Front Without Mercy (Front ohne Gnade)

Country	East Germany
Language	German
Channel	DDR1
Creator	DEFA
Broadcast	1984

Main Cast
Character	Actor

Hermann Anders	Jürgen Zartmann
Albert	Günter Naumann
Pablo Calvo	Gojko Mitic
Flores	Marijam Agischewa
Patzke	Jürgen Reuter
Hauptmann Godfried von Lindeck	Gerd Blahuschek

Front Without Mercy (Front ohne Gnade) is a 1984 East German TV series directed by Rudi Kurz. The story depicts the activities of a group of Communist anti-Nazi resistance in Germany in 1930s-1940s, lead by Hermann Anders (Jürgen Zartmann). The second part (Eps. 5-7) is set during the Spanish Civil war, in Spring-Summer 1937. Anders is a fighter of the International Brigade. Assisted by Spanish Communist Pablo Calvo (Gojko Mitic), he infiltrates the Legion Condor under the name of Baron Gottfried von Lindeck, a German pilot who was adbucted by Anders' group.

The following weapons were used in the film Front ohne Gnade:

Revolvers

Unidentified revolver

In several scenes in "Entscheidung um Mitternacht" (Ep.6) Flores (Marijam Agischewa) carries a revolver. It has a wide grip in Colt or Smith & Wesson style. Spanish produced versions of Colts and S&Ws are widely known, and the screen gun can really be one of them, but it's only a guess.

For comparison: Trocaola Aranzabal Y Cia revolver - 8x27mm French M1892. An example of Spanish version of S&W revolver.

A grip of Flores' revolver is seen.

Pistols

Browning Hi-Power

In "Der falsche Baron" (Ep.5) Hermann Anders (Jürgen Zartmann) carries a Browning Hi-Power when he is a member of International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War. His pistol is deactivated: it lacks the hammer and ajustable rear sight. In "Entscheidung um Mitternacht" (Ep.6) a Hi-Power is seen in hands of the head of staff of the International Brigade (Uwe Zerbe) (in Ep.5 this character carries an empty Mauser holster, see below).

FN P-35 - 9x19mm

Anders holds a Hi-Power.

The pistol lacks its hammer and ajustable rear sight.

The grip is seen when Anders carries the pistol at his belt.

The head of staff leads the fighters of the International Brigade in attack.

Another view of the pistol in hands of this character. It appears to be the same prop without hammer and sight that was earlier used by Anders.

Luger P08

In one scene in "Entscheidung um Mitternacht" (Ep.6) Pablo Calvo (Gojko Mitic) is seen with a Luger P08 (Luger holsters are seen in several scenes in Eps.5 and 6 but they seem to be empty). In "Pianos fur Malaga" (Ep.7) a Luger is used by a guard on BMW motor factory.

Luger P08 - 9x19mm

Pablo puts the pistol in his belt (Ep.6).

A guard fires his Luger (Ep.7).

Various pistols

In Ep.5 some Italian and German officers carry pistols in holsters. These handguns are seen only partially and cannot be identified for sure.

Italian Gen. Bergonzoni (Bogomil Simeonov) carries a compact pistol in holster (Ep.5). A small part of the grip can be seen.

An Italian officer carries a pistol in holster (possibly some compact pistol, maybe a Walther).

Another Italian officer carries a pistol in holster. This is a large military style pistol, and the shape of the grip resembles a Browning Hi-Power.

Rifles

Remington Rolling Block Carbine

Spanish Republicans Pablo Calvo (Gojko Mitic) and Flores (Marijam Agischewa) carry a Remington Rolling Block Carbine in "Der falsche Baron" (Ep.5) and "Entscheidung um Mitternacht" (Ep.6). Remington Rolling Block was the main service rifle of Spanish military for the last quarter of 19th century, but it was completly outdated gun for 1930s. The screen gun may be a kind of cavalry carbine or a short hunting rifle.

Remington Model 1867 Rolling Block Carbine - .50-45

Pablo with a Remington Rolling Block carbine.

Another view of Pablo's carbine.

Pablo with his carbine. He also holds a Luger P08 holster, taken from Legion Condor NCO Patzke.

Flores holds Pablo's carbine when guarding Patzke.

Flores with Remington Rolling Block carbine in Ep.6.

Flores aims.

Flores fires at Patzke.

Carcano M91/24

During the battles of Spanish Civil war Carcano M91/24 short rifles are used by Italian troops and Spanish Republicans.

Carcano M91/24 - 6.5x52mm

Italian soldiers raise their rifles in air, greeting a plane that appears to be an enemy one.

Italian soldiers with Carcano short rifles. The rifle in center matches M91/24, other rifles have similar length and outlook.

Most Italian soldiers hold Carcano short rifles.

Carcano short rifles and M91/30 carbines are seen in a stack at the background.

A fighter of the International Brigade in attack with a Carcano short rifle in hands (Ep.6). This rifle matches M91/30 except for a straight bolt handle; possibly it's a full-length Carcano M91, converted into a short rifle.

Carcano M91/38 Cavalry Carbine

Carcano M91/38 Cavalry Carbines of Italian troops are briefly seen in one scene in Ep.5.

Carcano M91/38 Cavalry Carbine with folded bayonet - 6.5x52mm

Several Carcano carbines with typical folding bayonets are seen in a stack at the background.

Another view of the scene.

Mauser Karabiner 98a

Karabiner 98a rifles are seen in several scenes in Eps.5,6 and 7.

Mauser Karabiner 98a - 7.92x57mm Mauser

A fighter of the International Brigade carries a Karabiner 98a at the background (Ep.5).

