User blog:El Alamein/Denham's Expedition vs. the Monuments Men



It's a battle between two daring bands of adventurers and heroes as Denham's Expedition, the crew of Carl Denham's film project who braved their way through Skull Island and subdued the legendary King Kong, takes on the Monuments Men, the passionate art-lovers-turned-Nazi-fighters who rescued Europe's greatest treasures from the hands of the Third Reich! It'll be a brutal contest of brains and brawn, but when the dust clears and the last echo of a gunshot fades away, only one team will be the deadliest warriors!

Denham's Expedition
Carl Denham was an unethical filmmaker from New York at the height of the Great Depression. In an effort to realize his greatest project yet (and to escape punishment for his financial crimes) he hires the crew of the S.S. Venture to travel to Skull Island. After fighting off a brutal attack from the island's native inhabitants, the crew mounts a daring rescue mission once it becomes apparent the leading lady of Denham's project, Ann Darrow, was kidnapped as a sacrifice to Kong, an enormous gorilla that rules the island. Denham's expedition quickly becomes a battle for survival as dinosaurs, giant insects, the great beast Kong himself force the men to pay in blood for every inch pushed forward. Finally, they find and resscue Ann, and subdue Kong long enough to transport him back to New York City, where Denham hopes to rake in a profit at the gorilla's expense.

Jack Driscoll


"Stop, please! Stop! We have to turn back! They've taken Ann!"

- Jack Driscoll

Jack Driscoll was a playwright hired as a screenwriter for Carl Denham's film, but quickly rallies the weary men of the expedition once the mission to rescue Ann Darrow begins. Leading the group through such perils as a brontosaurus stampede, piranhodon-infested waters, and a chasm filled with enormous, mutated insects. He personally rescues Ann from the clutches of Kong, leading him back to an ambush for the beast prepared by Denham. Once back in New York City, Driscoll races up the Empire State Building after Kong carries Ann up, arriving to escort her back down in the aftermath of the climactic airplane showdown.

Ben Hayes


"If you find this place... if you go ashore with your friends and your cameras... you won't come back."

- Ben Hayes

Ben Hayes was a World War I veteran and the first mate onboard the S.S. Venture. He serves as a leader with Driscoll on the rescue party for Ann, using his Army training and combat experience to good effect against the natives and, later, the creatures of Skull Island. He also mentors Jimmy and is something of a father figure for the young boy. While attempting to cross a log that spans a deep chasm, Hayes is scooped up by Kong. While attempting to shoot Kong with his pistol, Hayes is thrown across the log and into a cliff wall, sending him spiraling to his death in the chasm below.

Captain Englehorn


"That's the thing about cockroaches. No matter how many times you flush them down the toilet, they always crawl back up the bowl."

- Captain Englehorn

Captain Englehorn was the German captain of the S.S. Venture. A no-nonsense and grizzled individual, he barely tolerates Denham's underhandedness and expresses disdain for the director. He organizes the rescue party for Ann out of a sense of obligation, and saves Driscoll, Denham, and Denham's film crew from execution by the natives of Skull Island. He later arrives to help the crew out of the chasm as they desperately fight off the creatures that lurk within. After Kong's sedation and capture, Englehorn transports the great beast back to New York.

Jimmy


"I'm not a coward. I ain't gonna run."

- Jimmy

Jimmy was an orphan and a stowaway who was caught on the S.S. ''Venture. ''Ben Hayes defended him, though, earning him a place on board as a crew member. Jimmy is resourceful, using his small stature to his advantage, and looks up to Hayes as a father figure. He feels like he has something to prove, wanting nothing more than to fight side-by-side with Hayes. After Hayes' death, Jimmy is devastated and seeks to avenge his death, taking it out on the creatures of Skull Island that attempt to feast on Hayes' body as it lies in the chasm. He survives this ordeal and assists in the sedation and capture of Kong.

Lumpy the Cook


"It's a bleedin' boneyard! They've been ripped limb from limb!"

- Lumpy the Cook

Lumpy was the cook on the S.S. Venture (and also the barber and surgeon). Tough and grizzled, much like Englehorn, he fights across Skull Island with the crew as they search for Ann Darrow. Somewhat aggressive, he echoes the sentiments of much of the crew in general as they become more and more dispirited over time. After Kong throws the crew down the chasm as they attempt to cross it on a log, he is killed and eaten by leech-like creatures.

