Glossary
The World
The Kingdom of Edinburgh
A quarter of the world still lies controlled by the Kingdom of Edinburgh, her colonies secured by careful investment in the Royal Navy, the largest and most well-equipped naval force for over two-hundred years. The Army is no pushover either, consisting out of over half a million well-trained troops, divided between the armoured corps, the Edinburgh Rangers, and the regular army. It would be the Royal Navy which, with the help of Gallian engineers, would develop a biplane for military use: Though initially only armed with the pilot's rifle, a fixed machinegun was quickly added to provide good firepower at the expense of being able to fire around the pilot.
An unique tradition for the Kingdom, Platoon E, which was commanded by posthumously promoted Major Claude Wallace, is still widely remembered and honoured for ordering the destruction of the Imperial Capital of Schwartzgrad for the good of the Federation: Even though the entire Platoon would perish with the detonation of the Centurion.
The Valois Republic
It would be the Valois Republic which contributed the most to the Federation war effort for most of the war, and it would be the Valois Republic which launched the first counter-attacks on the East Europan Imperial Alliance after the initial campaigning season: The core force of Operation Northern Cross would be composed out of both the Edinburgh ranger corps and an enormous contingent of Valois soldiers.
The devastating losses incurred by the Valois Army during the war, compounded by their late recovery from the First Europan War, would set their mark on the Treaty of Assen: After extensive lobbying, combined with playing up and inventing Imperial atrocities, the Valois Republic would be able to claim land from the defeated enemy in addition to the already agreed upon reparations. In the end, Germania was forced to give up over 40 per-cent of her agricultural and industrial lands, which amounts to 23 per-cent of the total Germanian land area.
The Wars
The Second Europan War
The Second Europan War claimed the lives of 30 million people, from normal civilians to military personnel, over the course of three years. It saw the introduction of Valkyria on the battlefield, goddesses of war and destruction, and the first air-to-air fights in late 1937: It would be here that, for an Imperial first, regular women would be on the front-lines, as pilots and mechanics. In particular, Getrud Wilkema would become the first 'Ace of Aces' of the East Europan Imperial Alliance, with twenty-eight shot-down enemy planes to her name.
The Darcsens, however, suffered in particular during the Second Europan War. Many Imperial commanders despised them for their heritage: As a result, over three million Darcsens died from neglect, or due to military units going on 'Darcsen hunts'. For these crimes, the Atlantic Federation still seeks the extradition of Joachim Rogolev and Nicuras Zehk, both former Colonels in the former Ostmark Royal Army, whom have gone to ground in attempts to hide from justice.
Knights in the Sky
While the battles on the ground often descended into vicious hand-to-hand fighting, the Second Europan War was remarkably tame in the air. It would not be until 1936, when the ISARA reconnaissance plane flew and was exported from Gallia, that the aerial theatre would be opened up and heavier than air flight would become a major facet of modern warfare. As there were no specialist schools to teach flying, most of those whom enlisted into the nascent aerial forces of the Atlantic Federation and the East Europan Imperial Alliance belonged to the upper classes. Names such as William Hart, Phelipe Birthold, Dennis Hughe, Gertrud Wilkema, Ottilie Kittel, and Jophias von Helck-Parzeval became household names, their pictures adorning many bedroom walls and paper clippings.
They were perceived as true gentlemen, honourable in combat and respectful of their foes in equal measure, and these pilots were honoured by both sides of the conflict as modern knights. Many of the best Imperial pilots would be awarded various rewards and often even knighthood by the Emperor, King of Kings, while expert pilots flying for the Atlantic Federation received better rations and, after the war, well-paying jobs in the aerial forces as the pioneers of air warfare.
The Weapons
Imperial tanks and armoured vehicles
The Imperial Assault Tank
After the success of Unternehmen Rösselsprung - the counter-attack on Atlantic Federation forces in the tail end of Operation Northern Cross - the Imperial Assault Tank would become the backbone of the Imperial armoured divisions, replacing the Imperial Medium and Light Tanks respectively in service. Relatively cheap to field and performing well against enemy Minute tanks, the Assault Tank chassis would also be used as the base for two specialist variants: A casemate tank destroyer with a long 85mm anti-tank cannon, and an 105mm self-propelled artillery piece.
