Tank Brigade is a 1955 Czechoslavakian film made about the World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 Eastern Front

Eastern Front (World War II)

The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...

 conflict between German and Czekoslovakian forces.

The film is largely a propaganda film

Propaganda film

The term propaganda can be defined as the ability to produce and spread fertile messages that, once sown, will germinate in large human cultures.” However, in the 20th century, a “new” propaganda emerged, which revolved around political organizations and their need to communicate messages that...

, depicting actions of the 1st Czechoslovak Independent Tank Armoured Brigade, with Soviet forces, who both fought their way to the Czechoslovak border, and participated in the Battle of the Dukla Pass

Battle of the Dukla Pass

Battle of the Dukla Pass, also known as the Dukla / Carpatho-Dukla / Rzeszów-Dukla / Dukla-Prešov Offensive was the scene of bitterly contested battle for the Dukla Pass on the Eastern Front of World War II between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in September-October 1944. German resistance was...

. The film depicts the struggle for Slovakia

Slovakia

The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...

 and the successful liberation of Ostrava

Ostrava

Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the...

 in Northern Moravia

Moravia

Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...

. One scene depicts a battle for the Miloše Sýkory bridge in Ostrava

Ostrava

Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the...

 city, featuring the actual bridge. Three thousand members of the Czechoslovak People's Army

Czechoslovak People's Army

The Czechoslovak People's Army was the army of the Czechoslovak State from 1954 until 1990. On March 14, 1990 the Army's name was changed to the Czechoslovak Army removing adjective "People's" from the name. Since 1955 it was a member force of the Warsaw Pact.- Ground Forces :Ground troops were...

 participated in the film.

The film is 93 minutes, in colour, and stars Otomar Krejca

Otomar Krejča

Otomar Krejča was a Czech theater director and dissident.Krejca was born in Skrýšov, Pelhřimov, Czechoslovakia, on November 23, 1921. In 1956, Krejca became a member of the Prague National Theater as an actor. He later became a theater director at the landmark theater, which opened in Prague in 1881...

, Bedrich Prokos, Martin Ruzek

Martin Růžek

Martin Růžek, born Martin Erhard was a Czech actor. He starred in the film Poslední propadne peklu under director Ludvík Ráža in 1982.-Selected filmography:...

, Julius Pantik

Július Pántik

Július Pántik was a Slovak film actor. He appeared in over 30 films between 1947 and 1992.-Selected filmography:* Warning * Kdo hledá zlaté dno -External links:...

, Jana Ditetova

Jana Dítětová

Jana Dítětová was a Czechoslovak film actress. She appeared in 40 films between 1942 and 1988.-Selected filmography:* The Wedding Ring * A Kiss from the Stadium * Steel Town...

, Ota Sklencka

Ota Sklenčka

Ota Sklenčka was a Czech actor. He starred in the film Poslední propadne peklu under director Ludvík Ráža in 1982.-References:...

, Zdenek Dite

Zdeněk Dítě

Zdeněk Dítě was a Czechoslovak film actor. He appeared in 70 films and television shows between 1945 and 1991.-Selected filmography:* The Wedding Ring * A Kiss from the Stadium...

, Jiri Sovak

Jirí Sovák

Jiří Sovák was a Czech actor, best known for his comedy roles.-Life and theatre career:Jiří Sovák was born Jiří Schmitzer to the family of an innkeeper in Prague. In 1941 he graduated from Prague State Conservatory where he had been studying drama...

, Rudolf Deyl ml., Jiri Vala, Miloslav Holub, Milos Nedbal, Antonin Sura.

The screenplay was written by Jaroslav Klima, directed by Ivo Toman and the production company was Československý Armádní Film.

Unusually for war films, it used a variety of authentic armoured vehicles used by both sides, including Russian T-34

T-34

The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank produced from 1940 to 1958. Although its armour and armament were surpassed by later tanks of the era, it has been often credited as the most effective, efficient and influential design of World War II...

 and T-34/85's, as well as German Sturmgeschütz III

Sturmgeschütz III

The Sturmgeschütz III assault gun was Germany's most produced armoured fighting vehicle during World War II. It was built on the chassis of the proven Panzer III tank...

, Panzer IV

Panzer IV

The Panzerkampfwagen IV , commonly known as the Panzer IV, was a medium tank developed in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz...

 and a Schwimmwagen.