Weapons
|-| Long Range=

Mauser Gewehr 1898


 * 500 m effective range
 * 5-round internal magazine (fed by stripper clips)
 * Bolt-action
 * 7.92x57mm Mauser
 * -| Mid Range=

M1928 Thompson


 * 50 m effective range
 * 50-round drum magazine
 * 600-725 rds/min
 * .45 ACP
 * -| Close Range=

Luger P08 "Artillery"


 * 50 m effective range
 * 8-round detachable box magazine
 * Extended 8-inch barrel
 * 9x19mm Parabellum
 * -| Melee=

Machete


 * 18-inch blade
 * Single-edged
 * 1.4 lbs

Monuments Men
As the Second World War rages fiercely, Frank Stokes expresses concern at the Nazi practice of stealing or destroying works of art across Europe. He is authorized to lead a unit, the Monuments Men, made up of art historians, museum directors, and other knowledgeable individuals, whose mission is to reclaim the art from the Nazis. Linking up with French resistance members, the Monuments Men capture Nazi officers involved in the transport of art and recover such pieces as the Ghent Altarpiece and works from the Rothschild Collection. They encounter a mine laden with works of art (as well as gold teeth extracted from Holocaust victims), and are able to secure and recover the valuables even as the Soviet Red Army races in to secure some of it for themselves. After the war, Lieutenant Stokes continues to search for art treasures still hidden by the Nazis.

Lt. Frank Stokes


<p style="text-align:center;">"You can wipe out an entire generation, you can burn their homes to the ground and somehow they'll still find their way back. But if you destroy their history, you destroy their achievements and it's as if they never existed."

- Lt. Frank Stokes

Lt. Frank Stokes was the leader of the Monuments Men and one of its most vocal supporters, arguing that the loss of priceless works of art would be one of the most significant casualties of the Second World War. After organizing his unit and taking it through training, he struggles to convince other US Army officers of the importance of his assignment, often finding his work hampered by the refusal of friendly soldiers to cooperate. He discovers a series of tunnels hidden by the Nazis in mines which contains the majority of the stolen artwork, and continues to oversee the recovery of art in Europe after the war ends.

Lt. James Granger
<p style="text-align:center;">

<p style="text-align:center;">"You want to go into a war zone and tell our boys what the can and can not blow up?"

- Lt. James Granger

Lt. James Granger worked as an undercover operative for the Monuments Men in occupied France, collaborating with French museum curator Claire Simone. As he struggles to gain her trust, he continues to work with the French resistance. Eventually, he is able to win her over when he discovers the Nazis intend to destroy all "German possessions" (including the stolen art) if Hitler is killed or Germany surrenders. He also returns a painting taken from a Jewish family to its place in their now-empty household. He discovers the Nazi tunnels with Stokes and survives a landmine encounter within.

Sgt. Richard Campbell
<p style="text-align:center;">

<p style="text-align:center;">"*sarcastically* Heil Hitler."

- Sgt. Richard Campbell

Sgt. Richard Campbell was an aging museum curator recruited by Lt. Stokes into the Monuments Men. Working in Belgium, stationed near the Ghent Cathedral, he tries to track down stolen works (notably the Van Eyck altarpiece). Thanks to a stroke of luck, he encounters and apprehends Nazi officer Stahl, who was responsible for the transport of the stolen art to Nazi Germany. He recovers pieces from the Rothschild Collection in the process.

Sgt. Walter Garfield
<p style="text-align:center;">

<p style="text-align:center;">"The Army may not care about art, but they sure as shit care about gold."

- Sgt. Walter Garfield

Sgt. Walter Garfield was an expert in the field of art before he joined up with the Monuments Men. Working closely with French resistance member Jean-Claude Clermont, he survives a tense sniper encounter with a soldier who turns out to be a scared child with a rifle. Shaken after the event, he and Clermont wind up in the middle of a gun battle between forces of the US military and the Germans. Garfield transports an injured Clermont out of the fight in an effort to find assistance, but the Frenchman dies of his wounds.

Jean-Claude Clermont
<p style="text-align:center;">

<p style="text-align:center;">"*on learning Hitler ordered the art to be destroyed on his death* Then we have to hope no one kills Hitler. I never thought I’d say that."