With the depletion of Ragnite fuel reserves in early 1937, the capture of industrial complexes and a loss of crew quality as experienced tank personnel were lost to the enemy, the Imperial Assault Tank lost much of it's value as a mass-producable medium tank. A simplified design, known as the Assault Tank model B, was realized just as the war came to a close, mere weeks the surrender of the East Europan Imperial Alliance.
Though mounting a capable 76.2mm cannon, multiple machine guns and featuring sloped armour, the Assault Tank is gradually becoming outdated with the introduction of the new Valiant-series medium tanks by the Atlantic Federation, the 'Claude' medium tank, and the AT-7 assault tank. Most of the models which are still in running condition are located in the Kingdom of Germania.
Heavy Armour: The T46A1 assault tank
Despite the success of the Imperial Assault Tank, developments in technology gradually made the vehicle obsolete near the end of the war: With armoured vehicles such as the 'Claude'-series and the Valiant-series of tanks becoming ever more common on the battlefield, the Empire was quick to begin on a new tank to meet these dangers. The ceasefire, and then surrender, of the East Europan Imperial Federation caused the entire project to be cancelled however. From the design, tentatively dubbed the Assault Tank model B, also known as the A-38, would spawn multiple derivatives: From a design mounting an 85mm gun in a remodeled turret, to a variant mounting a pair of rapid-firing 13.2mm anti-air machine guns, the fundemental design would remain obsolete.
The Kingdom of Germania would develop the first 'true' successor to the Assault Tank in the form of the T46A1. The trinity of excellent armour, a great gun, and good mobility was maintained within the design, and the resulting prototype would reflect the care and attention of the designers on the testing course, completing every task with distinction. Currently, the T46A1 is seeing mass production after the adoptation by the Germanian Kaiserliche Reichswehr.
The Schakal model E heavy tank
Entering service mere weeks before the start of the Second Europan War, the Schakal-series heavy tank grew out from the standard Imperial Heavy Tank as a lighter and more mobile design. It would gain a reputation as a reliable warhorse by Imperial soldiers in the field, capable of absorbing great amounts of damage and enemy fire before any part of the armour would be breached, while the short 85mm cannon could reliably destroy enemy Minute tanks with ease: Combined with a speed of 35 kilometers per hour, the Schakal-series heavy tank was much loved by front-line commanders.
As the war went on and heavy tank construction was shifted to Assault Tank production, surviving units - some 573 total - were given numerous upgrades to extend their service life in the Imperial Army. The latest of these upgrades was the Model E upgrade, which itself was essentially a full reconstruction of the entire vehicle: Surviving Schakals were re-armed with a Mustela 122mm cannon in a new turret, a restructured chassis, and reworked internal crew layout and suspension model. The most important change would be the new turret - which finally removed the coaxial 45mm cannon, in the process creating enough space for a third crew member, freeing up the commander for other duties.
Parcelled out to elite heavy tank battalions, most of the remaining Schakals are in the hands of the People's Republic of Ostmark, the remainder hidden in secret weapon caches.
The Ultimate Tank
An armoured vehicle with a short service life, the Ultimate Tank was rumoured to become the new standard Heavy Tank of the East Europan Imperial Alliance. However, all prototypes and production run vehicles were lost after the detonation of the snow-cruiser Centurion and the devastation of the Imperial capital of Schwartzgrad, culminating in the cancellation of the entire project.
Germanian infantry weapons
ZM kar 38
A common 7.62mm semi-automatic rifle, issued to Scouts and Engineers for rapid heavy firepower and self-defense respectively. With a 10-round detachable magazine, it is a notable improvement over the rifles that came before it, such as the ZM Kar models 1 through 5. Though the Karabiner becomes ineffective at a maximum range of 1,300 metres, the range remains better than the more common 800 metres for other semi-automatics. Retaining the distinctive look of the earlier Zechmeister rifles, it retains the "Francisca" nickname of old.
ZM MKb M1
Issued towards the end of the war to elite regiments of Stormtroopers earmarked for special operations, the Maschinenkarabiner M1 serves as a longer-ranged alternative to the ZechMeister Maschinenpistole series, combining the firepower from the submachine gun and the range and accuracy of the rifle. With a shorter 7.62mm round, it sits solidly between the more common semi-automatic rifles and submachine guns as the new weapon of choice for squad leaders and assault troops. Over the decade, production has slowly caught up with demand - and it has now been issued to several divisions.
