TL-191: Featherston's Finest - Uniforms, Weapons, and Vehicles of the CSA and Freedom Party

[Alterwright]

So I'm going to be taking bite sized chunks out of this and try to gain a better understanding of it all piece by piece, because there is a lot to unpack here and a lot of interesting ideas!

"It can now safely be said that while the United States has a blue-water navy and a brown-water navy and a two-ocean navy, the Confederate States have a bathtub navy" - from correspondence between President of the United States Alfred Thayer Mahan and Theodore Roosevelt (then Assistant Secretary of the Navy).

Such benign neglect was not destined to last - with the ongoing, inexorable growth of the US Navy from a second rate power to a suitably colossal potency sponsored by Administrations of the Remembrance Era, the Royal Navy made it very clear to their American allies that they would be expected to bear some of the burden in any War at sea; coupled with the national embarrasment of seeing South American republics & the Empire of Brazil procure the most modern warships while the Confederate Battle-line aged towards irrelevance, the Confederate Congress found itself obliged to subsidise the first major increase to the strength of the CS Navy since the War of Secession (and redoubled their investment following National Humiliation in the "Canal Crisis" close to the turn of the Century).

Jokes about the "Thin Grey Line" actually being the "Grey Tin line" remained current even as the Southern remained current in the barracks of the Confederate Army and the berths of the US Navy alike, not least because the Southern Department of the Navy elected to follow the jeune ecole of French Naval theory (prioritising smaller ships and asymmetric tactics) over the Northern & British emphasis on Battleships and the General Engagement (a philosophy that would underpin critical support for the famous Confederate submarine service).

Even during these boom times, the Southern Navy was customarily obliged to accept second best and make do with whatever it could get - even to the extent of admitting cadets from the least suitable backgrounds for office training (including officers from the "Spanish Confederacy") - indeed, with the Army all but monopolising White manpower, the first voices suggesting a recruitment of Confederate Coloureds into Government service were actually heard from the Navy. While the Whigs and the "Plantation Patricians" which constituted the beating heart of that Party held all the levers of power in the Army, the Navy increasingly came to be seen as the "Radical Service" owing to the unusually strong representation of the Confederacy's "distant second" opposition party in even the more senior ranks of that service (caused in part by the greater willingness of the CS Navy to promote "White Enough" officers to relatively senior rank).

So, again, I really love the idea of the CS Navy being surprisingly "inclusive" when it comes to accepting new officers and sailors into its ranks. Mind you, as "inclusive" as the CSA as a whole can possibly get. Before the Great War in 1914, I still highly, highly doubt they would accept blacks into any branch of the military. But Confederate Cubans and Mexicans? That's a different story I believe. Racism and segregation would no doubt play a predominant part in any branch in the Confederacy throughout the country's life, but the CS Navy in this case would arguably be the "least racist" in terms of recruiting and promoting. Someone's got to man the ships after all and if the majority of Confederates whites won't do it then perhaps Confederate from Sonora, Chihuahua, parts of Louisiana, and Cuba will. This is an interesting topic to hit upon I think.

The period between 1881 and 1914 would no doubt be the CS Navy's best time for expansion, even if it pales in comparison to the United States and Britain. While ultimately the Confederates would not have a strong blue-water navy, I'd argue that they would have a comparatively decent brown-water, riverine navy that can keep up and even match the United States brown-water navy. However, I believe the CS Navy would concentrate on protecting the most vital rivers that it can afford to protect - especially the Mississippi River, as well as any other rivers that run along the border with the United States and ones that go cross-border. Granted, even if the Confederates may not have a strong presence on their own rivers, it would be fatal for them to not recognize the strategic and tactical situation when looking at map. They'd try to find some way to for the Confederate congress to look at their situation from their perspective - it would tragically fall on deaf ears perhaps. After all the Confederate government is banking on using the Army to win its wars. Still I think this is a point to really be considered and debated on.

