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ZB-53 / vz. 37
The ZB-53 or vz.37 air-cooled, belt-fed machine gun was manufactured by the Czechoslovak arms ZB factory. It was a gas-operated, automatic-only weapon (with a selectable rate of fire), which fires from an open bolt. The ZB-53 uses belt feed, from non-disintegrating steel belts which are fed from the right side only. The ZB-53 was issued with tripods of several designs.
These machine guns were also mounted into tanks by various nations like the Czech LT vz. 35 and LT vz. 38, the German Panzerkampfwagen 35(t) and Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) and most British tank designs of the WW2 period. The British Birmingham Small Arms Company manufactured a licensed modification of the tank version of ZB-53 named the Besa Machine Gun. It also served in large quantities in the German Army of WW2 under the designation MG 37(t) (infantry tripod and tank version).
- ZB-53: The original name of the manufacturer.
- vz.37: Name adopted by the Czechoslovak Army. It is no different from the original.
- MG 37(t): Versions taken over by the German Army and deployed to service. It is no different from the original.
- Besa: British versions of the machine gun. 3 versions were created. (Mk.1/Mk.2/Mk.3). Photos of all versions can be seen on the talk page.
Specifications
- Caliber: 7.92x57mm Mauser
- Weight: 21 kg (41.9 lb) gun + 17.5 (38.6 lb) tripod
- Length: 1096 mm (43.1 in)
- Barrel length: 733 mm (28.9 in)
- Rate of fire: Selectable, 500 or 700-800 rpm
- Capacity: 100 or 200 rounds belt
The ZB-53 / vz. 37 and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivan Nikulin: Russian Sailor (Ivan Nikulin - Russkiy Matros) | German soldiers and Soviet sailors | 1944 | ||
| Little Partisan (Malý partyzán) | Czechoslovak soldier | 1950 | ||
| Action B (Akce B) | Czechoslovak soldiers | 1952 | ||
| The Unconquered (Neporazení) | Jirí Sovák | Pvt. Jarda | Mounted in the bunker loopholes | 1958 |
| Hell Is for Heroes | German soldiers | Stock footage | 1962 | |
| At Your Threshold (U Tvoyego Poroga) | German troops | Mounted in Pz.Kpfw.38(t) light tank | 1964 | |
| Cast a Giant Shadow | Haganah troops | mounted on Haganah jeeps | 1966 | |
| Judith | Haganah troops | 1966 | ||
| Revenge (Revansa) | Seen in the weapon room | 1978 | ||
| Go and Don't Say Goodbye (Chod a nelúc sa) | German soldiers | 1979 | ||
| Signum Laudis | Vlado Müller | Cpl. Hoferik | Mocked as Schwarzlose M.07/12 | 1980 |
| Russian soldiers | Mocked as Maxim M1910 | |||
| Until the End (Až do konce) | Vítezslav Jandák | SS-Scharführer Otto | 1984 | |
| Eduard Cupák | SS-Hauptsturmführer | |||
| Daniel Netušil | Sigi | |||
| Romeo Must Die | Chinese prison guard | 2000 | ||
| Hart's War | German soldiers | 2002 | ||
| Deathwatch | German soldiers | Mocked up as Maxim MG08 | 2002 | |
| Our Own (Svoi) | German troops | Mounted in Pz.Kpfw.38(t) light tank | 2004 | |
| The Red Baron | German soldiers | Mocked up as Maxim MG08 | 2008 | |
| Lieutenant Suvorov | German troops | Mounted on Pz.Kpfw.38(t) light tank; possibly mockups | 2009 | |
| Stalingrad | German soldiers | 2013 | ||
| John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum | Seen in armory | 2019 |
Television
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Interpreter (Perevodchik) | German soldiers | 2014 | ||
| Snow and Ashes (Sneg i pepel) | Antonis Shamanidi | Aslan Bodoev | 2015 | |
| A German soldier |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hidden & Dangerous 2 | 2003 | ||
| Forgotten Hope 2 | MG37(t) | Mounted in Marder III | 2006 |
| Heroes & Generals | MG37(t) | Mounted in Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) Ausf. E | 2016 |
| Post Scriptum | "ZB-53" | Mounted in Panzer 38(t) | 2018 |
