User blog comment:Deathblade 100/Lest we Forget: German Empire (WW1) vs Ottoman Empire (WW1)/@comment-379205-20161105115933

119's "To End All Wars" Edges


 * Rifles 1: Mauser fired a 7.92mm Mauser round, which had greater stopping power than the 7.65mm round originally designed for the Argentine Mauser and used by the Ottomans. Edge: German Empire/"First" Reich


 * Rifles 2: The Mondragon outclasses the old Winchester in terms of rate of fire, reload speed, muzzle velocity, stopping power, and pretty much everything except magazine capacity. Edge: Germany


 * LMGs: The MG-15 nA fired from a 100-round belt, rather than the shorter 30-round clips, meaning it could deliver sustained fire for longer before needing to be reloaded. There is a reason why most modern LMGs still use the belt feed system- it works. Edge: Germany


 * HMG: The MG 08 was basically a variant on the basic Maxim Gun design, as were most of the heavy machine guns used in the First World War. Even


 * Pistols: The Luger a more powerful round, and a slightly large magazine. Add in a bit more range and the Germans take the advantage again. Edge: Germany


 * Revolvers: The Smith and Wesson is faster to reload, as DB100 stated in his personal edges, but also fires a large bullet (.44 = about 11.5mm, vs the 10mm round of the Reichsrevolver). For this reason, Edge: Ottoman Empire.


 * Grenades: OK, both grenades here are of German design, but this particular group of Germans brought the wrong one- the Stielgranate could be thrown further thanks to the handle and packed more explosive force. There is a reason why the Stielgranate design went on to see service in WWII. Edge: Ottomans


 * Flamethrowers: Again, both are technically German designs, but this time, the Germans kept the best design for themselves, with the Wechselapparat (commonly known as the "Wex") being, ironically lighter than the Klienflammenwerfer (lit. "small flamethrower"). Edge: Germans


 * Special: The Turks bring another machine gun similar to the one they already have, which, while far from useless, doesn't really give them any new capabilities. The Mauser T-Gewehr, on the other hand, was the first anti-tank rifle, which could prove useful not only against tanks, but also against structures, fortifications, other vehicles, etc. A well-placed round from a T-Gewehr even has the potential to derail the armored train. For this reason, I give the T-Gewehr the advantage. Edge: Germans


 * Special 2: The Mauser C96 was good pistol, powerful and with a large magazine capacity for its day. However, in a close in trench battle, the MP-18, with its rapid fire capacity will prove an even deadlier weapon, allowing the user to sweep a trench of enemy forces at close range. Edge: Germans.


 * Armor: The armored train is faster and has more guns here, but I'm going to give the edge to the tank for one simple reason: The armored train is a train- it needs tracks. The tank, on the other hand, can go anywhere, albeit slowly, allowing it to move into an advantageous position, possibly using slopes or structures as cover, or at least concealment from the train. The final glaring weakness of the train is that the tank can destroy it with out even directly firing it at it. One well-placed shell ahead of the train will take out the tracks and cause the train to derail as soon as it reaches it. Edge: Germans.


 * X-Factors: The Germans definitely take technology, with their SMGs, anti-armor rifles, and tanks, and also leadership, with their leadership proving more effective. Not to mention, the Germans, I'd argue, were at least as experience, if not a shade better in terms of the trench warfare that this fight will be focused on, which was most common on the Western Front. In general, these X-Factors reflect the broader political situation of Europe in at the time of WWI- the Germans were a major European power with a strong industrial base, who were on the rise in terms of economic and political influence, and only met their downfall because of their defeat in WWI. The Ottoman Empire, on the other hand, was suffering a slow, drawn-out decline caused various factors, both internal and external. The First World War was just the final blow that finished off the already dying Ottoman Empire. Edge: Germany.

Overall Winner: The German Empire wins this battle thanks to their superior weapons, as well as their greater training and experience in trench warfare.