The Eight Hundred (Chinese: 八佰, Bābǎi) is a 2020 Chinese war movie, a dramatization of the Defense of Sihang Warehouse during the Battle of Shanghai between Chinese National Revolutionary Army and Japanese invasion forces in 1937.
At the climax of the three-month long Battle of Shanghai in November 1937, 452 Chinese soldiers of the 524th Regiment, 88th Division under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Xie Jinyuan are assigned to a rearguard defensive action as the National Revolutionary Army begins to withdraw from urban Shanghai. Opposing them are an estimated 20,000 Japanese soldiers. What follows is four days of brutal fighting and an epic defense that delivered a much-needed morale boost to the Chinese forces during some of the darkest days of the Second Sino-Japanese War.
The following weapons were used in the film The Eight Hundred:
The main rifle of National Revolutionary Army soldiers is the Type Zhongzheng Rifle. At least one soldier uses a scoped rifle with a turned-down bolt handle.
Chinese volunteers decimated by the Japanese at the film's beginning use Hanyang 88 rifles. This weapon is visible throughout the movie, but it is clearly not the most used.
Imperial Japanese Army soldiers and sailors use the famous Arisaka Type 38, often seen fitted with bayonets during combats Some NRA soldiers use captured rifles as well.
British soldiers protecting the British concession area carry the Lee-Enfield No. 1 Mk III, but the rifles are clearly mock-ups probably made from a Mauser-type rifle, judging by the straight bolt handle and the breech which is not characteristic for a real Lee-Enfield, along with the uncharacteristic stock.
A Chinese civilian uselessly shoots at Japanese machines guns with a side by side shotgun with exposed hammers when Chinese troops are under fire. Alas, his weapon lacks the effective range to harm or at the very least suppress the Japanese gunners.
The Type 24 Heavy Machine Gun is used by the Chinese to defend the warehouse from planes. But the soldiers don't cool the barrel, which finally explodes. During the real battle, a total of four Type 24s were available to the defenders- which ended up being the only heavy weapons they had at their disposal after a promised mortar platoon never materialized.
The Model 24 Stielhandgranate is widely used against the Japanese. When the situation becomes desperate, many NRA soldiers commit suicide attacks with many grenades tied to them.
Type 97 hand grenade is obviously used by the Imperial Japanese Army. To protect from the explosions, the Chinese soldiers dig holes to push live grenades into. An NRA soldier is seen carrying some grenades.
The brothers use the tank of a captured Japanese Type 93/100 flamethrower to destroys an improvised armored vehicle. Later, another soldier uses it briefly against Japanese soldiers.
