Special Service

[Col. Faulkner 0]

SPECIAL SERVICE is a project dedicated to creating addon sets,

missions and islands for Armed Assault which represent the British

Army Commandos and their raiding operations in the Second World

War between 1940 and 1943.

The first phase of SPECIAL SERVICE is planned to consist of an

addon set of uniformed Army commandos in light raiding order

(as worn in small-scale raids in the N.W. European theatre),

appropriate weapons, assault boats, a small early-1940s themed

island and two commando raid missions. These missions will attempt

to represent the often unpredictable nature of these raiding

operations and will invite the player to display the same

determination and adaptability that very quickly came to be

expected of all ranks of a Commando. The missions will have

realistic objectives and will as far as possible reproduce 1940s

British commando raiding tactics and ethos as described in

contemporary training pamphlets and after-action reports.

All weapons and equipment are being constructed with careful

attention to detail and are authentic to the place and period

under study. It is intended that the characteristics of each

weapon will be modelled as closely as the Armed Assault engine

will reasonably allow. It is hoped that it may also prove possible

to add some new capabilities for the soldiers (particularly

scaling cliffs, stalking and very basic use of the Fairbairn-Sykes

fighting knife).

Depending on availability from other sources, a very small selection

of appropriately equipped and armed enemy units may also need

to be created to support the mission set, although no attempt will

be made to allow the player to undertake the supplied missions

from the German side.

On satisfactory completion of phase 1, phase 2 of SPECIAL SERVICE

will be dedicated to representing British special service units in the

Middle East, particularly to include the Long Range Desert Group and

Special Air Service, again principally between 1940 and 1943. This phase

as well as including all weapons and vehicles used by these formations

will include four representative missions authentically illustrating

typical operations undertaken by these troops.

SPECIAL SERVICE  is a one-man operation so progress will likely be

gradual.

In the meantime, for your entertainment, here are links to pictures

of some of the weapon models from the first phase of SPECIAL SERVICE

currently under construction. There are many more than these actually

planned for inclusion in the addon set.

Pending the release of the newer addon making tools from BIS, the models

are shown rendered by the OFP renderer in Oxygen lite, and all still need

varying amounts of work done to complete them. I am not trained or very

experienced in 3D modelling and it has taken considerable trial and error

and some frustration to get them even this far. Mapping and texturing

is a whole new area which I am now discovering the "pleasures" of. I am

sure the models will also probably further evolve as the texturing proceeds.

Thompson Machine Carbine

Several variants of this gun were used by the Commandos and will be

included in the addon sets. Machine carbines were issued on a higher scale in

commando units than they were in line infantry units.

Rifle, .303 inch, No.1 Mk.III*

Extensively used by British troops during the period that SPECIAL SERVICE

covers.

Bren Mk. I Light Machine gun

Commando units equipped with light machine guns on a higher scale of issue

than was usual with line infantry units.LMGs were the main source of firepower

during commando raiding operations.

Pistol, .38 inch (Webley Mk.IV)

and

Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife

The Webley Mk.IV is of First World War vintage but saw extensive use

in the early stages of World War 2. Other pistols which were favoured by

the Commandos will also be included. It is also hoped that some very

basic use might also be possible in game of the Fairbairn-Sykes fighting

knife.

[black dragon 0]

Very nice idea Col. Faulkner.

[-SWAT- 1]

Very nice idea Col. Faulkner.

jap, sounds very interesting.

[Connors 0]

Very nice idea nice to know you'l;l be covering the Layforce in part 2, will you be covering the inter-allied commandos as well? I look forward to hopefully seeing the De Lisile Commando Carbine.

Good luck

[Col. Faulkner 0]

Very nice idea nice to know you'l;l be covering the Layforce in part 2, will you be covering the inter-allied commandos as well? I look forward to hopefully seeing the De Lisile Commando Carbine.

Good luck

Yes, 10 Commando will be included at some point,

but initially I have to "aim small", so phase 1 will

be a modest addon set for small scale raids.

The De Lisle, Welrod and Sten MkIIs are all under

construction but none of these were historically

available, of course, before 1942.

