I found that picture some time ago. It was taken during Battle of Bzura Anniversary. These guys are memebers of some re-enactment group from Sochaczew (Poland).
Personally, I like this photo.
I wonder if that muzzle blast is real.
Great photo.Thanx.
Sweet Photo BTW!
Unless they were posing for that preticular shot I doubt it. To much of a liability to do it with live ammo!
Makes sense.
Thanx.
Have those guys the certain scenario or they simply nice playing.
And what’s the “enemy side” - soviet or polish uniformed guys. ?
As far as I know, there was a short scenario, but whole “battle” was fought in very small area - it was surrounded by the public, so it was limited.
Opposite forces were wearing polish uniforms, because it was an anniversary of battle of Bzura which took place in September 1939.
I’ll try to find that site and post some more images.
That would be great.
I couldn’t find that site where that image come from, but found two others with plenty of photo.
I post some of them, the rest you can see by entering these websites:
http://www.poloniamilitaris.pl/?tryb=galeria_lista
http://www.militarni.pl/?lang=1&cat=134
The are lists of galleries - check “Bzura” galleries.
There are also galleries from other re-enactment events.
Those are some of the best photo’s i have seen in a long time, especially the one’s of the vet looking on. Imagine what he must be thinking.
They give a good first person perspective on things.
Anybody ever been to a re-enactment before?
Thanks very much Kovalski
I’ve really enjoj. This great combat scene look like the shooting of excellent film about ww2.
Is it famouse polish cavalery? What does they attack?
I hear about soviet cavalery in the 1941-42 .General von Mainstain’s in his memoours wrote this was the most manoeuvrable troops of Soviet army. Those arhaic troops very irritated germans during the summer offensive in 1941.
By the way mate what’s with the contemporary Polish cimena production about WW2?
Was something made better than bestceller “For tankers and dog” since the last times?
Hi Chevan,
Very good re-enactors work indeed. Cavalry in garrison uniforms with flags on trumpets was a little bit “off topic”, but photo mentioned by you is really good.
There is a lot of misunderstanding regarding cavalry in WWII.
Soviet Union had Cavalry Corpses and divisions right to the end of war.
Very effective forces in difficult terrrain and for harassing enemy rear.
One have to understand that either polish, soviet or italian cavalry almost never fought on horseback.
Horses were for transportation - cavalry fought as a light infantry.
Our western friends should understand that on steppes of Ukraine or Forests of Belarus cavalry was the fastest, maneuvrable force.
Not mention that long raids behind front, were possible because horses don’t use petrol. Cavalry lived from local resources.
(Most probably local farmers were not so happy, but this was war.)
Regarding polish contemporary cinema this days - nothing spectacular. It is a pity because on the other side famous movies like “Saving Private Ryan” were made thanks to co-operation of re-enactors with movie producers.
So, potential is here.
The latest movie production will certainly not be of much interest for you.
http://www.polskieradio.pl/polonia/article.asp?tId=45373
http://www.slovakradio.sk/inetportal/rsi/core.php?page=showSprava&id=92&lang=2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1Kj7pxBcqg
I doubt how release of this movie will affect relationship between Russia and Poland. Hopefully it will be treated just as historical account without any todays emotions.
Cheers,
Lancer44
This is OFF-Topic but…
Let me to reply mate about using of horses in cavalry - not just as mean of moving of light infantry
This is the soviet propogandic-artistic picture of Krivonogov P.A.“Soviet cavalry in the battles under Moscow 1941.”
As you can see cavalry attacked the german position on the horses.
Certainly cavalry had a big losses under great mashin and artillery gun. But sometimes it participation ( as you told in the deep forests like of Ukrain and Belorussia )could be very effective and created for the germans a certain problems.
But after 1943 the role of cavalry was constamtly decreased - firstly becouse the enemy infantry growed its mashin-gun power.
Regarding polish contemporary cinema this days - nothing spectacular. It is a pity because on the other side famous movies like “Saving Private Ryan” were made thanks to co-operation of re-enactors with movie producers.
So, potential is here.
You know mate simular situation and in the Russian cinema industry. Although today appeares some new film about Great Patriotic war, but this is still is a puty copy of soviet bestsellers like “Seventeen instants of spring” or “Only old mans go to the battle”.
Obviously we need today the new generation of patriotic cinema. I like to wath old black-white soviet films about WW2. On my mind the best films were maded in 1960-1970.
Becouse IMHO the soviet society in this period feeled itself relatively freedom (after Stalin period) and wath to the future with great optimism. As the resault in this period appeared excellent book, sinema and other artistic masterpieces.
But today …every 9 may russian television repeat mostly old soviet films about ww2.
The latest movie production will certainly not be of much interest for you.
I doubt how release of this movie will affect relationship between Russia and Poland. Hopefully it will be treated just as historical account without any todays emotions.
You know i hate when sombody try to mix cinema and politic.
In the beginning 1990 russian cinema director Nickita Michalkov shoted the film “Tired by sun” about stalins repressions in the hight soviet command befor the ww2.
Honestly speaking this film is full shit. I never meet the ones who sayed somting good about this film.
But this film got the Oscar-award year later as “best foreign film”. Obviously it was purely politic gesture of Holliwood. But Michalcov after come back to the Moscow was very proud and considered himself today as a “Great russian director”. He is full feebleness IMHO.
Its very pity the polish and russian cinema don’t use the co-operation today. It certainly should has a great potential. All soviet films with polish actors (or actrees) were very popular in USSR.
Cheers.
I’ve found a webpage polish re-enactement group “Arsenal”. Although it’s related to polish regiments of XVIII-XIX century, I thought that might be interesting for you because it has an english version.
http://www.arsenal.org.pl/home.php