Re: Interesting History Behind BF1 Weapon Skin Names?

M1897 Shotgun skins
Legendary: The Burnett, The Sweeper, The Washington
Distinguished: Château-Thierry, Lieutenant Kelly, Meuse, Trenchbroom

The Sweeper skin for M1897 Shotgun (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_Model_1897): Unlike most modern pump-action shotguns, the Winchester Model 1897 (versions of which were type classified as the Model 97 or M97 for short) fired each time the action closed with the trigger depressed (that is, it lacks a trigger disconnector). Coupled with its five-shot capacity, this made it effective for close combat, such that troops referred to it as a "trench sweeper". This characteristic allowed troops to fire the whole magazine with great speed, known as "slam firing". The Model 1897 was so effective, and feared, that the German government protested (in vain) to have it outlawed in combat. https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/M1897_Shotgun_(Codex_Entry) The original design was modified by adding a perforated steel heat shield over the barrel and a bayonet lug. Because of the lack of a trigger disconnector, the M1897 fires each time the user cycles the pump-action while the trigger is depressed. This feature earned it the nickname "Trench Sweeper" among the troops.

Trenchbroom skin for M1897 Shotgun (imfdb.org/wiki/Winchester_Model_1897): The United States military used a short-barreled version, often called the "trench gun" by US troops, who made extensive use of it in both World Wars. This version was modified by adding a perforated steel heat shield over the barrel, and an adapter with bayonet lug for affixing a M1917 bayonet. Unlike most modern pump-action shotguns, the M1897 fired each time the action closed with the trigger depressed (that is, it lacks a trigger disconnector), allowing even a moderately trained soldier to slam-fire all six shells in around two seconds. The six-shot capacity made it extremely effective for close combat, and gave it nicknames like the "trench broom" and "trench sweeper."

Meuse skin for M1897 Shotgun (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meuse): The Meuse is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a total length of 925 km (575 miles). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meuse_(department) Meuse is a department in northeast France, named after the River Meuse. Meuse is part of the current region of Grand Est and is landlocked and borders by the French departments of Ardennes, Marne, Haute-Marne, Vosges, Meurthe-et-Moselle, and Belgium to the north. Front lines in trench warfare during World War I ran varying courses through the department and it hosted an important battle/offensive in 1916 in and around Verdun (reference to the M1909 Benét-Mercié's Verdun skin). The First World War dealt a heavy blow to the department, and by 1921, only 207,309 inhabitants were recorded. Many residents had fled, and entire villages that were on or near the front line in 1916 were destroyed. Meuse thus has several uninhabited communes because the villages were never rebuilt, and in fact are known as "Morts pour la France" ("Died for France"); the number of displaced persons from the villages varies from 131 to 718. Since the end of the Battle of Verdun in 1916, these communes have been unoccupied with an official population of zero; the villages are Beaumont-en-Verdunois, Bezonvaux, Cumières-le-Mort-Homme (reference to the Sjögren Inertial Shotgun's Le Mort-Homme skin), Fleury-devant-Douaumont (reference to the Sjögren Inertial Shotgun's Douaumont skin), Haumont-près-Samogneux (reference to the Battlefield 1's Verdun Heights map) and Louvemont-Côte-du-Poivre. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meuse%E2%80%93Argonne_offensive The Meuse–Argonne offensive (also known as the Meuse River–Argonne Forest offensive, the Battles of the Meuse–Argonne, and the Meuse–Argonne campaign) was a major part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire Western Front. It was fought from September 26, 1918, until the Armistice of November 11, 1918, a total of 47 days. The offensive was the principal engagement of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in World War I. It was one of a series of Allied attacks, known as the Hundred Days Offensive, which brought the war to an end.

Château-Thierry skin for M1897 Shotgun (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau-Thierry): Château-Thierry is a French commune situated in the department of the Aisne, in the administrative region of Hauts-de-France, and in the historic Province of Champagne. Château-Thierry is the birthplace of Jean de La Fontaine and was the location of the First Battle of the Marne and Second Battle of the Marne (reference to Model 10-A Shotgun's The Rock of the Marne skin). In 1918, a mounting for the Paris Gun was found near the castle, though the cannon itself had apparently been moved prior to the emplacement's discovery. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ch%C3%A2teau-Thierry_(1918) The Battle of Château-Thierry was fought on July 18, 1918 and was one of the first actions of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) under General John J. Pershing (reference to the M1917 MG's Black Jack skin). It was a battle in World War I as part of the Second Battle of the Marne, initially prompted by a German Spring Offensive (reference to the MP18's The Kaiserschlacht skin). German and local actions at Château-Thierry recommenced on May 31 to July 22, 1918, against the AEF, an American Expeditionary Force, consisting of troops from both the United States Army and Marine Corps (reference to the M1903's Marine skin) units. These units were the newest troops on the front in France and just barely out of training. The AEF counter-offensive combat action at Château-Thierry was relatively brief starting on July 18, 1918 and lasting for less than a week and was part of the allied effort to push back the recent German advance. American forces had linked up with their French allies at the Marne River on June 3, 1918 and had forced the Germans back across the river. This set the stage for the action at Château-Thierry and at the Battle of Belleau Wood (reference to the M1903's Belleau Wood skin). However, the later action raged for another three weeks.