[Al Simmons 0]

thats a very nice bunch of weapons you want to put in our crate

[Col. Faulkner 0]

Another somewhat unusual weapon (WIP) for the Commandos

of SPECIAL SERVICE - Phase 1; .55 inch Boys anti-tank rifle.

Originally designed as an anti armour weapon but actually

used by real life WW2 British Commandos for destroying

enemy vehicles, boats, parked aircraft and gun emplacements.

I am trying to get a website up dedicated to this and the

SPEARHEAD project, so anyone who is interested can follow

their progress there. I will post the URL here when it comes

on-line. I shan't post much else in this forum about it any

more.

[black dragon 0]

Nice weapon

Can you give me some technical data about this weapon?

[Col. Faulkner 0]

Nice weapon  

Can you give me some technical data about this weapon?

Basically the Boys ATk rifle was a monster bolt action rifle

that fired a steel cored .55 calibre bullet (later ones were

tungsten cored). The box magazine held five of the huge

rounds, and the Boys team's no.2 man carried at least

120 further rounds.

It could penetrate the armour of all tanks of the 1930s and

early 1940s but quickly became obsolete for that purpose

early on in the war. Modern tests indicate that it could

penetrate about 12.5mm of armour plate at about 450m to

500m range. The gun weighs about 16.5 kg (36 lb). It was

not popular with the troops because of its weight, the noise

and muzzle flash and the huge recoil. In the WW2 British

training manuals users are warned about the recoil, which

could cause "whiplash" injuries to the necks of careless firers.

It was usually nicknamed "Charlie the Bastard"

Commandos used it more creatively than just as an anti

armour weapon. It was very effective in both the "anti

materiel" and anti-personnel roles. Typical uses were

attacking trucks, fortified positions, concrete pillboxes

and parked aircraft.  For example, during one commando

raid in N. France a German flak gun which opened fire on the

commandos was knocked out with Boys anti tank rifle fire.

They were also used (along with machine guns) to defend

commando assault boats against enemy patrol vessels.

It was also very effective as an anti-personnel weapon

since it could punch through some forms of cover. There

are also reports of it being fired at enemy hiding among

rocks and casualties being produced by the rock splinters

chipped off.

The LRDG and SAS in N. Africa used it mounted on vehicles

which reduced the recoil. I had intended to do some LRDG

and SAS addons in phase 2 of this project but now that there

are at least two other mods trying to do the N. African

theatre in WW2 I may not actually bother any more.

[Col. Faulkner 0]

Some more pictures of funny-shaped grey things to keep the thread alive

and provide some entertainment for patrons of the forum. The promised

website is on hold until I have more addon stuff and pretty pictures to

include - there doesn't seem any point in doing a website until then.

Disclaimer: Everything is rendered in the crappy OFP Oxygen rendering

thingy and everything is subject to continual refinement and tweaking.

I tend to just bang things down roughly first and then stepwise refine

them. No idea how to do it "properly".

Picture 1. "British" Tommy guns (1940 to 1943). (clicky)

This was the quintessential British commando weapon in WW2.

I have labelled them as "Sub-Machine Guns" here because I just noticed

that the British training pam from 1940 explicitly calls the Thompson

a "Sub-Machine Gun". By the time of the next pam revision (1942)

they were calling it a "Machine Carbine" and that remained so until

the end of WW2. 1940 was the first year the Thompson was issued to the

British Army and presumably they were just using the American terminology.

No sub-machine gun type weapons were used by the British before they

got the Thompson. The British were the first to use the Thompson in

combat in WW2.

Both vertical and horizontal foregrip types were used in reality, but

since the ArmA men cannot hold vertical foregrips - and their attempts

to do so are very unsightly - these will probably not be included in

the addon-set.

The gun at the top has the "L" drum fitted and the Cutts replaced. <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v692/whisky01/specialservice/cdoLofots.jpg" target="_blank">It

is a model of the guns carried by some members of 3. Commando on the

Lofotens raid in early 1941</a>. The drums were otherwise not extensively

used, however. They were a chore to load and maintain, and were awkward

and difficult to fit (They could only be fitted with the bolt back but

the Thompson's return spring was very heavy and the gun had no bolt

hold-open device so a small tool - called a "Third Hand" - was required).