I think this would even carry over into 1941-1944, with the CS Navy desperately asking for funding to re-arm and modernize its deep-water and brown-water fleets, with its pleas being unheeded by an indifferent Featherston. If the CSA is still relying on the British Royal Navy to do the heavy lifting on the high seas, I think the point of the Royal Navy being knocked down a peg or two in the Great War needs to be considered as well. Powerful as it still is in TL-191, events have proven that the Royal Navy can be beaten. CS Navy officials would be pleading for some kind of funding to get their ships and subs up to snuff, if only to try and protect their home waters and rivers. But again Featherston, being an Army man and an artillery-man at that, would bank on using the Army and Air Force to deal the decisive blow.

TL;DR - are we really ready to write off the CS Navy as being so neglected as to be totally impotent? Not even repurposing or refitting older ships to meet modern standards, like what the Soviets did out time with their old Tsarist-era battleships? I think that would be cool at least.

Thanks for the input on the CS Navy though! Please keep these ideas coming. As you can probably tell by now I have a bit of an unusual soft spot for naval topics concerning this, so anything helps!

 

[Alterwright]

I don't mind more suggestions, I do these pics for fun. I've done a couple of submarines but no ships, there are a lot of alternate ships on the Alternate Weapons of War thread though.

I think the Italian three motor bombers are a good point of reference. I plan on using sections from Italian, US and British planes for a CS Tri-engine bomber and torpedo bomber.

You gonna post the Confederate "APC" here as well? The one based off the old hull and chassis of an interwar tank?

The Italians had good airframe designs right? Or something like that? You've mentioned before that their planes were under powered and underarmed as well. I think they had some pretty interesting designs honestly when it comes to their planes (can't say the same for their tanks though, yeesh!).

 

[cortz#9]

You gonna post the Confederate "APC" here as well? The one based off the old hull and chassis of an interwar tank?

The Italians had good airframe designs right? Or something like that? You've mentioned before that their planes were under powered and underarmed as well. I think they had some pretty interesting designs honestly when it comes to their planes (can't say the same for their tanks though, yeesh!).

Yeah but I'm hoping I'll get a little feedback on the welding over the rivet section first.

 

[Alterwright]

The Southern Navy did not disappear between the Great Wars, but it shrivelled nonetheless; the Army lost more, but the Army of the Confederate States had more to lose in the first place (and even before the Armistice there had been a significant loss to the Confederate Navy, when the short-lived Confederate States Air Force was brought into being through the simple expedient of pulling the planes and pilots of Army & Navy alike into a single command - all the better to consolidate the Aerial Defences of Richmond CSA). Having served as one of the most outspoken backers of the Confederate States Navy prior to the Great War, Gabriel Semmes would be condemned to dismantle it, and the impossibility of cultivating plausible deniability for the acquisition & improvement of battleships during the Inter-War period (aircraft & even barrels being far small, less expensive and more discretely-sized than even the smallest modern warship) would condemn the South Navy to linger on in a painful while the Mexican Civil War offered the Army a perfect cover for its experimental barrel works and while the Confederate Citrus Company conceived the improved aircraft that would be field tested over Mexico, Central & South America by Claire Lee Chennault's increasingly-famous "War Hawks."

The Election of President Featherston and his open commitment to re-armament proved small relief to the Navy Department; a quintessential Army Man, Featherston's obsession with winning a "Return Engagement" with the United States and his general disinterest in foreign affairs beyond North America (except insofar as they influenced or impacted his plans for that continent) meant that the Confederate Army would always come first, the Confederate Air Army would come second and the Confederate Navy (with its pitiful lack of support in the Freedom Party inner circle following Roger Kimball's assassination) would be Dead Last.

