Hello soldiers!
Another week, another dev blog! Meanwhile, we’re working hard on the upcoming Caporetto update and of course, monitoring issues you’re encountering with the game and releasing patches! Don’t forget to check if your game is updated; we recently released a new patch that addresses several aspects. You can reach all the patch notes here.
Now as the days are getting colder and we're (hopefully) going to be seeing some snow, it’s time we take a closer historical look at the Alpine Pack!
Staying warm in the icy cold
When fighting on the cold Alpine mountains, you better dress for the occasion. The Alpine Units Pack contains uniforms and gear worn by units in the winter, combined with facial hair, which would also help a bit against the cold winds. Each troop has 6 uniforms, combined with the respective headgear, facial items and moustaches/beards.
Overview of items included in this pack
The Alpini
Formed in 1872, 11 years after the unification of Italy, the Alpini were brought together to protect the peninsula’s mountainous borders and are the oldest active mountain infantry in the world.
Recruitment for the Alpini went through Italy's mountain valleys locals and organized them into a special corps. As they possessed superior knowledge of mountain territory and greatest adaptability to Alpine conditions, this was a great (and obvious) idea. At the beginning, the mountain regions were divided into seven military districts, each commanded by an Officer and home to at least two Alpini companies, each consisting of 120 members.
During World War One, which was for the Alpini also known as the "War in snow and ice", had a frontline of 600 km, running straight through mountains and glaciers of the Alps. Many soldiers lost their lives during the harsh terrain, such as avalanches. To survive on these icy cold mountains, massive underground bases were drilled and dug into the mountainsides and into the ice of glaciers. Guns had to be dragged up the mountain by hundreds of troops. going as high as 3,890 m (12,760 feet). Besides these bases roads, cable cars, mountain railroads and walkways were built as well. Many of these walkways and roads are still visible today, and many are maintained as Via Ferrata. In addition, along the former frontline it is still possible to see what is left of hundreds of kilometers of barbed wire.
Alpini soldiers climbing up the mountain terrain
Nowadays, the Alpini are known for their assistance with earthquake and avalanche recovery, particularly in Central Italy along the Apennines. Furthermore, they’ve also been deployed to countries such as Afghanistan and Kosovo, where they are able to use their expertise navigating mountainous terrain.
Keeping a watchful eye high up on the snowy mountain required a clothing to match the high altitudes. Instead of the green-ish looks of the Italian uniforms, the Alpini here are wearing white overgarments. It might stand out on lower ground battles, but this was the perfect fit for those up on the Alps.
One of the headgear you can wear is the M1909 'Berreto' Cap. This is a soft-topped cap, made of grey-green cloth with a rigid peak & adjustable chinstrap of black leather. To the front of the cap is sewn a patch made of similar coloured material with a Crown above the respective regimental number.
The Italian Army adopted the grey-green uniform (grigio-verde) officially in 1909 although it had been trialed and accepted in 1908.
The version in the game with the Alpine Units Pack will include the goggles! Also separately available so you can wear them on your face instead of your cap. ;)
Gebirgstruppe
The Imperial-Royal Mountain Troops, in German Kaiserlich-königliche Gebirgstruppe, were founded in 1906 as part of the Austrian Landwehr, the territorial army of the Cisleithanian part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Because of this, the abbreviation ‘k.k’ - kaiserlich österreichisch, königlich böhmisch (meaning Imperial Austrian, Royal Bohemian) was used and not "k.u.k." ("Imperial and Royal") which would have implied a connection with the Hungarian half of the Empire.
Conrad von Hötzendorf was the one who proposed the establishment and in February 1906 the War Ministry in Vienna convened a session on Alpine border security. Field Marshal Tunk agreed with him and put forward a concept, the fundamentals of which were then carried out.
The already existing state rifle regiments were to be trained as mountain troops and, together with the Landsturm border patrol companies and gendarmerie departmenta, they were responsible for the territorial defense force. Combined with the local knowledge on the border of Tyrol, they were seen as the backbone of the defense.
One of the headgears you can find in this pack is the Stahlhelm. Meaning ‘steel helmet', this helmet is of German origin, and was mainly produced and worn to provide protection against shrapnel and fragments of grenades. The term Stahlhelm refers both to a generic steel helmet and more specifically to the distinctive German military design.
During World War One, many European countries introduced this type of helmet to their own army. Around 1916, the Pickelhaube ('spiked helmet') was being replaced with the Stahlhelm.
Austria-Hungary Empire purchased about 416,000 German helmets from November 1916 until the end of the war. Additionally, they started to produce their own licensed production around May 1917.
The Austrian M17 helmet was similar to the German M16 but was coloured golden-brown (known as Isonzo-braun), had a cloth chinstrap and had the chinstrap rivet located higher up on the steel shell.
Closely looking at the Austrian M17 was the Hungarian M18 variant. They shared a similar design, but the chinstrap rivet was smaller in size and located even higher up than the Austrian version. It had a similar Isonzo-braun colour.
You can find these items, and many more, in the Alpine Unit Expansion pack right here!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1815511/Isonzo__Alpine_Units_Pack/
More Caporetto!
As stated in our roadmap, our first big free expansion will be the Caporetto expansion, which brings many new things, but most importantly , The German Empire! We can’t give you an exact date (for now) as to when this expansion will be available, but know that we’ll share the exciting news as soon as we know!
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2862650102
Reichsrevolver M1883
When Germany entered the war, as with many other nations, it found it was lacking the modern sidearms it required to outfit its army. This resulted in the common practice of reissuing older firearm designs to fill gaps left by prioritising more modern weaponry for frontline use. This is where the Reichsrevolver, specifically our model 1883, saw a second life.
A common sight until the Reichsrevolver family was replaced by the Luger in 1908, these single action 6 shot revolvers sported a powerful 10.6mm cartridge, but really did not stand up to revolvers of the period. Compared to the M1879 Reichsrevolver, the M1883 model sported a shorter 4.6-inch barrel, changes to the cylinder, a smaller grip and lanyard ring, and a smaller safety mechanism (though the design is often criticised for this).
In its function, the M1883 model is identical to the M1879 model, and again it suffered from the same loading issues experienced with the latter. Cartridge removal wasn’t something that was well planned for the M1879, and the revolvers were issued with an easily lost ejection rod. The M1883 wasn’t even given this privilege. Subsequently – and as replicated in game – users of the Reichsrevolver most likely resorted to a handy twig or stick!
Old, antiquated, obsolete. This revolver holds a special place in the WW1 Game Series arsenal and can be a bit of a toughie to master!