans.

Riesenflugzeug skin for Mondragón (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riesenflugzeug): A Riesenflugzeug (plural Riesenflugzeuge, German for "giant aircraft"), sometimes colloquially referred to in English as an R-plane, was any member of a class of large World War I German bombers, possessing at least three aircraft engines, although usually four or more engines. These were large multi-engine aircraft capable of flying several hours with larger bomb loads than the smaller Grossflugzeug bombers such as the Gotha G.V. The Idflieg (Inspektion der Fliegertruppen (Inspection of the Air Force), the German Army department responsible for military aviation), assigned the letter R to this type of aircraft, which would then be followed by a period and a Roman numeral type number. Seaplanes were denoted by the addition of a lower case "s" after the "R" in the designation. The largest built, the Siemens-Schuckert R.VIII of 1918 had a wingspan of 48.0 m (157.5 ft).

The Bogohl skin for Mondragón (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kampfgeschwader): Kampfgeschwader are the German-language name for (air force) bomber units. In WW1, they were air squadrons, while in WW2, they were air wings. During World War I, Kampfgeschwader were specialized bomber units in the Luftstreitkräfte. Formally known as Kampfgeschwader der Obersten Heeresleitung, or Kagohl (reference to Selbstlader M1916's The Kagohl skin) for short, they were assets directly controlled by the Oberste Heeresleitung, the German Army's high command, rather than by army, corps, or division commanders. In 1917, the Kagohls were reorganized into Bombengeschwader der Obersten Heeresleitung (Bogohl) of three Bombenstaffeln ⭐, each of six heavy bombers and several additional light bombers.

Löwenhardt skin for Mondragón (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_Loewenhardt): Erich Loewenhardt (7 April 1897 – 10 August 1918) was a German soldier and military aviator who fought in the First World War and became a fighter ace credited with 54 confirmed aerial victories. Originally enlisting in an infantry regiment even though he was only 17, he fought in the Battle of Tannenberg (reference to the Madsen MG's Tannenberg skin), winning a battlefield commission on 2 October 1914. He would serve in the Carpathians and on the Italian Front before being medically discharged in mid-1915. Following a five month recuperation, Loewenhardt joined the Imperial German Air Service in 1916. After serving as an aerial observer and reconnaissance pilot, he underwent advanced training to become a fighter pilot with Jagdstaffel 10 in March 1917. Between 24 March 1917 and 10 August 1918, Loewenhardt shot down 45 enemy airplanes, as well as destroying nine observation balloons. Shortly after his final victory, he was killed in a collision with another German pilot.

Magnesium skin for Mondragón (https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/magnesium-from-the-sea-to-the-stars): Outside of the laboratory, magnesium was used almost exclusively for its illuminating properties, particularly as a flashbulb in photography. Although uses for the metal were initially limited, demand boomed with the outbreak of war. Magnesium found many uses in the trenches of Europe during World War I, particularly in the aptly named “star shells,” which were used to light up the battlefield at night. The element was also used in tracer bullets, flares, and incendiaries. Yet production outside of Germany remained small and sporadic until the British navy’s blockade of Germany forced American manufacturers into the business. Herbert H. Dow, founder of the Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan, was quick to answer the call.

Flakfire's question to Indy Neidell? 

Gewehr 98 skins:
Legendary: Die Wilde Jagd, The Kaiser, Von Hausen
Distinguished: Jäger, Liège, Schwaben-Feste, von Schlieffen

Jäger skin for Gewehr 98 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%A4ger_(infantry) Jäger ("hunter") is a German military term referring to specific light infantry units. Jäger is usually translated into English as "rifleman" (in an infantry role) or "Rifles" (in regimental names). By the early twentieth century, Jäger units were part of the Imperial German, Austro-Hungarian, Swedish, Dutch and Norwegian armies. They corresponded to the rifles, light infantry, chasseurs à pied or bersaglieri (reference to the Cei-Rigotti's Bersaglieri skin) units of the British, French, Italian and other armies. While such units still enjoyed considerable prestige and high esprit de corps (reference to the Ribeyrolles 1918's Esprit de corps skin), their training, equipment and tactical roles had for the most part become aligned with those of the line infantry of their respective armies. Best known were the German Jäger units who were distinguished by their peace-time wear of dark green tunics and shakos (in contrast to the dark blue tunics and spiked helmets of most German infantry). During the early stages of World War I, the German Jäger maintained their traditional role as skirmishers and scouts, often in conjunction with cavalry units. With the advent of trench warfare, they were committed to an ordinary infantry role, integrated into divisions and lost their status as independent units. Cyclist Jäger served in the Balkan and Russian theatres of war, while Württemberg and Bavaria raised Ski-Jäger during the winter of 1914–15. Another specialist formation was the Jäger Storm Companies, serving as trench raiders during 1917–1918.

von Schlieffen skin for Gewehr 98 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_von_Schlieffen): Graf Alfred von Schlieffen, generally called Count Schlieffen (28 February 1833 – 4 January 1913) was a German field marshal and strategist who served as chief of the Imperial German General Staff from 1891 to 1906. His name lived on in the 1905–06 "Schlieffen Plan", then Aufmarsch I, a deployment plan and operational guide for a decisive initial offensive operation/campaign in a two-front war against the French Third Republic.

Liège skin for Gewehr 98 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li%C3%A8ge): Liège (Walloon: Lîdje; Dutch: Luik; German: Lüttich) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège. Liège's fortifications were redesigned by Henri Alexis Brialmont in the 1880s and a chain of twelve forts was constructed around the city to provide defence in depth. This presented a major obstacle to the Imperial German Army in 1914, whose Schlieffen Plan (reference to the Gewehr 98's von Schlieffen skin) relied on being able to quickly pass through the Meuse valley (reference to the M1897 Shotgun's Meuse skin) and the Ardennes en route to France. The German invasion of Belgium on 5 August 1914 soon reached Liège, which was defended by 30,000 troops under General Gérard Leman in the Battle of Liège. The forts initially held off General Alexander von Kluck's (reference to the SMG 08/18's Von Kluck skin) German First Army of about 100,000 men but were pulverised into submission by a five-day bombardment by heavy artillery, including thirty-two 21 cm mortars and two German 42 cm Big Bertha howitzers. Due to faulty planning of the protection of the underground defense tunnels beneath the main citadel, one direct artillery hit caused a huge explosion, which eventually led to the surrender of the Belgian forces. As part of Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg's (reference to Selbstlader M1916's The Chancellor skin) Septemberprogramm, Berlin planned to annexe Liege under the name Lüttich to the German Empire in any post-war peace agreement.

Von Hausen skin for Gewehr 98 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_von_Hausen): Max Clemens Lothar Freiherr von Hausen (December 17, 1846 – March 19, 1922) was a German army commander. He participated in the Austro-Prussian and Franco-German Wars and became Generaloberst of Saxon troops and War Minister in the Kingdom of Saxony. At the beginning of the First World War, he was the head of the Third Army which he led during the Battles of the Frontiers, Charleroi (reference to the Selbstlader 1906's Charleroi skin), and the Marne (reference to the Model 10-A's The Rock of the Marne skin). He was relieved of his command because of illness in September 1914.

Schwaben-Feste skin for Gewehr 98 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Schwaben_Redoubt): The Capture of Schwaben Redoubt (Schwaben-Feste) was a tactical incident in the Battle of the Somme (reference to the Auto revolver's Somme skin), 1916 during the First World War. The redoubt was a German strong point 500–600 yd (460–550 m) long and 200 yd (180 m) wide, built in stages since 1915, near the village of Thiepval and overlooking the River Ancre (reference to the RSC SMG's Ancre skin). It formed part of the German defensive system in the Somme sector of the Western Front during the First World War and consisting of a mass of machine-gun emplacements, trenches and dug-outs. The redoubt was defended by the 26th Reserve Division, from Swabia in south-west Germany, which had arrived in the area during the First Battle of Albert in 1914. Troops of the 36th (Ulster) Division captured the redoubt on 1 July 1916, until forced out by German artillery-fire and counter-attacks after dark.

The Kaiser skin for Gewehr 98 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_II,_German_Emperor): Wilhelm II or William II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 1859 – 4 June 1941) was the last German emperor (German: Kaiser) and king of Prussia from 15 June 1888 until his abdication on 9 November 1918. Despite strengthening the German Empire's position as a great power by building a powerful navy, his tactless public statements and erratic foreign policy greatly antagonized the international community and are considered by many to be one of the underlying causes of World War I. When the German war effort collapsed after a series of crushing defeats on the Western Front in 1918, he was forced to abdicate, thereby marking the end of the German Empire and the House of Hohenzollern's (reference to the LMG 08/18's Hohenzollern skin) 300-year reign in Prussia (reference to Parabellum MG14/17's The Prussian skin) and 500-year reign in Brandenburg.