Left to make do, the Confederate States Navy did what it could - being able to at least build up its Aviation component and provide for Confederate coast defence, along with occasional raider; even so the Second Great War saw the US Navy exercise an absolute Naval Supremacy over the Western Hemisphere, challenged only briefly by the Royal Navy and never at all by the Navy of the Confederate States. Even the Confederate States marine corps (reduced to something like single battalion strength by the increasingly-hungry demands of the Freedom Party Guards) were hardly able to distinguish themselves, being confined to the brutal Haitian occuptation and counter-insurgency operations in Cuba (being first reinforced and then outright supplanted by the Freedom Party Guards in the former capacity).

Right, so, what can be done about this then? How do you think the navy made do? Do you think the CS Navy turned to refitting older battleships, cruisers, and destroyers, and modernizing them just to keep up with the times? That is to say if they even still had battleships of some kind. What about their submarine force? Even if they were dead last in terms of funding, do you imagine the CS Navy would at least try to compensate by building submarines or other smaller more modern vessels? What about transport ships, mine-layers, and PT Boats for both their blue-water and brown-water fleets?

Even as a Continental land power, Featherston must have realized that at least providing funding for the CS Navy would be worth something. I think one of the tricks for him must have been where to divert that funding to - the blue-water navy or the brown-water one. Would it be better to invest in the Confederate river and coastal defense or better to create a big guns navy that can go on the attack?

I'd argue that the Confederate government would at least pay some attention to the CS Navy in providing funding for river defense, coastal defense, and other projects for smaller craft that can be pumped out relatively quickly. Now I don't mean to bring up the same point again and perhaps its an irrelevant point altogether considering that rivers can just be crossed and the purpose of building up a brown water navy in TL-191 might be stupid, but still - there are a lot of rivers in the eastern United States and the Mississippi is an important waterway. Gotta have boats somewhere to protect the vital ports along these rivers. That might be taking into consideration Civil War strategic think when it comes to the Mississippi, but even some generals back then realized the importance of controlling this river, even if the public didn't see it that way. But, again, the CSA is understandably banking on its Army to deal the fatal blow, with the Air Force in support to knock their rival out with a quick punch.

Perhaps the CS Navy's smaller craft and submarines might be used for covert operations and quick hit and run raids along rivers and coastal targets. Carlson's Marine Raiders in our timeline come to mind and of course the many commando raids undertaken by the British come forward too. With quite a few of these operations being handled by naval assets, perhaps Featherston, using his British ally as a template, might see a use for this kind of thing for the Navy - a small niche they can potentially fill out in terms of hitting US targets by sea and river. I kind of like this actually, I'd hear some thoughts on it!

Again, bringing up another point I mentioned before - refitting and modernizing older ships in the CS Navy. I use the example of the Soviet Navy with their older battleships and the experiences of the Black Sea Fleet and the Baltic Fleet in WWII. There were quite a few prominent Tsarist-era battleships that saw service all the way up to WWII. A few were used as artillery support for the Siege of Leningrad while the ships were blockaded in port, a few more ships acted as ad-hoc emergency transport while also providing artillery support. Boats from the Soviet Navy were also used in the invasion of Manchuria in 1945 to ferry men across rivers. Quite a few rivers in the United States as it is, some not easily fordable. Confederate planners in the Western Trans-Mississippi theater would still need to be wary of US raids and assaults via these avenues, lest they be caught off guard and vital bridges and crossing be rendered useless. Point being for me - even if its just in minor roles, I think the CS Navy is still relevant when their services are required in this war.

And even then we have to consider the undertaking of invading the Bahamas and Haiti. Perhaps not a large force was needed, but still the Navy would have had commit a fairly sizable force of... something!

Anyway, I'm not trying to be argumentative here I really want to know all of these things and hear your thoughts on all of these points! If anything, I'm looking for clarification and expansion on these ideas or just something more than forgone definitive conclusion.

Again thank you for all these points!

