Gundam 1942

[Mirumoto_Kenjiro]

Here's another hot and weird idea I came up with:


Setting:  Europe to North Africa, March 1942.  The war started in 1937, with a civil war between the fascist Nazi Party and the Republic of a New Germany, until 1939, when the Republic was beaten across the Belgium/German border, and Nazi Germany invaded Poland, igniting the global war.  By 1940, many other European nations fell and escaped across the channel to England.  When the USA entered the war in 1941, American troops and resources empowered the Allied forces to do battle with Nazi Germany and its allies across Europe and North Africa.

Gundam Setup:  Humanoid robotic suits of heavy steel, experimental fusion power core, jet technology for flight propulsion, melee weapons & firearms resembling period weapons (i.e. super-sized SMLE bolt-action rifle or Thompson sub-machine gun firing artillery shell-like bullets, no lasers), closed-circuit TV optics, radar


Rules:  PG-13

OC characters only.  RL historical characters only mentioned.

Standard forces (infantry, tanks, aircraft, i.e.) still numerous and very important.

This is alternate history.  Events could change.

Gundams are operated by officers only.

If furries are allowed, Hitler's ideal SS furries have silver, white, or blonde fur.


Gundam Groups:  Panzermanngruppe (Armored Man Group) - Units controlled by Nazi Germany, mainly SS.  Few created by the Republic, now called the Free German Confederacy, commanded by Erwin Rommel.

Royal Iron Man Corps - United Kingdom units.  Polish, Czechoslovakian, Dutch, & Commonwealth forces found here.  Most common Gundams in this time of the war.

US Army Mobile Suit Command - American units.  Mainly for skirmishing at this time of the war, but numbers are steadily growing.

Fusiliers de Mobile Armure (Mobile Suit Infantry) - Units of both Free French and Vichy French armies.

Regio Ferro Esercito (Royal Iron Army) - Italian Gundam units.  More often found in North Africa and Mediterranean.

Guards Mobile Suits - Soviet Gundam units.  Not very numerous at this time of the war, but numbers will grow.


Profiles:
Name
Age
Gender
Species (if furries are allowed)
Occupation
Rank
Nationality/Origin
Weapons (personal weapons)
Transport (vehicles, airplanes, mobile suits, etc.)
Armament (same as above)
Description
Personality
Background



If there are anyone who are interested, let me know if you want just human characters or humans/furries in the story.  It's the only thing I don't know how to choose.  Also, I'm open to new ideas.

[Rocky]

"I vote only humans. Nothing personal, but Furies and WWII has been done before, Gundam and WWII that sounds original.

[Kor]

I wouldn't think having humans and furies would change things much either way.  Except for the need to take tails into account for making chairs  &seats, as well as maybe horns, for certain species.  If certain species could be picked by pc's, or only certain species could be Gundam pilots.

[StarfallRaptor]

I vote humans and furries as well.  Another idea might be adding the Vertical Tanks from the Steel Battalion series or something similar as a kind of basic mechanized unit.  Large gas engines, slow, unwieldy, but nonetheless cheaper and more widespread than the "true" Gundams.

[Mirumoto_Kenjiro]

That's sort of the idea of what the WW2 Gundams would be.  They won't be at mach speed or exotic armor and weapons, but there could be even older models that could resemble Vertical Tanks.  But it should still remain fewer than normal tanks and vehicles.

[StarfallRaptor]

Of course.  I just thought of the idea for balancing purposes.  Since there likely wouldn't be much that could pose a real threat to the Gundams.  And due to costs, I don't think that any one side could field so many.  Thus, the VT units would have a decent amount of the same features, but no jets, no real hands, and a gasoline generator to keep costs low.  Think elite generic units.

[Mirumoto_Kenjiro]

I think that could work rather well.  Something like heavy armor complementing weaker armored units or infantry, or for more defensive roles such as guarding bases or coastlines, or maybe rapid reaction to threats were other heavy armor can't get to a place fast enough.

For the Gundams, their roles might most likely be for attacking fortifications and large enemy formations, or fighting other Gundams.

One such thing perhaps to memorize would be the battles of Dunkirk and Britain.  While the Allies battled the Nazi Luftwaffe with planes high in the sky, the Gundams battled each other just over the water of the English Channel, trying to get at each others ports and shipping.