Die Wilde Jagd skin Gewehr 98 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Hunt): The Wild Hunt is a folklore motif occurring across various northern European cultures. Wild Hunts typically involve a chase led by a mythological figure escorted by a ghostly or supernatural group of hunters engaged in pursuit. The leader of the hunt is often a named figure associated with Odin (reference to the Selbstlader M1916's Odin skin) in Germanic legends, but may variously be a historical or legendary figure like Theodoric the Great, the Danish king Valdemar Atterdag (reference to Madsen MG's The Atterdag skin), the dragon slayer Sigurd (reference to the Heavy Tank's Siegfried skin), the Welsh psychopomp Gwyn ap Nudd, biblical figures such as Herod, Cain, Gabriel, or the Devil, or an unidentified lost soul or spirit either male or female. The hunters are generally the souls of the dead or ghostly dogs, sometimes fairies, valkyries, or elves. Based on the comparative study of the German folklore, the phenomenon is often referred to as Wilde Jagd (German: 'Wild Hunt/chase') or Wütendes Heer ('Raging Host/army'). The Wild Hunt is the subject of Transcendental Étude No. 8 in C minor, "Wilde Jagd" (Wild Hunt) by Franz Liszt, and appears in Karl Maria von Weber's 1821 opera Der Freischütz and in Arnold Schönberg's (reference to the Maschinenpistole M1912/P.16's Schoenberg skin) oratorio Gurre-Lieder of 1911. In act 1 of Richard Wagner's 1870 opera Die Walküre (reference to the Selbstlader 1906's Die Walkure skin), Siegmund relates that he has been pursued by “Das wütende Heer”, which is an indication to the audience that it is Wotan himself who has called up the storm which has driven him (Siegmund) to Hunding's dwelling.

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-story/86ad467101e936cd980877a60a2a0042): 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.

Revolver Mk VI skins:
Legendary: Bellicourt Tunnel, The Kiss
Distinguished: For the Fallen, Jacka's Mob
Special: Al Faw, Bloody Bullecourt, Chivalry, Kantara

Al Faw skin for Revolver Mk VI (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fao_Landing): The Fao Landing occurred from November 6, 1914 to November 8, 1914 with British forces attacking the Ottoman stronghold of Fao and its fortress. The landing was met with little resistance from the Turkish defenders who fled after intense shelling. It was the first military operation of the Mesopotamian Campaign of World War I which was carried out to protect the British Empire's oil supplies in the Persian Gulf. In popular culture: The Fao Landing and the subsequent battle for the fortress are featured in the video game Battlefield 1. https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Al-Faw_(Codex_Entry) When the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers in early November 1914, the British Empire feared for the security of its oil wells, pipelines, and refinery at Abadon near the Persian Gulf. They moved to capture the Ottoman controlled Al-Faw Peninsula, and the ancient Fortress of Fao was the main Ottoman stronghold there. Within days of the Ottomans joining the war, a British naval fleet was in position and a joint marine attack with the Indian Expeditionary Force was launched.

Kantara skin for Revolver Mk VI (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Qantara,_Egypt): El Qantara (Arabic: القنطرة, romanized: al qantara, lit. 'the bridge') is a northeastern Egyptian city on both sides of the Suez Canal, in the Egyptian governorate of Ismailia, 160 kilometres (99 mi) northeast of Cairo and 50 kilometres (31 mi) south of Port Said. During World War I, Kantara, as it was referred to by the Allied troops, was the site of Headquarters No. 3 Section, Canal Defences and Headquarters Eastern Force during the latter stages of the Defence of the Suez Canal Campaign and the Sinai Campaign of 1916. The massive distribution warehouse and hospital centre supported and supplied all British, Australian and New Zealand operations in the Sinai from 1916 until final demobilization in 1919. Beginning in January 1916, a new railway was constructed from Kantara to Romani, and eastward through the Sinai to El Arish and Rafa on the border with the Ottoman Empire. A water pipeline was constructed along the same route by the Royal Engineers under the command of Brigadier General Everard Blair. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery and Memorial is located outside of town. It was begun in February, 1916 and remained in use until late 1920. https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Suez_(Battlefield_1) Suez is a map featured in Battlefield 1. It features the United Kingdom and Ottoman Empire factions in battle at Kantara, Egypt, the site of the British Army's supply depot at the Suez Canal. It is set during the Ottoman Raid on the Suez Canal in 1915.

Bloody Bullecourt skin for Revolver Mk VI (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullecourt): Bullecourt is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region in France. War has twice completely destroyed the village: in 1543 during the Ninth Italian War (1542–1546) and in 1917, during the First World War. In early 1917, during the northern hemisphere spring, the First attack on Bullecourt (11 April 1917) and the Battle of Bullecourt (3–17 May 1917) became significant to the military history of Australia in particular. The village lay at the southern end of a highly active front – and formed part of the Hindenburg Line (reference to the MP 18's Siegfriedstellung skin). In the First attack of Bullecourt, two brigades of the 4th Australian Division attacked German positions in Bullecourt, supported by 12 tanks but without artillery support. Caught in heavy fire, the Australians were forced to retreat. The 4th Australian Brigade alone sustained losses of 2,258 killed, wounded or taken prisoner, out of approximately 3,000 infantry. Only 750 Germans soldiers were killed, while they captured 27 Australian officers and 1,137 other ranks. In the Battle of Bullecourt, an attack on both flanks of the village was conducted by the 2nd Australian Division and the 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division. Bullecourt was recaptured but the anticipated breakthrough on the Hindenburg line did not occur. In total, there were 14,000 Australian and British casualties. The Musée Jean et Denise Letaille (established in 2012) commemorates this fighting. https://www.amazon.com/Bloody-Bullecourt-David-Coombes/dp/1526713438 Bloody Bullecourt by David Coombes (Author). In April-May 1917 the sleepy hamlet of Bullecourt in Northern France became the focus of two battles involving British and Australian troops. Given the unique place in Australia's military history that both battles occupy, surprisingly little has been written on the AIF's achievements at Bullecourt. Bloody Bullecourt seeks to remedy this gasping omission.

Bellicourt Tunnel skin for Revolver Mk VI (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellicourt): Bellicourt is a commune in the department of Aisne in Hauts-de-France in northern France. It lies on the N44 road between Cambrai and Saint-Quentin and over the principal tunnel of the St. Quentin Canal. It was the site of numerous intense combat actions and battles during World War I. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_St_Quentin_Canal The Battle of St Quentin Canal was a pivotal battle of World War I that began on 29 September 1918 and involved British, Australian and American forces operating as part of the British Fourth Army under the overall command of General Sir Henry Rawlinson. Further north, part of the British Third Army also supported the attack. South of the Fourth Army's 19 km (12 mi) front, the French First Army launched a coordinated attack on a 9.5 km (6 mi) front. The objective was to break through one of the most heavily defended stretches of the German Siegfriedstellung (Hindenburg Line, reference to the MP 18's Siegfriedstellung skin), which in this sector used the St Quentin Canal as part of its defences. The assault achieved its objectives (though not according to the planned timetable), resulting in the first full breach of the Hindenburg Line, in the face of heavy German resistance. Attack over Bellicourt Tunnel: An added difficulty was thick fog across the battlefield in the earlier stages of the attack which led to American troops passing by Germans without realising that they were there, with the Germans causing severe problems to the Americans following the assault wave. Fog also caused problems for infantry/tank cooperation. The 30th Division broke through the Hindenburg Line in the fog on 29 September 1918, entering Bellicourt, capturing the southern entrance of Bellicourt Tunnel and reaching the village of Nauroy, where Australian troops joined them to continue the attack.

For the Fallen skin for Revolver Mk VI (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Binyon): Robert Laurence Binyon (10 August 1869 – 10 March 1943) was an English poet, dramatist and art scholar. Born in Lancaster, England, his parents were Frederick Binyon, a clergyman, and Mary Dockray. He studied at St Paul's School, London and at Trinity College, Oxford, where he won the Newdigate Prize for poetry in 1891. He worked for the British Museum from 1893 until his retirement in 1933. Moved by the casualties of the British Expeditionary Force in 1914, Binyon wrote his most famous work "For the Fallen", which is often recited at Remembrance Sunday services in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. In 1915, he volunteered as a hospital orderly in France and afterwards worked in England, helping to take care of the wounded of the Battle of Verdun (reference to the M1909 Benét-Mercié's Verdun skin). He wrote about these experiences in For Dauntless France. After the war, he continued his career at the British Museum, writing numerous books on art. Moved by the opening of what was then called the Great War and the already-high number of casualties of the British Expeditionary Force, Binyon wrote his "For the Fallen" in 1914, with its "Ode of Remembrance" (the third and fourth or simply the fourth stanza of the poem). The piece was published by The Times in September, when public feeling was affected by the recent Battle of the Marne. Today Binyon's most famous poem, "For the Fallen", is often recited at British Remembrance Sunday services; is an integral part of Anzac Day services in Australia and New Zealand and of 11 November Remembrance Day services in Canada. The "Ode of Remembrance" has thus been claimed as a tribute to all casualties of war, regardless of nation.

Jacka's Mob skin for Revolver Mk VI (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Jacka): Albert Jacka (10 January 1893 – 17 January 1932) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces. Jacka was the first Australian to be decorated with the VC during the First World War, receiving the medal for his actions during the Gallipoli Campaign. He later served on the Western Front and was twice more decorated for his bravery. Jacka never fully recovered from the wounds he sustained during his war service, and died aged 39. https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/333234 RULE, Edgar John: Jacka's Mob author information. In 1915, Edgar (Ted) Rule was a orchardist whose farm was located near Shepparton Victoria. He was inspired by the Gallipoli landings to join the AIF. He enlisted with the reinforcements for the 14th Battalion on the June 28th, 1915. He kept a diary from the time he landed on Gallipoli with his reinforcements of the 14th Battalion. He continued his diary throughout the war having served in many battles including Pozieres (reference to the Madsen MG's Pozieres skin), Bullecourt (reference to the Revolver Mk VI's Bloody Bullecourt skin), Messines 1917 (reference to the Lewis Gun's Messines skin), Amiens, Albert 1918. During the war, he was awarded two gallantry medals the Military Medal in 1916 and the Military Cross in 1917. After the war Rule returned to his farm. Sometime later, Edgar Rule's diary became known to Charles Bean. Bean had the diary typed and urged Rule to have the diary published. Rule worked towards having the diary published as a based on narrative book making use of aliases to protect the identity and reputations of men many of whom were still alive in 1932. After the death of Albert Jacka in 1932 in admiration he changed the name of his proposed book from 'These Australians' to Jacka's Mob.