 

[cortz#9]

Right, so, what can be done about this then? How do you think the navy made do? Do you think the CS Navy turned to refitting older battleships, cruisers, and destroyers, and modernizing them just to keep up with the times? That is to say if they even still had battleships of some kind. What about their submarine force? Even if they were dead last in terms of funding, do you imagine the CS Navy would at least try to compensate by building submarines or other smaller more modern vessels? What about transport ships, mine-layers, and PT Boats for both their blue-water and brown-water fleets?

Even as a Continental land power, Featherston must have realized that at least providing funding for the CS Navy would be worth something. I think one of the tricks for him must have been where to divert that funding to - the blue-water navy or the brown-water one. Would it be better to invest in the Confederate river and coastal defense or better to create a big guns navy that can go on the attack?

I'd argue that the Confederate government would at least pay some attention to the CS Navy in providing funding for river defense, coastal defense, and other projects for smaller craft that can be pumped out relatively quickly. Now I don't mean to bring up the same point again and perhaps its an irrelevant point altogether considering that rivers can just be crossed and the purpose of building up a brown water navy in TL-191 might be stupid, but still - there are a lot of rivers in the eastern United States and the Mississippi is an important waterway. Gotta have boats somewhere to protect the vital ports along these rivers. That might be taking into consideration Civil War strategic think when it comes to the Mississippi, but even some generals back then realized the importance of controlling this river, even if the public didn't see it that way. But, again, the CSA is understandably banking on its Army to deal the fatal blow, with the Air Force in support to knock their rival out with a quick punch.

Perhaps the CS Navy's smaller craft and submarines might be used for covert operations and quick hit and run raids along rivers and coastal targets. Carlson's Marine Raiders in our timeline come to mind and of course the many commando raids undertaken by the British come forward too. With quite a few of these operations being handled by naval assets, perhaps Featherston, using his British ally as a template, might see a use for this kind of thing for the Navy - a small niche they can potentially fill out in terms of hitting US targets by sea and river. I kind of like this actually, I'd hear some thoughts on it!

Again, bringing up another point I mentioned before - refitting and modernizing older ships in the CS Navy. I use the example of the Soviet Navy with their older battleships and the experiences of the Black Sea Fleet and the Baltic Fleet in WWII. There were quite a few prominent Tsarist-era battleships that saw service all the way up to WWII. A few were used as artillery support for the Siege of Leningrad while the ships were blockaded in port, a few more ships acted as ad-hoc emergency transport while also providing artillery support. Boats from the Soviet Navy were also used in the invasion of Manchuria in 1945 to ferry men across rivers. Quite a few rivers in the United States as it is, some not easily fordable. Confederate planners in the Western Trans-Mississippi theater would still need to be wary of US raids and assaults via these avenues, lest they be caught off guard and vital bridges and crossing be rendered useless. Point being for me - even if its just in minor roles, I think the CS Navy is still relevant when their services are required in this war.

And even then we have to consider the undertaking of invading the Bahamas and Haiti. Perhaps not a large force was needed, but still the Navy would have had commit a fairly sizable force of... something!

Anyway, I'm not trying to be argumentative here I really want to know all of these things and hear your thoughts on all of these points! If anything, I'm looking for clarification and expansion on these ideas or just something more than forgone definitive conclusion.

Again thank you for all these points!

I think Featherston would be way more pro brown water navy than blue water because it would fit in more with overall military strategy in a war against the US, you need control of rivers to get the army across them.
I would also think that Britain and France would do what they could to help the CS Navy knowing it would be in their best interest. It wouldn't be a lot but I could see them trading older vessels for CS goods, produce and such.

 

[Alterwright]

I think Featherston would be way more pro brown water navy than blue water because it would fit in more with overall military strategy in a war against the US, you need control of rivers to get the army across them.
I would also think that Britain and France would do what they could to help the CS Navy knowing it would be in their best interest. It wouldn't be a lot but I could see them trading older vessels for CS goods, produce and such.

