Real life in worker peasant Red army in 1943-1944

[Kupr]

I found television series showing real life in Worker Peasant Red Army in 1943-1944 as I know it in Russian memoirs.
Name of movie series - Fighters (On Russian language with english and vietnamese subtitles). It is free on youtube now:

1 season (12 series):

2 season (12 series):

It is mostly very accurate with history, uniform and equipment. Perhaps some situations are very extreme and most pilots/soldiers did not see them, but in general, similar situations were true.

It showing for example,
1. Soviet power in army had system of checks and balances like three main powers in comanding of unit:
- Commanding officer,
- Political commissar,
- Officer of special department.

2. Bad situation with criminal in rear when criminals could rob even officers.
3. German field unit could easily win field battlle against pilots and soldiers of aerodrome.

IMHO, very excellent television series showing real life in Worker Peasant Red Army in 1943-1944 .

Fighter rigement was elite millitary structure of first state of Peasants and Workers so their real life had some features than in other armies.

 

[Narwhal]

Looks interesting. I was going to start the Polish TV serie, known to be very unrealistic, 4 tankmen and a dog, but this one looks better.

 

[Kupr]

Looks interesting. I was going to start the Polish TV serie, known to be very unrealistic, 4 tankmen and a dog, but this one looks better.

Ask me if it will be questions about unknown or looking unreal situations in it.

 

[Abdul Goatherd]

Ask me if it will be questions about unknown or looking unreal situations in it.

Were Russian peasant women warriors really that cute? What kind of dental plan did the Red Army offer that resulted in even the lower ranks having such splendid teeth?

 

[Kupr]

Were Russian peasant women warriors really that cute?

It is only slice of all society of USSR. USSR had very small army in 1925-1935. For example, in 1928 army had 617 000 men, including 519 860 men in army troops. So most of population didn't serve in army during period mentioned above. After civil war poor USSR could not let to have big army so a lot of population had millitary education as hobby only. During industrialization in cities mostly young men and women worked and educated (factory schools). Mostly from villages (For example, same way was for my parents in the 1970-s). Additionaly as hobby young population were educated in military specialties like shooting, flying, driving and so on. Just imagine that you after work is going with good friends, including girls to shoot, fly or skydiving whitout paiment for it. So simple working girls from factories did same and were educated as pilots too.
After heavy losts of expirienced pilots at the begining of war a lot of such women pilots decided to serve in aviation.

For example, Miss world 1945 (Soviet version): Natalya Meklin

What kind of dental plan did the Red Army offer that resulted in even the lower ranks having such splendid teeth?

It is modern actors only. Though I remember works where rests of german and soviet soldiers varied by teeth. Because German ones were mostly from urban population with typical dental diseases of it and good dentistry.
Soviet ones were mostly from peasant population with bad dentistry, but teeth could be better because of natural products in countryside.

Anyway historic proofs about teeth:

 

[Aardvark Bellay]

I found television series showing real life in Worker Peasant Red Army in 1943-1944 as I know it in Russian memoirs.
Name of movie series - Fighters (On Russian language with english and vietnamese subtitles). It is free on youtube now:
...

Thanks, entertaining, well made and worth a watch.
Especially the first episodes all contain something here and there on plane tech or maintance which is usually not in these.
Small and subtle, but makes a difference to me.

Currently still in season 1, episode 5.
A little cliché here and there and it might have been more interesting with a female party commissioner, but okay.
That captured german pilot with an american accent or whatever it was...oh well.
I just hope the private relations part, especially the love issues, won't get too much room.
Subtitles are surprisingly good. For me.

Good response on the women-and-teeth question by AG.
Nice pictures too.

 

[Abdul Goatherd]

Good response on the women-and-teeth question by AG.

It was a good start. But I am still unconvinced and need more evidence. In color, if possible.

 

[Aardvark Bellay]

It was a good start. But I am still unconvinced and need more evidence. In color, if possible.

Are you secretly danish by chance or Wagonlitz' second account ?

I just began with the second season.
I guess i won't start working regularly until mid july. Handy that.

I must say, watching russian WW2 TV shows along with drinking Jameson works well together.

 

[elektrizikekswerk]

That captured german pilot with an american accent or whatever it was...oh well.

Totally reasonable. Volksdeutsche (that is Germans that didn't live in Germany) were drafted into the Wehrmacht

 

[Aardvark Bellay]

Totally reasonable. Volksdeutsche (that is Germans that didn't live in Germany) were drafted into the Wehrmacht

Wink ? Well yes there were "Volksdeutsche", but.., ach whatever. They likely simply had noone else around who
could speak german for a cheap buck. The production value appeared to have been higher in the second season.
At least the germans didn't speak texan, as far as i could hear.

 

[elektrizikekswerk]

Wink ? Well yes there were "Volksdeutsche", but.., ach whatever. They likely simply had noone else around who
could speak german for a cheap buck. The production value appeared to have been higher in the second season.
At least the germans didn't speak texan, as far as i could hear.

I know. Or more precisely: I assumed as much. I just wanted to provide a plausible explanation for a German with an American accent. That's why I added the wink...

 

[Aardvark Bellay]

I know. Or more precisely: I assumed as much. I just wanted to provide a plausible explanation for a German with an American accent. That's why I added the wink...

Sure that would make sense, but a little unusual and unrepresentative when the first german you hear in the show has such a broad texan accent, that you start to think the only other explanation would be that he's chewing tobacco. I get the wink now.

Aparently there were indeed gender mixed units, outside the famous Night Witches. Interesting.

