The Great War

[GloomCookie]

RP Thread here

Your old friend slaps you on the shoulder, "This is it, buddy.  The U.S. Army.  Go out, find some poor bastard, shoot him, then find some thankful girls who don't mind showing how much they appreciate you."  The grin on his face was too contagious to ignore.

"Yeah, and those venereal diseases will help you cherish the memory for a long time, huh?" you joke back, elbowing him in the ribs.

New York harbor was crowded with ships, though that was normal even without a war going on.  Steam and smoke billowed from stacks as they moved on their own power or were pushed by tugs to their appropriate tiers, mingling with the exhaust of countless others.  Flags of almost every nation were here, though most flew the stars and stripes or the union jack.

As you climb aboard, you find you're not the only one excited.  Almost everyone on the ship is in their fresh clean Army uniform, with a few bellowing orders here and there.  Mostly everyone was just trying to find their way aboard and mingle before they had to go down into the stuffy confines of the ship below.  And stuffy it was, since fresh recruits got 3rd class stowage on this ocean liner, pressed into service for the war.

As you look out over New York harbor, you're amazed by the brilliant, early morning sun.  So much so that it takes you a moment to spot the dark silhouette until it's directly between you and the sun.  You stare in concentration, trying to figure out what it is... before someone screams, "Torpedo!"  You look down and there are two long shapes moving through the water, fast, towards the ship.

You run from the railing, but don't make it far before the torpedoes hit.  The explosion sends you to the deck, temporarily making it impossible to hear.  As smoke and dust obscure your vision, and your hearing returns, you hear people screaming in agony.  In the distance, warships sound general quarters, but most are ambushed as they slumber in their berths.

The chaos is overwhelming, and somewhere in the confused mess is a sergeant bellowing orders to get up and fight.  You miss most of his orders, but one thing sends chills down your spine... "Hurry up with those rifles!  The Jerries will be on our ass in minutes!"

It's AD 1925, and the Great War has been on and off now for over 14 years.  The Central Powers of Europe got lucky in the opening days of the war with their successful use of the Shlieffen Plan, which called for an invasion of France through Belgium, looking to take Paris in six days.  The plan succeeded beyond their wildest hopes, with Allied resistance crumbling away in a matter of days.

As the war drug on, most of the fighting took place on the Eastern Front, with Germany fighting against Russia's massive armies.  The numerically superior Russians were fighting a holding action against the Germans while Britain tried to rally support from any nations it could, going so far as to pull troops from her faraway colonies and sending them straight to Russia.  The United States, weary of becoming involved, stayed neutral.

In 1919, the Bolsheviks in Russia began their revolution.  Fearing the loss of the last bastion in Europe, Britain helped quash the rebellion and keep Nicholas II in power, with power later falling to Czar Olga in 1921, since Alexei died from hemophilia in 1920.  Finally, after years of maintaining neutrality, the United States officially entered the war in August 1921, just seven days after Olga took the throne.

The U.S. response was ponderous at first, since the Army was tiny and the navy consisting of mostly of Roosevelt's famous Great White Fleet, though it was getting old by that point and no match for the German Armada.  With a promise of naval cover from Great Britain, the United States sent the First Expeditionary Force to Russia in November, 1922, consisting of 20,000 men.

Their arrival in St. Petersburg was joyful, and they deployed quickly along the Eastern Front.  The Russians used the American reinforcements to consolidate points that bad begun to weaken under withering German assault.  Most of the Russians wanted to try and hold the Germans at bay, but Army General Joseph Kershing urged otherwise, and used his 20,000 men to push forward into German held Poland.

The offensive was slow to get started, but soon picked up steam.  The Russians had to push forward to keep up with the Americans, but made decent progress in pushing forward.  Poland, which had been invaded as the Russians fell back, welcomed the Allies as liberators.  However, progress slowed on the other side of Warsaw in Spring, 1923, as the Germans formed a strong defensive line in the country.

As the war began to stall, President James Cox faced a Democratic Party eager to end the war and be done with it.  At the urging of his Vice President, Franklin Roosevelt, he kept the US involved in Europe, even reinforcing it with another 50,000 men, to join the ranks of General Kershing's men.

Unknown at the time, however, the German Navy was preparing to launch the largest ever invasion, across the Atlantic and into the United States.  The idea was that, since the United States was the cause for the recent problems facing the Germans in eastern Europe, a decisive strike to the industrial capabilities in New York, plus a devastating blow to the capital in Washington, would put the US out of action long enough to secure victory in Russia.

The German Navy left port on February 7, 1925, heading for New York City.  Sneaking through the Channel under cover of night, the Germans regrouped in the North Atlantic some 20 miles south of Iceland, letting the new dirigible fleet launching from France catch up.  Once the combined water and air fleet was assembled, the invasion was on.

On Wednesday, March 10, 1925, at 8:14 A.M., the first bombs fell on the unsuspecting New York City from the German super dreadnought Hohenzollern launching the first 16 inch shells.  The war had come to the United States.

The premise for this bleek alternative history is that Germany has done the unthinkable... invaded the US.  Their goal is to take out the American ability to fight a war, but if they can take Washington, they might try and just conquer America.  Most of the Army is in New York getting ready to head for Europe, while the Navy is scattered along the coast.  There's not much in the way to stop them, except ordinary citizens.