Lieutenant Kelly skin for M1897 Shotgun (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Field): Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting. Kelly Field was one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the United States entry into World War I, being established on 27 March 1917. It was used as a flying field; primary flying school; school for adjutants, supply officers, and engineers; mechanics school, and as an aviation general supply depot. Kelly Field is named in honor of 2nd Lieutenant George Edward Maurice Kelly. Lt. Kelly, who after a course of training at the Curtiss Aviation School, Rockwell Field, California, was ordered to Fort Sam Houston, near San Antonio. While attempting to land on 10 May 1911 in order to avoid running into a tent and thereby possibly injuring several others, Kelly died in a crash, falling into the ground. In November 1915, the newly created 1st Aero Squadron arrived at Fort Sam Houston after a cross-country flight from Fort Sill, Oklahoma. However, the squadron remained at the post only until March 1916, whereupon it left to join Brigadier General John J. Pershing’s (reference to the M1917 MG's Black Jack skin) Punitive Expedition against Pancho Villa (reference to the Russian 1895's Pancho Villa skin) on the U.S.-Mexico border. Problems experienced by the 1st Aero Squadron on that expedition and the ongoing war in Europe persuaded Congress to improve and expand the nation's air arm. On 5 April 1917, four aircraft took off from Fort Sam Houston, flew across San Antonio and landed on the new airfield, which at the time was a cleared cotton field. Tents had been erected as hangars, however, a permanent presence at the airfield was not established until 7 May when 700 men arrived. A week later, the population had grown to 4,000. Construction of the facility was rapid, with the United States now at war and the mission of the new airfield was to train aviators to be sent to the Western Front in France. Many of the American-trained World War I aviators learned to fly at Kelly field, with 1,459 pilots and 398 flying instructors graduating from the Kelly aviation schools during the course of the war. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_E._M._Kelly George Edward Maurice Kelly (11 December 1878 – 10 May 1911) was the 12th pilot of the U.S. Army's Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps and the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting. He was a 2nd Lieutenant.

The Burnett skin for for M1897 Shotgun https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Mongolia_(1903) SS Mongolia was a 13,369-ton passenger-and-cargo liner originally built for Pacific Mail Steamship Company in 1904. In March 1917, following the German declaration of a submarine blockade around Britain, Mongolia was chartered as an Army transport and received a self-defense armament of three 6-inch (150 mm) deck guns manned by U.S. Navy gun crews. One month later, Mongolia became the first American vessel to test the blockade, using those guns to drive off (and possibly sink) a U-boat seven miles southeast of Beachy Head, in the English Channel. That was the first armed encounter for an American vessel after the US's entry to World War I. For the next year, Mongolia ferried American troops and supplies to Europe. Two American nurses, Clara Ayres and Helen Burnett Wood, were accidentally killed during one of these crossings, and another was wounded. During the afternoon of 20 May 1917, the nurses were on the deck of the Mongolia, observing the firing of the aft 6-inch gun, when they were struck by fragments of the shell's brass casing. https://evanstonroundtable.com/2021/11/11/evanston-world-war-i-casualty-helen-burnett-wood/ Evanston WWI veteran Helen Burnett Wood is honored in America and Scotland. Wood, a nurse who volunteered to serve in the war, was born in Scotland and immigrated to Evanston in 1909. In 1914, she earned a nursing degree from the Evanston Training School for Nurses, a school affiliated with Evanston Hospital and Northwestern University. In 1917, she volunteered to serve as a nurse with U.S. Base Hospital 12, a unit largely composed of Northwestern University students, alumni and faculty. Wood set sail for France in May 1917. Tragically, she and fellow nurse Edith Ayres were killed when one of the ship’s guns misfired during a routine practice. Wood and Ayres were the first members of an American unit to be killed in service during World War I.

The Washington skin for for M1897 Shotgun: triple question mark (???) or why are there dog breeds as skin names in Battlefield 1? https://www.history.com/news/george-washington-dogs George Washington: Founding Father—And Passionate Dog Breeder. Among the names the future first president gave his dogs were Sweet Lips, Venus, Trulove, Taster, Tippler, Drunkard and Madame Moose. But few may know the founding father was also a dog lover who even bred his own unique breed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_of_the_Armies General of the Armies of the United States, more commonly referred to as General of the Armies, is the highest military rank in the United States Army. The rank has been conferred two times: to John J. Pershing (reference to the M1917 MG's Black Jack skin) in 1919, as a personal accolade for his command of the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I, to George Washington in 1976, as a posthumous honor during the United States Bicentennial celebrations. The grade is sometimes described as a six-star general, as being senior to the five-star grade of General of the Army, but no six-star insignia was ever officially created and Pershing, the only person to be General of the Armies during his own lifetime, never wore more than four stars. The General of the Armies enjoyed several privileges not afforded to other generals, including a much higher salary and the right to retire at full pay and allowances. Even in retirement, Pershing was the second-highest-paid official in the federal government, after only the president of the United States. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonus_Army The Bonus Army was a group of 43,000 demonstrators – 17,000 veterans of U.S. involvement in World War I, their families, and affiliated groups – who gathered in Washington, D.C., in mid-1932 to demand early cash redemption of their service bonus certificates. Organizers called the demonstrators the Bonus Expeditionary Force (B.E.F.), to echo the name of World War I's American Expeditionary Forces, while the media referred to them as the "Bonus Army" or "Bonus Marchers". The demonstrators were led by Walter W. Waters, a former sergeant. Washington police met with resistance, shot at the protestors, and two veterans were wounded and later died. President Herbert Hoover then ordered the U.S. Army to clear the marchers' campsite. Army Chief of Staff General Douglas MacArthur commanded a contingent of infantry and cavalry, supported by six tanks. The Bonus Army marchers with their wives and children were driven out, and their shelters and belongings burned.

