Isonzo News

Hello soldiers,

Today is November 11th - Remembrance Day. Also known as Poppy Day, this memorial day is observed by Commonwealth members since the end of World War One. A special day to remember those who have fallen in their line of duty. Other non-Commonwealth countries started to follow this tradition and have their Remembrance Day on November 11th.

In Isonzo (and our other games), you’re able to participate in 2 minutes of silence and be rewarded with a special medal afterwards. Additionally we have enabled Film Memoir mode for all for a limited time.

Lest We Forget



The Rifleman is a familiar class in Isonzo already. With the introduction of the German faction as a playable country, they will fill a similar role to the riflemen of both the Italian and Austro-Hungarian factions. The differences here will of course be equipment/uniforms, and the weapons with which they will be armed with.

[h2] On top [/h2]

Like the other nations, Germany did not enter the Great War with a metal helmet.

The German soldiers would usually be seen wearing either a, nowadays, famous Pickelhaube or Feldmütze – a soft cap. The Feldmütze of 1910 had a large red band and piping. Later models of this cap had these removed, as many nations throughout the course of the war thought bright colours don’t work well with modern warfare. Before the 1917 pea green Einheitfeldmütze – a band of canvas was introduced, with a view to masking the bright red colour of the Feldmütze. Other versions of this cap were also available for specialist troops like Jaeger and Pioneer troops – these having different colour piping/bands. The caps had 2 roundels (Kokarden) one being the Imperial roundel and the other roundel signifying which German state the soldier belonged to.

Different versions of the Feldmütze in Isonzo

Another famous headgear of the German army is the Stahlhelm. Germany followed the French and swiftly adopted a metal helmet to try to combat the horrors of trench warfare. Although expensive to produce, they were superior to the Entente helmets, as they provided a thicker shell thanks to the stamping process. The helmet came with several aspects, such as a soft liner and strap to keep the helmet in place, and vent holes to deal with heat. During World War One, several variants were produced, combined with different color schemes. In 1918 a formal way of camouflaging the Stahlhelm was applied and introduced, though it wasn’t unlikely to see soldiers trying to mask their helmet with mud and clay on the field.The Stahlhelm would gain infamy throughout the Great War and beyond. Germany would recycle many of their WW1 items of equipment or create new variants based on these, as the world headed towards the Second World War.

With the introduction of chemical warfare in WW1, a gas mask was of great importance for any soldier. The German soldiers were equipped with the 1917 Lederschutzemaske. This was an improved variant of the previous German gas mask (Gummimaske), which saw issues in both material shortages and performance against newer gas types. The leather mask was superior in protection but unfortunately not as efficient in its fit, especially problematic for soldiers with beards. This gasmask would be carried in the M1916 gas mask canister (Bereitschaftsbüchsen), which contained spare lenses and filters. This can commonly be seen worn on the back or front of German troops, with the Lederschutzemaske also being worn in an alert position if a gas threat was imminent.



[h2] The belt equipment [/h2]

As with most military uniforms throughout history, the belt plays a pivotal role in a soldier’s equipment. May it be for carrying spare ammunition, bladed weapons, rations, the Great War saw soldiers of all nations carry several pieces of vital equipment on their belts.

The German belt famously had a depiction of the Imperial crown with the slogan “GOTT MIT UNS” (God with us) though other variants of this were produced depending on the soldier's regional origin or his rank.



Common items that the German troops carried on their belt are the following:

• Ammunition pouches or “Patronentaschen”.
  The model 1909 cartridge pouch was standard issue to the German army. The leather was often blackened, and the pouch would take 20 rounds (4 x 5 round G98 clips) in each compartment. The soldier would typically sport two off these pouches, one left and one right, providing a total of 120 rounds of ammunition.
  
• Bread Bag (Brotbeutel ) and Flask (Feldflasche ).
  Worn on his right hip, this is where a soldier would keep his rations and other personal equipment. The bag itself was made of canvas and attached to the belt using canvas straps. Additionally, the flask could be attached to the bread bag. The bread bag also had a set of straps which troops often used in place of the Tornister straps to hook to each cartridge pouch.
  
  
  
  
• Shovel/carrier (Spaten mit Spatentasche) & Bayonet (M.1898/05 Seitengewehr).
  This short handled entrenching tool was carried on the belt as part of a combined piece along with the bayonet. This provided a relatively easy to access point from which the shovel could be drawn and the bayonet was immediately at the soldiers waist. An offshoot of the traditional sword knot the Troddel would often be found knotted around the bayonet frog. This knot could have different meanings; which company a soldier belongs to, his rank, as well as his state (for example, Prussian non-commissioned officers would have their own knot style).
  

[h2] On the back [/h2]
German soldiers wore two main styles of pack throughout the Great War. A Tornister, complicated and not best suited to trench warfare, and a simplified Assault Pack (Sturmgepack) – which forfeited capacity for simplicity.
The Tornister M1895 was made from calf skin or horsehide, and was standard issue at the outbreak of the war. It would see use throughout the war but would be slowly outdated, with later versions of this pack being made from Ersatz (a substitute/replacement) materials. It contained equipment that didn’t fit into the bread bag, for example tent accessories, ankle boots and other everyday items. Usually, the Mantel (greatcoat) was wrapped around the pack itself and the Mess Tin (Kochsgeschirr) is commonly seen being attached to the pack as well.

