diggin.robat

Yes! With El ´awrence in the desert! Great, Professeur! BTW dropped PN for you.

Nice stuff!!! Robert

@ PorfTournesol Isn´t it the british Woseley helemt? Anyway pictures of german troops are scarce, but it is known that it was odered to change pith helmets into khaki caps with ventail in the back. At least in East Africa also captured Woseleys were used. Robert

Very nice, Prof! Soon we can follow von Lettow-Vorbeck into the heart of Africa. Although I wonder if the german pith helmets are right. I´ll check this out. They should look like this: Please don´t forget the black men who did most of the fighting in East Africa: The Askari. and the Kings African Rifles (of whom I didn´t found a pic) cheers Robert

Hi Prof, my pleasure to help out! Here we go with some rifle grenades and launcher: French Tromblon Vivien-Bessière French page about Vivien-Bessière German was much the same model, as it was copied and introduced in 1918. You didn´t need a blank cartridge as the grenade had a hole through which the bullet passed and also ignited the primer. British Rifle Grenade In both cases blank cartridges were needed to fire these, mills bomb types. The rod type grenades were also used, but quickly discarded as they wore down the barrel of the rifle. Page about french handgrenades Another one more to come.

Nice stuff as ever, Prof. I really like those aristocratic officers doing nothing more then "chateau-ing" or sending young men into the hell with some pins on the overall map...Nice contrast to have fighters of proletarism after that! Russian Civil War is a nice ideas as a follow up mod. Street fighting in Berlin 1918-1919 could be another one... I guess that some of things on my list is hard to do, but I offer my help with infos, pics and research. Keep up the good work!

Friends, today is the November, 11th - Remembrance day. Lest we forget! Robert

Nice stuff altogther, can´t wait to sent some uhlans around for patrol or raid an allied wagon trek. And here my ideas begin: -It would be nice to have more 1914 units like german Jägers with shako and 98a rifles. Also french zouaves and other Tirailleurs, Légion Éntrangère from Africa. Cavlary could be french dragoon, chasseurs and cuirasiers. Some armed franctireurs on neutral side. They would add to the colourful infantry in 1914 to 1916. Also 1915 transition uniforms are interesting: sawn off pickles on the Haube, french trials with horizon bleu, trench raiders with clubs, automatic weapons, shotguns... - You already planned trench mortars, that´s great! What about rifle grenadiers (french Vivien Bessiers for instance)?. - 1914 units should n´t have grenades, as they were thought only for engineers or pioneers for fortress warfare. They only became  widespread when trench warfare was beginning in Winter 1914 and then mostly as improvised items. Many interesting solutions were used in 1915 when in 1916 the german Stielhandgranate, Eierhandgranate, Mills Bombs (different types) and french Citron and OF 1916 were most common. German grenades relied on blast effect, as allied grenades where mostly on fragmentation. Germans used concentrated charges / bundles of seven grenades for anti tank action. Rifle grenades also had their fixed roles in combat squads. It would be nice to have grenades with different distances and time delay. - Heavy MGs are a story of their own. I remember there is a script for area firing. All those Maxim Systems (08, Vickers) had 250 rounds belt and were able to give sustained fire, not only bursts. Hotchkiss had 24 to 30 rounds strips, which could be linked together, to give a relative sustained fire. Traverse was small, ca. 30° to both sides for 08, Vickers and even Hotchkiss, Puteaux. It was not the traverse ability of the MGs with made them a sweeping weapon, but their angled positioning to enemy attack lanes enfilading them with their elliptical "beaten zone". Only improvised or later tripods enabled a greater traverse. Like in Lib Mod it would be nice to push the MG to left or right, if necessary. German 08/15 could be fired from the hip, but it was quite impossible to shoot it standing from the shoulder properly. - All vehicles guns need iron sights. FT-17 turret could traverse a full 360° and there was a type with a small 37mm gun.  Using the multi turret script would be nice, to make full use of all the weapons at different angles the tanks had. The tanks  were nearly impregnable to small arms fire. Even the FT-17 had the thickest armour of the allied tanks. Only concentrated MG fire on vision and weapon slits or exhaust grates were effective. The germans used the "SmK"-Munition, which had a hardened steel core. It could penetrate armour at close range. I don´t know, how difficult it is to give the tanks a detailed damage script (like in Lib Mod). But just taking them out by constant small arm fire or grenade throwing does not do them justice.  What about the script for multi turreted vehicles? just my zwei Pfennige Robat