Anyone who wishes to play can be either an American or German.  Americans are allowed to be army or civilians, and civilians are allowed to get army weapons (since many are dead), but only those playing for the Army may have machine guns, and even then I must approve them.  Germans must be Army, and they must have their machine guns approved too.  Otherwise, a rifle must be bolt action.

For the army, you get a 1903 Springfield .30 bolt action with 5 round clip (American) or an 1898 Mauser 7.52mm (German).

I'll post a character sheet when I get back.  Please don't hesitate to ask questions.

[Haibane]

Lovely setting, and well written. It reminds me of H.G.Wells' "The War In The Air".



Like your images, where did you find them?

[Travaius]

Love this, and love the exactness of the history to be honest. I am definitely in for it.

[GloomCookie]

Thank you everyone who has shown interest :) I will now try and add some more details.


American Weapons

.45 Thompson Sub-Machine Gun
.30 1903 Springfield Bolt-Action Rifle
.45 Colt M1911 Semi-Automatic Pistol
.30-06 M1918 Browning Machine Gun


German Weapons

7.65mm Luger P08 Semi-Automatic Pistol
9mm MP18 Sub-Machine gun
Model 24 Stick Grenade
7.92mm Gewehr 1898 G98 variant


British Weapons

.30-06 M1917 Enfield

The reason for including British weapons is because the M1917 Enfield was produced in the United States as well as Great Britain using the 1903 Springfield cartridge.  They'll be found near the docks to be loaded on freighters bound for England.

And after careful searching, I found maps!  Maps from the era no less!  These things were hard to find, but it'll make it easier to see where and how the invasion is progressing.  These maps are from 1916, but I don't think the landscape has changed that much between when these maps were used and 1925.

And as to where I got the images, Sketchbook on Deviantart

[Haibane]

The Germans would have a machine gun of some kind wouldn't they? Quite useful in street fighting. And would the Americans have British Lewis guns?

Lovely maps.

I don't see much scope for female characters though in this. Or is there? Female crew or technicians on dirigibles?

[bigwad73]

Wow.  Just simply... wow.  I could quibble with a few of your historical points, but who knows how events would play out in an alternate timeline.

American inventors should come out of the woodwork for this, sort of like the stories that were written after Wells released War of the Worlds that detailed Edison and Bell and Tesla mass producing futuristic weapons and vehicles to take the fight to Mars!

*Imagines a Matilda-type tank on the west bank of the Hudson firing its Tesla Gun (a railgun) at a Boche Battleship in the river below*

[Haibane]

Mm, yeah, had you planned to keep this mostly alternate-historical, or go more steampunky with it?

I was a big reader of Wells in my youth, I loved 'The Land Ironclads' about early tanks, great stuff. Given that your history has no western front stalemate and given that tanks were designed solely to break through in trench warfare, would there be tanks at all? Or would cavalry in the 1920s still be used on the battlefield?

My only quibble with the history is there would quite likely be a second front/war in Persia/Iran and Syria with Britain and commonwealth troops fighting the Turks and trying to cut a communication path through to aid the Tsar(ina?) in the Caucasus. Or, as history went, through the Dardanelles.

[MagicalPen]

It looks somewhat Steampunk (given the flying machines in the first picture) though that is left for the GM to decide.

I'd certainly say that the Germans would have LMG's while the disarrayed American Forces might have access to some of the older, watercooled variants (the historical WW I ones, while the Germans would be closer to MG42 style guns). Its possible to locate a typical squad load out if you'd like.

As a big WW2 Buff, I am certainly interested.

[bigwad73]

Isn't this more WW 1.5?  *flees, laughing maniacally*
;D

[Xiddeus]

So, like US citizens fighting against Nazi invaders?  Ooh, count me interested.

[Major Major]

Would the Canadians be involved here? After all, the Canadian Ross Rifle was considered a superlative Sniper's Rifle for the era, as long as it was properly maintained.

[MagicalPen]

I think the Ross Rifle was strictly Canadian in use - especially after it was phased out during the middle of WWI due to its unreliability in adverse conditions (amongst other issues)...I've never heard of it being the preferred Sniper Rifle either. Unless there was a Canadian Regiment in New York (in the game) I don't think anyone would have one.

[Major Major]

Well, maybe, but none the less, it's still worth considering.

[Haibane]

So, like US citizens fighting against Nazi invaders?  Ooh, count me interested.

Not Nazis, no. I think in this alternate history the Kaiser never lost the war, wasn't exiled and the German state didn't see the economic crash of the 20s that allowed the National Socialists to come to power.

It looks like it will be more a RP based on combat, so Doughboys versus the Wicked Hun, complete with pointy helmets and huge moustaches.

EDIT: As Major Major says, a Canadian presence in the war as a whole is probable. No doubt the British Empire (huzzah!) has sent Canadian regiments to help the Russians and with a German invasion of the American East Coast it would be logical to rush some Canadian troops south to assist.

[MagicalPen]

If we follow what the OP stated, I doubt there would be any Canadian Troops in NYC at the time of the surprise invasion (if we're playing as the Invasion happens, not a week or two after the Germans have landed).

[Haibane]

You're almost certainly correct. I was just frothing really.

[Xiddeus]

Still, I am so reminded of Turning Point, Fall of Liberty and find this to be awesomesauce.  Thinking of being a NY cabbie.  Scotch or Irish in descent. 