Howdah Pistol skins
Legendary: The Big Smoke, The Colonel
Distinguished: Abu Klea, Hussar
Other: Frontiersman

The Colonel skin for Howdah Pistol (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancaster_pistol): The Lancaster pistol was a multi-barrelled (2 or 4 barrels) handgun produced in England in the mid-late 19th century, chambered in a variety of centrefire pistol calibres—chiefly .38 S&W, .450 Adams, .455 Webley, and .577 inch. The Lancaster pistol exists as the Howdah Pistol in the 2016 video game Battlefield 1. Use in Sudan. When facing charging tribesmen like the Zulus (reference to the Martini-Henry's Zulu skin) or Ansar (the so-called Sudanese Dervishes), more modern ammunition tended to go straight through the enemy who would keep going. What was needed was a heavy lead bullet that would lodge in their body and bring them down. One famous user was the photographer and film maker Lieutenant Colonel John Montague Benett Stanford (1870-1947), who killed a fanatical assegai-wielding Sudanese Ansar with a Lancaster pistol while working as a war correspondent at the Battle of Omdurman. The Khartoum Campaign, 1898 Or the Re-Conquest of the Soudan by B. Burleigh: Many officers equipped themselves with powerful pistols specially for the Sudan campaign. Scudamore spells this weapon as ‘Lankaster’. Churchill (reference to the C96 Pistol' Churchill skin) had a Mauser pistol with 10 shots. A fellow correspondent put the best gloss he could on this incident: 'Mr Bennett Stanford, who was splendidly mounted, with a cocked four-barrelled Lancaster pistol aimed deliberately at the dervish, who turned towards him'. https://www.victorian-cinema.net/benettstanford John Montagaue ('Mad Jack') Benett-Stanford (1870-1947): Rogue, fox-hunter, war cameraman and archetypal English squire. His next service assignment was the Sudan expedition of 1898, where he acted as war correspondent for the Western Morning News, and, like Frederic Villiers was present at the battle of Omdurman. Before leaving Britain he had managed to obtain a film camera from Prestwich, and with this he filmed the British commander, Kitchener, as well as a view of the Grenadier Guards fixing bayonets and marching off on the day before the battle. This brief film had a huge success, being the only film taken at Omdurman, a notable British military victory.

Abu Klea skin for Howdah Pistol (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Abu_Klea): The Battle of Abu Klea, or the Battle of Abu Tulayh took place between 16 and 18 January 1885, at Abu Klea, Sudan, between the British Desert Column and Mahdist forces encamped near Abu Klea. The Desert Column, a force of approximately 1,400 soldiers, started from Korti, Sudan on 30 December 1884; the Desert Column's mission, in a joint effort titled "The Gordon Relief Expedition", was to march across the Bayuda Desert to the aid of General Charles George Gordon at Khartoum, Sudan, who was besieged there by Mahdist forces. The place is generally known in British military records as Abu Klea, which arose as a contemporary British spelling of its Arabic name, 'Abu Tͅuleiħ (أَبُو طُلَيْح). The British forces consisted of 1,400 British of the Desert Column under Sir Herbert Stewart, against a Sudanese force of approximately 14,000 fighters. The British force was composed of four regiments of camel-mounted troops (Guards, Heavy, Light and Mounted Infantry), detachments of the various infantry regiments in Egypt and of the River Column, and a detachment of the 19th Hussars (reference to the Howdah Pistol's Hussar skin), mounted on horses. The battle was short, lasting barely fifteen minutes from start to finish. Casualties for the British were nine officers and 65 other ranks killed and over a hundred wounded. The Mahdists lost 1,100 dead during the fifteen minutes of fighting, made all the worse by only 3,000–5,000 of the Dervish force being engaged. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Feathers The Four Feathers is a 1902 adventure novel by British writer A. E. W. Mason that has inspired many films of the same title. Against the background of the Mahdist War, young Feversham disgraces himself by quitting the army, which others perceive as cowardice, symbolized by the four white feathers they give him. He redeems himself with acts of great courage and wins back the heart of the woman he loves. The 2002 version starring Heath Ledger is set during the 1884–85 campaign. The British infantry square was broken in the battle of Abu Klea, and the British are forced to retreat. The central battle is accurately portrayed in the film Khartoum (1966).

Hussar skin for Howdah Pistol (https://www.alloutdoor.com/2021/06/04/potd-lancaster-four-barreled-pisto/): This pistol was made in 1895 and sold to a Mr. Harold S. Maur. This may be Major Richard Harold St. Maur (1869-1927) , often known as Harold St. Maur, of the 14th Hussars and Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry, a veteran of the Boer Wars and First World War. Many officers assigned to Africa and India chose Lancasters as their personal sidearms, but the total production of these pistols is estimated at just 712 further subdivided into smaller volumes in the various calibers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussar A hussar (Hungarian: huszár; Polish: husarz; Serbo-Croatian: husar) was a member of a class of light cavalry, originating in Central Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely adopted by light cavalry regiments in European armies during the late 17th and 18th centuries. By the 19th century, hussars were wearing jackets decorated with braid plus shako or busby hats and had developed a romanticized image of being dashing and adventurous. Historically, the term derives from the cavalry of late medieval Hungary, under Matthias Corvinus, with mainly Serb warriors. On the eve of World War I, there were still hussar regiments in the British, Canadian, French, Spanish, German, Russian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Romanian, and Austro-Hungarian armies. In most respects, they had now become regular light cavalry, recruited solely from their own countries and trained and equipped along the same lines as other classes of cavalry. https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Legendary_Russian_Hussar_Cavalry_(Codex_Entry) Legendary Russian Hussar Cavalry is a Codex Entry featured in Battlefield 1, introduced in the Battlefield 1: In the Name of the Tsar expansion. In the Russian advance in the summer of 1914, the Hussars were often sent on reconnaissance missions far ahead of the infantry. They also guarded their infantry's flanks, screened their maneuvers, and intercepted enemy patrols. Outfitted with carbines and revolvers, they were even able to dismount and fight on foot, but were no match against well-positioned or entrenched infantry. Instead, they fought smaller skirmishes or exploited gaps in the frontline with their speed.