- Jean-Claude Clermont

Jean Claude-Clermont was a member of the French resistance during the Second World War who collaborated with the Monuments Men in an effort to help them recover the stolen art from the Nazis. He worked with Sgt. Walter Garfield, where they avoided death at the hands of a child sniper (and avoided killing the kid in the process). As they drive along the bocage (the dense hedgerows of the French countryside), camouflaged American and German soldiers open fire, trapping Clermont and Garfield in the crossfire. Clermont is fatally injured, dying shortly after Garfield drives them to safety.

Weapons
|-| Long Range=

M1 Carbine

<p style="text-align:center;">
 * 270 m effective range
 * 15-round detachable box magazine
 * Semi-automatic
 * .30 Carbine
 * -| Mid Range=

M1A1 Thompson

<p style="text-align:center;">
 * 50 m effective range
 * 20-round box magazine
 * 600-725 rds/min
 * .45 ACP
 * -| Close Range=

Colt M1911

<p style="text-align:center;">
 * 50 m effective range
 * 7-round detachable box magazine
 * 5-inch barrel
 * .45 ACP
 * -| Melee=

KA-BAR Knife

<p style="text-align:center;">
 * 7-inch blade
 * Single-edged, clip point
 * 0.7 lbs

X-Factors
|-| Leadership=

Denham's Expedition: 68

Monuments Men: 79

Denham's Expedition suffered from the faulty leadership of Carl Denham, who would stop at nothing to complete his film, even if it meant sacrificing the lives of his crew in the process. While Driscoll, Hayes, and Englehorn stepped up and led the men on the mission to rescue Ann, Denham hampered their capacity to lead the whole time. Lt. Frank Stokes, being a former art museum director, might not have the greatest tactical mind, but he provided  much stronger leadership for his team.


 * -| Training=

Denham's Expedition: 56

Monuments Men: 77

Most of Denham's crew members are sailors or adventurers with little formal training (the notable exception being Hayes, a World War I Army veteran). The Monuments Men are no special forces themselves, but at least they went through basic training and, as such, gained a better appreciation for tactics and weaponry.


 * -| Combat Experience=

Denham's Expedition: 85

Monuments Men: 66

Here is where Denham's expedition stands out--not only did they successfully fight off Skull Island's hostile natives on their own turf, but they held their own against the island's vastly-evolved dinosaurs, mutated insects, and even the great beast Kong himself, eventually subduing him and dragging him back to New York in chains. The Monuments Men did engage in combat a few times over the course of the war, but each time they ended up losing one of their members, and their primary objectives relied mostly on espionage anyway.


 * -| Tactics=

Denham's Expedition: 82

Monuments Men: 85

This is a close one, but the Monuments Men narrowly win out. While Denham's crew did demonstrate tactical capabilities while tracking Ann and, later on, while preparing an ambush for Kong, their job was made easier by the fact that their opponents were primarily animals. The Monuments Men, on the other hand, had to constantly outwit the military intelligence branch of Nazi Germany that was responsible for the transport of stolen art--no small feat right there.


 * -| Logistics=

Denham's Expedition: 87

Monuments Men: 95

Both teams score well here. Denham's expedition is well-stocked thanks to the small armory on board the S.S. Venture, which includes dozens of rifles and submachine guns along with enough ammo to last for the entire trek across Skull Island. However, the Monuments Men benefit from supply at the hands of the US military during World War II, ensuring that they would never want for weapons or ammo.


 * -| Killer Instinct=

Denham's Expedition: 90

Monuments Men: 69

Denham's expedition is a bunch of grizzled sailors and adventurers who have watched their friends be eaten or torn to pieces by dinosaurs and other monstrous creatures. They were able to slaughter the Skull Island natives after recovering from the initial shock of the ambush and cut their way through the island, killing anything that got in their path. The Monuments Men are mostly behind-the-lines type soldiers, who try to avoid killing when at all possible (as evidenced with Garfield's encounter with the child sniper). Still, if they are given no choice, the Monuments Men would be able to kill an opponent--it's just not their default combat state.


 * -| Endurance / Physicality=

Denham's Expedition: 88

Monuments Men: 71

The Monuments Men did endure basic training, which strengthened their combat readiness, but many of them are old and out-of-shape. Denham's expedition was primarily composed of able-bodied sailors and adventurers, and they made a labor-intensive and perilous trek across the tropical Skull Island, where the very enviornment was a threat.

Battle
Will be 5-on-5.

To be written.

Expert's Opinion
To be determined.