Re: Blood and Iron

The peaceful days with his family did not last long. 1916 had arrived, and with it there was a strange atmosphere in the world. On the one hand, the Allies grew bolder, as they made recent technological advancements that they believed, incorrectly so, could counter the superiority of the German Army.

But the Germans did the same. And they were not the only ones preparing for this new form of warfare that everyone was starting to begin may very well be the future of how all wars would be fought.

Currently, the engagement distances of battles were still for the most part beyond the scope of 300 meters. As men were always taking shots at one another between trenches. Because of this, Bruno had yet to introduce the concept of the Assault Rifle.

But there was another rifle currently in development by the Russian Empire that could prove to be an enormous boon to the Central Powers. I’m talking of course about the Fedorov Avtomat. By 1915, the rifle had seen service in Bruno’s past life, at least in limited capacity, but some modifications were performed in this life that delayed their entry into the war.

For starters, the rifles removed the stubby vertical group added to the front of them. Secondly, the rifle was designed around the 7.92x57mm Cartridge, which had become standardized across the main three empires that formed the bulk of the central powers military might. And third the magazine was changed to an MG-13 25 round magazine.

The rifle proved so effective in field trials that Bruno had negotiated the license of its manufacture in his own nation, and the Habsburgs did as well.

The decision was quickly negotiated for all nations within the alliance to begin domestic manufacture of the Fedorov Avtomat, as well as its magazines, bayonets, and munitions as a replacement for the current standard issue rifles used by all nations of the central powers.

In addition to this, the G-43, or G-05 as it was known in this life, was chosen as the designated sniper rifle for all nations of the Central Powers, with its excess stock to be shared for that role among the other nations of the Central Powers.

Sure, the Mg-34, or Mg-05 as it was currently known, would remain a weapon of German exclusivity, but the addition of selective fire battle rifles, and semi-automatic marksman rifles would greatly increase the firepower in the hands of all the nations within the Central Powers.

These preparations were naturally included as one of many as the Central Powers orchestrated their Spring Offensive within the Alps. The aim was simple. Through overwhelming firepower, and mobility, they would push the Italians and their allies back to Rome, where they would be forced to surrender.

The hope was that by mid-summer of 1916, the Italians would capitulate, leaving one last theater of operations to fight within. Bruno was certain that he could succeed in this endeavor. After all, whether it was the increase in firepower among infantry, or his self-propelled anti-tank guns that could more than obliterate any piece of armor that the Allies threw at him.

He was all too prepared. Because of this, as the winter began to fade away, and the rejuvenation of spring followed suit. The man could not help but gaze out the window of his office with a concerned expression on his face.

Reports from the Balkans stated that Erich had served with distinction, hunting down the remaining partisans and obliterating them with ease. The stability of the region had returned, or at least as such an area of the world that was rife with ethnic violence could.