While we're on the subject, we can all create mobile suits and VT's for everyone to choose from.  We just have to keep to technology and traditions of the period.  I.E. a German mobile suit would be made by a German manufacturing company, like Krupp (a tank maker) or Henschel (an aircraft maker).  If this works, I'll set up a profile for people to create their mobile suits and VT's.

[Mirumoto_Kenjiro]

Here are the specs for your mobile suit and "walker tanks" (the VT's we were talking about):

Here, I'm using a Sherman tank as an example for some of these parts (in parenthesis).


Designation Number:  (M4)
Designation Name:  (Sherman)
Vehicle Class:  (Medium Tank)
Country of Origin:  (USA)
Manufacturer:  Producer of vehicles
Year of Development:  First produced, not designed
Crew:
Dimensions:  Size, weight, etc
Powerplants:  Main power source, propulsion systems
Operational Range:
Armor:  NO advanced armor
Armament:  Existing period weapons before 1945 (this includes failed or experimental prototypes)
Systems:  Radar, optics, etc.  Existing period systems before 1945
Performance:  Speed (walking, flight, water), altitude (if with flight)


TIPS FOR HISTORICAL ACCURACY:  British armor always have designated numbers starting with A, variant models in Marks (Mk), and names that start with A.

British aircraft always have names affiliated with flying or air.  (Hurricane, Meteor, etc)

German armor and aircraft "almost" always have names after animals, and designated numbers starting with abbreviations of either vehicle class (armor) or manufacturer (aircraft).  I.E. A Panzerkampfwagen IV is also Panzer IV OR Pz.Kpfw.IV, and a Messerschmidt 262 is also Me 262.

American armor always have designated numbers starting with M, variant models starting A, and names after American Civil War generals.  I.E. M4A2 Sherman

[StarfallRaptor]

Alright, I guess I'll post my main stuff first!

Name: Makoto Seijuro (Aka Eric)

Age: 21

Gender: Male

Species: Kitsune

Occupation: American Mobile Suit Pilot

Rank: Second Lieutenant

Nationality/Origin: Japanese

Weapons: Colt M1911A1, M3A1 "Grease Gun" SMG, Katana sword

Transport: M0A13-1, Military Motorcycle

Armament: Thompson SMG, M1 Garand, Raketenpanzerb¸chse (Stolen), Odachi, M3A1 SMG X 2, M1911A1 X 2

Description:  Lean, wiry, and slender, with slanted brown eyes, long, deep
brownish-red hair, kept tied in a ponytail, and white fur.

Personality:  Brave, confident, and an extremely skilled pilot, however he is gentle and understanding with the other members of his unit.  However, he rarely trusts people, due to his heritage marking him for hatred and mistreatment on a fairly regular basis.

Background:  Born to Japanese heritage, Makoto was brought up by his parents, successful businesspeople and a loving family.  At the age of 19, he decided to join the Army.  Quickly attracting the attentions of the officers during training, he was quickly placed into officer training.  He graduated the top of his class, being placed in the USAMC program.  However, his promising career was cut short when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, forcing him out of his unit, and into the 442nd Armored Infantry, a unit widely renowned for its' use of prototype Mobile units, and its even higher mortality rate.  Now, he's stationed at the front lines of the new conflict.



Designation Number: M0A13-1

Designation Name: Unnamed Prototype (9 Produced)

Vehicle Class: "Gundam"

Country of Origin: USA

Manufacturer: Ford

Year of Development: 1942

Crew: 1 Pilot

Powerplants: Experimental Fusion Reactor, Jet Propulsion Systems

Operational Range: Theoretically Infinite, Carries enough jet fuel for approx. 1500 Miles.

Armor: Multi-layered Steel Applique armor

Armament: M1911A1 Handguns X 2, M3A1 SMG X 2, M1 Garand Rifle, Thompson SMG, M1D Sniper-Class Rifle, Mondragon Rifle (Stolen), Raketenpanzerb¸chse (Stolen), Mors SMG,  High-tensile steel Katana/Odachi, Shield

Systems: Radar, Basic CCTV with Zoom functionality, Floodlights, Night Vision System-Prototype

Performance:
Ground Speed: 50 MPH Max
Thruster Speed: 150 MPH Max
Max Altitude: 11,450 Miles

[Mirumoto_Kenjiro]

^ Only thing you need to modify, besides the dimensions (which isn't that big a deal), is to change the armor.  Ablative armor's too high-tech for this age.  You can use rolled steel & iron, with applique, improvised, spaced, sloped, and slat armor.  These have existed during WW2.

