Hello, hello! In last week’s DevBlog, we took a first look at the upcoming [b]free[/b] [b]Aces[/b] DLC making its way to [b]Steel Division 2[/b]. First on [url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/919640/view/4179980031203862798?l=english]the stage were the five new [b]Allied[/b] [b]Aces[/b][/url]. As you might have guessed - and you guessed right - in today’s post, we’ll look at the five remaining new [b]Axis[/b] [b]Aces[/b]. Let’s go! [b][h2]Axis Aces[/h2][/b] [b]Aces[/b] are special [b]Steel Division 2[/b] units based on historically noteworthy soldiers, commanders, or airmen. Within the game, they have a unique golden-rimmed portrait, markings, and personal paint job. They [i]don’t[/i] offer any gameplay advantage. The new [b]Aces[/b] DLC will feature two sets of [b]Aces[/b]: several from our original [b]Steel Division: Normandy ‘44[/b] who haven’t made their appearance yet in [b]Steel Division2[/b], and a number of completely new ones. The DLC will feature in total [b]10[/b] new [b]Aces[/b]. Please note that the following is still a work in progress, including the DLC’s name and release date. With that out of the way, let’s get to the 5 new [b]Axis[/b] [b]Aces[/b]. [b]Willy Kretzschmar[/b] The [b]12. SS-Panzerdivision[/b] will feature tank commander [b]Willy Kretzschmar[/b] with a [b]Panzer IV H[/b]. This [b]Ace[/b] was originally featured in [b]Steel Division: Normandy ‘44[/b]. In terms of enemies destroyed, in an army where the leading aces were counting their victims in three-digit numbers, [b]Willy Kretzschmar[/b] would have remained an anonymous “mere” ace with 15 confirmed kills. However, the lucky hit of a Canadian artillery shell changed this. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33563925/dd4fb91220e663045c484b9ccc75109b4ae998da.jpg[/img] The Allied projectile hit [b]Kretzschmar[/b]’s “536” Panzer IV front right corner, ripping apart armor and tracks. After having been towed back to a workshop, where it received a series of hasty repairs, its crew took the tank into combat again in a rather battle-damaged condition. Looking worse for wear but still actively engaging the Allies, the tank and its crew were spotted by a German war correspondent who duly took a picture. This made [b]Kretzschmar[/b] and his Panzer IV famous, especially for post-war history buffs! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33563925/89be8b7eda78cea688bb0db1f529f75b07834dd9.png[/img] [b]Lauri Torni[/b] The Axis Finnish [b]Raapaana[/b] will have the infantry commander [b]Lauri Törni[/b] as a [b]Jääkäri (Kpääl)[/b] Jäger leader. This [b]Ace[/b] is new to [b]Steel Division 2[/b]. Regarded as the father of all long-range recon patrol forces, the legendary Finnish [b]Lauri Törni[/b] fought in three uniforms and under two names in two separate wars! After combat service during World War II, he enlisted in the US Army, being deployed with the ultra-secret MACV-SOG group before ultimately missing in action during the Vietnam War in 1965. But let’s rewind a bit: Finnish-born [b]Törni[/b] saw first combat against the Soviets in the Winter War of 1940. When the Continuation War kicked off in 1941, our [b]Ace[/b] had become an officer, leading a detachment of light troops specialized in infiltration and deep reconnaissance behind enemy lines. He was awarded the Mannerheim Cross, Finland's highest award, for his exploits during this time. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33563925/43efdf4c7a7641d3d10846279504acdf61b9cef6.jpg[/img] ( Lauri Torni in the middle) After the armistice with the Soviet Union in 1944, he found his way to his former German instructors, enlisting with the Waffen-SS and fighting out the rest of the war until surrendering to the British. Hounded by the Finnish for treason, he was captured and escaped multiple times. In 1952, he found his way to the United States, where he joined the recently created US Special Forces, rising in the ranks - much like in Finland - before deploying for his tours in Vietnam under his new name Larry Thorne. He is regarded as one of the founders of the Green Berets. [b]Walter Möse[/b] The [b]28. Jäger-Division[/b] will feature infantry assault squad [b]Walter Möse[/b] as a [b]Sturmjäger[/b]. This [b]Ace[/b] is new to [b]Steel Division 2[/b]. A German volunteer soldier who tried to enter the Wehrmacht in 1938, [b]Möse[/b] suffered a severe back injury during training, which led to him being discharged. He re-enlisted in 1941 with the [b]28. Jäger-Division[/b] in time for fighting on the Eastern Front, where he distinguished himself well. As a sergeant, during the Battle of Novgorod in January 1944, with all his battalion’s officers killed or wounded, he took charge of his unit and repelled all subsequent Soviet attacks. He earned the Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves for this action. [b]Möse[/b] was killed in action in November 28th, 1944, near Goldap, East Prussia. By that time, he had been wounded 21 times! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33563925/b11cf21e7e05d27d85478ca2dde7414b87098f4d.png[/img] [b]Aladar Heppes[/b] The Axis Hungarian [b]2. Pancelos[/b] will contain pilot [b]Aladar Heppes[/b] in a (Hungarian) [b]Me-109G-6/R6[/b] fighter. This [b]Ace[/b] is new to [b]Steel Division 2[/b]. Our next [b]Ace[/b] seems a little bit more “standard” compared to the more daring of our other military heroes. Still, [b]Heppes[/b], a Hungarian fighter pilot, had 8 confirmed victories against Soviet and American planes. In 1942-43, part of the Axis Hungarian forces, he fought in the USSR before being recalled to Hungary to lead a home defense fighter wing, the [i]101. Vadászrepülő Osztály[/i] (101st Home Defense Fighter Wing). This squadron featured the infamous “Pumas” on their insignia, which earned [b]Heppes[/b] the nickname “Old Puma”. The squadron became feared by American bomber pilots, as they regarded the Hungarian pilots as “crazy” in combat. In the latter part of 1944, the unit was transferred to the frontline, fighting over eastern Hungary and Romania. [b]Heppes[/b] survived the war. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33563925/12e6589c6b00a33d288f01469b00c0809c68986f.png[/img] [b]Ion S. Dumitru[/b] The Axis Romanian [b]1 Blindata[/b] will contain tank commander [b]Ion S. Dumitru[/b], who will be featured in-game in a [b]T.4 Comanda[/b] (a Romanian Panzer IV H Leader[/b]). This [b]Ace[/b] is new to [b]Steel Division 2[/b]. The [b]Ion S. Dumitru[/b] is a survivor of Stalingrad and a tank commander who took part in the Jassy-Kichinev campaign, as playable in the [b]Steel Division 2’s[/b] expansion [b][url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1348670/Steel_Division_2__Black_Sunday/?curator_clanid=33563925/]Steel Division 2: Bloody Sunday[/url][/b]. Interned by the Soviets during the Turda campaign, [b]Ion S. Dumitru[/b] escaped and reenlisted in another Romanian tank unit to keep fighting for the Allies until the war's end. Ironically, it was in this unit [b]that Dumitru[/b] made his remaining kills, which actually saw him make ace (though, within the DLC, he will be featured while still fighting for the Axis). [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33563925/ea5719b3c9beac6ced312cc261951aeb1e79a7cc.png[/img] [b][h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2][/b] That’s all for this week’s DevBlog. We’ll be back soon! Join the [b]Steel Division 2[/b] community on our [url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/919640/eventcomments/]Steam forums[/url]. The latest [b]Steel Division 2[/b] news can also be encountered on our [url=https://www.instagram.com/eugensystems/]Instagram[/url]. Looking for an online game? Visit the [url=https://discord.gg/TEeBArm]Discord server[/url] or [url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Steel_Division/]Reddit page[/url] and get involved with the lively [b]Steel Division 2[/b] community! See you on the battlefield, commanders!