Photographs and drawings from the First World War might catch the eye, but the letters and diaries of the participants can give a far more detailed understanding of how it felt to actually fight under the grim conditions of 1914-1918. Letters and diaries allow us to reconstruct battles like the fighting for the Castelletto a fortified Austro-Hungarian position with a commanding position over strategically important supply routes. Despite the strength of the position, it was exposed and Austro-Hungarian commanders felt it was only a matter of time before the Italians took it.
Following multiple failed attacks, the Italian Alpini resorted to mining into the mountain below the Austro-Hungarian positions, first using picks and eventually pneumatic drills. The Austro-Hungarian commander of the Castelletto at the time was a 19-year-old given the posting because he was young with no family. Hans Schneeberger wrote letters describing the fighting around the position. Eventually the Italians finished their tunnel, which the Austro-Hungarians learnt about from an intercepted transmission. Schneeberger wrote: Everything is like yesterday, except that another 24 hours have passed and we are 24 hours closer to death.
A mine detonated beneath a mountain position, from Itinerari Della Grande Guerra. They include it with an article about the Castelletto, but it seems more likely to be an Austro-Hungarian mine at Monte Lagazuoi.
Miraculously, Schneeberger would survive having 35 tons of explosions set off beneath him while he slept in the Austro-Hungarian barracks on the Castelletto, fight off an Italian assault, and then eventually withdraw under cover of night. War diaries like those of Erwin Rommel, who was a young officer during WW1 and fought on the Italian Front, often go into great depth about the challenges of battle in the mountains.
An Italian assault on Austro-Hungarian positions on the Marmolada map in Isonzo.
Weight of Words
Almost 4 billion letters and cards were sent to and from Italian soldiers during the First World War this compares to around 10 and 30 billion items sent by the larger armies of France and Germany respectively. But another factor to consider is that alongside having less total soldiers mobilized, Italy also had a rather low literacy rate: at the outbreak of war there were perhaps 40% of the population who couldnt read or write. With no other way to communicate with their loved ones, or sometimes just to express themselves and find an escape from the experience of the war, illiterate men would either learn or get help writing from their comrades or military chaplains. The Italian military issued a large number of postcards, many in a format designed to be easy for less literate soldiers to fill out, with some preprinted text, clear spaces for addresses. However, these cards may have had a dual purpose: in giving such a limited space for actual writing, it would prevent soldiers writing too much about their experiences, controlling the amount of information getting out to the civilian population and making the job of the mail censors easier. Mail censorship was common during the First World War, and means that a lot of letters and cards are more vague and less expressive than they might otherwise have been.
This Italian postcard from the front was written in 1917, and uploaded by a Wikipedia user. Note the purple stamp indicating thats its been checked by a censor and are all those flags really necessary... Along with descriptions of the usual machine guns, artillery, and poison gas are the unique dangers of high altitude combat. Boulders rolled down the steep slopes and cliff faces, avalanches triggered by shell fire, and simply cutting ropes or ladders Schneeberger recollects his sergeant cutting a rope ladder being climbed by Alpini and laughing as they fell to their deaths.
Fighting through the ice tunnels of Marmolada. You might not have to worry about avalanches when fighting in the mountains of Isonzos higher altitude maps, but where available tunnels will provide cover from artillery and aircraft, while you will need to watch your step on some narrow cliffside paths well worth the risk for the chance to take your enemies by surprise. Dress for Alpine Warfare with the fittingly named Alpine Units Pack, featuring uniforms from mountaineer units alongside winter clothing for regular soldiers and a range of accessories. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1815511/Isonzo__Alpine_Units_Pack/
[ 2024-01-25 10:02:40 CET ] [ Original post ]
🎮 Full Controller Support
- K Station Windows Content [17.84 G]
From the makers of Verdun and Tannenberg …
The new Offensive game mode puts you right in the middle of key historical offensives on the Italian Front. Lead the charge across stunning Italian landscapes as you choose your path to victory - cut paths through barbed wire, flank your enemies by following mountain trails, or man a mortar to blast a way through. Shape a dynamic battlefield by laying sandbags and wire, placing ammo crates, deploying trench periscopes or sniper shields, and more.
Take part in historical offensives from the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo to the Strafexpedition. Reflecting the course of the actual battles, as the attackers advance the fighting will shift through vastly different landscapes within a single offensive: from hillside fortresses to mountain trenches and fierce urban combat on city streets. Everything is recreated based on research and field trips, from sound effects and uniforms down to the houses, vineyards and trenches you’ll be fighting over.
Call in support with a unique historically accurate flare system: flare guns can mark targets for artillery or biplane flybys, or different colored flares can be used to guide your team. Once the big guns have softened up the enemy, finish the job at close quarters with an Arditi dagger or mountaineer’s pickaxe. Man heavy machine guns, mortars and even mountain guns for more direct fire support.
Choose from six classes based on historical combat roles and build your loadout from a selection of weapons, equipment and perks linked to that class, giving flexibility and variety while staying grounded in what real soldiers might have carried. You’ll be operating wire cutters, bandaging yourself and wounded teammates, and blowing the whistle to start an assault. One shot can kill and even lighter injuries can lead to quickly bleeding out.
Being an effective soldier in Isonzo is not just about being a good marksman. Mastering the terrain is also key - the mountain can be a friend or foe. Learn how to navigate well to maintain cover and surprise your enemies or support your allies.
Finally… watch out for the dreaded poison gas. You’ve never experienced WW1 action quite like this!
Isonzo key features include:
- Mountain warfare: Assaulting mountain fortifications, battling through ruined towns, and fording rivers are just a few of the challenges you’ll face as you fight your way through numerous enemy positions
- Tactical multiplayer FPS: Choose your role and loadout carefully to survive this high altitude combat - play a sniper to pick off the enemy engineers before they can cut your wire, use rifle grenades to clear enemy machine guns, and much more
- World War One Gameplay: Historical Offensive game mode based on real battles and focused on the unique challenges of Alpine warfare. Fight with 30+ WW1 weapons, poisonous gas attacks, and intense artillery barrages
- Build for victory: Place your own wire, sandbags, trench periscopes, and more! Whether you’re digging in or on the attack, shaping the battlefield to your advantage will be key to victory
- Faces of war: Make every class your own by picking from a variety of historically class-appropriate uniforms, accessories and headgear. As a finishing touch, you can even pick your mustache from several famous period-accurate styles!
- Authentic WW1 atmosphere: Accuracy in everything from maps and weaponry to music and the uniforms – fight for the Kingdom of Italy or the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy
More Games in the Authentic WW1 Game Series
Immerse yourself in more WW1 action with our other standalone titles Tannenberg and Verdun. Experience trench warfare on the Western Front in Verdun, or maneuver for control of key sectors in Tannenberg on the Eastern Front. These authentic WW1 shooters let players choose from a range of squads from across the war, as they fight for control of the ever-changing frontlines.
- OS: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 640
- Storage: 20 GB available space
- OS: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- Processor: Intel i7-4770Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
- Storage: 20 GB available space
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