Prof, British cavalry was equipped with a bamboo lance in 1914, sometimes with red white fanion. Later the lance was less common and units like the Aussie Light Horse had none. In the german cavalry all types (hussars, cuirassiers, dragoons, uhlans) had a steel tube lance with a back white fanion. At least the british and I think the french cavalry had straight swords, the latter sabers of prewar type. Anyway, looking forward to the extenstion! diggin

Nice stuff, Prof!

Hi Prof! Any news for the mod? cheers diggin

Tolle Sache, Jungs! Downloading now! At least another opportunity to enter the OFP-WWII experience with one of the greatest OFP-Mods ever. Danke für eure Mühen! diggin

I did already. Yes, it is quite an experience. Especially the arty-mission. Never knew that there is an artillerie script working that good and leaving craters. Driving the tanks is real fun. I really was waiting for a ride in a FT-17 for ages. Now I´ll dive into mission making, something I spared for so long. Still there some issues to solve, but I understand, that it is a V1.0, right?

Now, a dream comes true after all these years! Merci, ProfTournesol (trying to download) diggin

Cool! A Marienfelde LKW! The dirver´s cabin looks comfortable enough to have tea time there. Once again I would like to draw attention to one particular page of the incredible Landships HP: Landship - Drawings cheers diggin

Now, this is really my favorite AC! Very nice, Prof! One day we could need a sand coloured and open topped one with El Lawrence standing in the turret. cheers diggin

Prof Tournesol, I hope you don´t mind that I post my thoughts an ideas regardless of the progress your work. This is not meant as a negative critic on the WWI mod, but just as comments, which may be used as ideas for future versions. Sure I´m happy if it will help you. Just to continue: The german "Tankgewehr" This was the very first light infantry anti tank weapon. Produced from May 1918 on, it was the a relative quick answer to the allied tank thread, especially since Cambrai 1917. With a cablibre of 13mm it resembled an oversized Mauser rifle with a pistol grip as a single loader. Ca. 16500 were produced and a fair amount was distrubuted among frontline units. It was wielded by a two men team, one carrying the gun, while his comrade carried most of the ammo. In reality, the two had to exchange each other, since the recoil was very heavy, bonebraking and the gunners complained of dizzyness and headache after a few shots... Armourpiercing was good for those times at 25mm of armour plate at 50m (at 90°) with 785m/s. Enough for several british Mark Modells. The bullet just pierced the armour and a number of hits were needed to put a tank out of action. Question was the right tactic, as at that range the team was vulnerable for tank escorting infantry. It is said tat 1% of all disabled allied tanks were put out of action by te Tankgewehr. At least the gun was a morale booster for the tank threaded german infantry ("Tankschreck") and the allied tankers had a high if unnecessary respect for that weapon, which, after the war, was along with a 13mm MG prototype the base for the US Browning .50. In OFP terms, I remember the LIB mod displaying the russian PTRS very well. I really lke the idea to experience tankhunting with it in the WWI mod. Interesting would be to display the shock when shooting... # Have a look at: Tankgewehr Anti Tank Rifle Collection Landship - Tankgewehr diggin

Gents, something close to our discussions and right to get into the mood. See the New Zealand Rifles fixing bayonets, a Mark IV crawling along and Bristol Fighter hunted down: Sadly, Pete Jackson just tested his new toy a digital camera. No, there seems to be no major WWI film made by him, although he is very interested in WWI matters. Enjoy! diggin