[Major Major]

The reference to the Union Flag (it's only called the Union Jack when it's flying from the Jackstaff of a ship) makes me think that I could argue that there might be a few Royal Navy personnel around.

[bigwad73]

Maybe a RN Flying Boat or four has stopped by NYC to refuel/resupply between legs of their NY-Maritimes-GIUK antisubmarine patrol route?

Geez, it may be more fun to stay off to the side on this RP and kibbutz via PMs to the players.  (as Von Moltke the Elder's ghost!)

[Muse]

*chortles* 

You mean, this didn't happen in real history because the French had too much spine too let the Germans just waltz over their country? 

*chuckles*

I really enjoyed your alternate history pitch.  Please forgive me for usurping your thread momentarily just too applaud you and thumb my nose at some local friends who think the French are yellow-bellies.  I may have seen some of their great grandfathers in the trenches, but said trenches were in France, not Texas. 

[Haibane]

I assumed the Union Flag was there to mark the use of a British rifle. Though there might well be senior British military personnel around in NYC seeing as the US and UK are allies and this looks like a big convoy loading operation.

[GloomCookie]

I'm absolutely diggin the conversations back and forth.  Due to popular demand, I'll allow anyone to be German, British, Canadian, or American.  French characters will be refugees, fleeing their country.  British Navy boys and airmen will be present, and Canadians will be part of the Army.  The reason for this is because the Royal Navy was very involved in helping convoys across the Atlantic.

The question was asked earlier if I'd allow women, and I've decided that while at the time women weren't allowed in the armed forces, I'll allow women to serve in roles such as on the airships, pilots, navy, and a few other roles that are not directly combat oriented.

I'm glad someone mentioned tanks.  While the Western Front never bogged down, the Eastern Front has, and so both sides will be experimenting with armor designs to compliment their obsolete cavalry.  However, like in the Western Front of our own history, these designs are kept secret until their actual unveil.  So tanks exist, but they're a secret until enough can be produced to swing a battle.

Artillery will not be used in this RP because the US Army wouldn't fire on their own city with civilians there, and the Germans have their navy guns if they need to bombard a building.  And while aircraft will be in the skies, they'll mostly be used as observers and to fight off airships.  The Germans, having learned of the US experiments with aircraft carriers such as the Langley, have their own ships to let fighters take off and land at sea.

I'm glad for such a positive turn out!

[Haibane]

Yeah, I can see there's a lot of interest in this. Thanks for so much clarification, helps a lot.

*has a vision of a natty female airship crew uniform, mostly involving short skirts and boots something like an original series Trek uniform*

Or I could take a civilian role if there is scope for such things.

Wasn't Hitler developing an aircraft carrier in the 30s? Graf Zeppelin I think it was called but it never got finished. Could be used in this RP?

Oh, something no-one has asked yet - will this be system or freeform? If freeform how will you resolve fighting - or am I missing the point and it isn't going to involve much combat?

[GloomCookie]

The question on aircraft carriers is a valid one, and for the purposes of this RP, I'd like to explain a bit of my logic for the following decision.  In the 1920s, there were only three navies with ships built from the keel up as aircraft carriers, or were hastily modified designs from battlecruisers or battleships into aircraft carriers: The United Kingdom, the United States, and Japan.

However, seeing as most of these carriers came about around 1918, when Germany was defeated and forced to pay reparations to the allies, it's conceivable that they had the capacity, but not the money, to build their own carriers.  Since the High Seas Fleet was certainly a modern navy with ships similar to those being converted by the US and UK, we should see a few carriers in use by 1925.

Figure 1: HMS Hermes, commissioned 1918

Since the dirigibles don't require a carrier except possibly for extra munitions, most of the carrier deck can carry fighters.  And that's a good segway into my next point: Aircraft.  War makes it necessary to try and come up with newer, better designs, and so I'm going to allow modified designs.  The biplanes of WWI have given way to single wing aircraft similar to those used in WWII.  This will make the aircraft easier to take off and land from the aircraft decks.  They won't have the speed or maneuverability of their WWII originals, they're still meant to be good aircraft.

Figure 2: American Curtiss P-36 Hawk 1935

Figure 3: British Hawker Hurricane 1935

Figure 4: Heinkel He100 1938

The reason for these designs is that it's within 10 years between their first flight (Except the He100, but Germany's pre-war period is graded on a curve) and that's, to me, well within reason for designers being pushed by the constraints of war.  So these designs are totally aboveboard.  As far as the dirigibles go, they will serve as bombers.  While this may seem strange, bombers are very limited in range and load (It wasn't until the B-24 Liberator that the US had a decent bomber, in my mind), and also it's an American city.  Same reasoning as the artillery above.  The dirigibles can drop bombs straight down on a building, if necessary, and can serve as mobile gunships.

[Major Major]

Is there a Character Template?

[GloomCookie]

Is there a Character Template?

Ack I knew I forgot something!

Image
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Race:
Nation of Origin:
Citizenship:
Affiliation:
Occupation:
Service Record:

A note: Being 1925, African American characters (As well as Irish, Chinese, Japanese, Eastern Europeans) will face discrimination.  I personally hate segregation, having grown up around bigots and other people of lesser intelligence (the racist pigs, not the people they hated).  However, for historicalish accuracy, segregation is, unfortunately, alive and well.  So if you intend to play a character like this, you have been warned.