 

[Kupr]

A little cliché here and there and it might have been more interesting with a female party commissioner, but okay.

It is very close to your cliché. Women that political commissioner tried to rape was Komsorg (Komsomol organizer - short from Russian Komsomolskiy organisator). It is almost like political commissioner for young men and women who ended school already in USSR and were members of Komsomol (The All-Union Leninist Young Communist League , usually known as Komsomol (/ˌkɒmsəˈmɒl/; , was a political youth organization in the Soviet Union. It is sometimes described as the youth division of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), although it was officially independent and referred to as "the helper and the reserve of the CPSU". ).

That captured german pilot with an american accent or whatever it was...oh well.

Well. Only Germans could note it I noted else two mistakes in movie:

1. Importantance for Soviets German armored train. I am not sure, but I am very doubt that armored train was important for German tactic on battlefield.
2. Award for Komsorg with medal "For military merits". Soldiers were awarded by It for millitary service, but whitout participation in battle. I know it exactly because in post USSR memoirs noted that simple soldiers sometimes named it as "For sexual services". Other medals and banners could be given for fighting in battle only.

 

[Kupr]

Sure that would make sense, but a little unusual and unrepresentative when the first german you hear in the show has such a broad texan accent, that you start to think the only other explanation would be that he's chewing tobacco. I get the wink now.

Aparently there were indeed gender mixed units, outside the famous Night Witches. Interesting.

As I remember, there were formed three rigements with women pilots only at the beginning of war:
1. Fighter rigement.
2. Bomber Regiment (With bomber Pe-2).
3. Small bomber regiment (With small bomber U-2, renamed in 1944 as Po-2). Lately known as Night Witches.

Additionaly women served in mixed units. For examle,

18 victories, including 5 in group. MIA in august 1943 in Mius Front (Donetsk Area). Finded in 1969 in grave with note "Unknown women pilot".

During time most women pilots where changed by men. Last one I remember as serving pilot in mixed unit is Anna Egorova squadron commander of IL-2 regiment:

She was shot dawn during leading squadron in August 22, 1944 south from Warsaw. POW. Released in January 1945. Because of wounds, including burning, she didn't fly after.
I write about her everytime when Poles blame Soviets for stopping advance near Warsaw.

 

[Kupr]

It was a good start. But I am still unconvinced and need more evidence. In color, if possible.

Night Witches

In color:

Spoiler

 

[Aardvark Bellay]

It is very close to your cliché. Women that political commissioner tried to rape was Komsorg..

Are you refering to what happened in real life ? In the show it's another pilot, Zhenya or whatvere her name was.
The one the 'count' falls in love with.
Anyway...have watched nearly the whole second season as well and that changed my mind a bit.
Not interested to talk about that specific topic too much.

Well. Only Germans could note it

To be fair i just rewatched that scene and actually it's not that broad, like a texan accent, but an unusual intonation
and altogether he speaks rather flat. Probably not a proper actor, but an extra.

1. Importantance for Soviets German armored train. I am not sure, but I am very doubt that armored train was important for German tactic on battlefield.

If i'm not mistaken, armoured train here refers to heavy long range artillery mounted on a train wagon.
I was under the impression that was mentioned as part of a german build up for an offensive.

By now i have read several Wikipedia and other articles on the topic.
Sadly i don't remember what the most detailed page was.

 

[Kupr]

Are you refering to what happened in real life ? In the show it's another pilot, Zhenya or whatvere her name was.
The one the 'count' falls in love with.

Yes, Zhenya was Komsorg.

If i'm not mistaken, armoured train here refers to heavy long range artillery mounted on a train wagon.
I was under the impression that was mentioned as part of a german build up for an offensive.

Your version sounds very good and real, but in russian translation it wasn't heavy long range artillery

Look 41:21

 

[Kupr]

Are you refering to what happened in real life ? In the show it's another pilot, Zhenya or whatvere her name was.
The one the 'count' falls in love with.

Yes, Zhenya was Komsorg.

If i'm not mistaken, armoured train here refers to heavy long range artillery mounted on a train wagon.
I was under the impression that was mentioned as part of a german build up for an offensive.

Your version sounds very good and real, but in russian translation it wasn't heavy long range artillery

Look 41:21

Armoured train ("Bronepoezd" on Russian) was esential unit during Russian civil war 1918-1920:

8-40:

BTW, it is very good movie about leader of Russian revolution and founder of Worker Peasant Red Army - Lev Trozkiy. With English subtitles.

 

[Cromwell]

That's a splendid armoured train picture @Kupr. Something the forum could certainly use more of.

 

[Aardvark Bellay]

Hmm...i finished watching the series a while ago, but have to say the second season appeared to have too much relationship/love issues,
some minor editing issues and an overall simpler script than the first season. Dialogues appeared less good as well, boring even at times.
As if script writer and directors were changed at some point. The first season left a better impression.
Either way, "The Attackers" were good to watch for a TV show in the evening.
Mucho drama, mucho emotions of course..

Either way, i suppose still well made for a russian TV drama, as can be seen in comparison with "Night Swallows" for instance, similar topic,
but less good overall, though it appears to have less love drama, thankfully. Ironically "The Attackers" linked above had much more of historical
events included that i read about in context with the female pilots in the sovjet air force, than the former. Maybe as the title limits its story
to that squadron. I didn't get past episode 6 with "Night Swallows" yet, admittedly.

Russian TV series/movies with subtitles : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhuA9d7RIOdYZzODIcWsY2Rv7NqwkTmba
I'm a little worried to watch any with far more history and politics involved.