Drums were also susceptible to denting, and included a coiled spring

that needed winding (either under - or overwinding the spring would

cause jamming). The weight of 50 rounds of .45 ACP also made the already

heavy guns very clumsy to handle.

Second from the top is a standard M1928A1 type with British modifications

to the furniture and a 20 round stick fitted (30 round Thompson mags did

not enter service until 1943 when the model M1 gun entered service). A

version with the Lyman leaf sights fitted and one with them removed (aiming

down the slot in the cocking handle) will be included in the addon-set.

Bottom is a British B.S.A manufactured gun with wartime emergency fixed peep

sight.

Picture 2. Rifle grenade discharger and hand grenades.(clicky)

(1 and 2) represent an old, knackered service rifle fitted with a grenade

discharger cup for "rifle bombing". The rifle should be tightly bound with

wire and should have a rear sight fitted for the No. 68 A/Tk grenade but I

have not included these details yet. The wire binding was to mitigate the

effects of any explosive failure of the rifle bore or breech due to the

effects of grenade launching. The E.Y. denotes that the rifle is so

clapped-out that it should only be used to fire ball ammo in an

emergency.

This contraption could throw a frag grenade, a smoke bomb or a flare up to

200 yards depending on the setting on a gas regulator device mounted on the

cup. It could also lob the no. 68 grenade up to 75 yards upon which it could

penetrate at least 2 inches of armour plate (an impressive feat in 1940).

It was also useful for "house breaking" and blowing holes in fortifications

and walls. This is regarded as the first weapon in service anywhere to use

a hollow-charge H.E.A.T. warhead.

Unfortunately the ArmA anims do not accurately simulate <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v692/whisky01/specialservice/grendschrgr.jpg" target="_blank">the method of using

this device when firing hand grenades</a> (although they are reasonably alright

as a simulation of using the No. 68 grenade). I may replace this with the

M.L. 2 inch mortar for the addon set if nothing can be done to better

approximate the method of use of the grenade launcher. The No. 68 grenade

will be retained, though, to offer some anti-armour capability to supplement

the Boys A/Tk rifle.

(6, 7 & 8) represent hand grenades. All are shown "in flight" (ie armed

with fuses burning) as these are how they will appear in-game.

(6) is a No. 27 White Phosphorous/smoke grenade. It could also be filled

with lachrimatory compound as a "tear gas" grenade. It is one of several

models used before the introduction of the more familiar No.77 WP/smoke

grenade which entered service in 1943.

(7) is a No. 69 "offensive grenade" comprising a charge of H.E in a plastic

shell. It exploded on contact. The long trailing object is part of the fuse

arming mechanism.

(8) is a No. 36M "defensive" fragmentation grenade - popularly called a

"Mills Bomb" after its inventor. When launched from the discharger cup

these had a 7 second fuse, the hand thrown version had a 4 second fuse

(after mid-1940). Texturing will give this model its gnurled "non-slip"

structure.

Picture 3. Knives and bayonets.(clicky)

It is hoped that it might be possible to somehow make these usable in-game

(especially since a WW2 report on commando training states that "knife

fighting has been found to be effective against sentries"). Even if not,

then they will certainly be included as details of the mens' accoutrements.

(1) The R.B.D. knife was a type widely issued to Independent Companies

and Commandos prior to the introduction of the more familiar Fairbairn

and Sykes knife in very early 1941. The R.B.D. was a popular item which

had been sold by the Wilkinson Sword company since the 1880s. At the start

of WW2 their entire stock of R.B.D. knives were hurriedly purchased by

the govt. and issued as a stop-gap combat-utility knife.

(2) Is an early-issue type of Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife. This type

was only issued to commandos (some paratroopers who were former members

of 2. Commando had them too) - other WW2 special forces were issued

later patterns. The Fairbairn-Sykes was derived from fighting knives

used by the Shanghai colonial police in the late 1930s (Shanghai was

at that time considered "the most dangerous place in the world").