The Kiss skin for Revolver Mk VI (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegfried_Sassoon): Siegfried Loraine Sassoon (8 September 1886 – 1 September 1967) was an English war poet, writer, and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World War. His poetry both described the horrors of the trenches and satirized the patriotic pretensions of those who, in Sassoon's view, were responsible for a jingoism-fueled war. Sassoon became a focal point for dissent within the armed forces when he made a lone protest against the continuation of the war with his "Soldier's Declaration" of July 1917, which resulted in Sassoon being admitted to the Craiglockhart War Hospital by the army/government for the condition neurasthenia ("shell shock", reference to the M1917 Enfield's Shellshock skin). Fundamentally declaring him mentally unfit for duty. Sassoon could have been easily court marshaled. During this period he met and formed a friendship with Wilfred Owen, who was greatly influenced by Sassoon. https://megsorick.com/2018/12/19/the-kiss-siegfried-sassoon/ The Kiss – Siegfried Sassoon: This poem is by Siegfried Sassoon is from the collection Men Who March Away, edited by I.M. Parsons some fifty years after World War I.

Chivalry skin for Revolver Mk VI (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chivalry): Chivalry, or the chivalric code, is an informal and varying code of conduct developed in Europe between 1170 and 1220. It is associated with the medieval Christian institution of knighthood, with knights being members of various chivalric orders; knights' and gentlemen's behaviours were governed by chivalrous social codes. Over time, its meaning in Europe has been refined to emphasize more general social and moral virtues. The code of chivalry, as it stood by the Late Middle Ages, was a moral system which combined a warrior ethos, knightly piety, and courtly manners, all combining to establish a notion of honour and nobility. The behavioural code of military officers down to the Napoleonic era, the American Civil War (especially as idealised in the "Lost Cause" movement), and to some extent even to World War I, was still strongly modelled on the historical ideals, resulting in a pronounced duelling culture, which in some parts of Europe also held sway over the civilian life of the upper classes. The pronouncedly masculine virtues of chivalry came under attack on the parts of the upper-class suffragettes campaigning for gender equality in the early 20th century, and with the decline of the military ideals of duelling culture and of European aristocracies in general following the catastrophe of World War I, the ideals of chivalry became widely seen as outmoded by the mid-20th century. https://poemanalysis.com/siegfried-sassoon/glory-of-women/ In ‘Glory of Women,’ Siegfried Sassoon lists the many actions taken by women in the name of patriotism and victory and finds them both toxic and hollow. He sees no point in the “laurelled memories” that women will cherish when soldiers are dying horrifically, without any of the honor, “glory” or “chivalry” women dream about while “knitting socks” and making “shells.” Women are guilty of “making shells” and reveling in tales of heroism and bravery which they listen to “in delight.” Worst of all, they think that “chivalry redeems the war’s disgrace.” The next part of the poem destroys any suggestion that this might be true.

Repetierpistole M1912 skins:
Legendary: The Habsburg, The Kaiserjäger
Distinguished: Col di Lana, Hötzendorf

The Habsburg skin for Repetierpistole M1912 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steyr_M1912_pistol): The Steyr M1912, also known as the Steyr-Hahn, is a semi-automatic pistol developed in 1911 by the Austrian firm Steyr Mannlicher, based on the mechanism of the Roth–Steyr M1907. It was developed for the Austro-Hungarian Army and adopted in 1912. It was the standard Austro-Hungarian military handgun of World War I. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habsburg_monarchy The Habsburg monarchy (German: Habsburgermonarchie), also known as the Danubian monarchy (German: Donaumonarchie), or Habsburg Empire (German: Habsburgerreich), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities that were ruled by the House of Habsburg, especially the dynasty's Austrian branch. The Habsburg monarchy was a personal union of crowns, with no uniform laws or shared institutions other than the Habsburg court itself; the territorial possessions of the monarchy were thus united only by virtue of a common monarch. The Habsburg realms were unified in 1804 with the formation of the Austrian Empire and later split in two with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867. The monarchy began to fracture in the face of inevitable defeat during the final years of World War I and ultimately disbanded with the proclamation of the Republic of German-Austria and the First Hungarian Republic in late 1918. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Habsburg On 11 November 1918, with his empire collapsing around him, the last Habsburg ruler, Charles I (reference to Frommer Stop Pistol's The Emperor skin) of Austria (who also reigned as Charles IV of Hungary) issued a proclamation recognizing Austria's right to determine the future of the state and renouncing any role in state affairs. Two days later, he issued a separate proclamation for Hungary. Even though he did not officially abdicate, this is considered the end of the Habsburg dynasty. In 1919, the new republican Austrian government subsequently passed a law banishing the Habsburgs from Austrian territory until they renounced all intentions of regaining the throne and accepted the status of private citizens. Charles made several attempts to regain the throne of Hungary, and in 1921 the Hungarian government passed a law that revoked Charles' rights and dethroned the Habsburgs. The Habsburgs did not formally abandon all hope of returning to power until Otto von Habsburg, the eldest son of Charles I, on 31 May 1961 renounced all claims to the throne.

The Kaiserjäger skin for Repetierpistole M1912 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiserj%C3%A4ger): I think this skin name appears twice (the other is the M1914 Taschenpistole's Kaiserjäger skin). 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 Emperor (reference to Frommer Stop Pistol's The Emperor skin) 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. This Kaiserjäger (later Alpine Company or, Hochgebirgs-Kompanie, No. 30) fought: -in Galicia, -in the Carpathians, -at Col di Lana (reference to the Repetierpistole M1912's Col di Lana skin), -at Monte Piano, ...

Col di Lana skin for Repetierpistole M1912 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Col_di_Lana): The Col di Lana is a mountain of the Fanes Group in the Italian Dolomites. The actual peak is called Cima Lana and situated in the municipality of Livinallongo del Col di Lana (German: Buchenstein) in the Province of Belluno, Veneto region. During World War I the mountain, alongside the neighbouring Monte Sief, was the scene of heavy fighting between Austria-Hungary and Italy. It is now a memorial to the War in the Dolomites. During the years of 1915/16, Italian troops from 12 infantry and 14 Alpini companies repeatedly attempted to storm the peak, defended first by the German Alpenkorps and later by Austro-Hungarian regiments. A terrible winter then set in, doing its fair share of killing. However this is not the only reason that the Italians dubbed it "Col di Sangue", "Blood Mountain". In 1916, Col di Lana became the site of fierce mine warfare on the Italian Front. Lieutenant Caetani of the Italian engineers developed a plan for mining the peak, which was executed silently using hand-operating drilling machines and chisels. At the start of 1916, the Austro-Hungarian army learned through an artillery observer on Pordoi Pass that the Col di Lana summit had been mined. The Austro-Hungarians began a counter mine, and exploded this on 6 April 1916. The counter mine was, however, too far away from the Italian explosive tunnel. This was laid with five tonnes of blasting gelatin. On the night of 16/17 April 1916, the 5th Company of the 2nd Tyrolean Kaiserjäger (reference to Repetierpistole M1912's The Kaiserjäger skin) regiment was relieved by the 6th Company, under Oberleutnant Anton von Tschurtschenthaler. The struggle reached its zenith on the night of 17/18 April 1916, when at around 23:30 the summit was blasted. The Austro-Hungarians under Tschurtschenthaler then had to surrender the mountain; however they were able to maintain a position on Monte Sief, which is linked to Col di Lana by a ridge, which was cut in two by a mine fired on 21 October 1917 by Austro-Hungarian soldiers, thereby obstructing the Italian breakthrough in the area.

Hötzendorf skin for Repetierpistole M1912 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Conrad_von_H%C3%B6tzendorf): Franz Xaver Josef Conrad von Hötzendorf (after 1919 Franz Conrad; 11 November 1852 – 25 August 1925), sometimes anglicised as Hoetzendorf, was an Austrian general who played a central role in World War I. He served as K.u.k. Feldmarschall (field marshal) and Chief of the General Staff of the military of the Austro-Hungarian Army and Navy from 1906 to 1917. He was in charge during the July Crisis of 1914 that caused World War I. For years he had repeatedly called for preemptive war against Serbia to rescue the multiethnic Austro-Hungarian Empire, which was, he believed, nearing disintegration. Conrad was anxious about invading Russia and when the tsar's armies had captured the Carpathian mountain passes and were on the verge of invading Hungary, Italy entered the war on the side of the Allies. The Austro-Germans cleared Galicia (reference to the Gewehr M.95's Galicia skin) and Poland during the Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive (reference to the Battle of Gorlice–Tarnów skins) in the summer of 1915 and later conquered Serbia in October with the help of Bulgaria. From 1915 his troops were increasingly reliant on German support and command. Without support from its German allies the Austro-Hungarian Army was an exhausted force. In March 1917, Charles I (reference to Frommer Stop Pistol's The Emperor skin) dismissed him as Chief of Staff after Emperor Franz Joseph died and Conrad's Trentino Offensive had failed to achieve its objective; he then commanded an army group on the Italian Front until he retired in the summer of 1918. He died in 1925.