Other than that, you did fine.

[Mirumoto_Kenjiro]

Here are my chars and gear.  This post may have to be updated a few times.

Name:  Erik von Durnich
Age:  46
Gender:  Male
Species:  Eurasian Wolf
Occupation:  Staffel (squadron) commander, mobile suit pilot
Rank:  Major
Nationality/Origin:  Germany
Weapons/Equipment:  Walther PP handgun, Thompson M1 submachine gun, engraved musical pocket watch, violin
Transport:  Panzermannkreiger II Jaguar mobile suit
Armament:  Gewehr 98 bolt-action sniper rifle, twin Mauser C96 automatic handguns, compartments for up to eight stick grenades, zweihander sword

Description:  Gray fur w/ white underside & smoky undertones, gold eyes, 6'1", middleweight build

Personality:  As a soldier, Erik is stern, strong-willed, militaristic, and sometimes demanding of his squadron, but he proves faithful and trusting in his team's abilities.  When off-duty, he keeps to himself most of the time, either listening to the music of his pocket watch, or making his own music through his violin, even to the dismay of anyone who don't appreciate classical music.  Even in the midst of distrust and even persecution by some non-German allies, he retains a strong pride in his country and devoted to rescuing his homeland from the fascist murderers.  Deep within, he is on a personal manhunt for someone he refuses to mention to anyone.  Besides German, he speaks fluent English with a near-perfect British accent.

Background:  Erik became a brilliant tactician in the Reichswehr during the First Great War, becoming the rank of major shortly before the war ended.  Between wars, he kept out of political affairs, marrying a young woman and living in Bavaria when he was called to serve with the Republic to battle against the Nazi regime.  Before the Republic was beaten into Belgium, Erik receives a note from an unknown person, claiming to have murdered his wife, who happened to be Jewish, and taunts the major to chase after him deep into the Third Reich.  Erik would soon become commander of a six-suit staffel in the Free German Confederacy, the only Gundam group fighting under the free-German banner.


Name:  Vanessa Chamberlain
Age:  25
Gender:  Female
Species:  Human
Occupation:  Cryptographer, Women's Army Corps.  Also specializes as an aerial photograph analyst, stenographer, and radio operator
Rank:  1st Lieutenant
Nationality/Origin:  United States
Weapons/Equipment:  M1911A1 handgun
Transport:  None
Armament:  None

Description:  Caucasian, shoulder blade-length dark red hair tied up into her hat, green eyes, 5'7", agile build

Personality:  She considers herself tough and reliable at her job.  She's also practical to know she and other women could not serve as combatants, but she believes herself capable of protecting herself in the field, hence the presence of her gun at her side.  She's a quick wit around men, keeping them in check about their views of women in the armed forces, and can fluently speak French & German.

Background:  Vanessa had trained for nearly two years since the WAC's creation in the States, and was then transferred to England to await assignments.  She would not expect being assigned as support for a mobile suit unit in the Free German Confederacy...


Name:  Johann
Age:  Between 25 and 30
Gender:  Male
Species:  German Shepherd Dog
Occupation:  SS Panzermannkreiger Geschwader (wing) commander
Rank:  Oberst (colonel)
Nationality/Origin:  Germany
Weapons/Equipment:  Mauser C96 automatic handgun, SS dagger, rosary beads
Transport:  Panzermannkrieger III Gorilla mobile suit.  He may have a newer model in the works
Armament:  Twin Stg 44 assault rifles w/ stocks removed, double Panzerfausts built within each forearm, MG 42 machine gun

Description:  White fur, ice blue eyes, 6', light build

Personality:  On the outside, he is calm and soft-spoken, almost cold demeanor, even in combat, but on the inside, he is ruthless, sadistic, and cherishes his every kill, whether enemy soldier or civilian.  He is quite affluent in English, and could almost develop an English or American accent.

Background:  Little is known about Johann's origins before his rise to the rank of oberst in the SS Panzermannkrieger forces.  He took part into the invasion of France, but was moved to the Balkans during the Battle of Britain.  There, he is believed to be currently stationed in Greece, perhaps making ready to join the North African Campaign.