[Major Major]

Image:
Name: Frank "Nobby" Clark
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Race: White Anglo-Saxon Protestant
Nation of Origin: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Citizenship: UK Citizen
Affiliation: Royal Navy
Occupation: Sergeant, Royal Marines
Service Record: Joined RN in 1918, and was originally assigned to a destroyer squadron based out of Hong Kong. His proudest moment so far is accepting the surrender of a German Raider off Christmas Island (he still has the German Captain's Luger). At present, he is currently serving on 'V'-Class destroyer HMS Vortigern, escorting convoys across the Atlantic.

[CrazyIvan]

I looked at your game and I think that it is very interesting and would be interested in playing. I was thinking this for a character I can make changes to his rank or other things as necessary.

Image:
Name: Adimaro Jaeger
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Race: German
Nation of Origin: Germany
Citizenship: Part of the German Empire
Affiliation: Deutsches Heer (German Army)
Occupation: Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant), Deutsches Heer (German Army) - 4th corp - 7th Division - In charge of the light MG squad (total men under his command is about 100)
Service Record: He enlisted in the German Army as soon as he could and might have even lied about his age, though that is not know for sure. Either way it has not mattered as he has served to the best of his abilities and beyond. He has severed and fought in many of the major battles of the war and has been promoted through the ranks to about Master Sergent before becoming a commissioned officer and working his way up to the rank of first lieutenant. There are also rumors of being put up for a higher command if this next battle goes in there favor and they complete there objective. His men that follow him are loyal to him and follow his orders as he as seen them through tough situations and not failed them. Often fighting with them on the front and not afraid of combat. He is know for being a bit more ruthless then nhe most likely needs to be, but that has not stopped him from receiving promotions or stopped his men from respecting him.

He was almost sent over to the Russian front when he was recalled back to Germany and informed about the plan to launch an attack on the American city of New York. He was personally selected to one of the lieutenants to go on this missions and he and his men were to be a spear head in this operation. He is proud to serve in the army and glad to be given this chance to finally land a direct blow to the Americans.



As I said this is what I was thinking I can change it if I need to.

[Major Major]

I do believe that is actually a British Army officer's uniform.

[CrazyIvan]

You are correct thank you for pointing that out. I accidentally copied the wrong URL to the wrong place, thank you for pointing that out to me. I have since replaced it with the correct picture.

[Nazora]

I want to join as Adolph Hitler. No seriously, I understand that this is extended world war one, but I think it would be both funny and realistic. He served in the German army on the western front in World War One, and if this alternate version of history happened, he would be invading the U.S., as a private in the German army. The nazis would never have existed because there would have been no Versaille treaty, and Hitler would still be an army grunt. The little rat was remarkably skilled at staying alive through the war.

Oh, the irony, I so have dibs on Hitler.  >:)

[Nazora]

Name: Adolph Hitler
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Race: German
Nation of Origin: Austria
Citizenship: Austrian
Affiliation: German Army
Occupation: Gefreiter (private First class)
Service Record: When Germany entered World War I in August 1914, Adolph petitioned King Ludwig III of Bavaria for permission to serve in a Bavarian regiment. This request was granted, and Adolf enlisted in the Bavarian army. Hitler served in France and Belgium in the 16th Bavarian Reserve Regiment, distinguishing himself with He received the Iron Cross, Second Class, in 1914 and later the Iron Cross, First Class, an honour rarely given to a Gefreiter. Because the regimental staff thought Hitler lacked leadership skills and the issue of his citizenship, he has yet to be promoted to Unteroffizier (equivalent to a British corporal). He serves most often as a dispatch runner, sending messages back and forth while under fire. He tends to remain aloof from others, often busy with drawings and making instructional sketches

[Major Major]

May I possibly suggest, to be mindful of sensativities, that you use his original surname, Schicklgruber?

[Haibane]

He was a corporal in 1918 so by 1925, assuming he'd survived the eastern front he'd be at least a sergeant, maybe had even been commissioned (though wasn't Hitler demoted for a few minor infractions?)

So far Linna, this game looks like you are heading well towards realism and not steampunky stuff despite your early illustration. Are their dirigibles? I find an Imperial German Zeppelin Fleet such a cool concept in the invasion but I can't see them having much use given the advanced state of fast reliable fixed wing fighter aircraft.

Now if your heavier than air machines were at around the 1917 level of technology, a dirigible fleet would make perfect sense, but with Hurricanes in the sky, no.

Thoughts?

[RedEve]

Would you allow for a female civilian character to join the battle?

[Travaius]

Name: Konrad Stephanus
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Race: Austrian
Nation of Origin: Austria-Hungary
Citizenship: Germany   
Affiliation: Deutsches Heer
Occupation: Oberfähnrich (Master Sergeant)
Service Record:
Konrad joined the simply because every male member of his family had. He was assigned to one of the units who was supposed to carry out the Schlieffen plan, and served well as he helped cut a path across France. When the Russians attacked earlier than the Germans anticipated, he was also one of the units sent out to bolster the Eastern front. He served well, slowly climbing the ranks and getting to the rank of Master Sergeant, officer canidate. In France, and the battles that he fought with Russia, he managed to distinguish himself as someone who could handle urban warfare. When they began picking who would help with the American invasion, Konrad was easily picked and eagerly joined the men who prepared for the invasion of America.