The Big Smoke skin for Howdah Pistol (https://slll.cass.anu.edu.au/centres/andc/annotated-glossary/j): Jack Johnson: A large German or Austrian low-velocity shell. Facetious use of personal name. Jack Johnson (1878-1946) was a famous American boxer whose nickname was ‘The Big Smoke’. Shells that gave off a dense black smoke when they exploded thus were dubbed ‘Jack Johnsons'. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Johnson_(boxer) John Arthur Johnson (March 31, 1878 – June 10, 1946), nicknamed the "Galveston Giant", was an American boxer who, at the height of the Jim Crow era, became the first black world heavyweight boxing champion (1908–1915). His 1910 fight against James J. Jeffries was dubbed the "fight of the century". Johnson defeated Jeffries, who was white, triggering dozens of race riots across the U.S. According to filmmaker Ken Burns, "for more than thirteen years, Jack Johnson was the most famous and the most notorious black boxer on Earth". In the trenches of World War One, Johnson's name was used by British troops to describe the impact of German 150 mm heavy artillery shells which had a black color. The book of poetry, The Big Smoke by Adrian Matejka, is inspired by Johnson's voice and life and written in forms ranging from sonnets to prose poetry.

Frontiersman skin for Howdah Pistol: tripple question mark (???) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/25th_(Frontiersmen)_Battalion,_Royal_Fusiliers The 25th (Frontiersmen) Service Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was a British Army unit that served during World War I. It was raised by the Legion of Frontiersmen. The battalion served in the African Theatre of the war from 1915 to 1918, centered mostly in the area around Lake Tanganyika, British East African and German East African territory. The battalion was largely composed of older men who hailed from diverse backgrounds and varied occupations, some of whom were Boer War veterans. The unit was formed on 12 February 1915 by Lieutenant-Colonel Daniel Patrick Driscoll, who was, at that time, fifty-five years of age, well above that of an average soldier. Another noted serving officer (and eventually the Second in Command of the battalion) was Frederick Courteney Selous, a veteran of various small African wars and skirmishes, a big-game hunter and friend of Theodore Roosevelt (reference to Russian 1895's The Teddy skin). Selous had previously hunted with Roosevelt during his famed 1909 African safari. Selous is also known for having served as the inspiration for Sir H. Rider Haggard to create his fictional Allan Quatermain character, a 19th-century African explorer and hunter of big-game beasts. Captain Selous was later killed in action with the unit, shot through the mouth by a German sniper in January 1917. The unit gained the nickname "Old and the Bold", due to its members' ages, their veteran status, and reputation for endurance and daring against the enemy, even though the majority of volunteers were young men. The exploits of "The Old and the Bold" were later the loose basis of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles episode "The Phantom Train of Doom" (German East Africa, November 1916).

Autoloading 8 skins
Legendary: The Arneson, The Happe, The Hunter
Distinguished: Brusilov, Farman, La Chauve-Souris, Moses

Moses skin for Autoloading 8 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Browning): The Remington Model 8 is a semi-automatic rifle designed by John Browning and produced by Remington Arms, introduced as the Remington Autoloading Rifle in 1905, though the name was changed to the Remington Model 8 in 1911. On October 16, 1900, John Browning was granted U.S. Patent 659,786 for the rifle, which he then sold to Remington. Outside the U.S., this rifle was made by Fabrique Nationale of Liege (reference to the Gewehr 98's Liege skin), Belgium, and marketed as the FN Browning 1900. Under an agreement between Remington and FN, the Model 8 would be sold in the US while the FN 1900 would be sold elsewhere. Despite having a larger market, the FN 1900 was sold predominantly to hunters in Western Europe and Canada. Due to lackluster sales, only 4,913 Model 1900s were ever produced compared to the over 80,000 Model 8s produced. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Browning John Moses Browning (January 23, 1855 – November 26, 1926) was an American firearm designer who developed many varieties of military and civilian firearms, cartridges, and gun mechanisms – many of which are still in use around the world. He is regarded as one of the most successful firearms designers of the 19th and 20th centuries and pioneered the development of modern repeating, semi-automatic, and automatic firearms. He invented, or made significant improvements to, single-shot, lever-action, and pump-action rifles and shotguns. He developed the first reliable and compact autoloading pistols by inventing the telescoping bolt, then integrating the bolt and barrel shroud into what is known as the pistol slide. Browning's telescoping bolt design is now found on nearly every modern semi-automatic pistol, as well as several modern fully automatic weapons. He also developed the first gas-operated firearm, the Colt–Browning Model 1895 machine gun – a system that surpassed mechanical recoil operation to become the standard for most high-power self-loading firearm designs worldwide. Browning's most successful designs include the M1911 pistol, the water-cooled M1917, the air-cooled M1919, and heavy M2 machine guns, the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle, and the Browning Auto-5 – the first semi-automatic shotgun.

Brusilov skin for Autoloading 8 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksei_Brusilov): Aleksei Alekseyevich Brusilov (Russian: Алексе́й Алексе́евич Бруси́лов; 31 August 1853 – 17 March 1926) was a Russian and later Soviet general most noted for the development of new offensive tactics used in the 1916 Brusilov offensive, which was his greatest achievement. Born into an aristocratic military family, Brusilov trained as a cavalry officer, but by 1914 had realized that cavalry was obsolete against modern weapons of warfare such as machine gun and artillery. Historians portray him as the only First World War Russian general capable of winning major battles; his offensive strategy helped eliminate the Austro-Hungarian Empire as an independent fighting force. However, his victories resulted in heavy casualties that seriously weakened the Russian army, which was unable to replace its losses. Despite his noble status and prominent role in the Imperial Russian Army, he sided with the Bolsheviks in the Russian Civil War and aided in the early organization of the Red Army until retiring in 1924. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brusilov_offensive The Brusilov offensive (Russian: Брусиловский прорыв Brusilovskiĭ proryv, literally: "Brusilov's breakthrough"), also known as the "June advance", of June to September 1916 was the Russian Empire's greatest feat of arms during World War I, and among the most lethal offensives in world history. The historian Graydon Tunstall called the Brusilov offensive the worst crisis of World War I for Austria-Hungary and the Triple Entente's (reference to the Fighter's La Triple-Entente skin) greatest victory, but it came at a tremendous loss of life. It took place in eastern Galicia (reference to the Gewehr M.95's Galicia skin, present-day northwestern Ukraine), in the Lviv and Volyn Oblasts. The offensive is named after the commander in charge of the Southwestern Front of the Imperial Russian Army, General Aleksei Brusilov. The largest and most lethal offensive of the war, the effects of the Brusilov offensive were far-reaching. It relieved German pressure on French forces at Verdun (reference to the M1909 Benét-Mercié's Verdun skin), and helped to relieve the Austro-Hungarian pressure on the Italians. It inflicted irreparable losses on the Austro-Hungarian Army, and induced Romania to finally enter the war on the side of the Entente. https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Brusilov_Keep Brusilov Keep is a map featured in the Battlefield 1: In the Name of the Tsar expansion, named after the Brusilov Offensive, one of the most lethal offensives in world history.

