Only Old Men Are Going to Battle (V boy idut odni "stariki")

V boy idut odni "stariki" (1973).

Only Old Men Are Going to Battle (V boy idut odni "stariki") is a 1973 Soviet war movie about World War II fighter pilots. The movie is directed by Leonid Bykov who also appeared in the lead role of Captian Titarenko, nicknamed "Maestro" for his singing. The title of the movie comes from the order of the squadron commander: during very hard air battles against German fighter aces only "old men" - veterans of the squadron were sent up, while those fresh from flying school have to wait on the ground.

The movie was filmed as B&W, but in 2009 it was colorized. The screenshots below are taken from color version of the movie.

The following weapons are seen in the movie Only Old Men Are Going to Battle (V boy idut odni "stariki"):

Submachine Guns

PPSh-41

Soviet soldiers are often seen with PPSh-41 submachine guns.

MP40 submachine gun - 9x19mm.

A PPSh-41 is seen.

A Soviet nurse carries a wounded fighter pilot. She is armed with PPSh-41.

PPSh-41 are seen in hands of Soviet soldiers near the banner.

Soviet soldiers and officers fire their Mosin Nagant M1891/30 rifles, PPSh-41 submachine guns and handguns (most likely TT-33 pistols), giving the salute at the funeral of the pilot.

Rifles

Mosin Nagant M1891/30

Another weapon seen in hands of Soviet soldiers is Mosin Nagant M1891/30 rifle.

Full-length, Soviet Mosin Nagant M91/30 - 7.62x54mm R.

A Soviet soldier with M1891/30 rifle.

Soviet soldiers and officers fire their M1891/30 rifles, PPSh-41 submachine guns and handguns (most likely TT-33 pistols), giving the salute at the funeral of the pilot.

Machine Guns

DP-28

DP-28 light machine gun is seen in hands of a Sovier soldier.

Degtyarev DP-28 machine gun - 7.62x54mm R.

A Soviet soldier carries DP-28.

Maxim M1910/30

Maxim M1910/30 machine gun is used by Sovier soldiers.

Russian Maxim 1910/30, post 1941 manufacture with top hatch on cooling jacket allowing it to be filled more quickly or with snow - 7.62x54mmR.

Maxim M1910/30 is seen on the tachanka horse carriage. It is a post 1941 manufactured version.

Berezin UB

12.7mm Berezin UB machine gun is mounted on Il-2 ground attack plane.

Berezin UB - 12.7x108mm.

Berezin UB is poorly seen in the rear cabin of Il-2.

Volkov-Yartsev VYa-23

23mm aircraft automatic guns Volkov-Yartsev VYa-23 are main attack weapon of Il-2.

Il-2 fires two wing mounted VYa-23 guns.

FlaK 38

20mm German light AA automatic gun FlaK 38 is used against Soviet airplanes.

FlaK 38 in single mounting - 20x138mm B.

German Flak 38 fires at the Soviet planes.

Other Weapon

OSP-30 Flare Pistol

OSP-30 Flare Pistol is seen in hands of a Sovier officer.

Russian OSP-30 Flare Pistol - 26.5mm.

Soviet officer readies his OSP-30 flare pistol to get the signal to the airplanes.

Trivia

Most of the wartime fighter planes seen in the movie are in fact postwar training planes: Yak-18P appears as Soviet Yakovlev Yak-9 fighter and Zlin Z-326 - as German Messerschmitt Bf 109.