The two different kinds of packs

The Assault Pack (Sturmgepack), became a popular replacement to the Tornister and full marching order loadout. It contained far fewer pieces than the Tornister, mostly consisting of the greatcoat, a shelter tarp/blanket and the mess tin, wrapped tightly and held in place with straps. This was a popular setup for assault troops or troops not expecting to see prolonged frontline activity.

[h2] German Weaponry [/h2]

During WW1, each nation participating invested heavily in trench mortars. Some were small enough to be hosted easily within the trenches themselves. Others were situated behind the front lines and lobbed obscenely sized shells. Arms manufacturer Rheinmatall designed the infamous 7.58cm Minenwerfer in 1909, after the mortar's successful resurgence during the Russo-Japanese war of 1905.

The Minenwerfer, literally meaning ‘mine thrower’, was a rifled muzzle loading mortar design , having dual hydraulic cylinders at either side of the barrel to help absorb recoil. Originally limited in its flexibility, the 1916 model n.A (neuer Art) had a 360 degree range of fire and a better range of elevation. A well-practised crew could fire up to 45 rounds per minute with a trained mortar crew.



The Minenwerfer will fulfil a comparative role to the Lanciabombe Bettica and 9cm M14 Minenwerfer of the other Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces.



[h2] Caporetto teaser [/h2]

As you can tell, we’re working hard on the Germans and the Caporetto map! Its release is getting closer! We can’t share any release date with you, for now, so be sure to keep an eye out for our announcements here, in the Discord and social media for when we do (alongside other news).



Deep trenches

And here’s the full image of last week’s guessing game ! They are concrete fireport shields, which you’ll see in Isonzo as well!


[h3] See you next week soldiers [/h3]

Today is November 11th - Remembrance Day. Also known as Poppy Day, this memorial day is observed by Commonwealth members since the end of World War One. A special day to remember those who have fallen in their line of duty. Other non-Commonwealth countries started to follow this tradition and have their Remembrance Day on November 11th.

This tradition grew out of Armistice Day, which marks the signing of the armistice being signed between the Allies and Germany.

In the United States, this day is better known as Veterans Day.
The common British, Canadian, South African, and ANZAC tradition includes a one- or two-minute silence at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month (11:00 am, 11 November), as that marks the time when the armistice took effect (EU time).

The signing of the Armistice

As stated previously, this day is also known as Poppy Day. The poppy flower is a common symbol of Remembrance Day. It became the symbol of the Royal British Legion, a veterans’ organisation. They sell paper Poppy flowers which one can wear on their clothing, in memory of those who’ve fallen. The proceeds will go towards supporting war victims and families who’ve lost a family member during war.

[h2] Remember together with the WW1 Game Series [/h2]

In our games, you’ll be able to remember those who have fallen as well. There's 2 minutes of silence when you start up the game, just like the IRL tradition. If you choose to participate, you’ll receive a Remembrance medal afterwards.
Furthermore, we’ve also enabled the Film Memoir mode for everyone for a timely period. You can turn this on my going into settings -> graphics

[h2] Remember with the community [/h2]

Additionally, we have a special poppy flower emote in our Discord , specially for this day. Feel free to use it in your Discord bio, status and share with others. If you want to, you can share with us as well who and/or how you remember on this day in our dedicated armistice channel.

[h2] Lest We Forget [/h2]

This update for Isonzo addresses many visual issues, but also raises player height to hopefully improve sightlines and make it more intuitive to see who can see you, and fixes team mates looking like enemies and therefore being susceptible to friendly fire.

The update weighs in at 1.4 GB. It increases the network version, so take care to update in order to play with the majority of players!

[h2]Patch notes:[/h2]
New and improved:

• Improved animations for the Fiat Revelli
  
• New first person bashing animation variants for pistols
  
• New first person stabbing animation variants for bayonets
  
• Improved speed and animation timing for melee attacks in first person
  
• Player is now slightly higher in first person
  
• Split Player tags and World tags visibility settings
  
• Improvements to mortar aiming visibility
  
• Improved info panels for mortar and overview map
  
• Linux performance improvements

Fixes:

• Fixed players sometimes appearing like they are from the wrong team and therefore could be killed by teammates
  
• Bots no longer use Static weapons if enemies are too far away
  
• Headgear no longer clips through the gas mask
  
• Fixed Villar Perosa sound or muzzle flash sometimes missing in third person
  
• Fixed LMGs continuing to auto-fire while crawling
  
• Fixed full-auto firing animations not always playing in sync with fire rate
  
• Fixed animation snapping at the end of bayonet stab and revolver bash
  
• Fix for field guns animation snapping when first deploying to one on a slope
  
• Fixed fingers clipping through binoculars when looking through them
  
• Fixed Werndl cocking bone not setting when interrupting reloads
  
• Fixed bridge explosions replaying after switching graphics settings
  
• Corrected size of some pistols and flareguns
  
• Fixed Allow voice chat option not resetting to default
  
• Fixed incorrect names for Gorizia and Sabotino Capzones
  
• Sector outlines are now red when in cooldown

Known issues:

• Wrong marksman perk localization for some languages
  
• Ghost players
  
• Voice keybinds are sometimes not remembered on the spawn map

Hello soldiers !

