Cross of Iron is an intriguing film that was Director Sam Peckinpah's only venture into the war film genre. Starrting James Mason, James Coburn, Maximillian Schell and David Warner, the story centres round Sergeant Steiner, played by Coburn, an embittered, disillusioned veteran serving on the Eastern Front at the time the German Army is in full retreat.
Enter Maximillian Schell as Captain Stransky, an arrogant archetypical officer of the old Prussian officer class mentality. He volunteered for the Eastern Front, something which causes some bemusement from Colonel Brandt (Mason) and Catain Kiesel (Warner). Stransky's ambition is to get the Iron Cross 1st Class, feeling that he can't return to his family without it. In contrast, Steiner has earned many decorations but doesn't care, he just wants to survive.
It's inevitable that these two personalities will clash.

Brief write up by myself, this is an excellent and sadly underrated film.

One of the classic scenes must be the convalesence hospital where a Wehrmacht general goes to shake the hand of a wounded soldier until he finds out his hand is missing. He switches hands and the soldiers other hand is missing. The soldier then puts his bandaged leg up.

Yes, this one of my favorite war movies. But there are nits.

1. 'Corporal' Krueger had the rank of a sergant, E-5 on his uniform. But he was referred as Corporal a few times.

2. The 75mm anti-tank gun did not need a laynard to fire. An indirect artillery piece would normally have a laynard, but anti-tank guns had their triggers on either the elevation or transversing handles.

3. The Soviet tanks are T-34/85's which was not fielded until early in 1944. Should have been
T-34/76b or c models. Not a big nit since there are few, if any, T-34/76's running in the world. As the film was made in Yugoslavia, T-34's were available which gave the movie more of an eastern front feel (the same nit for the German film Stalingrad, even though it was filmed in Czechslovakia).

4. Used a M3 USA WWII half-track for a German half-track (one sees it when the vehicle moves over the flat, dead German body in the road). A M8 Greyhound USA WWII armored car was used as a German armored car. One can see it in the background as Steiner returns from the hosipital.

They got a lot right in the movie as to equipment and uniforms. There are some limitations to what film makers can find and/or construct for the time. I still pull this one out to watch from time-to-time.

The M3 being used as German SDKFz series vehicles is a common 'mistake', since there are still many M3's in the world in varying conditions. Even the IDF still had them until recently.

True, since the movie was made in Yugoslavia and used their vehicles which included the M3 half-track. It would have been much harder to get an OT-64 Czech half-track which was based on the Sd-251/1 German WWII personnel carrier. I understand the soldiers called it Hitler's Revenge as it was not very reliable and uncomfortable to ride. One can see this vehicle in the movie Bridge at Remangen. That movie was made in Czechoslovkia in 1968.

Duane, do you mean the M3 was called Hitler's Revenge?

Sorry it took a looong time....

The OT-64 was called by Czech and Polish soldiers as 'Hitler's Revenge' as it was based on the Sd-251/1 German WWII half-track. It was not a good update on the Sd-251/1.

Would this be the place to discuss the sequel movie Breakthrough?

I'm not aware there was ever a sequel to this movie?

Do tell.

'Breakthrough' was the sequel to CoI that came out in 1979. Richard Burton took over the role of SFC Steiner. The same actors for Cpl Kruger and Pvt Anselm (I would really spell Klaus L. last name real bad). Michael Parks took the role of CPT/MAJ Stransky, IIRC. There was a short part on the eastern front where Anselm was killed by a Russian T-34/76b. This was a mock up done a small rail car that took care of the Russians getting to a train tunnel before Steiner and company could blow it up. Kurt Jurgens plays the German divisional commander.

The action then moves to France and D-Day. Steiner's division is transferred to France. Robert Mitchum plays what I remember as an American combat combat commander and Rod Steiger plays a one star general.

Kurt Jurgen's character is part of the group planning on removing Hitler. When this is unsuccessful, he is given the option to take the 'black capsule' or go with the secuity officers. He shoots himself. Meanwhile, the Americans attack the village that now Major Stransky has set up a trap. SFC Steiner mentions that the town looks deserted, so Stransky has towns people moved into the streets. Steiner does not like the idea of civilians being used and most likely killed in the trap, so he pulls the wires to the demo charges. Then a German AT gun goes off and a general fight for the town begins. The Germans lose, Cpl Kruger is killed, Steiner knocks off Stransky, and he is the only German soldier to get away.

The movie looks like it was done in Austria. The American tanks were M47's which were the Austrian main battle tank in the 1970's and early 1980's. The eastern front scenes were good, slow from there until the fight for the town. The good Germans (Jurgens and Steiner) against Hitler and then the fanatics like Stransky. Richard Burton as SFC Steiner???? Did not come off too well.

Some nits: Steiner says he is part of the 171st Panzer Division. So, to quote from CPT Stransky (CoI), "where are my tanks?" No German tanks ever seen; there was no 171st Panzer Division in WWII, or there was no 171st Infantry Division either. Steiner is on leave in Paris when D-Day occurs (6 June 1944). Then the Normandy scenes begin o/a 18 July 1944 when the General (Kurt Jurgens) recruits Steiner to negogiate with the Americans for a cease fire after Hitler is killed. Now transition from D-Day to just before the assassnation attempt on 20 July 1944. And those German security guys are fast to find out who was in on the plot. The next day they show up at the general's command post and give him the choice.

It has been a looong time since I have seen the movie. I may be wrong some actors and events. Opinions are mine.

The movie takes place during the summer/fall of 1943 in the Kuban, east of the Black sea Coast.
The T34/85 first appeared in March 1944 near Odessa, west of the Black sea near the Rumanian border.


Breakthrough had M48s in it for Shermans.