If War Comes Tomorrow
Modern DVD Cover
If War Comes Tomorrow 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.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Nagant M1895 - 7.62x38N Error creating thumbnail: File missing 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.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Reichsrevolver M1879 Revolver - 10.6x25R Error creating thumbnail: File missing Pistols Tokarev TT-33 In one scene an enemy officer holds a pistol that appears to be a TT-33 .
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Tokarev TT-33 - 7.62x25mm Tokarev. Pre-1947 version. Error creating thumbnail: File missing 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).
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Original Colt M1911 (dated 1913) - .45 ACP Error creating thumbnail: File missing 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.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Garate, Anitua y Cia Ruby-Type Pistol - .32 ACP Error creating thumbnail: File missing 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.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Tokarev M1927 submachine gun - 7.62x38N Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Rifles Mosin Nagant M1891/30 Most Red Army soldiers are armed with Mosin Nagant M1891/30 rifles.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Mosin Nagant M1891/30 - 7.62x54mm R Error creating thumbnail: File missing Red Army soldiers stand in formation with M91/30 rifles during the opening credits. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Two border guards fire their rifles during the night battle. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The wife of the commander of the border outpost (Inna Fyodorova ) fires an M91/30 rifle. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Red Army soldier stands on the top of disabled enemy tank. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Red Army soldiers with M91/30 rifles and Maxim M1910/30 machine guns repel the enemy attack. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Red Army soldiers in bayonet charge. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A close view of M91/30 in the same scene. Error creating thumbnail: File missing 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.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Simonov AVS-36 Rifle - 7.62x54R Error creating thumbnail: File missing Red Army soldiers stand in formation with AVS-36 rifles with attached sword bayonets. Error creating thumbnail: File missing 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.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Russian contract Model 1895 in 7.62x54 Russian. Note the loading bridge over the reciever Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Winchester is seen at the right. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Enemy troops in bayonet charge with Winchesters. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Enemy soldiers with Winchesters in close combat. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A blurry but recognisable view of a Winchester. Enfield Pattern 14 Enfield Pattern 14 rifles are also used by enemy troops.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Pattern M1914 (P 14) Enfield - .303 UK Error creating thumbnail: File missing A soldier aims his rifle. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A soldier in attack. Error creating thumbnail: File missing An Enfield rifle is seen at the left. Error creating thumbnail: File missing 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.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Original Austro-Hungarian Steyr Mannlicher M1895 - 8x50R Error creating thumbnail: File missing An enemy cavalryman lays dead with a Mannlicher rifle in sling. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Another view of the same scene. Error creating thumbnail: File missing 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.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Degtyaryov DP-27 machine gun - 7.62x54mm R Error creating thumbnail: File missing A DP-27 is seen on the place of the battle of a single Soviet border guard against invaders. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A border guard fires a DP-27. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Red Army soldier fires a DP-27. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Red Army paratrooper fires a DP-27. Error creating thumbnail: File missing 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.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Degtyaryov DA machine gun - 7.62x54mm R Error creating thumbnail: File missing A DA machine gun on R-5 plane. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Another view of DA machine gun. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Degtyaryov DA-2 twin machine gun - 7.62x54mm R Error creating thumbnail: File missing An aerial gunner mans a twin DA-2 machine gun. Degtyaryov DT Degtyaryov DT machine guns are mounted on Soviet tanks.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing DT machine gun - 7.62x54mm R Error creating thumbnail: File missing 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. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A close view of the DT on T-27 tankette. This scene is a footage from 1933 movie Dezertir Error creating thumbnail: File missing T-26 Model 1931 light tanks are armed with two DT machine guns in twin turrets. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A coaxial DT on BT-5 tank. Error creating thumbnail: File missing 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.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Russian Maxim 1910/30 machine gun - 7.62x54mmR Error creating thumbnail: File missing Border guards fires a Maxim at advancing enemy troops. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Red Army soldiers with Mosin Nagant M1891/30 rifles and Maxim M1910/30 machine guns repel the enemy attack. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Red Army soldiers in gas masks and protective suits unload a Maxim, transported on a T-27 tankette. Error creating thumbnail: File missing 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.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Maxim M1910/30 in M-4 AA quad mounting Error creating thumbnail: File missing An M-4 on position. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A close view of the machine gun. Error creating thumbnail: File missing M-4s are mounted on lorrys. Colt M1895 Colt M1895/14 machine guns are used by enemy troops.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Colt 1895/14 machine gun, Russian contract version - 7.62x54mm R Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Colt M1895 is transported on a lorry. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Colt M1895 in action. Hotchkiss M1914 A Hotchkiss M1914 is briefly seen once.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing M1914 Hotchkiss Machine Gun with tripod - 8x50mmR Lebel Error creating thumbnail: File missing 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.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Schwarzlose MG M. 7/12 - 8x50mmR Mannlicher Error creating thumbnail: File missing 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.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing RG-14/30 Soviet hand grenade. Error creating thumbnail: File missing 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.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing 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.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing An enemy officer throws a bundle of unknown grenades. Trivia Artillery Error creating thumbnail: File missing ]37mm M1930 (1-K) AT gun. Error creating thumbnail: File missing 76.2mm M1903/30 L40 field gun in action. Error creating thumbnail: File missing 76.2mm M1931 (3-K) AA gun in action. Error creating thumbnail: File missing M1931 AA guns are towed by Comintern artillery tractors. Error creating thumbnail: File missing 122mm M1910/30 field howitzer. Error creating thumbnail: File missing 152mm M1909/30 heavy howitzer. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Unidentified field gun (most likely a German or Austro-Hungarian) in documentary footage. Tanks Error creating thumbnail: File missing T-27 tankettes and T-37A amphibious light tanks. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A T-27 tankette is used as a transport for Maxim machine gun and gunners. Error creating thumbnail: File missing T-26 Model 1931 light tanks appears as enemy tanks. They are armed with two DT machine guns in twin turrets. Error creating thumbnail: File missing T-26 Model 1933 light tanks. They are armed with 45mm L46 20-K gun and a DT machine gun. Error creating thumbnail: File missing BT-2 tanks in attack. They are armed with 37mm L45 B-3 gun and a DT machine gun. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A BT-5 tank in attack. It is armed with 45mm L46 20-K gun and a DT machine gun. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Outdated MS-1 tanks stand for enemy tanks. They are armed with 37mm Hotchkiss gun. Error creating thumbnail: File missing T-28 heavy tanks, with 76mm gun and a DT machine gun in main turret and DTs in two small turrets. Airplanes Error creating thumbnail: File missing Polikarpov I-15 fighter planes on airfield. They appear as enemy planes. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Polikarpov I-16 fighter planes intercept enemy bombers. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Polikarpov R-5 reconnaissance plane. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Tupolev TB-3 heavy bombers on airfield... Error creating thumbnail: File missing ...and in air. 