| Battlefield V | MG37(t) | MG37(t); mounted on German Panzer 38 (T) | 2018 |
| Enlisted | MG37(t) Mounted on Pz.38 (t) F tanks | 2021 | |
| Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront | MG37(t) Mounted on Pz.38 (t) F tanks | 2021 |
Anime
| Anime Title | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Girls und Panzer | Panzer 38(t) | ZB-53 | 2012 - 2013 |
| Girls und Panzer: This is the Real Anzio Battle! | Panzer 38(t) | ZB-53 | 2014 |
| Girls und Panzer das Finale: Part 2 | Panzer 38(t) | ZB-53 | 2019 |
Besa Machine Gun
The Besa machine gun was developed in Czechoslovakia and was used by the British Army during the Second World War. Great Britain agreed with Zbrojovka Brno on the licensed reproduction of two weapons. One was the Bren light machine gun and the other was a heavy machine gun that corresponded to the Czech ZB vz. 37. BESA is derived from the pronounced abbreviation BSA of the manufacturer Birmingham Small Arms Company.
While the light Bren could be converted to the British ordnance cartridge .303 British, this was not possible with the Besa. The ammunition belts and the loading mechanism would have had to be converted to the British rimfire cartridge. The original 7.92 mm Mauser caliber with its rimless case therefore had to be retained. This cartridge was the standard ammunition of the Czechoslovakian army, as well as that of the German Wehrmacht. A special factory was built in Great Britain to ensure the supply of ammunition for this weapon. In order to limit the logistical problems, the Besa was only issued to the armored forces, but not to the infantry. A total of around 60,000 were produced.
The Besa-MG is a gas-operated loader. In contrast to other weapons of this type, the barrel is not rigidly mounted but slides back slightly after the shot. The subsequent forward movement of the barrel is synchronized with the release of the next shot in such a way that the forces roughly cancel each other out. As a result, the recoil is comparatively low, making the weapon easy to control and precise.
There is also an extra-heavy machine gun in 15x104 mm caliber, also known as the Besa. Technically, it is quite similar to the 7.92 mm version, but the 15 mm variant is more than 2 meters long and weighs almost three times as much at 57 kg.
The Besa Machine Gun and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paratrooper | British troops | Mounted on Daimler Armoured Car | 1953 | |
| A Hill in Korea | Mounted in Centaur tank | 1956 | ||
| Gorgo | British troops | Mounted on Daimler Armoured Car | 1961 |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Call of Duty 2 | Mounted on Crusader tanks | 2005 | |
| Company of Heroes | Mounted on British tanks | 2006 | |
| Darkest Hour: Europe '44-'45 | Mounted on Cromwell Mk IV | 2006 | |
| Company of Heroes 2 | Mounted on British Tanks | 2013 | |
| Sniper Elite III | Mounted on British Matilda Tanks | 2014 | |
| Call of Duty: WWII | Mounted on a British Light Tank Mk VI | 2017 | |
| Post Scriptum | "Besa" | Used in British armor | 2018 |
| Battlefield V | Mounted on British Tanks | 2018 | |
| Call of Duty: Vanguard | Mounted on Crusader tanks | 2021 | |
| Enlisted | Mounted on British tanks | 2021 | |
| Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront | Mounted on British tanks | 2021 |
Anime
| Anime Title | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Girls und Panzer | Mounted on Churchill and Matilda Tanks | 2012 - 2013 | |
| Girls und Panzer: der Film | Mounted on Churchill, Crusader and Matilda tanks | 2015 | |
| Witch Craft Works | Ep. 08; mounted in Churchill Mk IV | 2014 | |
| Girls und Panzer das Finale: Part 2 | Churchill and Matilda Tanks | 2019 |
See Also
- Zbrojovka Brno - A list of all firearms manufactured by Zbrojovka Brno.