Yes, you are right! Actually I was a bit distracted when looking at these pics. Speaking of MGs. Since WWI tactics included their use as a indirect barrage weapon with artillery aiming methods, I wonder how that could, theoretically, be displayed in OFPmatters. I´m really impressed by CoC artillery system and remember playing a SEB Nam mission where the player had to defend LZ x-ray with a radio calling in arty strikes. I really like the recreated method. Indirect MG barrages were made with MG batteries. In one recorded mission at the Somme a british 10 gun battery shootng at a target zone some 2000 yards away during an allied offensive. The rapid fire was maintained for 12 hours consuming 999750 rounds (one particular gun shooting more then 120000), 20 gallons of cooling water and all obtainable urin tins. German counterstrikes were constantly broken in their concentration zone alone. Such indirect MG barrage were a killer in WWI, a tactic not used at large scale in WWII. The impact of thousands of bullets raining soundless down at an instance at a nearly vertical angle was seemingly a nightmare. I too have already an idea for a missio, when Prof Tournesol will finish his mod: Experience the fate of a runner messenger running from a rear HQ to the frontline during a preliminary bombardment of all calibres... @ProfTournesol Nice to have bayonets now! It will make trenchfighting more nasty. Nice work on the digger! Now something for you all (not overly realistic, but nice to see): diggin

Hi, not sure if that will help you: Better have a look for a suitable wartime manual here: Vickersmachinegun What is it going to be? Bristol Fighter? hope that helps diggin PS: For the case someone gets bored... http://www.enfieldcollector.com/w_at_arms/VickersMG.html

About german flametrowers (on which I have to corrct myself): There were exactly three types in use: The "Grossflamenwerfer" (Grof) Grof The "Kleinflammenwefer" (Kleif) Kleif and the "Wex-type", which was seemingly most common after 1917. Wex1 Wex2 The Grof was positioned in frontlines, while only Kleif and Wex were were to be man carried. A 2 men team, sometime three, were needed, but the Wex may also be used by one man only. The Wex was the first one with automatic ignition. Just look for yourself, what I humbly put together: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=72652 One thing of little less importance was the smoke emitting when firing the projector, which was huge and a welcome smoke cover. flamethrower were also used in dealing with tanks, at least some 1917 training photos suggest it. Wex in action Real combat or just Sedan training stormtroops ground is not clear. diggin

Cavalry may be planned for further releases, not for this one. Next artillery in the pipe : Austrian 8 cm FK M5 and Russian Putilov 76,2 mm. I'll only include field artillery in this release. Biger ones will have to wait. Big artillery attacks are simulated thanks to Reyhard artillery barrage script. Looks good, much like the first model of the flamethrower. The more common model was the "Kleiner Flammenwerfer" or "Kleif" which looked more like rubber wheel. At the already mentioned landship page you´ll find excellent plans of the Putilow. Putilow m/02 In a cut down version it was used as a "Infantriebegleitgeschütz" or "Sturmkanone" for direct fire support. Scripted artillery sounds good! diggin

Some rough ideas: - The mod seems to cover mainly 1916-18 period of war. Which makes things more interesting and brings new pioneering weaponry. Covering 1914 could be worth a submod, but maybe would need some scripting, since warfare and tactics were different. The problems of displaying trenches isn´t that great, as shallow riflepits and improvised breastworks were the norm. Cavalry was used in recce missions (with small Cav. vs. cav clashes) or as mounted infantry. Largly "unspoiled" landscape with almost intact settlements in the first few weeks. Interesting fortress sieges in Belgium and northern France. - 1916-1918 weaponry should include some models of handgrenades with all their pros and cons (Mills Bomb as a defensive, Stielhandgrante as offensive weapon - different ranges). First improvised "grenade lobbers" to sophicatd models like the Stokes trench mortar, "Toffee apple thrower", french 58mm Spigot and 240mm, german Minenwerfer (lMW 7,6cm, mMW 17cm, sMW 25cm). Rifle grenade launchers of "cup type" like french Vivien-Bessiers or "rod type" as used by the UK/US-Forces. Indirect fire weapons and launchers were dominant in trench warfare for obvious reasons and a multitude of them were in use. - Poison gas. Already some very promising effect were made! Gas warfare was mainly for interdiction. Either attacking enemy positions like frontlines, artillery positions and assembly areas with short time effect gas like chlorine prior to an major offensive or to prevent the enemy of using important areas in the rear by using long time effect like mustard gas, which also effected human skin and corroded bare metal. - Infantry organisation German "Gruppe" consisted of 8 men with a NCO. Most were trained in multi roles as grenade thrower, on the rifle grenade launcher or LMG. In best cases all infantry weapons were carried in one Gruppe. Sometimes on Platoon Level specially taked Gruppen were organized for instance with one mainly consisting of rifle grenade armed men and one with a LMG or even only with assault equipment. The german infantry was more flexible on that level as most of the allies. From 1916 the british and Commonwealth infantry platoons was devided into sections or squads of more or less 9 men. One squad was using the Lewis LMG, another the rifle grenade lauchers and one was armed with rifles and grenades while the last one was the bomber section, equipped with at least 10 grenades a man. US forces followed suit, but with more men in the teams. Of course this lineout of sections was thought to support each other in the assault and trench sweeping. The French organisation changed several times during the war to meet the evolving demands of trench fighting and some confusion among higher staff. Basically they prefered the same layout of their allies but gave the roles historical names: Voltigeurs were the rifle armed, grenadiers were handgrenadethrower and fusiliers were armed with the Chauchat LMG. -Speaking of trench sweeping: Both sides used adhoc teams with close combat weapons (clubs, knuckle dusters, trench knifes) and what automatic or rapid fire weapons were available (P08 with 32 rnds magazine, automatic pistols, pump action shotguns and later the only trench broom of the war the Bergmann MP 18). In this way trench raiding was mainly for identification of the enemy units in front. German assault units, the famous Stoßtrupps, were solely formed for major attacks using infiltration tactics. - Sniping was an important element of controlling no mans land. So special unit with improvised and prototype camoflage suits would be nice. Scopes were basic, but suitable. Even civil hunting rifles were used. - Mancarried flamethrowers had their debut in this war. The first were of german origin, quickly copied by the allies and mostly used for attacking bunkers. The germans used a single shot "Flammrohr" for some time at Verdun. - Concrete bunkers were an important element of the "Hindenburg (Siegfried) - Line", but also on other frontlines like Ypres sector. Ranging from huge dugouts for entire companies over MG-bristling resistance points to observation block houses. -The Tanks and armoured cars look superb and I can´t wait riding them. Main tanks for the given period are the already finished ones and those: British Mark V, Mark V* (fe/male) and the Whippet. French Char Schneider I, uparmoured, II, St Charmand I, II, Renault FT 17 (37mm, MG, 75mm, Radio) Renault, Peugeot armoured car. German AC were not present on the western front. - Antitank measures were mainly a problem for the germans. Normally a single fieldgun could take on the slow creepers but the infantry was had to find solutions. They came in form of the "SmK"- Munition for rifles and MGs and had an amourpiercing core. Grenade bundles also helped but in 1918 the "Tankgewehr" (tank rifle) was introduced which was a single loader with 13mm and surely the grandfather of all anti tank rifles. Distribution was reasonable before the end of the war, but shooting it was a literally a bonebraking affair... I guess with my non present OFP editing experience, some of my thoughts are maybe impossible to make. But by now the work which went into the mod is surely already enormous and the picture are really nice and make a dream come true. Thanks for that, Prof Tournesol and all involved!

Hello ProfTournesol and all, this is my first post in this forum, but I had much fun from all the modders work since the beginning of OFP. In the past I was modding the Close Combat Series, working in teams making WWI mods for CC2, 3 and 5. (See here: Close Combat Online WWI Forum The Dugout ). After watching this thread since end of last year, I have much hope on this enterprise on WWI in OFP-terms as some other untertakings fall into sleep. By now many subjects of this mod seem to be solved and so I´m looking forward to see this mod in action. I will try to help in any way, if time permits. Right now, I have a question: Will there be any 1914 Cavalry Unit in the mod or planned for future releases? And yes, OFP is far from dead! diggin