ZM lMG Model 35
The standard-issue air-cooled machine gun of the East Europan Imperial Alliance from 1935 onwards, and the main infantry support weapon in service by the Reichswehr - not counting the sMG M36, and the various mortars in service. Firing the standard Imperial 7.62mm cartridge from a 50-round drum magazine at 650 rounds per minute, it has been adapted by the infantry as their standard light machine gun. With thousands produced to equip the armies of the East Europan Imperial Alliance, there has been little production after the war due to the extensive surplus.
ZM sMG Model 36
The standard-issue water-cooled machine gun for the second half of the Second Europan War, firing the standard Imperial 7.62mm cartridge from a 250-round belt. Adapted from an older Edinburgh design, sMG stands for "schwerer Machinengewehr", or heavy machine gun. With a firing rate of 500 rounds per minute, it lays down a relatively slow but steady stream of ammunition, and some variants have been modified for use with a 12.7mm round - limited prototype production has, however, not led to adoption by the armed forces.
ZM SG model 32
The ZM SG model 32 is based on a bolt-action rifle carried by many of the Empire's soldiers during EW1, particularly noted for its firing accuracy. The SG also featured a Rudolf Co. variable small arms scope, which at the time allowed for excellent shots even at extreme ranges. Lauded for its accuracy and uncommonly shock-resistant barrel, it first saw use with the Empire's mountain ranger units, and though the ZM SG's design allowed for a bayonet to be affixed under the muzzle, there are very few instances of it being used during the Second Europan War. The rifle continues to soldier on within the Reichswehr as a reservist and ceremonial weapon.
VB PL M38
A further development of Von Bismarck's PanzerLance series developed under the direction of founder Adolf von Bismark himself, a leader in explosives research within the East Europan Imperial Alliance. As the first major power to realize the tank's battle potential, the Empire was also active in developing the means for combating enemy tanks - and the updated M38 does this job well, being capable of destroying any light or medium tank with a smaller, more ergonomic 88mm rocket.
Germanian light-medium artillery
VB GW M44
Designed as a replacement for the Second Europan War VB GW M35, the GW M44 82mm mortar would be hailed as a miracle for the ailing mortar troops of the Kaiserliche Reichswehr. Designed by a small group of Von Bismarck engineers in 1944, and despite shortages in both materials and production capacity due to the loss of the western industrial areas, the new mortar would be accepted into service as the Von Bismarck GranatWerfer M44, or the VB GW M44 for short. Relatively light at only 18 kilograms, the mortar can fire between 15 and 25 rounds per minute over a range of 1.4 kilometres, while retaining excellent accuracy.
The versatility of the M44 quickly made it popular under the troops, even though it has not been actively used in conflict. With both a high explosive and armour piercing round, it is capable of defeating both infantry units and an array of tanks if the weaker armour on the roof of the vehicle is hit, lightening the duties of Lancers and anti-tank guns.
VB sGW M40C
The replacement for the older Von Bismarck schwere GranatWerfer M35D that saw service in the Second Europan War, the M40 has seen numerous upgrades throughout its career in the Kaiserliche Reichswehr. Born as an 120mm heavy mortar to demolish trenches and bunkers, upgrades to the M40 would eschew the traditional focus on anti-building work and would instead turn it into a relatively multi-purpose infantry support weapon against both infantry, and to a lesser extent, buildings and fortifications. Though significantly heavier than most mortars at 280 kilograms, it can still be transported by infantry with a two-wheeled axle and the option to dismantle the weapon in four smaller pieces.
At 16 kilograms, the high explosive shells are some of the largest in Europa that can be fired by non-mechanized weaponry or artillery. Currently, experiments are ongoing with the development of an AP round for the M40C, but it is widely accepted that development of such a round would be impractical within the most common combat range of the mortar, which is three to six kilometres.
leFH M43B
A light 105mm artillery piece, developed for use to assist the infantry divisions of the Reichswehr and to replace obsolete weaponry from the Second Europan War. Though based upon it's predecessor, the leFH M43 has little in common with the M34, which was still transported by horsepower to the frontline due to an outdated carriage: The M43 can be towed by trucks and specialized artillery tractors. With a range of twelve kilometres, a firing rate of four to six rounds per minute, and with 14 kilogram HE shells, the leFH M43 quickly replaced most older light howitzers in the light artillery role.
Though still untested, it is popular with the artillery branch of the Reichswehr.