PUNISHMENT BATTALION 999 – 1960 (STRAFBATAILLON 999)
This World War Two film is set on the Eastern Front just as the war is turning against the Germans. The film is about the men of one of the penal battalions assigned to clear mines, dig earthworks etc. The battalions are made up of criminal types as well as deserters and men convicted of being politically unreliable.
The story follows several men assigned to Penal Battalion 999. These include a thuggish brute, Hanns Ernest Jager, a disgraced doctor, Georg Thomas and a nasty NCO, Werner Peters.
The men are considered to be expendable by the High Command and are given all the most dangerous jobs at the front. They clear mines, fight Russian partisans and take on Soviet tanks with nothing but hand grenades. The losses among the men mount daily.
There is a side story here involving the doctor, Thomas' wife, Sonja Zieman who is back in Berlin trying to get Thomas freed. She even agrees to "step out" with several high level Nazi types if that will help her husband. There is another bit with soldier, Jager dealing with an officer who has it out for him. He arranges for the man to be shot while visiting the trench line. He then sets it up so it looks like the Soviets got the officer.
The Battalion is now sent out on a dangerous patrol to gather intelligence on a possible Soviet attack. The night time raid fails miserably with most of the unit wiped out. The Soviets attack and it is now a big scramble to make it back to the German lines.
Only one man, Peters, makes it back to safety. He is given a promotion and sent back to the front.
The film is okay, but it should have been better. The story, though based on a popular book, misses the mark and there is far too much dead time. The battle scenes are also a bit on the weak side. I would recommend "Hunde, wollt ihr ewig leben" 1959 as a much better film about Eastern Front combat.
This World War Two film is set on the Eastern Front just as the war is turning against the Germans. The film is about the men of one of the penal battalions assigned to clear mines, dig earthworks etc. The battalions are made up of criminal types as well as deserters and men convicted of being politically unreliable.
The story follows several men assigned to Penal Battalion 999. These include a thuggish brute, Hanns Ernest Jager, a disgraced doctor, Georg Thomas and a nasty NCO, Werner Peters.
The men are considered to be expendable by the High Command and are given all the most dangerous jobs at the front. They clear mines, fight Russian partisans and take on Soviet tanks with nothing but hand grenades. The losses among the men mount daily.
There is a side story here involving the doctor, Thomas' wife, Sonja Zieman who is back in Berlin trying to get Thomas freed. She even agrees to "step out" with several high level Nazi types if that will help her husband. There is another bit with soldier, Jager dealing with an officer who has it out for him. He arranges for the man to be shot while visiting the trench line. He then sets it up so it looks like the Soviets got the officer.
The Battalion is now sent out on a dangerous patrol to gather intelligence on a possible Soviet attack. The night time raid fails miserably with most of the unit wiped out. The Soviets attack and it is now a big scramble to make it back to the German lines.
Only one man, Peters, makes it back to safety. He is given a promotion and sent back to the front.
The film is okay, but it should have been better. The story, though based on a popular book, misses the mark and there is far too much dead time. The battle scenes are also a bit on the weak side. I would recommend "Hunde, wollt ihr ewig leben" 1959 as a much better film about Eastern Front combat.