A fighter of the International Brigade at the far left holds a Karabiner 98a (Ep.6).

A fighter of the International Brigade holds a Karabiner 98a (Ep.6).

Soldiers, guarding the airfield of the Legion Condor, fire a Karabiner 98a and Mauser short rifle (Ep.7).

Mauser Gewehr 1898

A Mauser rifle that seems to be a Mauser Gewehr 1898 is seen in hands of a fighter of the International Brigade in Ep.6. In Ep.7 a German soldier on guard of the airfield is armed with Gewehr 98.

Mauser Gewehr 1898 - 7.92x57mm Mauser

A fighter of the International Brigade at the left holds a Mauser rifle that appears to be a post-1918 (with tangent-leaf sight) Gewehr 98.

A soldier, guarding the airfield of the Legion Condor, fires at Anders during the hijacking of brand new Bf.109 (Ep.7).

FN Mauser Mle 1930

What appears to be an FN Model 1930 rifle is used by one German soldier

FN Mauser Mle 1930 short rifle - 7×57mm Mauser.

Soldiers, guarding the airfield of the Legion Condor, fire a Karabiner 98a and FN Mauser Mle 1930 short rifle (Ep.7).

Mauser Rifles

Various Mauser rifles of unclear models are seen during the events of the Spanish Civil war.

A fighter of the International Brigade carries a Mauser rifle at the background (Ep.5).

Some Italian soldiers (notably the one at the left) hold Mauser rifles of unclear model (most of the soldiers are armed with Carcano short rifles) (Ep.5).

Mannlicher Short Rifle

In several scenes in Eps.5 and 6 Italian and Spanish Republican soldiers are armed with Mannlicher 1895 style short rifles (definitely not Italian Carcano).

For comparison: Mannlicher M1895 Short Rifle (Austrian M1930 Conversion) - 8x56mmR Mannlicher

An Italian soldier carries a Mannlicher style carbine (Ep.5). It looks different from Italian Carcano short rifles, having different position of barrel bands.

An Italian soldier carries a Mannlicher short rifle (Ep.6). Note the typical Mannlicher stacking pin.

A short Mannlicher rifle is seen in hands of an Italian solider at the right (Ep.6).

A fighter of the International Brigade at the right holds a Mannlicher short rifle (Ep.6).

The standard bearer of the International Brigade carries a Mannlicher short rifle (Ep.6).

Lebel Mle 1886

Many Moroccan soldiers of Nationalists troops (known as Regulares) carry Lebel Mle 1886 in Eps.5 and 6.

Lebel Model 1886 - 8x50mmR Lebel

Regulares march with Lebel rifles.

Another view of the scene.

A typical Lebel bolt handle can be seen.

Regulares raise their rifles in air, greeting the downing of Repulblican plame.

A stack of rifles is seen at the background (Ep.6). All of them, except the one at the left, appear to be Lebel rifles.

Berthier Mle 1892 Artillery Carbine

Berthier Mle 1892 Artillery Carbines are seen in hands of fighters of the International Brigade in Ep.6.

Berthier Mle 1892 Artillery Carbine - 8x50 mm R

A fighter of the International Brigade in center holds a Berthier carbine (Ep.6). What appears to be another carbine of same model is seen at the right.

What seems to be a Berthier carbine is seen in hands of a fighter next to the standard bearer.

Unidentified rifles

A stack of rifles is seen in Ep.6. While most are Lebel 1886s, one rifle seems to be a Gewehr 1888.

For comparison: Gewehr 1888/05 - 7.92x57mm Mauser

The rifle at the left seems to be a Gewehr 1888.

Some unidentified rifles are seen in hands of the fighters of the International Brigade in Ep.6.

A fighter of the International Brigade in center holds an unidentified rifle, possibly a Mauser. A rifle at the far left is also unidentified.

Another view of the rifle in center.

Machine Guns

KPV

KPV heavy machine guns in ZPU-2 dual anti-aircraft mount are used by German troops of Legion Condor. They probably stand for 20mm Flaks.

KPV heavy machine guns in ZPU-2 dual anti-aircraft mount - 14.5x114mm

German anti-aircraft machine guns fire at a Republican plane.

Schwarzlose Machine Gun

A Schwarzlose Machine Gun of unclear model is seen at the background in one scene in Ep.5.

Schwarzlose MG M. 7/12 - 8x50mmR Mannlicher.

A Schwarzlose machine gun is seen at the left.

Maxim MG08

A Maxim MG08 machine gun is briefly seen in one scene in Ep.5.

Maxim MG08 on 'sledge' mount - 7.92x57mm Mauser

An MG08 is seen at bottom left.

Another view of the machine gun in same scene.

Other Weapons

Model 39 Eihandgranate

A Model 39 Eihandgranate, out of time for 1937, is seen in hands of Legion Condor NCO Patzke (Jürgen Reuter) in Ep.5.

The Model 39 Eihandgranate hand grenade

Patzke hides a grenade in his underpants.

Leuchtpistole 42

Pablo Calvo (Gojko Mitic) uses a Leuchtpistole 42 flare pistol, out of time for 1937, in Ep.5.

Leuchtpistole 42 Flare Pistol - 26.65mm

Pablo loads the flare pistol.

He fires.

Trivia

Holsters

German Communist Albert (Günter Naumann), the head of intellegence in the International Brigade, carries a holster for TT-33 (Ep.5).

The head of staff of the International Brigade (Uwe Zerbe) carries an empty holster for Mauser C96 (Ep.5). This is a leather holster, not a more popular wooden one.