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ZB-53 / vz. 37
The ZB-53 / vz. 37 air-cooled, belt-fed machine-gun was manufactured by the Czechoslovak arms ZB factory. It was a gas operated, automatic-only weapon (with selectable rate of fire), which fires from an open bolt. The ZB-53 uses belt feed, from non-disintegrating steel belts which are fed from the right side only. The ZB-53 was issued with tripods of several designs.
These machine guns were also mounted into tanks by various nations like the Czech LT vz. 35 and LT vz. 38, the German Panzerkampfwagen 35(t) and Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) and most British tank designs of the WW2 period. The British Birmingham Small Arms Company manufactured licensed modification of the tank version of ZB-53 named the Besa Machine Gun. It also served in large quantities in the German Army of WW2 under the designation MG 37(t) (infantry tripod and tank version).
Specifications
- Caliber: 7.92x57mm Mauser
- Weight: 21 kg (41.9 lb) gun + 17.5 (38.6 lb) tripod
- Length: 1096 mm (43.1 in)
- Barrel length: 733 mm (28.9 in)
- Rate of fire: Selectable, 500 or 700-800 rpm
- Capacity: 100 or 200 rounds belt
The ZB-53 / vz. 37 and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivan Nikulin: Russian Sailor (Ivan Nikulin - Russkiy Matros) | German soldiers and Soviet sailors | 1944 | ||
| Little Partisan (Malý partyzán) | Czechoslovak soldier | 1950 | ||
| Action B (Akce B) | Czechoslovak soldiers | 1952 | ||
| Paratrooper | British troops | Besa; mounted on Daimler Armoured Car | 1953 | |
| A Hill in Korea | Besa; mounted in Comet tank | 1956 | ||
| The Unconquered (Neporazení) | Jirí Sovák | Pvt. Jarda | Mounted in the bunker loopholes | 1958 |
| Gorgo | British troops | Besa; mounted on Daimler Armoured Car | 1961 | |
| Hell Is for Heroes | German soldiers | Stock footage | 1962 | |
| At Your Threshold (U Tvoyego Poroga) | German troops | Mounted in Pz.Kpfw.38(t) light tank | 1964 | |
| Cast a Giant Shadow | Haganah troops | mounted on Haganah jeeps | 1966 | |
| Judith | Haganah troops | 1966 | ||
| Revenge (Revansa) | Seen in the weapon room | 1978 | ||
| Go and Don't Say Goodbye (Chod a nelúc sa) | German soldiers | 1979 | ||
| Signum Laudis | Vlado Müller | Cpl. Hoferik | Mocked as Schwarzlose M.07/12 | 1980 |
| Russian soldiers | Mocked as Maxim M1910 | |||
| Until the End (Až do konce) | Vítezslav Jandák | SS-Scharführer Otto | 1984 | |
| Eduard Cupák | SS-Hauptsturmführer | |||
| Daniel Netušil | Sigi | |||
| Romeo Must Die | Chinese prison guard | 2000 | ||
| Hart's War | German soldiers | 2002 | ||
| Deathwatch | German soldiers | Mocked up as Maxim MG08 | 2002 | |
| Our Own (Svoi) | German troops | Mounted in Pz.Kpfw.38(t) light tank | 2004 | |
| The Red Baron | German soldiers | Mocked up as Maxim MG08 | 2008 | |
| Lieutenant Suvorov | German troops | Mounted on Pz.Kpfw.38(t) light tank; possibly mockups | 2009 | |
| Stalingrad | German soldiers | 2013 |
Television
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Interpreter (Perevodchik) | German soldiers | 2014 | ||
| Snow and Ashes (Sneg i pepel) | Antonis Shamanidi | Aslan Bodoev | 2015 | |
| A German soldier |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Call of Duty 2 | Besa | Mounted on Crusader tanks | 2005 |
| Forgotten Hope 2 | MG37(t) | Mounted in Marder III | 2006 |
| Company of Heroes | Besa | Mounted on British tanks | 2006 |
| Darkest Hour: Europe '44-'45 | Besa | Mounted on Cromwell Mk IV | 2006 |
| Company of Heroes 2 | Besa | Mounted on British Tanks | 2013 |
| Sniper Elite III | Besa | Mounted on British Matilda Tanks | 2014 |
| Heroes & Generals | MG37(t) | Mounted in Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) Ausf. E | 2016 |
| Call of Duty: WWII | Besa | Mounted on a British Light Tank Mk VI | 2017 |
| Post Scriptum | "ZB-53"/"Besa" | ZB-53 mounted in Panzer 38(t) and Besa used in British armor | 2018 |
| Battlefield V | Besa and MG37(t) | Mounted on British Tanks and German Panzer 38 (T) | 2018 |
| Call of Duty: Vanguard | Besa | Mounted on Crusader tanks | 2021 |
| Enlisted | MG37(t) Mounted on Pz.38 (t) F tanks | 2021 | |
| Besa Tank Machine Gun |
Anime
| Anime Title | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Girls und Panzer | Panzer 38(t) | ZB-53 | 2012 - 2013 |
| Churchill and Matilda Tanks | Besa variant | ||
| Girls und Panzer: This is the Real Anzio Battle! | Panzer 38(t) | ZB-53 | 2014 |
| Girls und Panzer: der Film | Churchill, Crusader and Matilda tanks | Besa variant | 2015 |
| Witch Craft Works | mounted in Churchill Mk IV, "Takamiya-kun and Kagari-san's Wound" (ep.08) | 2014 | |
| Girls und Panzer das Finale: Part 2 | Panzer 38(t) | ZB-53 | 2019 |
| Churchill and Matilda Tanks | Besa variant |
See Also
- Zbrojovka Brno - A list of all firearms manufactured by Zbrojovka Brno.