(3) Is the bayonet for the service rifle No.1. The long distinctive

"blood channel" of the No.1 bayonet will be added during texturing.

[abs 2]

Mr. Faulkner,

I must say, I really like your weapons. I can't wait to see them in game.

Btw, are they mapped at all, or just models?

Abs

[Bracken 0]

I agree, also I think it's great that you list all this information with each model as it makes reading the thread that much more enjoyable.

Best of luck with the mod, hope it goes well!

[sander 14]

Hi,

The screenshots are looking very good. Will you also, when time permits, include the Smatchet and kukri amongst the bladed weapons, as these are also in evidence on photographs of British commandoes?

Regards,

Sander

[ArmaVidz 0]

Very cool. Some great work there already. Can't wait for more updates

[Col. Faulkner 0]

Abs:

They are all in various states of completion, but I tend to work

over the models extensively before I am satisfied with them enough

to start the next procedures. This is one of the reasons why I

planned it in phases, with modest but achievable goals for each

phase.

Sander:

At various times and in various theatres they carried smatchet,

kukri, machete and various styles of "trench knife" with

brass-knuckles grips. I'll include all of these eventually,

especially so if I can work out some way to make them usable

in-game. For "phase 1", though, I'll restrict it to the three

types shown here.

ArmaVidz:

The latest update is a W.I.P. picture of my 3D model of the

Machine Carbine, Silenced, De Lisle (clicky)

This model represents the 17 pre-production prototypes

that were extensively field-trialled by Commandos and S.O.E.

from mid-1943. The weapons proved to be excellent for

quietly neutralising sentries during Commando raids and for

assassinations by S.O.E.

The 1943 prototypes were hand-made by De Lisle at Ford's

Dagenham factory in London using parts from condemned

.303 service rifles (eg. a surviving example is built on the

action of an S.M.L.E. Mk III dating from 1910 - and this 3D

model represents that particular example). The suppressors

were built around spare Thompson Sub-machine gun barrels,

and 7-round M1911 Colt pistol magazines were used.

The 1943 prototype differed in several respects from the

(more-commonly known) production model, the first examples

of which left the Sterling factory only in August 1944.

[Johannes 10]

Those weapons are really looking badass. However did you already start mapping and texturing those beauties?

[Prydain 1]

Excellent stuff mate, I am particularly pleased about the Fairbairn-Sykes Street Knife finaly making an appearence in a game, they where a prized token and still one of the best fighting knifes (unless you get a replica).

[Second 0]

Intresting... What are the things required from top class fighting knife? I've always seen knife as tool for multiple porpuses and using it as weapon is only small role. I've always wondered what is the difference with combat knife and ordinarry knife... like Lappknife, with broad and from 5 to over 10 inches long one side blade.

@Col. Faulkner: My grandfather used Boys AT-rifle during Winterwar

[Prydain 1]

Intresting... What are the things required from top class  fighting knife? I've always seen knife as tool for multiple porpuses and using it as weapon is only small role. I've always wondered what is the difference with combat knife and ordinarry knife... like Lappknife, with broad and from 5 to over 10 inches long one side blade.

A knife like this is like a stowable dagger, since the sword has lost its pressence in modern warfare due to ranged weapons a soldier still needs, in built up areas, the ability to gain the upper hand when rifles become too clumbersome or when a specific scenario arises. If you loose or run out of ammo for your rifle; your knife should become your primary weapon.

Althogh with short weapons with long barrles like the L85A2 and IMI Travor 21 not having enough space is not so much a problem anymore. But really old rifles like the AK-47, M16 and the world war two weapons in this mod are more harder to use in tight spaces.

[enti 0]

nice work when are they expected to be released??

[Deathstruck 375]

Niiice work Colonel

Iam saluting you!

[Second 0]

A knife like this is like a stowable dagger, since the sword has lost its pressence in modern warfare due to ranged weapons a soldier still needs, in built up areas, the ability to gain the upper hand when rifles become too clumbersome or when a specific scenario arises. If you loose or run out of ammo for your rifle; your knife should become your primary weapon.