Name:  Hans Erdmann
Age:  42
Gender:  Male
Species:  Wolf
Occupation:  Mobile suit pilot
Rank:  Hauptmann (captain)
Nationality/Origin:  German
Weapons/Equipment:  P.38 handgun, M3 Grease Gun, fighting dagger
Transport:  Panzermannkreiger II Jaguar mobile suit
Armament:  Gewehr 98 bolt-action sniper rifle, twin Mauser C96 automatic handguns, compartments for up to eight stick grenades, Boys anti-armor rifle

Description:  Dark gray fur, yellow eyes, 6'4", heavyweight build

Personality:  Hans is strong-willed, determined, and highly devoted to his commander Erik von Durnich, even willing to die for him.  He is also very proud of his German heritage and would look down on less-experienced pilots from other nations, and slow to give respect to those who are better-skilled.  Although he could speak English, he does not do it often, and only with a heavy accent.

Background:  All that is known about Hans is his service under Erik throughout most of his military career.  He continues to serve in the Free German Confederacy.


----------

Designation Number:  Panzermannkreiger II (Pz.Mn.Kgr II)
Designation Name:  Jaguar
Vehicle Class:  Mobile Suit
Country of Origin:  Germany
Manufacturer:  Krupp
Year of Development:  1938
Crew: 1
Powerplants:  Compact nuclear fusion power core, twin Heinkel jet engines
Operational Range:  Infinite, jet propulsion range 1000 miles
Armor:  Rolled steel armor w/ applique modifications
Armament:  Gewehr 98 bolt-action sniper rifle, twin Mauser C96 automatic handguns, compartments for up to eight stick grenades, back scabbard to accommodate melee weapons and heavy firearms

Systems:  CCTV w/ focusing telescopic lens, short-wave radio, British-built radar, oxygen mask

Performance:  45 mph land speed, 135 mph air speed, 9,240 mile service ceiling

Background:  Second-generation of mobile suits made by German engineers.  Deemed obsolete as a front-line weapon when the Pz.Mn.Kgr III Gorilla came into production in 1940, just two years after the Jaguar's first year of production.  The Jaguar in control of the Free German Confederacy have been modified and upgraded with Allied technologies, while those under Nazi Germany became support for other units.  Some have been modified extensively for other roles, such as replacing arms for rocket pods, armored recovery vehicles, and combat engineering vehicles.


Designation Number:  Panzermannkreiger III (Pz.Mn.Kgr III)
Designation Name:  Gorilla
Vehicle Class:  Mobile Suit
Country of Origin:  Germany
Manufacturer:  Krupp
Year of Development:  1940
Crew:  1
Powerplants:  Compact nuclear fusion power core, twin Heinkel jet engines
Operational Range:  Infinite, jet propulsion range 1400 miles
Armor:  Rolled steel spaced armor
Armament:  Twin Stg 44 assault rifles w/ stocks removed, double Panzerfausts built within each forearm, MG 42 machine gun.  Optional attachable over-shoulder anti-armor rifle and arm-attachable Flammenwerfer flamethrower.

Systems:  CCTV w/ focusing telescopic lens, short-wave radio, oxygen mask, Telefunken radar

Performance:  40 mph land speed, 135 mph air speed, 10,100 mile service ceiling

Background:  The current model of mobile suits built and serving in Nazi Germany, first of which to the SS, and used as a front-line weapon against the Allies.  Although considerably heavier and larger than the Jaguar, the Gorilla almost matches or exceeds the capability of its predecessor.

[Mirumoto_Kenjiro]

I almost forgot to respond to you, Kor.  It would be unfair to only allow one species as pilots, but we could restrict to certain types of species for the story.  The issue would revolve around reptiles, avians, and perhaps a few mammals.

[Mirumoto_Kenjiro]

Is there anyone else here who's still interested, and need any help or assistance?

[Kor]

Not sure if I should be a gundam pilot, not having seen any of the anime, or maybe a mechanic or doctor or something background like that.

[Mirumoto_Kenjiro]

You're not restricted to be a gundam pilot.  You're free to be whatever you like, provided such positions exist in WW2.  Even though, you still have a lot of options.

[Mirumoto_Kenjiro]

I finally got my villain down.

[Mirumoto_Kenjiro]

So far, we have 3 folks interested, 2 of which have already put characters down.  We'll probably need a few more players before we can start.

[StarfallRaptor]

Yep.  
Also, Bump.

[Mirumoto_Kenjiro]

I'm still hoping for this one.

Anyway, should we start off the setting in England for a brief period, and then set off for north Africa?

[StarfallRaptor]

Yeah.  Either that, or divide it out into two separate campaigns.  Have the North African battles have other characters and such from the European battle.