| The Front
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|
DVD Cover
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| Country
|
 USSR
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| Directed by
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Sergey Vasilyev
Georgiy Vasilyev
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| Release Date
|
1943
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| Language
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Russian
German
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| Studio
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TsOKS
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|
|
The Front (Front) is a 1943 Soviet war film directed by Sergey and Georgiy Vasilyev (Chapaev) and adapted from the theatrical play by Aleksandr Korneychuk. In late 1941, the Soviet commander of the front Lt. Gen. Ivan Gorlov (Boris Zhukovsky), a veteran of the Red Army from the days of the Russian Civil war, commands his troops in the old-fashioned way and suffers the defeat with enormous casualities. His subordinate, the commander of the army Maj. Gen. Ognyov (Boris Babochkin) dares to go against the will of Gorlov and saves the day. The Supreme Command finds Gorlov unfit for this war and replaces him with Ognyov.
The following weapons were used in the film The Front:
Pistols
TT-33
TT-33 pistols are service sidearms of Soviet generals and officers. The pistols are seen only in holsters; visible lanyards prove that the holsters aren't empty.
Tokarev TT-33 - 7.62x25mm Tokarev. Pre-1947 version.
Maj. Gen. Vladimir Petrovich Ognyov (
Boris Babochkin) carries a TT in holster.
Submachine Guns
PPSh-41
Some Soviet soldiers are armed with PPSh-41 submachine guns.
PPSh-41 - 7.62x25mm Tokarev
Sgt. Ostapenko (
Boris Blinov) carries a PPSh when he returns from scouting.
Medical orderly Marusya's (Anna Petukhova) PPSh is lying on a snow parapet.
Jr. Sgt. Gomelauri (N. Kostov) fires a PPSh.
Pvt. Shayakhmetov (Zhagda Oguzbaev) with a PPSh and Sgt. Bashlykov (Aleksey Chepurnov) with a
PTRD-41 AT rifle.
MP40
MP40s are brifely seen in hands of German soldiers.
A crewmember of a destroyed German tank holds an MP40.
MP40s are seen in hands of German soldiers atop the tank.
Rifles
Tokarev SVT-40
Some Soviet soldiers are armed with SVT-40 rifles with sword baynets.
Tokarev SVT-40 - 7.62x54mmR
A sentry with an SVT in Gen. Gorlov's headquarters.
A soldier of Lt. Gorlov's unit with an SVT.
One of the attacking soldiers holds an SVT.
Mosin Nagant M1891/30
Mosin Nagant M1891/30 rifles (some may be original M91s) are briefly seen in hands of Soviet soldiers.
Soviet Mosin Nagant M1891/30 - 7.62x54mm R
A soldier at the foreground holds a rifle that seems to be an M91/30 due to the shape of the front sight.
Soldiers with Mosin Nagant and SVT rifles in attack.
Mosin Nagant M1938 Carbine
Soviet artillerymen carry Mosin Nagant M1938 Carbines.
Mosin Nagant M38 Carbine - 7.62x54mm R
Artillerymen at the 45 mm AT gun carry M38 Carbines.
Machine Guns and Autocannons
Maxim MG08
A damaged and abandoned Maxim MG08 is seen on the battlefield.
Maxim MG08 on
Schlittenlafette 08 mount - 7.92x57mm Mauser
An abandoned MG08. A bullet hole is seen on the water jacket.
MG34
An MG34 on tripod is seen in the German pillbox, captured by Lt. Gorlov's unit.
MG34 on tripod - 7.92x57mm Mauser
Degtyaryov DT
Degtyaryov DT machine guns are mounted on BT-7 and T-26 tanks.
DT machine gun - 7.62x54mm R
A coaxial DT on the T-26 tank.
A coaxial DT on the BT-7 tank.
A DT in the rear niche on the BT-7 tank.
TNSh-20
20 mm TNSh-20 autocannons are main guns of T-30 light tanks. In the film several T-30s are used as stand-ins for German Pz.II tanks.
TNSh-20 automatic cannon - 20x99mmR. It is mounted on T-60 light tank.
The TNSh-20 autocannon on the T-30 tank.
Another view of the TNSh-20.
Other Weapons
PTRD-41
During the last stand of Lt. Gorlov's unit, PTRD-41 AT rifles are used by Sgts. Ostapenko (Boris Blinov) and Bashlykov (Aleksey Chepurnov). When Bashlykov is killed, Lt. Sergei Gorlov (Nikolay Kryuchkov) takes his AT rifle.
Sgt. Ostapenko with a PTRD and Jr. Sgt. Gomelauri (N. Kostov) with a
PPSh-41.
Sgt. Bashlykov and Pvt. Shayakhmetov (Zhagda Oguzbaev) with a PTRD.
Bashlykov fires at German tanks.
Bashlykov reloads the PTRD.
A close-up of Ostapenko's PTRD.
Lt. Gorlov fires the PTRD.
RPG-40
RPG-40 anti-tank grenades are widely used by Soviet soldiers.
Soviet RPG-40 anti-tank grenade. The manual for use of grenade is seen on its body.
Sgt. Bashlykov (Aleksey Chepurnov) holds an RPG-40 grenade.
Medical orderly Marusya (Anna Petukhova) with two RPG-40 grenades.
RGD-33
RGD-33 hand grenades are also used by Soviet soldiers.
RGD-33 high-explosive fragmentation stick grenade, shown with the diamond-patterned fragmentation sleeve.
The soldier readies an
RPG-40 and an RGD-33 hand grenades.
45 mm 53-K AT Gun
45 mm 53-K AT guns are deployed against the German tanks.
M1937 (53-K) anti-tank gun - 45 mm (1.77 in)
Artilleryman Vasya (
Evgeniy Nemchenko), the last survivor of the crew, operates the 45 mm AT gun.
The AT gun fires at German tanks. This is a late version of 53-K, with the wheels of ZiS-3 field gun.
Trivia
Soviet T-26, BT-7 and T-30 tanks are used to represent German Panzers, attacking the positions of Lt. Gorlov's unit. In the final scene BT-7 and T-34 tanks participate in the Soviet counter-offensive.
T-26 (at the far right), BT-7 (at the background) and T-30 (at the right) represent destroyed German tanks. Both T-26 and BT-7 are fitted with false cupolas on the turrets to make them look more like Pz.III/IV tanks.
A "German" BT-7 in attack.
A "German" T-30 in attack.
Soviet BT-7 tanks in attack.
Soviet T-34 tanks in attack.
A T-18 (at the left) and Renault R35 (at the right) tanks support the infantry. Possibly this French R35 was captured from the Polish army in Autumn 1939.
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