La Chauve-Souris skin for Autoloading 8 (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. Chauve-souris: a bat (the French term literally means a bald mouse, reference to 12G Automatic's The Bats skin). This was used to refer to soldiers who flew at night, there were similar terms in German.

Farman skin for Autoloading 8 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farman_Aviation_Works): Farman Aviation Works (French: Avions Farman) was a French aircraft company founded and run by the brothers Richard, Henri, and Maurice Farman. They designed and constructed aircraft and engines from 1908 until 1936; during the French nationalization and rationalization of its aeronautical industry, Farman's assets were assigned to the Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Centre (SNCAC). The Farman brothers designed and built more than 200 types of aircraft between 1908 and 1941. They also built cars until 1931 and boats until 1930. In 1907, Henri Farman bought his first aircraft from Gabriel Voisin (reference to the M1907 Selfloading's Voisin skin) and soon began to improve the design of the aircraft; as a result it was known as either Farman I or Voisin-Farman I. A second aircraft, to be called Farman II, was built by the Voisin brothers incorporating design refinements to Farman's specification. Aircraft designed and built by Henri Farman had a HF prefix, while examples designed and built by his brother Maurice carried a MF prefix. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farman_MF.11 The Maurice Farman MF.11 Shorthorn is a French aircraft developed before World War I by the Farman Aviation Works. It was used as a reconnaissance and light bomber during the early part of World War I, later being relegated to training duties. The Maurice Farman Shorthorn was the aircraft in which Biggles, Capt W.E. Johns' fictional character, first took to the air in "Biggles Learns To Fly". On 6 September 1914 the first air-sea battle took place when a Japanese Farman MF.11 aircraft launched by the seaplane carrier Wakamiya (reference to the Type 38 Arisaka's Wakamiya skin) unsuccessfully attacked SMS Kaiserin Elisabeth (reference to the Gewehr M.95's Die Kaiserin Elisabeth skin) with bombs.

The Happe skin for Autoloading 8 (https://artblart.com/tag/aviation-in-world-war-1/): Captain Maurice Happe, rear seat, commander of French squadron MF 29, seated in his Farman MF.11 Shorthorn (reference to the Autoloading 8's Farman skin) bomber with a Captain Berthaut. The plane bears the insignia of the first unit, a Croix de Guerre, c. 1915. http://fandavion.free.fr/happe.htm Maurice Happe (15 avril 1882 - 20 octobre 1930), le diable rouge. Maurice Happe fut l'une des figures les plus brillantes de l'aviation de bombardement française au cours de la Première Guerre mondiale. Par bravade, il avait peint en rouge les roues de son appareil et dessiné des croix sur les plans. Le 14 décembre, Happe, surnommé « Roter Teufel » (Diable rouge) par ses adversaires, prenait le commandement du GB.4, groupe de bombardement constitué de la MF.29 et de la C.61. La ténacité et le courage des pilotes (Happe réussit durant cette période à abattre un Fokker avec son vieux Farman (reference to the Autoloading 8's Farman skin)) ne pouvaient néanmoins pallier la médiocrité du matériel. Dans un rapport adressé à la direction de l'aéronautique du GQG, Happe soulignait que ce type d'appareil ne pouvait plus être utilisé que pour le bombardement de nuit et préconisait son remplacement par des Sopwith. Le 20 octobre 1930, alors qu'il effectuait un vol au-dessus de la Belgique, son avion s'écrasa au sol, ensevelissant sous un amas de débris son pilote et le jeune mécanicien qui l'accompagnait.

The Hunter skin for Autoloading 8 https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Model_8_Autoloading_(Codex_Entry) The Model 8 used a long recoil operating system, which worked well for hunting but was prone to overheating and malfunctions with high volumes of fire. It did however build a reputation as a reliable and durable hunter's weapon. About 100 Model 8 rifles were sold to France in 1915 and used as aircraft rifles before the advent of aircraft machine guns. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_O%27Driscoll_Hunter Frank O'Driscoll Hunter (December 8, 1894 – June 25, 1982) was a World War I flying ace, being credited by the United States Army Air Service with downing nine enemy aircraft. Hunter became an advocate of fighter aircraft strategy and tactics. In World War II he served as commanding general of the VIII Fighter Command and, later, the First Air Force. Assigned to the 103rd Aero Squadron in May 1918, on his first combat patrol Hunter downed two German planes and landed safely despite being wounded. By the end of the war he had nine German planes to his credit, earning him recognition as an ace. Hunter was the last pilot remaining with the squadron before its return to the United States, transferring out on January 24, 1919. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross with four oak leaf clusters, more than any person other than Eddie Rickenbacker who received six oak leaf clusters to the DSC. His achievements in aerial combat earned him the French Croix de Guerre with palm.

The Arneson skin for Autoloading 8: triple question mark or (???). Arneson (also Arnesson, Arnison) is a surname of Norwegian origin.

