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Cross of Iron
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Cross of Iron is a 1977 war film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring James Coburn, Maximilian Schell, and James Mason. Set on the Eastern Front of World War II, the film tells the story of a disgruntled yet highly decorated German Feldwebel Rolf Steiner (James Coburn), and his reconnaissance platoon that is fighting on the Kuban Bridgehead, Soviet Union in late 1943. All is going as well as can be expected during a retreat until zealous, (but inexperienced), Hauptmann Stransky (Maximilian Schell) turns up, so jealous of Steiner's awards that he plots a vendetta to rid himself of Steiner and at the same time win the coveted Iron Cross.
The following weapons were used in the film Cross of Iron:
Handguns
Beretta Model 1934
Stransky's sidearm is a Beretta M1934, seen when he draws it in preparation to shoot a young Russian boy.
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Walther P38
The Walther P38 is used by Unteroffizier (Corporal) Krüger (Klaus Löwitsch) in a close combat situation when his submachine gun runs dry.
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Luger P 08
Feldwebel (Sergeant) Steiner carries a Luger P 08 as his sidearm throughout the movie. It is most notably seen when he drops his webbing and the Russian child soldier (Slavko Štimac) takes it out of its holster as nobody watches but decides to not use it.
Nagant M1895 (probable)
In a very brief shot, a Soviet soldier is seen with a revolver. The shot is not detailed enough to properly identify the gun, but since the movie was filmed in (then) Yugoslavia, it is likely a Nagant M1895, which was very common in Yugoslavia and had been in use with its armed forces for decades at the time the film was produced.
Submachine Guns
PPSh-41
Steiner (James Coburn), plus a few of his men, use looted PPSh-41s that they captured from the attack on the mortar position early in the film. Steiner then uses a PPSh throughout the film. The original 7.62x25mm Tokarev version is used by Wehrmacht forces throughout the film, rather than the German 9x19mm Parabellum MP717(r) conversion (both converted and unconverted variants were extensively used by the Germans on the Eastern Front).
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MP 40
MP 40s are carried by most of Steiner's platoon before the attack on the mortar position, though afterward only Schütze (Private) Kern (Vadim Glowna) and Anselm (Dieter Schidor) continue to use it. It is also used by many of the German soldiers seen throughout the film, including Oberst Brandt (James Mason) and Hauptmann Stransky (Maximilian Schell). Stransky tries to use one in the finale but demonstrates his incompetence to Steiner when he cannot reload it.
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Captain Stransky (Maximilian Schell) panics when he can not figure out how to reload his MP 40.
Rifles
Mauser Karabiner 98k
The Karabiner 98k is carried by several German soldiers in the film including a Schütze in Steiner's platoon.
Mosin Nagant M44 Carbine
Some Red Army soldiers are armed with Mosin Nagant M44 Carbines.
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Mosin Nagant M91/30 Sniper Rifle
In the opening sequence, a Mosin Nagant M91/30 Sniper Rifle is picked up by Schütze Maag (Burkhard Driest) from a dead Soviet soldier. Maag continues to use it for the rest of the film until he pretends to be a Soviet prisoner.
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PTRS-41
A PTRS-41 anti-tank rifle is seen used by Soviet ground forces during the climax.
Machine Guns
Maxim M1910/30
Red Army soldiers are seen manning the Russian adopted version of the Maxim machine gun, the Maxim M1910/30. In a notable instance, a close-up actually allows for the observation of the weapon's cooling mechanism.
Zastava M53
German forces are seen using the Zastava M53, which is a Yugoslavian post-war copy of the German MG 42. Although the M53 has a slower rate of fire than the original MG 42, the rate of fire in the film has apparently been edited in post-production to be even slower: approximately 400–600 rounds per minute, which is the equivalent of a Browning M1919A4.
Degtyaryov DP-27
Soviet forces are also seen using the Degtyarov DP-27.
ZB vz. 26
In historical footage in the introduction, a Soviet soldier fires a ZB vz. 26. This Czech machine gun was used on the Eastern front by both the German and Romanian armies and thus has most probably been captured by Soviet forces.
Grenades
Model 24 Stielhandgranate
Steiner's men use Model 24 Stielhandgranaten at the beginning of the film to take out a Soviet mortar position.
Other
76 mm divisional gun M1942 (ZiS-3)
Both the Germans and the Soviets use a 76 mm divisional gun M1942 (ZiS-3) during the assault on the factory. The movie was filmed in Yugoslavia and used old army equipment, including Soviet-type tanks, guns and mortars. Another Zis-3 is seen towed by a Soviet truck.
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7.5 cm Pak 40
During the rear-guard scene, German soldiers are seen operating a 7.5 cm Pak 40 anti-tank gun.
T34-85 tank
82-BM-41 mortar
Both Russians and Germans are seen using the Russian 82-mm mortar Model 1941 (BM-41, a further development of BM-37). It was utilized into the 1960s by virtually every country in the Red sphere of influence.
2 cm Flakvierling 38
The Germans are seen with what appears to be the 2 cm Flakvierling 38. Since the movie was filmed in former Yugoslavia, it is possible the AA is a Russian-made mock-up.
