1st Armored Brigade of the name of Westerplatte Heroes is real formation of Polish Army.
For many Poles tank Rudy 102 was associated with the movie “Czterej Pancerni i Pies”. And in reality, during the Second World War T-34 tank with tactical no.102 did exists in 1 Armoured Brigade, It was Tank in Armored Reconnaissance of 1st Regiment of the Headquarters Company. 102 tank commander was Lieutenant Wacłąw Feryniec who also served as a commander of reconnaissance platoon.

Other facts:

- The crew: (Movie crew – Real Crew):
Gunner: staff sergeant Gustaw Jeleń – corporal Ernest Jeleń
Loader: staff sergeant Tomasz Czereśniak – corporal Ludwik Jędruszko
Driver: corporal Franciszek Wichura – corporal Franciszek Zawierucha.
Commander/Radio operator: lieutenant Jan Kos – corporal Stanisław Rzeszutek
Driver: sergeant Grigorij Saakaszwili – sergeant Ivan Baryłow
Commander: lieutenant Wasyl Semen (from the book), lieutenant Olgierd Jarosz (from the movie) – lieutenant Wacław Feryniec

- Some fact from movie plan:
Young dog Szarik (шарик – Polish Szarik), was played by police dog Trymer.
Adult Sharik was played by two police dogs: Szpik and Atak (in dangerous scenes). Atak did also play role of Szarik mother, Mura in first episode. Dogs playing Szarik didn’t like they movie master. They couldn’t be forced to lick movie Jan Kos. Only way to persuade dogs to lick Janek were to lubricate him with honey…

- On the movie plan Janusz Gajos (Jan Kos) was run over by a truck while taking a nap on the ground during the break of photo-shoot. Driver didn’t see sleeping actor. Actor With a fractured pelvis was taken to the hospital. After the accident the scenario changed to where a tank is hit and injured crew lands in the hospital. Scenes in movie when crew is in hospital were taken in real hospital where actor was healing… As a result in several scenes of episodes “Radość i Gorycz” and “Brzeg morza” Janusz Gajos (while he was wounded and was in the hospital) was replaced by Henryk Matwiszyn. Then we see only the back of Janek and we can not see his face.

- As a result of protests of Jerzy Bukowski the Vice President of Treaty of veterans parties and the Independence from Krakow (Porozumienie Organizacji Kombatanckich i Niepodległościowych z Krakowa), in July 2006 TVP withdrew show from the fall schedule as the reason stating that the show falsify historical past of Poland.
However the show Emission rights were acquired by television Cinema Poland (telewizja Kino Polska).

- In the movie show, Crew all the time drives the T-34/85M2, despite the fact they should drive a T-34/76 L11 mod1942 till the episode “Zakład o Śmierć” and the T-34/85 ZiS53 after the episode “Daleki Zwiad”.
Unit whith vehicles were loaned to film was armed only with T-34/85M2, at the times movie was maked T-34/76 were very rare and to expensive to get them to movie plan.

- On the basis of popularity of movie was also published in the early 70s, the book expanded with further adventures of heroes and a comic.

- Exteriors movie stages: polygon in Żagań, Kotlina Kłodzka (movie Siberia), Spała, Aleksandrów Łódzki region.

– 1st grade Award of the Minister of Culture and Art in the television film department (team) for the filmmakers: Janusza Przymanowskiego, Konrada Nałęckiego i Stanisława Wohla (lipiec 1967 r.)

- 1st grade Award of the Minister of National Defence in the television department (team) for filmmakers and actors:
Janusza Przymanowskiego, Stanisława Wohla, Romualda Kropata, Konrada Nałęckiego, Poli Raksy, Janusza Gajosa, Tadeusza Kalinowskiego, Janusza Kłosińskiego, Franciszka Pieczki, Włodzimierza Pressa i Romana Wilhelmiego (lipiec 1967 r.).

- Rudy tank can be seen today on display in the Museum of Armoured Land Forces Training Centre of the name of Stefan Czarnecki in Poznan.

- There was idea of combining episode “Zakład o śmierć” with episode of other movie “Stawka większa niż Śmierć” but Stanislaw Mikulski was not interested in playing his role of Hans Kloss in the television series of “Czterej pancerni i pies” because the role there was too small …

– Due to the high popularity among many young viewers, Roman Wilhelmi (commander Olgier Jarosz) killed in scenario has to re-appear in movie. It was planned to make Roman Wilhelmi play role of Russian sapper, who appears in the last few episodes. He was to be confusingly similar to Olgierd. But Wilhelmi previously accepted an offer to play role in unknown movie of East Germany and didn’t apear in “Czterej Pancerni i Pies” any more. Russian sapper officer was played then by Aleksander Bielawski.

– Famous easter egg issue of Franciszek Pieczka (gunner Gustlik) saying: Pyrkosz, pyrkosz and not driving? (Pyrkosz – in Polish Silesian dialect small farting) to Witold Pyrkosz (driver Wichura) wasn’t in scenario. Scene come to movie by accident. Was an idea of daughter and son of Konrad Nałęcki (movie director). Movie director stated that this issue will not go into a movie
However, after the director was persuaded by his children who were endowed by Pyrkosz with chocolate… scene remained.
Witold Pyrkosz has responded to Franciszek Pieczka: “I’m not driving because my Pieczka did extinguished” (Pieczka – old Polish dialect name of spark plug).

Something maybe like: “Wana to have fair MM and no MM+2? Dear players… FU”. Sure WG will write “it works as intended, and there is no problem with that.” … but the result and the wording doesn`t change the “FU momentum”. Well but still this FU is in no mean comparable to Rudy in russian tree thing.

But still I agree that they should focus on current branches, especially on Japanese.
I would love to see super heavy japanese tanks :D