[Haibane]

Can anyone supply me please with the name of a military airstrip near New York in the 1920s or 30s? I plan to have a female transport (ferry) pilot, a girl who flies bombers across the Atlantic from America to Britain where they are serviced and sent to active squadrons. I need a base near New York where she is currently stationed. Thanks!

[GloomCookie]

Image:
Name: Frank "Nobby" Clark
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Race: White Anglo-Saxon Protestant
Nation of Origin: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Citizenship: UK Citizen
Affiliation: Royal Navy
Occupation: Corporal, Royal Marines
Service Record: CONFIDENTIAL, but currently serving on 'V'-Class destroyer HMS Vortigern.

The service record, in this RP, is just to show kind of how your character got to where they are.  What their rank is, where they've served, any awards, things like that.  I doubt it'll come up in RP, and so I'd like you to please give us a little more information about his record.

(No image yet))
Image
Name: Adolph Hitler
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Race: German
Nation of Origin: Austria
Citizenship: Austrian
Affiliation: German Army
Occupation: Gefreiter (private First class)
Service Record: When Germany entered World War I in August 1914, Adolph petitioned King Ludwig III of Bavaria for permission to serve in a Bavarian regiment. This request was granted, and Adolf enlisted in the Bavarian army. Hitler served in France and Belgium in the 16th Bavarian Reserve Regiment, distinguishing himself with He received the Iron Cross, Second Class, in 1914 and later the Iron Cross, First Class, an honour rarely given to a Gefreiter. Because the regimental staff thought Hitler lacked leadership skills and the issue of his citizenship, he has yet to be promoted to Unteroffizier (equivalent to a British corporal). He serves most often as a dispatch runner, sending messages back and forth while under fire. He tends to remain aloof from others, often busy with drawings and making instructional sketches

On the one hand, the idea of having an Adolf Hitler in this RPG is unsettling.  However, given that this would've kept him out of the Austrian slums where he fostered his hatred for Orthodox Jews, I can understand how this might... 'redirect' his energies.  So unless it offends anyone to the point of their being unable to RP, I'll allow it.  And before anyone asks, no, there will NOT be a Joseph Stalin or similar communist character.  I'm setting in stone right now that the major communists were rounded up and arrested for treason.

Ack I knew I forgot something!

Image
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Race:
Nation of Origin:
Citizenship:
Affiliation:
Occupation:
Service Record:

A note: Being 1925, African American characters (As well as Irish, Chinese, Japanese, Eastern Europeans) will face discrimination.  I personally hate segregation, having grown up around bigots and other people of lesser intelligence (the racist pigs, not the people they hated).  However, for historicalish accuracy, segregation is, unfortunately, alive and well.  So if you intend to play a character like this, you have been warned.

Add in a spot for branch of service please.  Civilians can just put 'Civilian' or N/A.  And yes, civilians are allowed, so please don't feel you have to have a military character :)  If you've already added what branch you're in, don't feel like you have to go back and modify it.  I just know that with the numerous branches we have already, that it might get confusing.

Other than those I mentioned, all characters are approved.

Can anyone supply me please with the name of a military airstrip near New York in the 1920s or 30s? I plan to have a female transport (ferry) pilot, a girl who flies bombers across the Atlantic from America to Britain where they are serviced and sent to active squadrons. I need a base near New York where she is currently stationed. Thanks!

Indeed I can :) Floyd Bennett Field.  I know it was built in '28 but we'll say it was finished in '25, what with a war on and all.

Would you allow for a female civilian character to join the battle?

Men and women are both allowed.  Civilians for sure, and you can join the Air Corps or the Navy as a woman.

[Travaius]

Hmmm... I was thinking more of Mitchel Air Force Base.Mitchell Air Force Base was active during that time, and it was on Long Island I think. But it may have only been for training. Not entirely sure that planes flew over the Atlantic in this time period anyway...I'm fairly sure most, if not all, were shipped over.

[Haibane]

Linna... wow, at the risk of sounding sucky I really appreciate the feedback. Its good to find a GM with a clear vision who knows where he wants his game to go. So many GMs are wishy-washy and bend like reeds. I actually like the Hitler character as long as he is just there as an amusing twist. I wouldn't want any politics of the period being dragged in with that character, etc.

I've heard of both Mitchell Field and Floyd Bennett. I will go look them up and do my char bio properly.

As to whether my woman is an actual ferry pilot or just a desk girl supervising the sending over of US airplanes (crated or otherwise) I do not mind which scenario the GM prefers. I've sketched out a bio for her that gives her some service experience anyway.

[RedEve]

Just to be clear, if I do play a civilian who enters the battle, how would it work?

Will this basically be a series of skirmishes where the Germans and the allies fight each other from house to house and street to street? How will the civilians get involved? I'd imagine at first they will just be defending themselves, but do they band into make-shift militias or are they eventually put under the command of the real army forces in the area?

[Haibane]

Redeve - my first thought was to play a civilian caught up in the fighting, and then I decided to play a military female, a non-combatant, yes, but someone who would know how to use a gun and throw a grenade (basic training, yes?) so that whatever the game throws up my woman could be useful to whoever I was with.