You think he might be supportive of a brown-water navy then huh? Emphasizing smaller water craft that can travel along major river ways and such? He might prefer that then given Tiro's point about funding. It is comparatively cheaper to build patrol boats and larger armored river boats than, say, destroyers and cruisers. Provided that the Confederates have a need for such boats of course, I bet they can make good use of them in some way.

The various navies in our time line operated a number of smaller craft that could operate on rivers and smaller seas. The United States, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain all maintained a fleet of smaller craft for various duties and operations. Interestingly enough the Soviets built "riverine tanks" - basically small armored boats fitted with tank turrets on them!

Don't know about you, but I think that's pretty cool! I can see the Confederate Navy operating a number of these on the Mississippi River or even in the Chesapeake Bay. They may also find a great use securing Caribbean islands perhaps, especially places like the Bahamas. While not the big boats the Navy might seriously desire, they are indeed boats that the Navy will need to operate in support of other operations.

Of course the Navy would have to see a use for these things and deploy them where necessary. And if they have the funding.

@Tiro @cortz#9 @Allochronian - What do you guys of this idea of Confederates using these kinds of boats? You think they can produce them decent amounts?

 

[Allochronian]

You think he might be supportive of a brown-water navy then huh? Emphasizing smaller water craft that can travel along major river ways and such? He might prefer that then given Tiro's point about funding. It is comparatively cheaper to build patrol boats and larger armored river boats than, say, destroyers and cruisers. Provided that the Confederates have a need for such boats of course, I bet they can make good use of them in some way.

The various navies in our time line operated a number of smaller craft that could operate on rivers and smaller seas. The United States, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain all maintained a fleet of smaller craft for various duties and operations. Interestingly enough the Soviets built "riverine tanks" - basically small armored boats fitted with tank turrets on them!

View attachment 410139

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View attachment 410141

Don't know about you, but I think that's pretty cool! I can see the Confederate Navy operating a number of these on the Mississippi River or even in the Chesapeake Bay. They may also find a great use securing Caribbean islands perhaps, especially places like the Bahamas. While not the big boats the Navy might seriously desire, they are indeed boats that the Navy will need to operate in support of other operations.

Of course the Navy would have to see a use for these things and deploy them where necessary. And if they have the funding.

@Tiro @cortz#9 @Allochronian - What do you guys of this idea of Confederates using these kinds of boats? You think they can produce them decent amounts?

I don't know much about military hardware. Sorry.

 

[Alterwright]

I don't know much about military hardware. Sorry.

Aww man.

 

[cortz#9]

You think he might be supportive of a brown-water navy then huh? Emphasizing smaller water craft that can travel along major river ways and such? He might prefer that then given Tiro's point about funding. It is comparatively cheaper to build patrol boats and larger armored river boats than, say, destroyers and cruisers. Provided that the Confederates have a need for such boats of course, I bet they can make good use of them in some way.

The various navies in our time line operated a number of smaller craft that could operate on rivers and smaller seas. The United States, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain all maintained a fleet of smaller craft for various duties and operations. Interestingly enough the Soviets built "riverine tanks" - basically small armored boats fitted with tank turrets on them!

View attachment 410139

View attachment 410140

View attachment 410141

Don't know about you, but I think that's pretty cool! I can see the Confederate Navy operating a number of these on the Mississippi River or even in the Chesapeake Bay. They may also find a great use securing Caribbean islands perhaps, especially places like the Bahamas. While not the big boats the Navy might seriously desire, they are indeed boats that the Navy will need to operate in support of other operations.

Of course the Navy would have to see a use for these things and deploy them where necessary. And if they have the funding.

@Tiro @cortz#9 @Allochronian - What do you guys of this idea of Confederates using these kinds of boats? You think they can produce them decent amounts?

I like the idea, I'm not sure if the CSA would do something likes this but its possible.

 

[Alterwright]

I like the idea, I'm not sure if the CSA would do something likes this but its possible.

Probably more like Elco or Higgins PT Boats then.

