During World War One the German 'Rifle Testing Commission' requested a lightweight fully automatic weapon able to be carried by one man and chambered for the 9mm Parabellum cartridge. In 1916, two prototypes were presented - one by the weapons designer Andreas Schwarzlose and the other by Hugo Schmeisser. The tests resulted in Schmeisser's weapon being adopted by the German Army, receiving the designation 'Maschinenpistole 18.I.' Mass production began in 1918 at the 'Theodor Bergmann Waffenfabrik'.

The MP 18.I was fully automatic only and had a leisurely rate of fire at 400-500 rounds per minute. It operated using an open bolt design which proved so effective that it became standard for other submachine guns for decades to come. The weapon was initially intended to feed from a 20-round box magazine, but a request from the German Army meant it had to undergo a redesign to fit the 32-round "Trommelmagazin" already in use with the P08 Artillery Luger.

The MP 18.I saw limited use at the tail-end of World War One in the hands of German "Sturmtruppen". Following the war, Versailles Treaty restrictions meant the MP 18.I could only be used in very limited numbers by the German military and police. In 1920 the weapon was again redesigned to feed from a box magazine. This version marked as the "MP 18.I System Schmeisser" was produced by Haenel and used 20 and 32-round magazines. The redesign was also offered as an upgrade package for the original MP 18.I's, but only a limited amount underwent modifications.

During World War Two, all types of MP 18.I were dragged out of storage, mostly to be used by rearguard formations until they could be replaced by more modern submachine guns. A few would end up in the hands of frontline units. Production numbers are uncertain, but an estimated 25.000-50.000 units were produced between 1918-1920. Our MP 18,I was made by Ashton and RedRogueXIII.

Last but not least, please have a look at the new FH2 panzerfaust compilation from our betatester Slayer1976 !

That's all for this week, but be sure to come back next time for another update. Until then, feel free to visit our Discord, our public forums, our subreddit, and/or Facebook pages to discuss this update and other news.

As we opened our fifth D-Day Event with an unusual field-modified vehicle that took part in the landings, we wanted to conclude the event with another remarkable field-modified vehicle used : one used during the battle of Bir Hakeim, which ended on June 11, 1942 and is now featured in the first part of recently released French film De Gaulle.

The 1939-1940 campaigns revealed to the Allies their lack of mobile anti-tank capabilities against an enemy deploying masses of tanks and overrunning static defences. One early solution was to mount anti-tank or artillery guns on the backs or tops of trucks and armored vehicles. This approach was further developed in the vast expanses of the Middle East and North Africa, where the Commonwealth forces used Bofors 37 mm or QF 2-pounder anti-tank guns mounted on Ford, Chevrolet, or Morris trucks.

The Free French, having pushed their Hotchkiss H39 tanks—salvaged from the Norway Expedition—to their limits during the Gabon and Syria campaigns, urgently needed affordable and mobile firepower. Taking advantage of the arsenal left behind by Vichy forces in Syria-Lebanon, as well as equipment recovered from Norway, their field engineers began mounting French artillery pieces onto various trucks.

The 1er Bataillon du Pacifique, part of the 1ère Division Légère Française Libre, installed several 25mm SA Modèle 1934 anti-tank guns on the rear of their available wheeled vehicles. The gun, stripped of its legs and wheels, was mounted on a central pole in the truck bed, allowing the gunner to rotate 360 degrees. This mobile anti-tank gun earned the nickname "Derviche", inspired by the Turkish whirling dervishes who spin during their prayers. Although the gun had already shown its limitations in 1940, it was still capable of knocking out German and Italian tanks in 1942.

During the battle of Bir-Hakeim in May-June 1942, the "Derviches" were integrated in the "Jock Columns"—small, highly mobile units with significant firepower—to conduct patrols and raids behind enemy lines. The "Derviches" and other field-engineered portees remained in service until the end of the North African Campaign, when Free French forces were re-equipped.

Our "Derviche" was made by CptBocquier from the Chevy 30cwt made by Rad and the 25mm SA Modèle 34 anti-tank gun by Seth Soldier.

Before leaving, please take the time to give your feedback about our D-Day Event here !

That's all for this week, but be sure to come back next time for another update. Until then, feel free to visit our Discord, our public forums, our subreddit, and/or Facebook pages to discuss this update and other news.

Hello and welcome back to another Forgotten Hope 2 update.

For the fifth year in a row, we will be marking the anniversary of D-Day with an event running for two weeks:

Saturday 6th to Sunday 14th June

For the occasion, the following event maps will be added to the servers:

• ArminAce Breakthrough
• Brécourt Manor
• La Fière
• Operation Atlantic
• Ste-Marie-du-Mont
• Ste-Mère-Église

These maps will be featured alongside our Normandy maps on June 6th–7th and June 13th–14th. Between June 8th–12th, they will remain part of the regular map rotation.

A list of changes made to the mod can be seen in the Changelog.

See you on the servers!

That's all for this week, but be sure to come back next time for another update. Until then, feel free to visit our Discord, our public forums, our subreddit, and/or Facebook pages to discuss this update and other news.