M1911 skins
Legendary: The Care Package, In Flanders Fields, Lucifer, The Man Stopper, Poodlefaker
Distinguished: The Incarcerator, Package from Home, Protector, York

The Man Stopper skin for M1911 https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/M1911_Pistol_(Codex_Entry) It was with the US entry into WW1 that the M1911 saw large scale action for the first time, where its reliability and powerful .45 caliber bullet earned it the nickname "The Man Stopper". Patton (reference to the 1903 Hammerless's Patton skin) was a captain in WW1 and carried an M1911 with ivory grips engraved with his initials, and Sergeant York (reference to the M1911's York skin) famously used the M1911 during his heroic acts in Meuse-Argonne. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stopping_power Stopping power is the ability of a weapon – typically a ranged weapon such as a firearm – to cause a target (human or animal) to be incapacitated or immobilized. Stopping power contrasts with lethality in that it pertains only to a weapon's ability to make the target cease action, regardless of whether or not death ultimately occurs. Which ammunition cartridges have the greatest stopping power is a much-debated topic. "Manstopper" is an informal term used to refer to any combination of firearm and ammunition that can reliably incapacitate, or "stop", a human target immediately. For example, the .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) round and the .357 Magnum round both have firm reputations as "manstoppers".

York and The Incarcerator skin for M1911 (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/incarcerator): Etymology: incarcerate +‎ -or. A person who incarcerates. https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/1911_in_York_(Codex_Entry) Alvin York singlehandedly killed 28 enemy soldiers in an intense firefight, equipped with an M1917 rifle and his M1911 pistol. Rushed when he had emptied his rifle, he dealt with the attacks by switching to his pistol. A German Major who rose up from the trenches pleading in English "If you do not shoot any more, we will surrender." York was a pacifist at heart and accepted the surrender, capturing 132 men. His superiors officer heard about this achievement and said "Jesus Christ York, I hear that you captured the whole German Army!" York's' response was short "No sir, just 132 of them." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_York Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964), also known by his rank as Sergeant York, was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I. He received the Medal of Honor for leading an attack on a German machine gun nest, gathering 35 machine guns, killing at least 25 enemy soldiers and capturing 132 prisoners. York's Medal of Honor action occurred during the United States-led portion of the Meuse–Argonne offensive in France, which was intended to breach the Hindenburg line (reference to the MP18's Siegfriedstellung skin) and force the Germans to surrender. Despite being a regular churchgoer, York also drank heavily and was prone to fistfights. After a 1914 conversion experience, he vowed to improve and became even more devoted to the Church of Christ in Christian Union. York was drafted during World War I; he initially claimed conscientious objector status on the grounds that his religious denomination forbade violence. Persuaded that his religion was not incompatible with military service, York joined the 82nd Division as an infantry private and went to France in 1918. A 1941 film about his World War I exploits, Sergeant York, was that year's highest-grossing film; Gary Cooper won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of York, and the film was credited with enhancing American morale as the US mobilized for action in World War II.

Protector skin skin for M1911: tripe question mark or (???). https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/protector A device or mechanism which is designed to protect. https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/the-doughboy-s-m1911-pistol-in-world-war-i/ Actions like York’s (reference to the M1911's York skin) proved that the pistol was still a valuable tool in modern warfare. The timing of its use was a critical factor. Apparently, American troops needed to be reminded that their fascination with the big pistol needed to be tempered with a healthy dose of realism and hand-gunner’s skill. To that point, the following is an excerpt from the U.S. Army’s Manual of the Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, Model of 1911,” published in Nancy, France during February of 1918. The Pistol As An Emergency Weapon. “Too much stress cannot be laid on the fact the pistol is an emergency weapon. The man who wants a stock on his pistol so that he can shoot it at a distance of several hundred yards has no understanding of the function of the arm. It is solely for the personal protection of the bearer when the enemy is within very short range and there is no possibility of accomplishing more with the other weapons with which the soldier may happen to be armed. For the average man, 25 yards may be taken as the maximum range at which the pistol should be fired. To fire at longer ranges will usually result in no casualties for the enemy but only an empty pistol at the crucial moment. This does not apply to a very small percentage of expert shots, but a man should be quite sure that he can be classed as such before violating the general rule.”

In Flanders Fields skin for M1911 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McCrae): Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae (November 30, 1872 – January 28, 1918) was a Canadian poet, physician, author, artist and soldier during World War I, and a surgeon during the Second Battle of Ypres (reference to the M1907 Selfloading's Ypres skin), in Belgium. He is best known for writing the famous war memorial poem "In Flanders Fields". McCrae died of pneumonia near the end of the war. His famous poem is a threnody, a genre of lament. McCrae volunteered for service at age 41. He was appointed as Medical Officer and Major of the 1st Brigade CFA (Canadian Field Artillery). He treated the wounded during the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915, from a hastily dug 8-by-8-foot (2.4 m × 2.4 m) bunker in the back of the * along the Yser Canal about 2 miles north of Ypres. McCrae's friend and former militia member, Lt. Alexis Helmer, was killed in the battle, and his burial inspired the poem, "In Flanders Fields", which was written on May 3, 1915. From June 1, 1915, McCrae was ordered away from the artillery to set up No. 3 Canadian General Hospital at Dannes-Camiers near Boulogne-sur-Mer, northern France. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Flanders_Fields  "In Flanders Fields" is a war poem in the form of a rondeau, written during the First World War by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae. Flanders Fields (reference to the Artillery Truck's Flanders skin) is a common English name of the World War I battlefields in Belgium and France. It is one of the most quoted poems from the war. Its references to the red poppies that grew over the graves of fallen soldiers resulted in the remembrance poppy becoming one of the world's most recognized memorial symbols for soldiers who have died in conflict. The poem and poppy are prominent Remembrance Day symbols throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, particularly in Canada, where "In Flanders Fields" is one of the nation's best-known literary works. The poem is also widely known in the United States, where it is associated with Veterans Day and Memorial Day.

Lucifer and Poodlefaker skins for M1911 (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. Lucifer - used to refer to a match and was taken from a popular match brand in those times. Poodlefaker – the trench slang for those who were only interested in how they looked as well as in wheedling women. https://www.songfacts.com/facts/helen-clark/pack-up-your-troubles-in-your-old-kit-bag Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag. The British music hall stars entered "Pack Up Your Troubles" in a wartime competition for the best morale-building song. It won first prize and became very popular, boosting British resolve despite the horrors of that war. Don't worry, the lyric "While you've a lucifer to light your *" doesn't have any satanic connotations. A "lucifer" was a popular make of match, and "*" is British slang for a cigarette. https://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-poo1.htm Poodle-faker. It’s long-outmoded British army slang. A poodle-faker was a young officer who was disparagingly considered by fellow officers to be over-attentive to women.

The Care Package and Package from Home skins for M1911: The M1911 "Play To Give" mission ends on 4 June, 2017. Reward on 12 June, 2017 (10 Kill Assists, 10 Savior Kills, Revive 10 players and Re-supply 10 players). https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/state_civil_society_and_relief_organizations_for_war Animated by goals of returning wounded soldiers to duty and of reintegrating the permanently disabled into civil society, various governmental, quasi-governmental, and supportive private agencies provided medical and rehabilitative services for injured troops. The development of care package delivery systems to bolster morale and improve the health of soldiers including millions held in captivity complemented these endeavors. The foremost method by which soldiers’ received family and community support during the war was through gift packages. An implicit understanding that governments would not adequately provide troops with essential clothing and foodstuffs undergirded this community outreach that began in 1914 and extended throughout the warring countries, their imperial possessions, and the diasporic global networks of European émigrés and sympathizers. Illustrative of this exchange were Liebesgaben (gifts of love) consisting of sweaters, socks, food, and sundries that were collected throughout the German Empire and distributed among German forces fighting in Europe. Government and military officials keenly understood that the fighting efficiency and cohesion of their armies depended heavily on gift parcels and morale-boosting services. Governments sacrificed precious cargo capacity and communications services to permit the shipment of gift packages and letters, and routinely facilitated the programs established by soldier-caring organizations. In France and other countries, however, regulatory controls were established to ensure that care packages (as they came to be called after the Second World War) would not dangerously clog the arteries of military transportation and the postal services. Captives in eastern European and Russian camps enjoyed far fewer comforts associated with packages and their mortality rates were accordingly ten times higher than troops imprisoned in western-central Europe who were adequately provisioned. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsa_Br%C3%A4ndstr%C3%B6m Elsa Brändström (26 March 1888 – 4 March 1948) was a Swedish nurse and philanthropist. She was known as the "Angel of Siberia" (German: Engel von Sibirien). In 1915, Brändström went to Siberia together with her friend and nurse Ethel von Heidenstam (1881–1970) for the Swedish Red Cross, to introduce basic medical treatment for the German and Austrian POWs. Up to 80 percent of the POWs died of cold, hunger and diseases. For the dedication with which she looked after men from Germany and Austria, many close to death with Typhoid fever, she became known as the Angel of Siberia. Back in St. Petersburg, she founded a Swedish Aid organisation but her work was severely hindered by the 1917 Russian Revolution and the Bolshevik coup. In 1918, the new Soviet Russian authorities withdrew her work permit, but she did not give up and made several trips to Siberia until being arrested in Omsk in 1920. Accused of being a spy, Brändström was initially sentenced to death by the Soviet authorities. The sentence was eventually revoked and she was interned in 1920.

12G Automatic, Autoloading 8, Automatico M1918, BAR M1918, Cei-Rigotti, Gewehr 98, Gewehr M.95, Hellriegel 1915, Huot Automatic, Lewis gun, M1897 Shotgun, M1903, M1907 SL, M1909 Benét-Mercié, Madsen MG, MG15 N.A., Martini-Henry, Model 10-A, Mondragón, MP18, Russian 1895, Selbstlader 1906, Selbstlader M1916 and SMLE MKIII skins
special: Battle of Côte 304, Battle of Eski Hissarlik, Battle of Festubert, Battle of Villers-Bretonneux

Battle of Côte 304 skins for "default weapons" (no sidearms): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Mort_Homme The heights of Le Mort Homme (reference to the Sjögren inertial Shotgun's Le Mort-Homme skin) 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-Mercié'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. 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, which dominated the approach to Le Mort Homme and was able to fire on the Germans attacking the hill. German attacks on Côte 304 had begun on 23 March but the French defended it stubbornly, fighting off many attacks. On 9 April, the Germans launched a second assault on both hills, once again the French held and the attack failed. It was not until 6 May that Côte 304 fell, following a 36 hour bombardment that had begun on 3 May and bitter hand-to-hand fighting. https://www.wereldoorlog1418.nl/battleverdun/battleverdun33/index.htm Wednesday - 3 May, 1916. On this scorching hot day a bombardment begins which lasts for 36 hours with utmost intensity. The French suffer horrible losses. At the front chaos rules: men are buried alive, there is no food and nothing to drink for days in a row; the thirst is so unbearable that some men are drinking their own urine. Screaming wounded are everywhere who cannot be taken care of. There is an unbearable smell of decay; estimations mention more than 10.000 deaths. In the night of the second day the Côte 304 is attacked and taken from the French who are completely broken. After this it takes another three days of bitter man against man fights, before Côte 304 is entirely in German hands. (Note: the bombardments have been so heavy that, with time, Côte 304 would become 7 metres lower).