 

[Tiro]

Alterwright, I'll try to answer your questions individually tomorrow but to sum up - I placed some emphasis on the CS Navy as a "hard luck service" in part because I tended to focus on the Blue-Water Confederate navy (completely forgot the Brown Water ships that would definitely have played a significant part in the Southern Naval Budget even under the Featherston Administration) and mostly because it allowed me to deploy some jokes that I've been looking for an opportunity to use (I'm especially fond of the "Bathtub Navy" crack, even though I probably shouldn't be).

By the way, one definitely meant that it would be "Spanish Confederates" (Cubans, Chihuahuans and Sonorans), along with common or garden "crackers" who would be taking advantage of the somewhat looser standards for the officer class of the CS Navy (one imagines that Army Officers would tend to be selected from the Cream of Society - or at least the sons & grandsons of High Society).

 

[Tiro]

Hm? For what?

Why for the insignia you posted, of course.

 

[Alterwright]

Alterwright, I'll try to answer your questions individually tomorrow but to sum up - I placed some emphasis on the CS Navy as a "hard luck service" in part because I tended to focus on the Blue-Water Confederate navy (completely forgot the Brown Water ships that would definitely have played a significant part in the Southern Naval Budget even under the Featherston Administration) and mostly because it allowed me to deploy some jokes that I've been looking for an opportunity to use (I'm especially fond of the "Bathtub Navy" crack, even though I probably shouldn't be).

By the way, one definitely meant that it would be "Spanish Confederates" (Cubans, Chihuahuans and Sonorans), along with common or garden "crackers" who would be taking advantage of the somewhat looser standards for the officer class of the CS Navy (one imagines that Army Officers would tend to be selected from the Cream of Society - or at least the sons & grandsons of High Society).

Oh, hahaha! Okay then! Well, perhaps I came off a bit too serious with my questions about the CS Navy anyway. I wasn't trying to accuse or anything. I do think it'd be a pretty neglected service either way you spin it honestly, especially compared to the Army and Air Corps of the Confederacy. Those two would get the best officers and men, along with the most prestige. Its the Navy that has to make do with the rest.

But like I said I love the fact you've touched upon the CS Navy here and really given it a character and composition - the looser standards and surprising leniency when it comes to race is fascinating to me, especially in the context of the Confederacy as being an overall very racist nation. To me, it almost makes it seem like the CS Navy is made of men of diverse ethnicity, with whites, hispanics, and perhaps mixed-race men, with sailors and officers coming from poor or even criminal backgrounds. I got the image of a poor man from Guayamas or New Orleans being shanghaied into the CS Navy, and then waking up to find he's a sailor! I'm sure that's not case, but I'm sure a joke can be pulled out of that potential naval stereotype for the CS Navy, since they're so desperate to find sailors.

And yes, the jokes about the CS Navy were pretty good! A "Bathtub Navy" would be an irritating remark for any naval officer of CS Navy confined to the Gulf of Mexico, painfully aware of how small his service branch is compared to the US, Germany, and Great Britain.

 

[Alterwright]

Why for the insignia you posted, of course.

Oh those! Well, they're works in progress, but the "Southern Cross" and "Featherston Cross" collar patches will stay. I love those ones in particular. Think of the SS runes in terms of style - that's what I was going for really. Fascist American symbols, with an emphasis on recognizably and simplicity.

I don't really like the rank insignia though. I would have preferred to use regular army chevrons tilted at a 90 degree angle. These ones borrow a lot from SS collar ranks patches, but just colored red and blue.

 

[cortz#9]

I hear you, I was being silly mostly, you know I've done a lot of mix n match jobs.
And speaking of such... SV38B. Confederate SPG utilizing the SV38 light barrel and a 10.5cm gun. The first massed produced SPG of the CSA, Featherston an ole artillery man took an immediate liking to the 38B and wanted all SV38's converted to the B model but cooler heads prevailed.
As time went on and more of the FV38 medium barrels entered service so more of the B model began to replace the FV38 lights.

The FV38 light barrel was phased out of production in 1942 but the SV38B continued in production till the end of the war.

Another TL-191 AFV and there will probably be a couple of more SPG's because as I mentioned earlier, I think Featherston would've been very pro motorized assault gun, more so than barrels. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if he held a small grudge against barrels for stealing the limelight from the "king of the battlefield".

 

[Alterwright]

I hear you, I was being silly mostly, you know I've done a lot of mix n match jobs.
And speaking of such... SV38B. Confederate SPG utilizing the SV38 light barrel and a 10.5cm gun. The first massed produced SPG of the CSA, Featherston an ole artillery man took an immediate liking to the 38B and wanted all SV38's converted to the B model but cooler heads prevailed.
As time went on and more of the FV38 medium barrels entered service so more of the B model began to replace the FV38 lights.

The FV38 light barrel was phased out of production in 1942 but the SV38B continued in production till the end of the war.

Another TL-191 AFV and there will probably be a couple of more SPG's because as I mentioned earlier, I think Featherston would've been very pro motorized assault gun, more so than barrels. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if he held a small grudge against barrels for stealing the limelight from the "king of the battlefield".

Oh, very nice! Well that's one way to make use out of the old hulls and chassises of the Confederate tanks! This kind of reminds of the German Panzerjager tanks, when they took the hulls of Panzer Is and outfitted them with artillery or anti-tank guns without a turret. Looks to me that's the same principle here on display.

I don't recognize where you got the protective metal sheet from, but it feels like its from a mid-war German SPG design. I think Featherston might really like the idea behind these guns. Would be more mobile than the towed artillery and can keep up with the infantry and armored units to provide close support. He'd definitely get behind that I feel, but would be hampered by limited funds going to other projects perhaps.

 

[cortz#9]

Oh, very nice! Well that's one way to make use out of the old hulls and chassises of the Confederate tanks! This kind of reminds of the German Panzerjager tanks, when they took the hulls of Panzer Is and outfitted them with artillery or anti-tank guns without a turret. Looks to me that's the same principle here on display.

I don't recognize where you got the protective metal sheet from, but it feels like its from a mid-war German SPG design. I think Featherston might really like the idea behind these guns. Would be more mobile than the towed artillery and can keep up with the infantry and armored units to provide close support. He'd definitely get behind that I feel, but would be hampered by limited funds going to other projects perhaps.

I think the shield is from a Marder-I.

 

[cortz#9]

Does anyone here remember the name of the CSA's head of security? I think it was Potter but I'm not sure. Need the name for the background story to my next post, also his official title would be helpful.

EDIT: OK it was Potter, Clarence Potter.

 

[cortz#9]

The Cricket. A heavy twin gun BK designed after an artillery officer heard Featherston make an off the cuff remark about needing two pairs of arms and legs to run the war and then joking that he also needed advisers with twice the brains and two of everything else. When Featherston was presented with the blue prints for the BK, he was at first aghast but after studying the design some more he ordered one example made for testing.

Many high ranking officers of the Barrel Corps were against the design feeling it was a waste of steal and weaponry but their protest instead moved Featherston to order one dozen Crickets to be built. It was Featherston's head of security Clarence Potter who suggested the name Cricket to throw off any Union spies assigned to CS barrel development.

The CS version of the Maus.

 

[Alterwright]

Does anyone here remember the name of the CSA's head of security? I think it was Potter but I'm not sure. Need the name for the background story to my next post, also his official title would be helpful.

EDIT: OK it was Potter, Clarence Potter.

Yup, you got it, its Clarence Potter.

^^^ --- Some fan art with him in it beside Jake Featherston. Credit here ---> https://www.deviantart.com/jakarnilson/art/The-Snake-and-Clarence-Potter-47659463

I feel like this picture is also a good look into what the top brass' uniforms looked like under the Featherston Administration.