We see you’re enjoying the teaser for the upcoming Caporetto update, so how about some more? As stated before, we’re aiming to release it this year, but that’s all the info we can share for now. Please enjoy Isonzo and look forward to the updates and expansions!
As always, if you want to chat with fellow soldiers, you can join our Discord . Here you can also report any issues you encounter in the game!

[h2] Italian Remembrance Day [/h2]

Today is National Unity & Armed Forces Day in Italy. On this day, the Italians commemorate the victory in WW1, an event that they consider the completion of the process of an unified Italy. The most important people in the Republic pay homage to the Italian Unknown Soldier and the Redipuglia War Memorial, where over 100.000 Italian soldiers found their final resting place.

The Unknown Soldier

The body of Italy's Unknown Soldier was chosen from among 11 coffins containing the unidentified remains of fallen Italian soldiers who fought, retrieved from various areas of the Italian front of WW1. Maria Bergamas, the mother of Italian soldier Antonio Bergamas whose body was never recovered, made the difficult choice in the Basilica of Aquileia on 28 October 1921. Reaching the 10th coffin in the line, she slumped to the floor and screamed her son's name. This was the body chosen.



The Italian Army Forces open their barracks to the public, showing exhibitions of The Great War, often combined with sport demonstrations by soldiers. On squares in big Italian cities, concerts are held by military bands.



[h2] German Gewehre [/h2]

Now on to this week's devblog, taking a look at some more weaponry you'll see in Isonzo with the Caporetto Expansion.

[h3] Gewehr 88/05 Commission Rifle [/h3]
First up, we have the Gewehr 88/05 Commission Rifle. Prior to its debut, the German Army found itself on the backfoot with the introduction of the Lebel 1886 combined with the new smokeless cartridge 8mm Lebel. This resulted in something of an arms race within Germany itself. They needed to produce a design which would replace the ,now obsolete, black powder Mauser model 1871. Borrowing from a series of prototype and submitted designs, eventually the pattern of the Gewehr 1888 would be ironed out. This weapon would see a 5-round capacity, a rimless 8mm cartridge, barrel jacket and enbloc design akin to that of the Mannlicher system. However the G88 enbloc could be loaded both ways. Far from perfect, these rifles would be the mainstay of the German army until the adoption of the Gewehr 98 later. Overall, just shy of 3 million were produced for Germany and its allies.



While the Mauser production was well under way for the Gewehr 98, it was noticed that a widespread conflict in Europe would eat up large numbers of arms, prior to the outbreak of World War One. In 1905 the Gew88 was revisited, and many of the rifles were converted to take the new 7.92 ‘Spitzgeschoß’ (pointed projectile) spitzer bullet. This conversation made several changes to the weapon: the addition of a clip bridge for the stripper clip system in use with the new ammunition, rechambering of the barrel, a feed interrupter, and loading made easier with cuts to the chamber and receiver wall. The hole from which the enbloc would fall out was typically sealed too. Our model in game reflects the iconic and rather viscous looking Seitengewehr 1871 bayonet.





The Germans had around 500,000 of these converted rifles by the outbreak of war in 1914, which was extremely useful in a war of attrition. These rifles could use the same ammunition stocks as the Gewehr 98 and in issuing these rifles to rear line troops ,or soldiers less likely to see combat, it allowed for the superior Gewehr 98 to be given priority where they were needed.We’ve covered this weapon in our game series previously; this antiquated rifle played an important part in the Great War.

[h3] Kar88 [/h3]

With the adoption of the Gewehr 1888 to replace the outdated black powder rifles, a carbine version of the main battle rifle would often be made as well with large armament changes. The Gewehr 1888 was no exception here. The Kar88 was designed with cavalry use in mind. It used the same ammunition and had the same mechanism, but it was a slimmed down version. Some features like the bolt handle were changed to reduce snagging. The overall idea was that the weapon should be light, small, and handy.



The rifle would be issued with cavalry and a version would be introduced for foot artillery use in 1891 – the only difference between these rifles is the addition of a stacking hook. The Kar88, like other carbines, would also often be issued to light infantry and non-frontline units, making its way to the frontlines in many parts of the conflict. This model lacked the ability to attach a bayonet and were primarily produced by none-state arms manufacturers CG Haenel and VC Schilling.



About 225,000 of these carbines were made, at the arsenal in Erfurt made a batch of around 25,00 carbines in 1891, our model reflects this unique little batch. Again, no stranger to the game series, this short rifle should offer a nice parallel to the carbines of the Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces.

[h2] Was ist das? [/h2]

To end this week’s devblog, we got a little guessing game for you! Do you know what this is? Be sure to reply with your answers




[h3] See you next week soldiers! [/h3]