Althogh with short weapons with long barrles like the L85A2 and IMI Travor 21 not having enough space is not so much a problem anymore. But really old rifles like the AK-47, M16 and the world war two weapons in this mod are more harder to use in tight spaces.

Yeah, this i know, with lappknife many trenches and forests (in dark nights) have been cleared as well as POW-capturing patrols killed. Even now days lappknife is most valued knife in our army for it's multiporpuse use (basically only thing it can't replace is pickaxe and shovel).

Well nothing more, offtopic as this is. I quess i start to understand what is the difference between combat knife and ordinarry knife.

[Col. Faulkner 0]

@ENTI: Like everyone else I'm still waiting for the BIS ArmA

modelling tool so I can get soldier models and stuff in game.

I'm doing some commando soldiers and "commando raid"

missions too, not just a bunch of weapons. So basically that

all means that it'll be quite some time yet. I'll also need to

wait until some decent early war Germans are made by one or

other of the other WW2 mod teams (I'd rather not have to do

all of them too if I can avoid it). And, most importantly of all,

I don't want to release shit so I'm doing it carefully.

I am thinking now about concentrating on making the airborne

version of the De Lisle and releasing it sometime soon as

an "enticer". That's out of the scope of this project (and IRL

only 2 prototypes were ever made), but might be interesting

to some people.

@.jonny: I refer you to the answer I gave to Abs. None of

the models are "technically" finished yet and I have to learn

this autodidactically as I go along. I'm not a brilliant 3D

artist like some of the others on here. I also need to totally

rebuild some of the models for better authenticity and "in-

game efficiency". The Bren gun, for example. The Bren is a

really complex shape, especially the MkI and especially for a

duffer at modelling and I reckon I made an arse of it the first

time.

Some of the needed weapons are not even started yet. I

still need to do a Lewis gun for my Higgins "Eureka" boat and

a Webley signal pistol. One (just one of many) of the

attractions of doing commandos, though, is that I don't really

need to bother about doing support weapons and vehicles

(except a couple of boats) because they never had any at

the start of the war.

@second: Yes the Finns used that bad-boy a lot! I just had

some fun shooting up some ArmA BRDMs with my WIP

Boys last night.

@toffiekipper: I really hope I can get the F-S knife working

in game (or can find someone who can). Even if it's just one

basic attack (I guess THIS  (commandos training in 1942) is

totally out of the question in the game engine). I'd really

rather not just have it as a "fashion accessory" on the soldier

models, even if the opportunity to use it in missions will be

rare.

In the meantime, commando fans,  I discovered a free 3D

modelling tool called "Anim8or" that can make fancy renders

of models. It's great! Even on default settings it makes even

my crappy models look nice! More to the point it also shows

up problem areas much better than OFP & Oxygen does. This

is the current state of the No.1 rifle as rendered in "Anim8or"

(yes, I know it still needs some "fixing")

[Prydain 1]

Nice, I just noticed the title 'Commando' from the Commando comic book's.

I love the Lee-Enfield, I used one in South Africa in 2005 in the Kruger, very accurate and beautiful.

[Col. Faulkner 0]

Nice, I just noticed the title 'Commando' from the Commando comic book's.

I was amazed to find out recently that Commando comics are

still being published! I used to read as many as my pocket

money would allow when I was a kid. Twice a week I could

enter a world where plucky squaddy or dashing Spitfire pilot

always heroically triumphed in a contest of honest Britisher

against dastardly evil...  

Quote[/b] ]

I love the Lee-Enfield, I used one in South Africa in 2005 in the Kruger, very accurate and beautiful.

Well done, that man! Best bolt-action military rifle ever made

(forget Mausers and Mosins and all that nasty foreign tat! )  

Anyway I've now also started on the assault boats for the

plucky squaddies: an LCP(L) (aka "Higgins Eureka") and an

LCA. The LCA is the one seen in the famous film of Canadian

assault infantry going ashore on Juno on D-Day (Normandy

1944). Getting the ArmA AI retards to run through the

armoured doors and down the ramp should be "interesting"

(if not "impossible"). At least the LCP(L) is a "no ramp -jump

over the gunwhales" type of boat: