If War Comes Tomorrow
(Esli zavtra voyna...)
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Modern DVD Cover
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| Country
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 USSR
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| Directed by
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Efim Dzigan
Georgi Beryozko
Lazar Antsi-Polovskiy
Nikolay Karmazinskiy
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| Release Date
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1938
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| Language
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Russian
German
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| Studio
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Mosfilm
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If War Comes Tomorrow (original title Esli zavtra voyna...) is a Soviet 1938 B&W war movie directed by a group lead by Efim Dzigan. It depicts an invasion of some unnamed hostile state in USSR, the repulse and the following victorious counteroffensive of the Red Army. The enemy state is never named (although it is known that Nazi Germany was meant and the enemy trops speack in German), and even the insignias of invading army are fictional, so in this article these troops are named simply "enemy". Most of the movie was filmed during the large maneuvers of Red Army, and no actors are credited as the plans of the creators of the movie was to show it as a documentary (so it is similar to what is known as "mockumentary" in modern days). The movie and its musical theme, the song "Esli zavtra voyna" became famous in USSR but when the war really broke out, it was so different from the film that it was banned for a long time.
The following weapons were used in the film If War Comes Tomorrow (Esli zavtra voyna):
Revolvers
Nagant M1895
In one scene a Nagant M1895 revolver is seen in hands of a crewmember of enemy tank.
A tank crewmember appears from a damaged tank but is surprised by a Red Army soldier.
Reichsrevolver M1879
What appears to be a Reichsrevolver M1879 is seen in holster on the belt of a soldier in a documentary footage.
Reichsrevolver M1879 Revolver - 10.6x25R
Pistols
Tokarev TT-33
In one scene an enemy officer holds a pistol that appears to be a TT-33.
Tokarev TT-33 - 7.62x25mm Tokarev. Pre-1947 version.
An officer tries to stop retreating soldiers.
Colt M1911
In one scene an enemy officer holds a pistol that appears to be a Colt M1911 (an original M1911 is a better guess than an M1911A1 as A1s appeared in USSR only via lend-lease while M1911 were purchased by Russian Imperial Army in 1916-17).
Original Colt M1911 (dated 1913) - .45 ACP
An officer at the left holds an M1911-style pistol. Note the fictional insignia in the shape of three-leg version of Swastika.
Unidentified pistol
In one scene an enemy officer holds a pistol. Due to its shape and size it is possible to be some version of Ruby but it's only a guess.
Garate, Anitua y Cia Ruby-Type Pistol - .32 ACP
An officer leads his soldiers in attack.
Submachine Guns
Tokarev M1927
In one scene several Soviet paratroopes carry guns that aren't seen clear but their general outlook greatly resembles Tokarev M1927 submachine guns. It was an experimental weapon, chambered for 7.62mm Nagant cartridges. Tokarev SMG was never adopted for service but several hundred pieces were produced for extensive trials, so these guns could appear in the movie.
Tokarev M1927 submachine gun - 7.62x38N
Rifles
Mosin Nagant M1891/30
Most Red Army soldiers are armed with Mosin Nagant M1891/30 rifles.
Mosin Nagant M1891/30 - 7.62x54mm R
Red Army soldiers stand in formation with M91/30 rifles during the opening credits.
Two border guards fire their rifles during the night battle.
The wife of the commander of the border outpost (
Inna Fyodorova) fires an M91/30 rifle.
A Red Army soldier stands on the top of disabled enemy tank.
Red Army soldiers with M91/30 rifles and
Maxim M1910/30 machine guns repel the enemy attack.
Red Army soldiers in bayonet charge.
A close view of M91/30 in the same scene.
Victorious Red Army soldiers march with rifles on shoulders.
Simonov AVS-36
Simonov AVS-36 automatic rifles are seen in documentary footage of the 1938 May Day parade in Moscow when these brand new guns were first seen in public.
Simonov AVS-36 Rifle - 7.62x54R
Red Army soldiers stand in formation with AVS-36 rifles with attached sword bayonets.
A close view of barrels and bayonets.
Winchester Model 1895
Enemy soldiers carry a mix of various rifles of foreign origin. Winchester Model 1895 rifles with sword bayonets are seen most often.
A Russian contract Model 1895 in 7.62x54 Russian. Note the loading bridge over the reciever
A Winchester is seen at the right.
Enemy troops in bayonet charge with Winchesters.
Enemy soldiers with Winchesters in close combat.
A blurry but recognisable view of a Winchester.
Enfield Pattern 14
Enfield Pattern 14 rifles are also used by enemy troops.
Pattern M1914 (P 14) Enfield - .303 UK
A soldier aims his rifle.
An Enfield rifle is seen at the left.
A soldier with an Enfield rifle is attacked by Red Army cavalryman.
Mannlicher M1895
Mannlicher M1895 rifles are also used by enemy troops. A rifle that appears to be a short version of M1895, known as Repetier Stutzen M1895, is seen in documentary footage.
Original Austro-Hungarian Steyr Mannlicher M1895 - 8x50R
An enemy cavalryman lays dead with a Mannlicher rifle in sling.
Another view of the same scene.
A soldier with Mannlicher Repetier Stutzen M1895 rifle is seen in documentary footage.
Machine Guns
Degtyaryov DP-27
Degtyaryov DP-27 machine guns are used by Red Army troops and Soviet border guards. DA-27s, mounted on Colt M1895 tripod with shield, are used by enemy troops. All DP-27s, seen in the movie, lack their conical flash hiders, supposedly due to the problems when firing blank cartridges in full auto mode.
Degtyaryov DP-27 machine gun - 7.62x54mm R
A DP-27 is seen on the place of the battle of a single Soviet border guard against invaders.
A border guard fires a DP-27.
A Red Army soldier fires a DP-27.
A Red Army paratrooper fires a DP-27.
A DP-27 on Colt M1895 tripod.
Degtyaryov DA
A single Degtyaryov DA machine gun is mounted on Polikarpov R-5 reconnaissance plane. Twin DA-2 machine guns are mounted on Tupolev TB-3 heavy bombers.
Degtyaryov DA machine gun - 7.62x54mm R
A DA machine gun on R-5 plane.
Another view of DA machine gun.
Degtyaryov DA-2 twin machine gun - 7.62x54mm R
An aerial gunner mans a twin DA-2 machine gun.
Degtyaryov DT
Degtyaryov DT machine guns are mounted on Soviet tanks.
DT machine gun - 7.62x54mm R
T-27 tankettes and T-37A amphibious light tanks are armed with a single DT, hull-mounted on T-27 and turret-mounted on T-37.
A close view of the DT on T-27 tankette. This scene is a footage from 1933 movie
Dezertir where T-27 appears as a armoured vehicle of German police, used against rioting dockers in Hamburg.
T-26 Model 1931 light tanks are armed with two DT machine guns in twin turrets.
A coaxial DT on BT-5 tank.
Two DTs are mounted in small turrets on T-28 heavy tank.
Maxim M1910/30
Maxim M1910/30 machine guns are used by Red Army and Soviet border guards.
Russian Maxim 1910/30 machine gun - 7.62x54mmR
Border guards fires a Maxim at advancing enemy troops.
Red Army soldiers with
Mosin Nagant M1891/30 rifles and Maxim M1910/30 machine guns repel the enemy attack.
Red Army soldiers in gas masks and protective suits unload a Maxim, transported on a T-27 tankette.
Maxim machine guns on
tachanka horse carts. They are mounted on AA mountings.
Maxim M1910/30 machine guns in M-4 AA quad mountings are used also by Red Army troops.
Maxim M1910/30 in M-4 AA quad mounting
A close view of the machine gun.
M-4s are mounted on lorrys.
Colt M1895
Colt M1895/14 machine guns are used by enemy troops.
Colt 1895/14 machine gun, Russian contract version - 7.62x54mm R
A Colt M1895 is transported on a lorry.
Hotchkiss M1914
A Hotchkiss M1914 is briefly seen once.
M1914 Hotchkiss Machine Gun with tripod - 8x50mmR Lebel
A typical barrel of Hotchkiss M1914 is seen in heavy smoke.
Schwarzlose Machine Gun
What appears to be some version of Schwarzlose Machine Gun is seen in documentary footage.
Schwarzlose MG M. 7/12 - 8x50mmR Mannlicher
Other Weapons
RG-14/30
Red Army soldiers use bundles of RG-14/30 hand grenades against enemy tanks. The grenades appear to be training version.
RG-14/30 Soviet hand grenade.
A Soviet soldier throws a bundle of grenades.
Unidentified grenade 1
A "pineapple" hand grenade of unidentified model is seen in hands of an enemy officer.
An enemy officer readies to throw a grenade.
Unidentified grenade 2
Enemy troops also use bundles of hand grenades of unidentified model against Red Army tanks.
An enemy officer throws a bundle of unknown grenades.
Trivia
Artillery
]37mm M1930 (1-K) AT gun.
76.2mm M1903/30 L40 field gun in action.
76.2mm M1931 (3-K) AA gun in action.
M1931 AA guns are towed by
Comintern artillery tractors.
122mm M1910/30 field howitzer.
152mm M1909/30 heavy howitzer.
Unidentified field gun (most likely a German or Austro-Hungarian) in documentary footage.
Tanks
T-27 tankettes and T-37A amphibious light tanks.
A T-27 tankette is used as a transport for Maxim machine gun and gunners.
T-26 Model 1931 light tanks appears as enemy tanks. They are armed with two DT machine guns in twin turrets.
T-26 Model 1933 light tanks. They are armed with 45mm L46 20-K gun and a DT machine gun.
BT-2 tanks in attack. They are armed with 37mm L45 B-3 gun and a DT machine gun.
A BT-5 tank in attack. It is armed with 45mm L46 20-K gun and a DT machine gun.
Outdated MS-1 tanks stand for enemy tanks. They are armed with 37mm Hotchkiss gun.
T-28 heavy tanks, with 76mm gun and a DT machine gun in main turret and DTs in two small turrets.
Airplanes
Polikarpov I-15 fighter planes on airfield. They appear as enemy planes.
Polikarpov I-16 fighter planes intercept enemy bombers.
Polikarpov R-5 reconnaissance plane.
Tupolev TB-3 heavy bombers on airfield...
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