Maschinenpistole M1912/P.16 skins:
Legendary: Schoenberg, The Tyrolean
Distinguished: Major Fuchs, Standschützen

Major Fuchs skin for Maschinenpistole M1912/P.16 (http://firearms.96.lt/pages/Steyr_M.12_P16.html): This weapon was reportedly commissioned at the end of 1915 and developed at the Österreichische Waffenfabriksgesellschaft under the direction of Major Franz Xaver Fuchs, commander of Standschützen-Bataillon Innsbruck II (reference to the Maschinenpistole M1912/P.16's Standschützen skin). Major Fuchs was, curiously, a painter by trade, not an engineer. Prior to the war, he tutored at the Franziskanergymnasium in Tyrol. Interestingly, another Standschützen officer - one Herr Hellriegel - also developed a submachine gun-type weapon that was tested in Tyrol (reference to the Hellriegel 1915's Tyrol skin) in late 1915, implying that there was some interest in machine-pistols and SMGs within Tyrolean Standschützen regiments in particular. The exact reason for this is not entirely known although it is likely that they realized from an early date that light automatic weapons would be required in an alpine conflict with Italy. By February 1916, a batch of 50 prototypes were delivered for field trials and were issued to Major Fuchs' battalion. This was somewhat remedied in the full production model, which extended the internal magazine to 16 rounds - an improvement, but still less than ideal. Topping off the magazine, either by feeding two 8- round clips or manually loading each cartridge by hand, was also slow and cumbersome compared to a detachable magazine feed. It is because of this extended magazine that the weapon earned its "P16" suffix, standing for Patrone 16 ("16 cartridges") - contrary to some reports, "P16" is not in reference to the year 1916. After a successful trial phase, the M.12/P16 was accepted into service, reportedly with an order of some 5,000 units being placed. They were issued exclusively on the Italian Front, to bolster the firepower of Tyrolean (reference to the Maschinenpistole M1912/P.16's The Tyrolean skin) regiments fighting in the Alps.

Standschützen skin for Maschinenpistole M1912/P.16 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standsch%C3%BCtzen): The Standschützen (singular: Standschütze) were originally rifle guilds and rifle companies that had been formed in the 15th and 16th centuries, and were involved time and again in military operations within the borders of the Austrian County of Tyrol (reference to the Maschinenpistole M1912/P.16's The Tyrolean skin). A Standschütze was a member of a Schützenstand ("shooting club"), into which he was enrolled, which automatically committed him to the voluntary, military protection of the state of Tyrol (and Vorarlberg). In effect they were a type of Tyrolean local militia or home guard. Following the mobilization order issued by Emperor Franz Joseph I (reference to the Frommer Stop Pistol's The Emperor skin) on Tue 18 May 1915, 39 German Tyrolese rifle battalions and 2 independent rifle companies, 6 Vorarlberg battalions, 4 Welsch Tyrolese battalions and 41 Welsch Tyrolese rifle companies were formed. Although the Standschützen were used almost exclusively to defend the Tyrol against the frequent Italian attacks, they also participated in attacks against Italy. In addition to trench warfare they also conducted patrols and reconnaissance operations. Their other main task was in the construction and repair of defensive works: they built defensive positions, accommodation, caverns and barbed wire barriers, and assisted in repairing damaged fortifications. They were also used to transport supplies, as stretcher bearers and on guard duties. In the early weeks the Standschützen were asked to defend the Tyrolean front on their own. Despite that, these weak forces were sufficient to withstand the Italian attacks, as the Italian leadership could not believe that the border stood virtually unprotected. Only later did regular troops and soldiers of the German Alpine Corps, the Kaiserschützen (reference to the M1914 Taschenpistol's Kaiserschützen skin) and Kaiserjäger (reference to Repetierpistole M1912's The Kaiserjäger skin) arrive.

The Tyrolean skin for Maschinenpistole M1912/P.16 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Tyrol): The history of Tyrol, a historical region in the middle alpine area of Central Europe, dates back to early human settlements at the end of the last glacier period, around 12,000 BC. Crownland of Tyrol: Tyrol remained divided under Bavarian and Italian authority for another four years, before its reunification and return to Austria following the decisions at the Congress of Vienna in 1814. Integrated into the Austrian Empire, from 1867 onwards, it was a Kronland (Crown Land) of Cisleithania, the western half of Austria-Hungary. On the eve of World War I, the southern part of the Austrian crown land of Tyrol was populated mainly by Italian speakers (the so-called Welschtirol, or Trentino). Its border coincided with the present-day border between South Tyrol and Trentino, crossing the Adige valley at Salorno (Chiusa di Salorno/Salurner Klause). The existence of areas largely populated by Italian-speaking populations under the rule of the Austrian Empire was a constant cause of friction between Austria and Italy, a national state set on the unification of all Italians. War against the Austro-Hungarian Empire was declared May 24, 1915. This put Tyrol on the front line, which passed through some of the highest mountains in the Alps. The ensuing front became known as the "War in ice and snow", as troops occupied the highest mountains and glaciers all year long. One hundred and twenty metres (390 feet) of snow were common during the winter of 1915–16, and tens of thousands of soldiers disappeared in avalanches. The remains of these soldiers are still being uncovered today. The Italian Alpini, their Austrian counterparts (Kaiserjäger, Standschützen and Landesschützen), and the German Alpenkorps occupied every hill and mountain top. They began carving extensive fortifications and military quarters, even drilling tunnels inside the mountains and deep into glaciers, like at Marmolada (reference to the Bodeo 1889 Revolver's Marmolada skin). After World War I: The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye of 1919 ruled that, according to the Treaty of London, the southern part of Tyrol had to be ceded to the Kingdom of Italy. Italy's border was pushed northward to the strategically important Alpine water divide, including present-day South Tyrol with its large German-speaking majority. The northern part of Tyrol was retained by the First Austrian Republic.

Schoenberg skin for Maschinenpistole M1912/P.16 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Schoenberg): Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (13 September 1874 – 13 July 1951) was an Austrian-American composer, music theorist, teacher, writer, and painter. He is widely considered one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. He was associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School. As a Jewish composer, Schoenberg was targeted by the Nazi Party, which labeled his works as degenerate music and forbade them from being published. He emigrated to the United States in 1933, becoming an American citizen in 1941. Schoenberg's approach, both in terms of harmony and development, has shaped much of 20th-century musical thought. Many composers from at least three generations have consciously extended his thinking, whereas others have passionately reacted against it. Schoenberg's archival legacy is collected at the Arnold Schönberg Center in Vienna. https://interlude.hk/wwi-composers-elgar-schoenberg-holst/ Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) was called up to serve in the First World War at the age of 42! A rather humorous anecdote reports that an officer demanded to know if “he was this notorious Schoenberg.” Supposedly the composer replied, “Beg to report, sir, yes. Nobody wanted to be, someone had to be, so I let it be me.” Schoenberg was drafted in 1915, and after being trained as a reserve officer, he carried out his military duties as a musician in a military ensemble.

Perino Model 1908 skins:
Legendary: The Kopparhed, Monte Ortigara, Pozzuolo
Distinguished: Capo, Terni

Terni skin for Perino Model 1908 (https://guns.fandom.com/wiki/Perino_Model_1908): The Perino Model 1908 was an early Italian machine gun designed by Giuseppe Perino and produced by Fabbrica d'Armi di Terni. Designed in 1901 by an Italian officer, Giuseppe Perino, the Perino was designed to fulfill the Royal Italian Army's request for a domestically-produced machine gun. The Perino was then trialed against two other machine guns in 1903; the Maxim and a prototype by Bergmann; the outcome was decided in 1906 when the Maxim was adopted by said Army. Perino later resubmitted his weapon again to another trial, with much better results; Perino's design outperformed its contemporaries during that trial. Despite the adoption of the Maxim during that time, to promote domestic production, the Royal Italian Army approved production of the Perino at Fabbrica d'Armi di Terni. https://www.erih.net/i-want-to-go-there/site/terni-armaments-museum Terni Armaments Museum: Terni became an important industrial city in the late nineteenth century with waterpower from the River Nera. The Terni arms factory was begun by the government in 1875 and opened in 1880 in an impressive group of classical buildings around avenues and an internal waterpower canal for turbines. It specialised in making rifles. In 1918 it employed over 7,000 workers. The complex of historic buildings is very large and located on the edge of the city centre. The museum is in one of the historic buildings of the factory. It displays hundreds of hand guns, rifles, swords and other weapons in glass cases. It also shows some field guns and missiles. There are examples of equipment for making and testing arms.

Monte Ortigara skin for Perino Model 1908 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Ortigara): Mount Ortigara (2,105 m, 6,906 ft) is one of the peaks, about 2,000 m (6,000 feet) tall, which delimit to the north the Seven Municipalities Plateau (in Italian: Altipiano dei Sette Comuni), falling sheer on the underlying Sugana Valley with a jump of over 1,500 meters (4,500 feet). In World War I, it became the theatre of fierce fighting (which became known as the Battle of Mount Ortigara) between Italians and Austro-Hungarians, both of whom fell by the thousand trying to conquer its summit. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mount_Ortigara The Battle of Mount Ortigara was fought from 10 to 25 June 1917 between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian armies for possession of Mount Ortigara, in the Asiago Plateau. The battle was prepared with considerable means (300,000 men with 1,600 artillery guns) concentrated on a short segment of the front just a few kilometers long. However, although the Italians enjoyed a 3-to-1 numeric superiority in both men and guns, as they faced 100,000 Austro-Hungarians with 500 guns, the attack still presented several problems. The attack began on 10 June and after fierce and bloody fighting, the Italian 52nd Alpine Division managed to capture the top of Mount Ortigara. The Austro-Hungarian command promptly sent many trained reinforcements. On 25 June, the 11 Italian battalions guarding the summit were attacked by Austro-Hungarian shock troops which retook it, the strenuous Italian resistance notwithstanding. The 52nd Division alone suffered about half the Italian casualties. General Ettore Mambretti, commander of the Sixth Army, was considered responsible for the heavy casualties and removed from command.

Capo skin for Perino Model 1908 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luigi_Cadorna): Marshal of Italy Luigi Cadorna (4 September 1850 – 21 December 1928) was an Italian general, Marshal of Italy and Count, most famous for being the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army from 1914–1917 of World War I. During this period he acquired a reputation for harsh treatment of his troops combined with rigidly unimaginative tactics. Following the Caperetto (reference to the Frommer Stop Pistol's Caporetto skin) defeat in late 1917 Cadorna was relieved as Chief of Staff. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Caporetto The Battle of Caporetto (also known as the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, reference to the Automatico M1918's Isonzo skin, the Battle of Kobarid or the Battle of Karfreit) was a battle on the Italian front of World War I. The battle was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Central Powers and took place from 24 October to 19 November 1917, near the town of Kobarid (now in north-western Slovenia, then part of the Austrian Littoral). Austro-Hungarian forces, reinforced by German units, were able to break into the Italian front line and rout the Italian forces opposing them. The battle was a demonstration of the effectiveness of the use of stormtroopers and the infiltration tactics developed in part by Oskar von Hutier (reference to the MP 18's The Hutier skin). The rest of the Italian Army retreated 150 kilometres (93 mi) to the Piave River (reference to the Cei-Rigotti's The Piave skin), its effective strength declined from 1,800,000 troops down to 1,000,000 and the government of Paolo Boselli collapsed. https://networks.h-net.org/node/8954274 Il Capo. La Grande Guerra del generale Luigi Cadorna by Marco Mondini. While early works on Luigi Cadorna tended to be either highly hagiographical or influenced by the Fascism-inspired nationalist narrative that wished to attenuate the polemics on Caporetto and portrayed both Cadorna and his successor, Armando Diaz (reference to the Modello 1915 Pistol's Diaz skin), as demiurges of Italy’s final victory in the First World War, the first author to produce a critical biography of the Generalissimo was Gianni Rocca. Rocca’s work opened the path to an entirely different interpretation of Cadorna’s personality, professional skills, and style of command. In the last thirty years, most studies on the First World War judged Cadorna (“Il Capo,” as his subordinates called him) as an unimaginative commander who stubbornly depleted his infantry units by mounting repeated frontal attacks against well-entrenched Austro-Hungarian forces on mountain terrain—resulting in catastrophic losses for minimal gains.

Pozzuolo skin for Perino Model 1908 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pozzuolo_del_Friuli): Pozzuolo del Friuli (Friulian: Puçui) is a comune (municipality) in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 60 kilometres (37 mi) northwest of Trieste and about 10 kilometres (6 mi) southwest of Udine. Battle of Pozzuolo del Friuli: One of the most significant historical events in Pozzuolo has been that of the Battle of Pozzuolo del Friuli which took place between 29 and 30 October 1917, following the Battle of Caporetto (reference to the Frommer Stop Pistol's Caporetto skin), where Austro-Hungarian troops reinforced by German divisions managed to break through the Italian front line, and rout the Italian Second Army. In the two days during which the battle took palace, a cavalry brigate composed by the Quarto Genova and Quinto Novara, and the infantry brigate of Bergamo, faced the Austro-Hungarian army, allowing for the Italian Third Army to cross the river Tagliamento and save itself. The battle left hundreds of dead, and took place between the alleys of the town, afflicting also the civil population. To commemorate this battle, starting from 1959 the only cavalry division of the Italian army is named "Pozzuolo del Friuli" brigate, and commemorates the event every 30 October. The town of Pozzuolo has two monuments dedicated to the cavalry and infantry respectively. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavalry_Brigade_%22Pozzuolo_del_Friuli%22 The Cavalry Brigade "Pozzuolo del Friuli" is a brigade of the Italian Army, based in the Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto regions. The Brigade consists of a command unit, a cavalry regiment, an amphibious infantry regiment, an artillery regiment, an engineer regiment and a logistic regiment.

The Kopparhed skin for Perino Model 1908 (https://www.reddit.com/r/battlefield_one/comments/6vjh7o/the_perino_1908_w_the_kopparhed_legendary_skin/): "Wait a second. Did they name the skin after Martin Kopparhed, one of their designers...?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCF-hRbrELY Battlefield 1 - Under the Skin - Episode 12: "Just informed that I was correct about the Kopparhed skin." by The Video Game Historian.

1903 Hammerless skins:
Legendary: The Capone, Casablanca
Distinguished: Eisenhower, Patton

The Capone skin for 1903 Hammerless https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/1903_Hammerless_(Codex_Entry) During WW1 over 24,000 of the 1903 Pocket Hammerless were ordered by the Belgian Army, 200 by the US Navy and an unknown number by the British Empire. Many were also privately purchased by US soldiers during WW1 to keep in their trench coat pocket as extra firepower. Between the wars, many gangsters favored the 1903 Pocket Hammerless due to its handy size, and General Patton famously carried one with ivory grips in WW2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_Model_1903_Pocket_Hammerless In addition to lawful owners, many gangsters of the pre-World War II era favored the Model 1903 and Model 1908 because they were relatively small and easily concealed. It is said that Al Capone kept one in his coat pocket and Bonnie Parker used one to break Clyde Barrow out of jail after smuggling it into the jail by taping it to her thigh. Bank robber John Dillinger was carrying this model of pistol when he was shot by FBI agents outside the Biograph theater on July 22, 1934, and another famous bank robber, Willie Sutton, had one when he was captured by police in Brooklyn on February 18, 1952. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone (January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the Chicago Outfit. His seven-year reign as a crime boss ended when he went to prison at the age of 33. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0135330/bio/ In 1918 he was involved in a bar fight over a prostitute with hoodlum Frank Galluccio. Gallucio went after Capone with a knife, resulting in Capone's picking up the moniker by which he would be known for the rest of his life--"Scarface" (although that word was NEVER used in his presence). Capone, however, would attribute the scar to wounds he received in battle while fighting with the famous "lost battalion" in France during World War I (the fact that Capone never spent one minute in the army was a minor point, apparently).

Patton skin for 1903 Hammerless (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_Model_1903_Pocket_Hammerless): General officer models were often engraved with the officer's name. Recipients include generals Eisenhower, Bradley, Marshall, and Patton. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_S._Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France and Germany after the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944. Pancho Villa Expedition: In March 1916, Mexican forces loyal to Pancho Villa (reference to the Russian 1895's Pancho Villa skin) crossed into New Mexico and raided the border town of Columbus (reference to the M1909 Benét-Mercié's Columbus skin). The violence in Columbus killed several Americans. In response, the U.S. launched the Pancho Villa Expedition into Mexico. Chagrined to discover that his unit would not participate, Patton appealed to expedition commander John J. Pershing (reference to the M1917 MG's Black Jack skin), and was named his personal aide for the expedition. World War 1: On November 10, 1917, Patton was assigned to establish the AEF Light Tank School. He left Paris and reported to the French Army's tank training school at Champlieu near Orrouy, where he drove a Renault FT light tank. At the conclusion of his tour on December 1, Patton went to Albert, 30 miles (48 km) from Cambrai, to be briefed on the results of this attack by the chief of staff of the British Tank Corps, Colonel J. F. C. Fuller (reference to the SMLE MKIII's The Fuller skin). Patton commanded American-crewed Renault FT tanks at the Battle of Saint-Mihiel (reference to the P08 Pistol's Saint-Mihiel skin), leading the tanks from the front for much of their attack, which began on September 12. Patton's brigade was then moved to support U.S. I Corps in the Meuse–Argonne offensive on September 26. He personally led a troop of tanks through thick fog as they advanced 5 miles (8 km) into German lines. Around 09:00, Patton was wounded while leading six men and a tank in an attack on German machine guns near the town of Cheppy.

Eisenhower skin for 1903 Hammerless (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_D._Eisenhower): I think the name Eisenhower has already appeared as the M1903 Springfield's The Eisenhower skin.

Casablanca skin for 1903 Hammerless (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casablanca): Casablanca, known by its Arabic name A-Dar al-Bayda (Arabic: الدار البيضاء, romanized: ad-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, lit.: "White House"; * languages: ⵜⴰⴷⴷⴰⵔⵜ ⵜⵓⵎⵍⵉⵍⵜ, romanized: Taddart Tumlilt) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business center. Located on the Atlantic coast of the Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a population of about 3.71 million in the urban area, and over 4.27 million in the Greater Casablanca, making it the most populous city in the Maghreb region, and the eighth-largest in the Arab world. Film: The 1942 American film Casablanca is set in Casablanca and has had a lasting impact on the city's image although it was filmed in the United States. https://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Casablanca The following weapons were used in the film Casablanca: -Colt Model 1903/1908. Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) carries a Colt 1903 .32 ACP in the movie. This is not the same gun as found on the promotional poster. As Humphrey Bogart was a man of smaller stature, he lobbied to have a smaller gun in close ups. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humphrey_Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), colloquially nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in classic Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart as the greatest male star of classic American cinema. His most significant romantic lead role was with Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca (1942), which earned him his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Navy: With no viable career options, Bogart enlisted in the United States Navy in the spring of 1918 (during World War I), and served as a coxswain. He recalled later, "At eighteen, war was great stuff. Paris! Sexy French girls! Hot damn!". Bogart was recorded as a model sailor, who spent most of his sea time after the armistice ferrying troops back from Europe. Bogart left the service on June 18, 1919, at the rank of boatswain's mate third class.

Ross MkIII skins:
Legendary: The Dead-Beat, Poperinghe
Distinguished: Absolution, Peggy
Special: Patriot, St Eloi, V-Beach, Zonnebeke

Peggy skin for Ross MkIII https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Ross_MkIII Canadian Minister of Militia and Defence, Sam Hughes repeatedly ignored reports of serious issues with the Ross rifle, but eventually the evidence became overwhelming. In 1916, British military high command ordered the Ross to be withdrawn from the frontline, to be used as training rifles and replaced with the SMLE, and the same year Hughes was forced to resign. But the Ross Mk III continued to be used by many snipers, such as Henry Louis Norwest and Francis Pegahmagabow, who appreciated its superior accuracy and could take better care of their rifles. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Pegahmagabow Francis Pegahmagabow (March 9, 1891 – August 5, 1952) was an Ojibwe soldier, politician and activist in Canada. He was the most highly decorated Indigenous soldier in Canadian military history and the most effective sniper of the First World War. In early October 1914 he was deployed overseas with the 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion of the 1st Canadian Division—the first contingent of Canadian troops sent to fight in Europe. His companions there nicknamed him "Peggy". The war ended in November 1918 and in 1919 Pegahmagabow was invalided back to Canada. He had served for almost the whole war, and had built a reputation as a skilled marksman. Using the much-maligned Ross rifle, he was credited with killing 378 Germans and capturing 300 more.

The Dead-Beat skin for Ross MkIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfred_Owen): Wilfred Edward Salter Owen (18 March 1893 – 4 November 1918) was an English poet and soldier. He was one of the leading poets of the First World War. His war poetry on the horrors of trenches and gas warfare was much influenced by his mentor Siegfried Sassoon and stood in contrast to the public perception of war at the time and to the confidently patriotic verse written by earlier war poets such as Rupert Brooke. Among his best-known works – most of which were published posthumously – are "Dulce et Decorum est", "Insensibility", "Anthem for Doomed Youth", "Futility", "Spring Offensive" and "Strange Meeting". Owen was killed in action on 4 November 1918, a week before the war's end, at the age of 25. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dead-Beat "The Dead-Beat" is a poem by Wilfred Owen. It deals with the atrocities of World War I. Owen developed the poem while he was a patient at Craiglockhart, a hospital for officers suffering with mental illness. It was here that he met fellow poet Siegfried Sassoon and where his personal psychological healing from the traumas of war. "The Dead-Beat" marked the beginning of his writings as representations of soldiers who could no longer tell their own stories.

Absolution skin for Ross MkIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegfried_Sassoon): Siegfried Loraine Sassoon (8 September 1886 – 1 September 1967) was an English war poet, writer, and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World War. His poetry both described the horrors of the trenches and satirized the patriotic pretensions of those who, in Sassoon's view, were responsible for a jingoism-fuelled war. Sassoon became a focal point for dissent within the armed forces when he made a lone protest against the continuation of the war with his "Soldier's Declaration" of July 1917, which resulted in his being sent to the Craiglockhart War Hospital. During this period he met and formed a friendship with Wilfred Owen, who was greatly influenced by him. There was no German ancestry in Sassoon's family; his mother named him Siegfried (reference to the Heavy Tank's Siegfried skin) because of her love of Wagner's operas. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/57212/absolution Absolution Poem by Siegfried Sassoon.

Poperinghe skin for Ross MkIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poperinge): Poperinge (French: Poperinghe, Poperingue; West Flemish: Poperienge) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders, Flemish Region, and has a history going back to medieval times. The municipality comprises the town of Poperinge proper and surrounding villages. Poperinge is situated about 13 km (8 miles) to the west of Ypres (reference to the M1907 Selfloading's Ypres skin). During World War I, the town was one of only two in Belgium not under German occupation. It was used to billet British troops and also provided a safe area for field hospitals. Known familiarly as "Pop", it was just behind the front line and formed an important link for the soldiers and their families, especially through the rest house known as Talbot House (or "Toc H"). A grim reminder of that time remains within the town hall, where two death cells are preserved, and outside in the courtyard, where there is a public execution post used by firing squads. Another reminder is the location of a number of military cemeteries on the outskirts of the town with the graves of Canadian, British, Australian, French, German, US servicemen and men of the Chinese Labour Corps. One of these is Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery for soldiers who had been wounded near Ypres and later died in the large Allied casualty clearing stations located in the area. In the following century, the town is the subject of the imagist night piece "Poperinghe 1917" by the Canadian poet W. W. E. Ross. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._W._E._Ross William Wrighton Eustace Ross [often misspelt William Wrightson Eustace Ross] (June 14, 1894 – August 26, 1966) was a Canadian geophysicist and poet. He was the first published poet in Canada to write Imagist poetry, and later the first to write surrealist verse, both of which have led some to call him "the first modern Canadian poet." Ross served with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in World War I as a private in the signal corps.

St Eloi skin for Ross MkIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sint-Elooi): Sint-Elooi is a small village, about 5 km (3.1 mi) south of Ypres (reference to the M1907 Selfloading's Ypres skin) in the Flemish province of West Flanders in Belgium. The former municipality is now part of Ypres. Though Sint-Elooi is the Dutch and only official name, the village's French name, St. Eloi, is most commonly used in English due to its role in World War I. In World War I, like other parts of the Ypres Salient, the village was the site of the Battles of Ypres between German and Allied forces. From the spring of 1915, there was constant underground fighting in the Ypres Salient at Hooge, Hill 60, Railway Wood, Sanctuary Wood, The Bluff and St Eloi. The Germans built an extensive system of defensive tunnels and were actively mining against the British trenches at the intermediate levels. After German successes at The Bluff, the British decided to use the deep mines created by 172nd Tunnelling Company at St Eloi in a local operation (the Actions of St Eloi Craters, 27 March – 16 April 1916) and six charges were fired. However, the accompanying British infantry operation was a failure; the problem lay in the Allied inability to hold crater positions after they had been captured. The Canadian HMCS St. Eloi was later named after the battle. After the Actions of St Eloi Craters, mining and counter-mining at St Eloi continued at a pace. In preparation of the Battle of Messines (reference to the Lewis Gun's Messines skin) in 1917, the British began a mining offensive against the German lines to the south of Ypres. Twenty-six deep mines were eventually dug by Tunnelling companies of the Royal Engineers, most of which were detonated simultaneously on 7 June 1917, creating 19 large craters. The largest of these mines was at St Eloi, dug by the 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company. Popular culture: The war poet T.E. Hulme (1883–1917) wrote the poem Trenches: St Eloi. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Eloi_Mountain St. Eloi Mountain is located on the border of Alberta and British Columbia on the Continental Divide. It was named in 1917 after St. Eloi (Ypres).

Zonnebeke skin for Ross MkIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zonnebeke): Zonnebeke (West Flemish: Zunnebeke) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. Situated in the centre of the Ypres Salient (reference to the M1907 Selfloading's Ypres skin), World War I destroyed the whole area. Left abandoned until the early 1920s, people slowly returned and rebuilt the villages. The village and district of Zonnebeke and its five villages have the largest concentration of underground constructions from World War I, being located at the centre of the Third Battle of Ypres/Battle of Passchendaele. About 180 dugout sites have been located in the Ypres Salient and in the 1990s some of them were entered, at least in part. During archaeological excavations of the Augustinian abbey, another dugout was discovered under Zonnebeke church. Today the outline of this dugout is marked in an archaeological garden within the church grounds, and a model of the church dugout can be seen at the "Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917" in Zonnebeke. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Museum_Passchendaele_1917 The Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 in Zonnebeke is a Belgian museum devoted to the 1917 Battle of Passchendaele (also known as the Third Battle of Ypres). In this battle, in only 100 days, almost 500,000 men were killed to gain only eight kilometres of ground. The museum is housed in the historic château grounds of Zonnebeke and focuses on the material aspects of the First World War. https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Passchendaele The map is set during the infamous Battle of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres. The Third Battle of Ypres is launched by Britain to take control of positions south and east of the Belgium city Ypres. Zonnebeke Church: What remains of Zonnebeke Church can be found overlooking the town from the hill in the south-west. Although the walls are still generally standing, the roof has caved in, scattering the interior with debris. The exterior is intercut with the British trench network.

V-Beach skin for Ross MkIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landing_at_Cape_Helles): The landing at Cape Helles (Turkish: Seddülbahir Çıkarması) was part of the Gallipoli Campaign, the amphibious landings on the Gallipoli peninsula by British and French forces on 25 April 1915 during the First World War. Helles, at the foot of the peninsula, was the main landing area. With gunfire support from the Royal Navy, the 29th Division was to advance six mi (9.7 km) along the peninsula on the first day and seize the heights of Achi Baba. The British then planned to capture the forts that guarded the straits of the Dardanelles. The Helles landing was mismanaged by the British commander, Major General Aylmer Hunter-Weston. V and W beaches became bloodbaths, despite the meager defences, while the easy landings at other sites were not exploited. Although the British managed to gain a foothold, their plans were in disarray. For two months, the British fought costly battles to reach their first day objectives but they were eventually defeated by the Ottoman defenders. https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Cape_Helles The map depicts the British amphibious landings during the infamous Gallipoli Campaign. On April 25th 1915, two months after the Allies' failed attempt to force the Dardanelles, British, ANZAC, and French forces landed on the Gallipoli peninsula in preparation for a planned march on the Ottoman capital of Constantinople. Troops were landed at V-Beach on Cape Helles using a converted collier turned Trojan horse, the SS River Clyde, with the objective of advancing six miles inland and capturing the heights of Achi Baba (reference to the NO. 3 Revolver's Achi Baba skin) on the first day. V-Beach: A rocky beach with about 50 meters of open shore before meeting a bluff wall, with a spiny spit of land jutting far out into the water on the eastern edge of the beach.

Patriot skin for Ross MkIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Canada): "O Canada" (French: Ô Canada) is the national anthem of Canada. The song was originally commissioned by Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Théodore Robitaille for the 1880 Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day ceremony; Calixa Lavallée composed the music, after which words were written by the poet and judge Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier. The original French lyrics were translated to English in 1906. Multiple English versions ensued, with Robert Stanley Weir's version in 1908 gaining the most popularity, eventually serving as the basis for the official lyrics enacted by Parliament. The National Anthem Act established set lyrics for "O Canada" in Canada's two official languages, English and French. However, the two sets of lyrics are not translations of each other. English lyrics: O Canada! Our home and native land! True patriot love in all of us command. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Cavell Edith Louisa Cavell (4 December 1865 – 12 October 1915) was a British nurse and member of La Dame Blanche. She is celebrated for treating wounded soldiers from both sides without discrimination and for covertly helping some 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium and return to active service during the First World War, which in wartime was a death penalty offence under the German military law of the Second Reich. Cavell was arrested and court-martialed for that offense as an act of Kriegsverrat (lit: "war-treason", fig. perfidy), found guilty, and sentenced to death by firing squad. The night before her execution, she said, "Patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Edith_Cavell Mount Edith Cavell is a mountain in the Athabasca River and Astoria River valleys of Jasper National Park, and the most prominent peak entirely within Alberta. The mountain was named in 1916 for Edith Cavell, a British nurse executed by the Germans during World War I for having helped Allied soldiers escape from occupied Belgium to the Netherlands, in violation of German military law.

P08 skins:
Legendary: Der Königgrätzer, Gott mit uns, The Peace Seeker, Saint-Mihiel
Distinguished: Count Gneisenau, Werner Voss

The Peace Seeker skin for P08 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parabellum): Parabellum commonly refers to the 9×19mm Parabellum firearms cartridge designed by Georg Luger and introduced in 1902 for the Luger pistol. Parabellum or Para Bellum may also refer to: -Latin adage. Para bellum is Latin for "prepare for war" and is often used within the context of the phrase Si vis pacem, para bellum, meaning "If you want peace, [you should] prepare for war".

Saint-Mihiel skin for P08 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Mihiel): Saint-Mihiel is a commune in the Meuse (reference to the M1897 Shotguns's Meuse skin) department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. Saint-Mihiel lies on the banks of the river Meuse. During World War I, Saint-Mihiel was captured by the Germans in 1914, and was recaptured during the Battle of Saint-Mihiel by the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) from 12 September to 19 September 1918. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Saint-Mihiel The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought from 12–15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and 110,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing (reference to the M1917 MG's Black Jack skin) of the United States against German positions. The U.S. Army Air Service played a significant role in this action. This battle marked the first use of the terms "D-Day" and "H-Hour" by the Americans. The attack at the Saint-Mihiel salient was part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the Americans would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was the first large offensive launched mainly by the United States Army in World War I, and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating. The U.S. attack faltered as artillery and food supplies were left behind on the muddy roads. The attack on Metz was not realized, as the Supreme Allied Commander Ferdinand Foch (reference to M1909 Benét-Mercié's The Foch skin) ordered the American troops to march towards Sedan and Mézières, which would lead to the Meuse–Argonne offensive (reference to the 12G Automatic's Argonne skin).

Werner Voss skin for P08 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werner_Voss): Werner Voss (April 1897 – 23 September 1917) was a World War I German flying ace credited with 48 aerial victories. A dyer's son from Krefeld, he was a patriotic young man while still in school. He began his military career in November 1914 as a 17‑year‑old Hussar. After turning to aviation, he proved to be a natural pilot. After flight school and six months in a bomber unit, he joined a newly formed fighter squadron, Jagdstaffel 2 on 21 November 1916. There he befriended Manfred von Richthofen. By 6 April 1917, Voss had scored 24 victories and awarded Germany's highest award, the Pour le Mérite. A month's leave removed Voss from the battlefield during Bloody April (reference to the Selbstlader M1916's Blutigen April skin); in his absence, Richthofen scored 13 victories. Nevertheless, Richthofen regarded Voss as his only possible rival as top scoring ace of the war. His last stand came on 23 September 1917, just hours after his 48th victory. Flying a silver-blue Fokker Dr.1, he singly fought James McCudden, Keith Muspratt, Harold A. Hamersley, Arthur Rhys-Davids, Robert L. Chidlaw-Roberts, Geoffrey Hilton Bowman, Reginald Hoidge, and Richard Maybery. After he fell in solo opposition to those eight British aces after a dazzling display of aerobatics and gunnery that put bullets in his every opponent, he was described by his preeminent foe, Victoria Cross winner James McCudden, as "the bravest German airman". The pilot who actually killed Voss, Arthur Rhys-Davids, wished he had brought him down alive. The dogfight remains a subject of debate and controversy among aviation historians and interested parties.

Count Gneisenau skin for P08 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Neidhardt_von_Gneisenau): August Wilhelm Antonius Graf Neidhardt von Gneisenau (27 October 1760 – 23 August 1831) was a Prussian field marshal. He was a prominent figure in the reform of the Prussian military and the War of Liberation. Legacy: -One of the four operations of the German Spring Offensive of 1918 were named after him. -Several German navy ships, including the World War I armored cruiser SMS Gneisenau, the World War II battleship Gneisenau, and a post-war training frigate were named after him. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_spring_offensive The German spring offensive, or Kaiserschlacht ("Kaiser's Battle", reference to MP18's The Kaiserschlacht skin), also known as the Ludendorff offensive (reference to the C96 Pistol's Ludendorff skin), was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during the First World War, beginning on 21 March 1918. There were four German offensives, codenamed Michael, Georgette, Gneisenau, and Blücher-Yorck. Gneisenau: Nonetheless, the German advance (consisting of 21 divisions attacking over a 23 mi (37 km) front) along the Matz River was impressive, resulting in an advance of 9 miles (14 km) despite fierce French and American resistance. At Compiègne, a sudden French counter-attack on 11 June, by four divisions and 150 tanks (under General Charles Mangin) with no preliminary bombardment, caught the Germans by surprise and halted their advance. Gneisenau was called off the following day. Losses were approximately 35,000 Allied and 30,000 German. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_Gneisenau SMS Gneisenau was an armored cruiser of the German Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy), part of the two-ship Scharnhorst class. Following the outbreak of World War I in July 1914, the East Asia Squadron, under the command of Vice Admiral Maximilian von Spee, crossed the Pacific to the western coast of South America, stopping for Gneisenau and Scharnhorst to attack French Polynesia in the Bombardment of Papeete in September. After arriving off the coast of Chile, the East Asia Squadron encountered and defeated a British squadron at the Battle of Coronel; during the action, Gneisenau disabled the British armored cruiser HMS Monmouth, which was then sunk by the German light cruiser Nürnberg. The defeat prompted the British Admiralty to detach two battlecruisers to hunt down and destroy Spee's squadron, which they accomplished at the Battle of the Falkland Islands (Battle of the Falklands Islands skins) on 8 December 1914. Gneisenau was sunk with heavy loss of life, though 187 of her crew were rescued by the British.

Gott mit uns skin for P08 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gott_mit_uns): Gott mit uns ('God with us') is a phrase commonly used in heraldry in Prussia (from 1701) and later by the German military during the periods spanning the German Empire (1871–1918), Nazi Germany (1933–1945), and the early years of West Germany (1949–1962). At the time of the completion of German unification in 1871, the imperial standard bore the motto Gott mit uns on the arms of an Iron Cross. Imperial German 3 and 5 mark silver and 20 mark gold coins had Gott mit uns inscribed on their edge. German soldiers had Gott mit uns inscribed on their belt buckles in the First World War. The slogan entered the mindset on both sides; in 1916 a cartoon was printed in the New-York Tribune captioned "Gott Mit Uns!", showing "a German officer in spiked helmet holding a smoking revolver as he stood over the bleeding form of a nurse. It symbolized the rising popular demand that the United States shed its neutrality". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Empire The German Empire (German: Deutsches Kaiserreich), also referred to as Imperial Germany, the Second Reich, or simply Germany, was the period of the German Reich from the unification of Germany in 1871 until the November Revolution in 1918, when the German Reich changed its form of government from a monarchy to a republic. Motto: Gott mit uns (German), Nobiscum Deus (Latin), ("God with us").