Okay, very raw char sheet (will be worked on):

Image: See links, need to sort these out, but here she is:

Name: Susan Hunter-Dunn
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Race: English
Nation of Origin: Great Britain
Citizenship: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Affiliation: RAF
Occupation: Transport Regiment
Service Record: Child pilot prodigy. Pilot cadet 1919, home service in No.17 (Training) Squadron (Bristol Fighters) 1920-1921. Advanced cadet pilot navigation and map reading course, 1921, passed out 12th in her class of 32 (See here second from right). Persian station (Baghdad) 1922-23, flying Gloster Gladiator single seat biplane scouts on reconnaisance missions over Turkey, Iran and Kurdestan. Attached to RAF Liason Bureau in Washington 1924, ended up driving limos chauffeuring brass hats to dinners and dances. Requested transfer to RAF Transport Regiment, October 1924 and since based at Floyd Bennet Field, NYC as part of the allied liason transport corps.

Currently off duty at the Waldorf Hotel on 301 Park Avenue.

[RedEve]

Redeve - my first thought was to play a civilian caught up in the fighting, and then I decided to play a military female, a non-combatant, yes, but someone who would know how to use a gun and throw a grenade (basic training, yes?) so that whatever the game throws up my woman could be useful to whoever I was with.

Check my post above about being a ferry pilot, it may help.

I think I'd prefer to play a regular civilian who knows how to handle a gun but has no real military background. I'd just like to know from the GM what role the civilians are suppose to have in the battle. ;)

[GloomCookie]

I think I'd prefer to play a regular civilian who knows how to handle a gun but has no real military background. I'd just like to know from the GM what role the civilians are suppose to have in the battle. ;)

Well, you could always play Bullet Catcher :P nah just kidding.  Um, most civilians will be fighting for their lives, either forming up with the Army or just trying to get the hell out of Dodge.  Either way, you have no real ties other than New York being your home.

I'll be posting the thread today with a nice long intro post.  Oh, and those dirigibles from the first pictures?  Those are the ones the Germans will be using.  New Design and what not.

[RedEve]

Name: Clémence Marceau
Age: 27
Gender: female
Race: European
Nation of Origin: France
Citizenship: US
Affiliation: American civilian
Occupation: Night club singer
Service Record: Clémence Marceau works as a singer at the "Dame de cœur" nightclub in NYC. The club, though popular in its own right, is merely a front for a gang of French-American gangsters that arrived in the country roughly a decade ago. Bootlegging, prostitution, racketeering... They  have a finger in the broth of every little bit of dirty business that goes on in the city. Clémence herself is both the start attraction at the club and the gang's most formidable - yet secret - assassin.

How is this for a character sheet Linna?

One quick question: would the Germans have paratrooper units? I checked wiki and it seems like the earliest experiments with Airborne troops date from late in WW I and the first actual use in combat happened in the mid 1920s, so it would certainly fit into your alternate universe timeline.

[Haibane]

Actually I really like her, she's smokin' hot and quite a realistic char given the scenario *rewrites Susan Hunter-Dunn as bisexual*

[GloomCookie]

I love both characters, very smokin hot.  Paratroopers, I'm not that keen to see, because while there were experiments, it wasn't until the advent of Nylon by DuPont in WWII that parachutes became cheap enough to use.  Considering they want one for everyone in a plane and an airship, it'd be expensive trying to come up with enough more material to outfit soldiers.

Oh, and the moment you've all been waiting for is here

[RedEve]

I love both characters, very smokin hot.  Paratroopers, I'm not that keen to see, because while there were experiments, it wasn't until the advent of Nylon by DuPont in WWII that parachutes became cheap enough to use.  Considering they want one for everyone in a plane and an airship, it'd be expensive trying to come up with enough more material to outfit soldiers.

Well I was not thinking about the entire invasion force having a parachute, more like the Germans dropping in small clusters of men at key strategic points of the city. One such unit would drop down right above the "Dame de cœur" and a gunfight would ensue between the mobsters and the German troops. ;)

[GloomCookie]

Well I was not thinking about the entire invasion force having a parachute, more like the Germans dropping in small clusters of men at key strategic points of the city. One such unit would drop down right above the "Dame de cœur" and a gunfight would ensue between the mobsters and the German troops. ;)

How about... an airship goes down, and the crew bails out in their parachutes?  That'd let them land right on top of you, and then you can have it.  That sound good to you?

[RedEve]

How about... an airship goes down, and the crew bails out in their parachutes?  That'd let them land right on top of you, and then you can have it.  That sound good to you?

Sure, that works for me. How many men would one airship hold?

[Haibane]

Scurrying around wikipedia and so on its hard to find how many people crewed an airship. The R101 which crashed in 1930 had 45 crew. The Hindenburg which infamously crashed at Lakehurst in 1937 had 97 people on board but that included passengers. The USS Akron had 76 passengers and crew aboard when it crashed in 1933, so it seems around 45 to 60 people crewed a civilian airship. Add wartime machine gun crews and bombardiers and you could have 60 to 80 crew.

Given that not all would bail out in time in a (fire?) crash you could be looking at half that number parachuting down I suppose. So... 30 to 40 men.

[Travaius]

Wow...Leave for a little while and see how much you guys do...Sheesh.

[RedEve]

Scurrying around wikipedia and so on its hard to find how many people crewed an airship. The R101 which crashed in 1930 had 45 crew. The Hindenburg which infamously crashed at Lakehurst in 1937 had 97 people on board but that included passengers. The USS Akron had 76 passengers and crew aboard when it crashed in 1933, so it seems around 45 to 60 people crewed a civilian airship. Add wartime machine gun crews and bombardiers and you could have 60 to 80 crew.

Given that not all would bail out in time in a (fire?) crash you could be looking at half that number parachuting down I suppose. So... 30 to 40 men.

Thanks for the info, I'll work on an opening post based on your numbers. I hope/assume Linna won't object, though I only really needed a ball-park figure to have an idea of how many men might overrun the club.

[Haibane]

Haha, I don't  think the parachuted-down crew of a crashed Zepp would be up to overrunning anything. Each man would land where he did and look after surviving himself. They'd have no rifles for a start ;) You're talking about parachutists trained to attack an objective upon landing which is something different. I think you need the GM's OK to proceed with such an idea.

@ Travaius: Try not sleeping, then the flow of comments is much slower ;)

[GloomCookie]

Thanks for the info, I'll work on an opening post based on your numbers. I hope/assume Linna won't object, though I only really needed a ball-park figure to have an idea of how many men might overrun the club.

30 to 40 people mostly trying to get to the ground without going squish.  Most of your excitement will come from the large flaming airship coming in to crash right on top of your club :P

[Xiddeus]

Image
Name: William "Billy" McCriver
Age: 24
Gender:Male
Race:Scotch/Irish
Nation of Origin:United States
Citizenship:United States
Affiliation:NY Cabbie Union
Occupation:Cabbie
Service Record: Doesn't have one, never served, though he is the son of a local Policeman and a woman of pleasure, he grew up on the slums of NY.  He got into driving when he stole a new daimler and it happened to belong to a local crime boss.  This gave him the later opportunity to prove himself as a wheelman and landed a job with the local 502 Cabbie Union.  Now he just drives around looking for fares and when the time is needed, he does runs for the Mob.

[RedEve]

30 to 40 people mostly trying to get to the ground without going squish.  Most of your excitement will come from the large flaming airship coming in to crash right on top of your club :P

Oops...

I wrote my post before I read this. I do love very much how it came out though, so I hope you'll allow me to keep it as is?

[GloomCookie]

Oops...

I wrote my post before I read this. I do love very much how it came out though, so I hope you'll allow me to keep it as is?

I'll allow it.  This time *glare glare* kidding.  It'll be fine, but please don't go all Rambo and try to take on the entire German Army by yourself.

[RedEve]

I'll allow it.  This time *glare glare* kidding.  It'll be fine, but please don't go all Rambo and try to take on the entire German Army by yourself.

Oh, that's not my intention. :D

I tried to make sure to have more of the mobsters dying than Germans. ;)

I just liked it because it provided my character with a dramatic opening.

[Haibane]

Any chance of a thread for characters and OOC discussion?

[Major Major]

Give me a minute to finish Nobby's Service Record and I'll make a post.

[CrazyIvan]

there is my first post hope that it is not to bad.

[Major Major]

I am deeply impressed, and rather annoyed, Ivan.

Impressed that you were able to write so much, and annoyed that it takes me the best part of an hour to write, at most, two short paragraphs and then I run out of ideas to continue the post.

[Xiddeus]

Hey peeps, just waiting to see if this was a cool character to join in.  Loving the posts though.

[Major Major]

We could certainly use some Allied troops here. At the moment, the only named Good Guy Soldier is my Royal Marine.

[CrazyIvan]

Hey the German could be Good Guys from their perspective, after all it is kinda of subjective. Also WW 1 was just all kinds of weird with no one real good guy. Though this is me just going on about nothing.

[Travaius]

Eh you're right though. Germany didn't even really want to go to war. They thought by backing Austria-Hungary that Russia would just not enter at all. And when Britain declared on them it was actually a shock. They considered them cousins and figured they would stay neutral if they didn't help the German themselves.

[Major Major]

You get what I mean though, right?

[CrazyIvan]

Yeah I know what you meant.

[Travaius]

:P Of course, the sides are a little uneven, if you don't count our female French expat.

[Haibane]

Poop, I forgot to mention this ages ago but I write in the first person. Is that going to be an issue for anyone?

[RedEve]

:P Of course, the sides are a little uneven, if you don't count our female French expat.

And why would you do that? :p

She's like a female Picasso with that Tommy gun of hers. ;)

[Travaius]

First person isn't an issue for me at all, I am just used to writing in third.

[RedEve]

In my next post, I'm planning on having Clémence successfully escape the club. I would like to know the general outline of the invasion so I have a better idea of where to take her next. What area will be overrun first? Where will the largest concentration of Germans converge upon?

[MagicalPen]

I'm still here/interested but out of town with very limited internet access until wednesday night.

[Haibane]

I'm not sure I can make the time for this now :( I'm in one group game that's gone ballistic in the last couple of days and is taking up almost all my RPing time on it's own, plus several 1-on-1s and another group game. Meh... Annoying as this one looks so fresh and different.

Would it be okay if I joined at a later time? I'm sure I can invent a reason for my lady pilot to be out of town on some courier task and she returns into the middle of things.

[GloomCookie]

Any chance of a thread for characters and OOC discussion?

I will be posting one in a bit.  Look for it in the same area as the regular game :)

We could certainly use some Allied troops here. At the moment, the only named Good Guy Soldier is my Royal Marine.

Until we get more people in here to play Allies, I'll be posing in as individual soldiers, just as I did with the intro post.

Poop, I forgot to mention this ages ago but I write in the first person. Is that going to be an issue for anyone?

Perspective is relative to the person seeing what they want.  That made no sense and if you knew the conditions I was under when typing this, you'd totally understand :P I'm just glad my hands aren't shaking from fatigue anymore.

In my next post, I'm planning on having Clémence successfully escape the club. I would like to know the general outline of the invasion so I have a better idea of where to take her next. What area will be overrun first? Where will the largest concentration of Germans converge upon?

I'll cover that in my next post :)

I'm not sure I can make the time for this now :( I'm in one group game that's gone ballistic in the last couple of days and is taking up almost all my RPing time on it's own, plus several 1-on-1s and another group game. Meh... Annoying as this one looks so fresh and different.

Would it be okay if I joined at a later time? I'm sure I can invent a reason for my lady pilot to be out of town on some courier task and she returns into the middle of things.

That's fine hun.  If you want, you can just come back delivering troops to try and reinforce the American forces already in New York.  Just let me know what you want to do.

[GloomCookie]

I'm adding in a poll.  This is to determine the long-term outcome of the thread.  The reason for this is because even when this RP ends, I'm planning out the next step.  Each choice has a unique ending, so remember that your choice has consequences!  This will also let me get an idea also of how I should frame the RP.

Edit: Oh son of a bitch.  I set the poll too long, because I'll be out of town on the 25th.  So the poll will actually close on Friday, May 21 about 10:30 PM Central Standard Time (-6 GMT).  This will be when I get home from work that day :)

[Haibane]

Is it your intention that anyone on Elliquiy can vote in the poll? Or do you want only players to? If the poll is here it could be spammed by loads of people who are not interested in the outcome, plus, this site being what it is I think the Americans would win that poll if you leave it to E as a whole to vote.

[GloomCookie]

Is it your intention that anyone on Elliquiy can vote in the poll? Or do you want only players to? If the poll is here it could be spammed by loads of people who are not interested in the outcome, plus, this site being what it is I think the Americans would win that poll if you leave it to E as a whole to vote.

Yeah... probably be best if we just limit it then.  Oh well, let's just have everyone post their choice, and then we'll see what the poll results are just for shits and giggles

[Haibane]

Can you delete it and put another poll up in the OOC thread?

[Major Major]

By the way, Linna, I'm a bit of a naval boffin, so, if it helps at all, I can dig up names of Allied warships that you could use to attack the German Hochseeflotte (High Seas Fleet).

[RedEve]

If all of the Germans are currently in and around pier 4 and 5 than Clémence will not participate in any combat until the Germans push further into the city. The next post will focus on her escape form the club and she is not going to look for any more trouble unless it finds her first. ;)

[GloomCookie]

By the way, Linna, I'm a bit of a naval boffin, so, if it helps at all, I can dig up names of Allied warships that you could use to attack the German Hochseeflotte (High Seas Fleet).

Most of the fighting in the ocean will take place between the Royal Navy and the High Seas Fleet.  The American Navy will probably provide back up and keep running tabs on the HSF until the Royal Navy can find a good spot to engage them at.

[Major Major]

Exactly; Another Jutland then, but winner takes all this time.

[GloomCookie]

Exactly; Another Jutland then, but winner takes all this time.

That was my intention.  Winner takes all.

[RedEve]

So where should I take my character next Linna? What news would she hear where she is at? Would the people who pass her by tell her to run towards the pier?

[GloomCookie]

So where should I take my character next Linna? What news would she hear where she is at? Would the people who pass her by tell her to run towards the pier?

The radio will be playing either frantic news or you might be able to pick up some broadcasts from the Eiffel Tower in German and French.  The French and German news is purely propoganda, while the American News is frantic and chaotic, trying to figure out where the invasion is coming from.  There's even speculation that the US Army is doing it to scare up a reason for more war.  I'll let you choose how frantic and chaotic it is, but most people are running around in confusion.

[RedEve]

Okay. :)

Anyone want to meet up with Clémence in the process?

[Major Major]

If you're heading for the docks, you could have her meet Clark.

[RedEve]

If you're heading for the docks, you could have her meet Clark.

Okay, but aren't the docks suppose to be overrun?

[Major Major]

Only in parts.

[RedEve]

Don't tell me this is dead already? I had really high hopes of this becoming a fun little game.

[Odin]

The reference to the Union Flag (it's only called the Union Jack when it's flying from the Jackstaff of a ship) makes me think that I could argue that there might be a few Royal Navy personnel around.

Hate to post old quotes... But... Indeed, it is the union flag, but the actual symbol on it is the Union Jack. If that makes any sense. It is like the American flag. It is covered in stars and stripes, but it is not called the Stars and Stripes Flag.

And on the topic of; I'll be interested in joining if it flares up again. After such a hearty discussion it really is a shame to see it die.

[Haibane]

Major Major is correct, mostly. The actual history is not clear and various theories suggest why the names are different:

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/geography/unionjack.html

http://www.know-britain.com/general/union_jack.html

[RedEve]

So are we done already then?