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Assembly
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Assembly (Chinese title: 集结号; jí jié hào) is a Chinese 2007 war film directed by Feng Xiaogang that tells the story of Gu Zidi (Zhang Hanyu), a Communist soldier who fought to gain recognition for his comrades after his unit was annihilated in a battle during the 1948 Huaihai Campaign of the Chinese Civil War. The film title comes from the Assembly, a bugle call that plays a key role in determining the fate of Gu and his men.
The following weapons are featured in the 2007 war film Assembly:
Pistols
Mauser C96
Mauser C96 Broomhandle pistol can be seen carried by Gu Zidi at the beginning of the battle scene and later in the coal mine battle, however it was never used as it is mostly seen holstered inside it distinctive wooden box.
Colt Model 1903 Hammerless
A surrendering Nationalist (KMT) officer holds up a Colt Model 1903 Hammerless pistol.
Submachine Guns
Sten Mk II
A Sten Mk II submachine gun is carried by Captain Gu Zidi's first political officer (Quan Ren) during the first battle in the film. After the officer is killed, the Sten is given to his replacement Wang Jincun (Wenkang Yuan). Though not a common weapon, the Sten gun was used by Nationalist and Communist forces throughout World War II and the latter stages of the Chinese Civil War.
PPS-43 (Mock Up)
Both Communist and Nationalist forces appear to use PPS-43 submachine guns, which judging from the muzzle brake, shape of the barrel jacket and folding stock are actually based on Norinco Type 79 submachine guns.
Thompson Submachine Gun
M1928A1 Thompson submachine guns are used by Nationalist forces when they attack Gu's company at an abandoned coal mine on the Wen River, mostly with 20 round magazines. Thompson submachine guns were common among KMT units due to U.S Lend-Lease assistance during World War II.
M3 Grease Gun
Communist soldiers are seen carrying what are either M3 submachine guns or their Chinese copy, the Type 36.
PPSh-41
A PPSh-41 submachine gun is seen hanging from a pillar in a command post, during a scene set in the Korean War.
Rifles
Vz 24
Most of the Communist and Nationalist soldiers carry Czechoslovakian Vz 24 rifles throughout the movie. The Vz 24 was extensively imported by the Chinese, along with the German Mauser Standard-Modell and Belgian FN 1924 rifles.
Type Zhongzheng Rifle
Some Chinese soldiers also carry Type Zhongzheng (or Chiang Kai Shek) rifles throughout the movie. The Type Zhongzheng rifle (also popularly known as the Chiang Kai-Shek rifle or the Type 24) was a derivative of the Mauser Standard-Modell that was extensively used by Communist and Nationalist forces during the Chinese Civil War.
Springfield M1903 Mark I
Captain Gu Zidi uses a Springfield M1903 Mark I rifle during the battles in the town and at the mine. It is identified as the Mark I variant by the presence of an ejection port for a Pedersen device, which is clearly visible when Gu cycles the bolt just before the town battle. Several other Communist and Nationalist soldiers are also seen armed with Springfield M1903s.
Johnson M1941
Jiang Maocai (Baoqiang Wang), the company's sniper, carries a semi-automatic M1941 Johnson Rifle that he uses to great effect against Nationalist soldiers throughout the movie. An enemy sniper that shoots at Sergeant Luo Guangtian (Heng Fu) also uses a M1941 Johnson with a telescopic sight. The M1941 Johnson rifle is a relatively rare weapon that was used by the United States Marine Corps during the early years of World War II, with Chinese examples likely coming from Lend-Lease programs. While the Johnson was considered to be an accurate rifle, there is no evidence that they were actually used as the specialized sniper weapons depicted in the film.
M1917 Enfield
M1917 Enfield rifles are used by Nationalist soldiers during the battle at the mine in the Chinese Civil War, and later by a Chinese scout disguised as a South Korean soldier during a scene set in the Korean War.
M1 Carbine
The M1 Carbine is carried by Gu Zidi when he participates in a scout mission during the Korean War, as part of his disguise as a South Korean soldier.
Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I
The Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I is seen in a scene when Gu returns to China after his military service ends, when People's Liberation Army soldiers are decommissioning old weapons (possibly to be issued to the People's Militia in China or sent overseas to pro-Chinese Communist insurgents in the Third World). When asked about the identity of the rifle, Gu calls it a "British 77", referring to the Lee-Enfield's .303 caliber ammunition. Gu notes he used the weapon as a guerrilla fighter in Pingxi and that it is "hard to use". This is interesting as the Lee-Enfield is well known for its smooth and rapid action. It is possible he may be referring to the difficulty in loading due to the .303's rimmed ammunition, the lack of ammunition in general, or it could be a translation error.
Arisaka Type 99
A number of Arisaka Type 99 rifles were seen in the scene where soldiers of the People's Liberation Army were decommissioning old infantry weapons.
Type 53 Carbine (Mosin-Nagant M44)
Mosin-Nagant M44 rifles are used by a PLA honor guard at the end of the film. It could be the Type 53 Carbine, the Chinese copy of the Mosin-Nagant M44 Carbine.
Machine Guns
Bren gun
Bren gun machine guns are used by both the Communist and Nationalist forces during the battles in the town and at the mine, most notably by Lu Kuangnou (Naiwei Li). National Revolutionary Army used 7.92mm Mauser specification.
FN Model D
The Browning Automatic Rifle is used by Nationalist forces as a support weapon, and is distinguished as a Fabrique Nationale manufactured Model D by its smaller forend and quick detachable barrel. Such weapons, chambered in 7.92x57mm Mauser, were supplied to the Nationalist Army during the 1930s.
Browning M1919A4
Nationalist troops use Browning M1919A4 machine guns during the first battle in the town, pinning down the attacking Communist forces until Jiang is able to eliminate them. Later, in a continuity error, a Type 54 machine gun mounted on a Nationalist tank becomes a Browning during a close-up.
Type 24 Heavy Machine Gun
Two Type 24 heavy machine guns, Chinese-built copies of the famous Maxim MG08, are used by Gu's company as part of their defenses at the abandoned mine. The one that Lu is using appears to be another Machine gun that is mocked up to resemble the Type 24 Heavy machine gun. Note that the barrel is in the center of the water jacket, which appears to be incorrect.
Type 54 Heavy Machine Gun (Mocked up as Browning M2)
Nationalist M26 Pershing tanks are equipped with Type 54 heavy machine guns, a Chinese copy of the Soviet DShK machine gun. The barrels are covered with ventilated barrel shrouds in order to imitate the Browning 50 caliber machine guns that were mounted on real Pershing tanks. In Western movies the DShK/Type 54's are very rare and Browning M2's are usually supplanted for the real thing. Since this movie was produced in China there were no lack of Type 54's.
Grenades
Type 67 Stick Grenade
Type 67 stick grenades are used by Gu and his men, most noticeably as they wait for Nationalist forces to attack their positions at the mine.
Mk 2 Hand Grenade
The Mk 2 hand grenade is used by Nationalist soldiers.
Other
75mm Type 90 Model 1934 Mountain Gun
A 75mm Type 90 Model 1934 Mountain Gun is referred to as a "mountain gun" throughout the movie is first used by Nationalist forces to bombard attacking Communist forces during the film's first battle. After it is captured by Captain Gu's soldiers, the weapon is refurbished and used during the battle at the abandoned mine as an anti-tank weapon.
Landmine
During Gu's service in Korea, one of his comrades accidentally steps on a land mine, which a passing American soldier calls a "French anti-personnel mine". Gu helps his comrade escape, but is injured in the process.
Improvised Weapons
One of the other defensive weapons are mortars improvised from oil drums, which shoot explosive charges at Nationalist forces.
When the remaining soldiers in Captain Gu's company are attacked by Nationalist tanks, they improvise Molotov cocktails from liquor bottles.
Trivia
Fake Tanks
During the battle at the abandoned mine that leads to the annihilation of Gu's company, the Communist forces are attacked by M26 Pershing tanks and M4 Shermans. These tanks are props that are based on the chassis of Chinese Type 62 light tanks, a scaled down version of the Type 59 (a copy of the Soviet T-54) that remains in People's Liberation Army reserves. The easiest way to tell that the tanks are fake are that real Pershing tanks are larger in size than the Type 62, while real Shermans are smaller. Other details include the mounting of Type 54 machine guns in the place of .50 caliber Brownings, and the gap between the second and third road wheels that is a distinctive feature of all T-54/T-55 and Type 59 tanks.