Battle of Eski Hissarlik skins for "default weapons" (no sidearms): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eski_Hissarlik The Battle of Eski Hissarlik took place on 1 May 1915 and was an attempt made by the Ottomans, commanded by Liman von Sanders to push Allied (British and French) troops back to the sea. On 28 April 1915, Allied troops had attempted to capture the village of Krithia on the Gallipoli peninsula. They were unsuccessful and withdrew from the First Battle of Krithia after 10 hours. On 1 May 1915, Ottoman troops made a counter-strike designed to force the Allied troops back to the sea. At around 10:15 PM on 1 May 1915, Ottoman troops, commanded by Liman von Sanders, attacked the Allied troops' defenses close to the hill of Achi Baba (reference to the NO. 3 Revolver's Achi Baba skin). The British and French had been prepared for a night attack and inflicted heavy injuries upon the Ottoman forces. The British received far fewer casualties, and remained on the island. If the Allied forces had been pushed back to the sea, the Gallipoli campaign would have been over. Instead, they remained on the peninsula. 5 days later they would again attack the village of Krithia, in the Second Battle of Krithia. https://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/eskihissarlik.htm The Turkish Counter-attack at Eski Hissarlik, 1915. Liman - an attached German officer in command of Turkish forces on the Gallipoli peninsular - had received a firm directive from Turkish war minister Enver Pasha requiring him to organise a night attack against the combined British and French beachhead at Cape Helles (reference to the Battlefield 1's Cape Helles map). Consequently at 10pm on the night of 1 May 1915 a concerted attack was launched by 21 Turkish battalions directly following a brief artillery bombardment. The British in particular had however been well drilled to prepare for just such a night attack and consequently manned their positions rapidly. Nevertheless breaking through in two locations the Turkish infantry were subsequently thrown back by the arrival of timely Allied reinforcements. The line to the right, manned by French Sengalese troops, caved in and required assistance from the Royal Naval Division and 4th Worcesters. Turkish infantry losses were accordingly heavy as the British cut down troops advancing across open country in waves. The French under General d'Amade suffered some 2,000 casualties (and the British rather fewer). On the night of 3 May Liman repeated the night attack of two days earlier. It was to prove equally unsuccessful in the face of brutally effective French field batteries.

Battle of Festubert skins for "default weapons" (no sidearms): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Festubert The Battle of Festubert (15–25 May 1915) was an attack by the British army in the Artois region of France on the western front during World War I. After the failure of the breakthrough attempt by the First Army in the attack at Aubers Ridge (9 May 1915) tactics of a short hurricane bombardment and an infantry advance with unlimited objectives, were replaced by the French practice of slow and deliberate artillery-fire intended to prepare the way for an infantry attack. A continuous three-day bombardment by the British heavy artillery was planned, to cut wire and demolish German machine-gun posts and infantry strong points. The German defences were to be captured by a continuous attack, by one division from Rue du Bois to Chocolat Menier Corner and by a second division 600 yd (550 m) north, which was to capture the German trenches to the left of Festubert. The objectives were 1,000 yd (910 m) forward, rather than the 3,000 yd (1.7 mi; 2.7 km) depth of advance attempted at Aubers Ridge. The battle was the first British attempt at attrition. The resumption of the British offensive was intended to assist the French Tenth Army offensive against Vimy Ridge (reference to the Huot Automatic Rifle's Vimy Ridge skin) near Arras (reference to the Lewis Gun's Arras skin), by attracting German divisions to the British front, rather than reinforcing the defenders opposite the French. The battle was preceded by a 60-hour bombardment by 433 artillery pieces that fired about 100,000 shells. From 20 to 25 May, the attack was resumed but again made little progress. The offensive had resulted in a 1.9 mi (3 km) advance. The British suffered 16,648 casualties from 15/16 to 25 May; the 2nd Division suffered 5,445 casualties, the 7th Division 4,123, the 47th Division 2,355, the Canadian Division 2,204 and the 7th (Meerut) Division 2,521 casualties. The German defenders suffered c. 5,000 casualties, including 800 men taken prisoner.

Battle of Villers-Bretonneux skins for "default weapons" (no sidearms): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villers-Bretonneux Villers-Bretonneux is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. In the First World War the town was the site of the First Battle of Villers-Bretonneux and Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux. The first tank-against-tank combat in history took place here on 24 April 1918. In the First World War, on 24 April 1918, Villers-Bretonneux was the site of the world's first battle between two tank forces: three British Mark IVs against three German A7Vs. The Germans took the town, but that night and the next day it was recaptured by two brigades of the First Australian Imperial Force at a cost of some 1,200 Australian lives. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Battle_of_Villers-Bretonneux The First Battle of Villers-Bretonneux (30 March – 5 April 1918), took place during Operation Michael, part of the German spring offensive (reference to MP18's The Kaiserschlacht skin) on the Western Front. The capture of Villers-Bretonneux, close to Amiens (reference to the Battlefield 1's Amiens map), a strategically important road- and rail-junction, would have brought the Germans within artillery-range. In late March, Australian troops were brought south from Belgium as reinforcements to help shore up the line and in early April the Germans launched an attack to capture Villers-Bretonneux. After a determined defence by British and Australian troops, the attackers were close to success until a counter-attack by the 9th Australian Infantry Brigade and by British troops, late in the afternoon of 4 April, restored the line and halted the German advance on Amiens. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Villers-Bretonneux The Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux (also Actions of Villers-Bretonneux, after the First Battles of the Somme, 1918) took place from 24 to 27 April 1918, during the German spring offensive to the east of Amiens. Three German A7Vs engaged three British Mark IV tanks, two of which were female tanks armed only with machine-guns. The two Mark IV females were damaged and forced to withdraw but the male tank, armed with 6-pounder guns, hit and disabled the lead A7V, which was then abandoned by its crew. The Mark IV continued to fire on the two remaining German A7Vs, which withdrew. The "male" then advanced with the support of several Whippet light tanks which had arrived, until disabled by artillery fire and abandoned by the crew. A counter-attack by two Australian brigades and a British brigade during the night of 24 April partly surrounded Villers-Bretonneux and on 25 April the town was recaptured.