Der Königgrätzer skin for P08 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_K%C3%B6niggr%C3%A4tz): The Battle of Königgrätz (or Sadowa) was the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War in which the Kingdom of Prussia defeated the Austrian Empire. It took place on 3 July 1866, near the Bohemian city of Hradec Králové (German: Königgrätz) and village of Sadová, now in the Czech Republic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6niggr%C3%A4tzer_Marsch The Königgrätz March (AM II, 134 (AM II, 195)), also known as Der Königgrätzer or Der Königgrätzer Marsch, is one of the most famous German military marches, composed in 1866 by Johann Gottfried Piefke in commemoration of the Battle of Königgrätz, the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War, in which the Kingdom of Prussia defeated the Austrian Empire. The commonly played version (AM II, 195) is set as an infantry march, while an alternate adaptation is arranged as a cavalry galop (AM III, 228). The victory in the Battle of Königgrätz paved the way for the supremacy of Prussia in the German Confederation and ultimately led to the establishment of the German Empire in 1871. The Königgrätzer Marsch continues to be extremely popular and is a staple of any modern German military parade, whereas in Austria it is heard only very rarely, because the piece is associated with Austrian military failure. It was the march of the 91st Oldenburg Infantry Regiment and the parade-march of the 1st Bavarian Infantry Regiment "König" of the Imperial German Army. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_von_Hindenburg Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg (2 October 1847 – 2 August 1934) was a German field marshal and statesman who led the Imperial German Army during World War I. He later became President of Germany from 1925 until his death. In the Prussian Army: During the decisive Battle of Königgrätz, he was briefly knocked unconscious by a bullet that pierced his helmet and creased the top of his skull. Quickly regaining his senses, he wrapped his head in a towel and resumed leading his detachment, winning a decoration.

Auto Revolver skins:
Legendary: Goodnight Kiss, The Gordon Highlander, Pro Patria Mori
Distinguished: Red Tab, Somme
Other: Straight Flush

Red Tab skin for Auto Revolver https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Auto_Revolver_(Codex_Entry) The Auto Revolver was invented by British Colonel George Vincent Fosbery and patented in 1896, during a time when most pistols were chambered for much smaller cartridges, but Fosbery believed that these calibres were too weak for combat. The Auto Revolver was submitted to military trials but never officially adopted. It was a relatively big and heavy handgun, which was probably part of the reason. Nevertheless, the Auto Revolver did become popular with some target shooters, and in a time when Army officers picked their own sidearms, quite a few British officers would pick the Auto Revolver. https://www.army.gov.au/our-heritage/traditions/gorget-patches Generals, Brigadiers and Colonels wear gorget patches, known colloquially as red tabs, on the collar. By the beginning of the 18th Century, any pieces that remained had no practical value and were nothing more than a distinguishing accoutrement on an officers’ uniform for ornamental or ceremonial purposes. During the Boer War, a khaki uniform was introduced and red gorget patches were added to distinguish senior officers. http://www.greatwar.co.uk/glossary/ww1-glossary.htm red tabs: British staff officers (slang); from the lapel tabs on General Staff officers’ uniforms.

Somme skin for Auto Revolver https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somme_(department) Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. The north central area of the Somme was the site of a series of battles during World War I, including the particularly significant Battle of the Somme in 1916. As a result of this and other battles fought in the area, the department is home to many military cemeteries and several major monuments commemorating the many soldiers from various countries who died on its battlefields. The Battle of the Somme was one of the most costly battles of World War I, by the number of troop casualties, as Allied forces attempted to break through the German lines along a 40 kilometres (25 mi) front north and south of the River Somme. The Allies had originally intended the Somme to be the site of one of several simultaneous major offensives by Allied powers against the Central Powers in 1916. However, before these offensives could begin, the Germans attacked first, engaging the Allies at the Battle of Verdun (reference to the M1909 Benét-Mercié's Verdun skin). As this battle dragged on, the purpose of the Somme campaign (which was still in the planning stage) shifted from striking a decisive blow against Germany to drawing German forces away from Verdun and relieving the Allied forces there. By its end, the losses on the Somme had exceeded those at Verdun. While Verdun would bite deep in the national consciousness of France for generations, the Somme would have the same effect on generations of Britons. The battle is best remembered for its first day, 1 July 1916, on which the British suffered 57,420 casualties, including 19,240 dead—the bloodiest day in the history of the British Army to this day. As terrible as the battle was for the British Empire troops who suffered there, it naturally affected the other nationalities as well. By the end of the battle, the British had learned many lessons in modern warfare, while the Germans had suffered irreplaceable losses. The Somme experienced war twice more in the First and Second Battles of the Somme of 1918.

The Gordon Highlander skin for Auto Revolver (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Highlanders): The Gordon Highlanders was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed for 113 years, from 1881 until 1994, when it was amalgamated with The Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons, reference to Huot Automatic Rifle's The Seaforth Higlander skin) to form The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons). In 1908 the Volunteers and Militia were reorganised nationally, with the former becoming the Territorial Force and the latter the Special Reserve; the regiment now had one Reserve and four Territorial battalions. First World War. -Regular Army: The 1st Battalion was based in Plymouth on outbreak of war and landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the 8th Brigade in the 3rd Division in August 1914. It was immediately engaged with the Germans at the Battle of Mons (reference to the Selbstlader 1906's The Hound of Mons skin), suffering only slight casualties. The battalion was next in action at the Battle of Le Cateau (reference to the M1909 Benét-Mercié's Le Cateau skin) after which it ceased to exist as a fighting force when most personnel were captured in the confusion of disengaging after battle. The battalion was subsequently rebuilt with drafts of reinforcements and served on the Western Front for the duration of the war. The 2nd Battalion was in Egypt in 1914, but returned to England and landed at Zeebrugge as part of the 20th Brigade in the 7th Division in October 1914. It immediately saw action in the First Battle of Ypres (reference to the M1907 Selfloading's Ypres skin). The battalion subsequently served on the Western Front until November 1917 when it moved with XIV Corps to Italy. It was subsequently involved in the final, successful, battle of the war in Italy at the Battle of Vettorio Veneto, October to November 1918. -Territorial Force: The 1/4th (City of Aberdeen) Battalion landed at Le Havre as part of the 8th Brigade in the 3rd Division in February 1915 for service on the Western Front. The 1/6th (Banff and Donside) Battalion landed at Le Havre as part of the 20th Brigade in the 7th Division for service on the Western Front. One of the longest 1914 Christmas truces was upheld by this battalion: it lasted until the afternoon of 3 January 1915.

Pro Patria Mori skin for Auto Revolver (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dulce_et_decorum_est_pro_patria_mori): Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori is a line from the Odes (III.2.13) by the Roman lyric poet Horace. The line translates: "It is sweet and proper to die for one's country." The Latin word patria (homeland), literally meaning the country of one's fathers (in Latin, patres) or ancestors, is the source of the French word for a country, patrie, and of the English word "patriot" (one who loves their country). Horace's line was quoted in the title of a poem by Wilfred Owen, "Dulce et Decorum est", published in 1921, describing soldiers' horrific experiences in World War I. Owen's poem, which calls Horace's line "the old Lie", essentially ended the line's straightforward uncritical use. Uses in art and literature: -The film Johnny Got His Gun ends with this saying, along with casualty statistics since World War I. -In the film All Quiet on the Western Front, a teacher quotes this early on while talking to his class. https://wiki.gamedetectives.net/index.php?title=Battlefield_1 Morse Messages.
When using the Infiltrator kit and standing in a few specific spots on different maps, Morse code can be heard. The Morse code in the final message is unique for each player, but takes the form of the following Latin quote with 8 letters missing: DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI.

Goodnight Kiss skin for Auto Revolver (https://www.henrysheldonmuseum.org/wwi-slang): Tommy, Doughboy, Fritz: Soldier Slang of World War I, a book written by Emily Brewer talks about all these terms and more. Goodnight kiss – this was the term used for the last shot made by a sniper at the end of an assault. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Edwin_Ellison Private George Edwin Ellison (10 August 1878 – 11 November 1918) was the last British soldier to be killed in action during the First World War. He died at 09:30 am (90 minutes before the armistice came into effect), shot by a sniper while on a patrol in woodland on the outskirts of Mons, Belgium. He fought in the Battle of Mons (reference to the Selbstlader 1906's The Hound of Mons skin) in 1914, and several other battles including the Battle of Ypres (reference to the M1907 Selfloading's Ypres skin), Battle of Armentières, Battle of La Bassée, Battle of Lens, Battle of Loos, and Battle of Cambrai on the Western Front. Ellison, aged 40 at the time of his death, is buried in the St Symphorien Military Cemetery, just southeast of Mons. Coincidentally, and in large part due to Mons being lost in the very opening stages of the war and regained at the very end (from the British perspective), his grave faces that of John Parr, the first British soldier killed during the Great War, and just a few metres away from George Lawrence Price, the Canadian soldier who was also felled near Mons at 10:58am, and was the last British Empire soldier killed in the Great War. In 2018, he and John Parr became the inspiration behind a poem, "Goodnight Kiss", by writer Philip Parker – written as part of a project in conjunction with the Imperial War Museum.

Straight Flush skin for Auto Revolver (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_poker_hands): In poker, players form sets of five playing cards, called hands, according to the rules of the game. Each hand has a rank, which is compared against the ranks of other hands participating in the showdown to decide who wins the pot. A straight flush is a hand that contains five cards of sequential rank, all of the same suit, such as Q♥ J♥ 10♥ 9♥ 8♥ (a "queen-high straight flush"). https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/features/anzac-day-2020/language-from-the-first-world-war Language from the First World War. -Gutzer: a disappointment or misfortune usually, expressed as ‘to come a gutzer’. A ‘gutzer straight or flush’ in a digger speak was a poker straight or flush with one crucial card missing.