The Great Escape is the classic 1963 World War II escape thriller directed by John Sturges based on the true story one of the largest escape attempts by Allied prisoners from a German POW camp during the war. The all-star cast included Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Coburn, Donald Pleasence, Charles Bronson, and David McCallum.
The following guns were used in the film The Great Escape:
Karabiner 98k
Luftwaffe soldiers at the camp are seen armed with Karabiner 98k rifles, although like many WWII films between 1960-1980, the MP40 is innaccurately portrayed as the main weapon of the German Army.
Karabiner 98k - 7.92x57mm.
A Luftwaffe soldier armed with a Karabiner 98k holds back a mob trying to watch a fake fight between two POWs, intended to distract the guards from other POWs escaping in the trucks. Note the center man pushing the gun barrel into a POW's stomach with his finger on the trigger.
A Luftwaffe soldier with a Karabiner 98k puts Capt. Hilts (
Steve McQueen) in the cooler, hence his name "The Cooler King".
Two Luftwaffe soldiers with Kar98k rifles put Hilts in the cooler once again for another escape attempt.
Flight Lt. Hendley "The Scrounger" (
James Garner) helps guide the blind Flight Lt. Colin Blythe "The Forger" (
Donald Pleasence) to one of the German planes in an airfield, armed with captured Kar98k taken from a guard he knocked out. The planes in the airfield are American AT-6 Texan trainers mocked up with German paint, although the plane they steal is an authentic German Bucker Bu 181 "Bestmann".
Wehrmacht soldiers armed with Kar98k rifles capture Hendley after the plane crashes and Blythe is shot. Notice how the rifle closest to the camera lacks hooded sights and cleaning rod, which usually indicates Russian captures.
A Spanish tracker guides Sedgewick from France to Spain with a Kar98k slung over his back.
A Luftwaffe soldier locks Hilts in the cooler at the end of the film with a KAr98k slung on his back. This gun has a straight bolt, which isn't correct for the era as the German issued models had turned bolts. This implies this is a Kar98k stock and barrel with an older 1920s straight bolt action reciever.
MP40
The MP40 submachine gun is the most commonly seen weapon in the hands of German soldiers.
German soldiers armed with MP40s.
A Guard holds his MP40 on Capt. Hilts (
Steve McQueen) when he tries to stop the guards from shooting Ives (
Angus Lennie) when he climbs the fence, snapping under the pressure when the Germans find their tunnel "Tom".
Sergeant Strachwitz holds his MP40 on the POWs after the escape gets interupted midway with 79 escapes.
German soldiers point their MP40s at Hilts after they shoot his Motorcycle and he skids into barbed wire. Without the bolts cocked back, the guns are rather useless.
A French resistance member with an MP40 hands Sedgewick over to a Spanish guide.
Luger P08
All high ranking officers and soldiers at the camp keep Luger P08 pistols as their sidearms. After the escape, Cpt. Hilts (Steve McQueen) plants clear wire on a road way and causes a German soldier on a bike (secretivly played by Steve McQueen) to crash. He steals the soldier's uniform and Luger before eventually being captured.
After a guard catches the POWs climbing out of the tunnel. Hilts (
Steve McQueen) runs out and yells "Don't shoot!". It's so nice how the soldiers reaction is to whip around and fire his Luger P08 at him.
Hilts takes aim with a stolen Luger P08.
One of the Wehrmacht soldiers that captures Lt. Hendley (
James Garner) is seen with a Luger P08.
MG42
Luftwaffe guards man MG42 machine guns in the camp perimeter towers. One of the French resistance soldiers is also seen mowing down Germans with one during a drive by shooting. The final time one is used by the SS to massacre the 50 excaped POWs, even though in actually history, they were executed at different times.
A Luftwaffe guard in a tower next to an MG42.
A Luftwaffe guard fires his MG42 at Hilts when he crossed the perimeter wire to "fetch his ball".
His spotlight reveals his MG42.
A member of the French resistance mows down German SS soldiers at a diner with an MG42.
A SS soldier executes the 50 POWs with an MG42.
Walther PP
Some of the Germans trying to track the escaped POWs use Walther PP pistols.
Gestapo agent Kuhn tries to draw his Walther PP while struggling with Lt. Cmdr. Eric Ashley-Pitt "Dispersal" (
David McCallum).
Ashley-Pitt forces Kuhn to shoot himself. Note how the gun is a harmless flashpaper, since blanks at close range are dangerous.
A Gestapo agent with a Walther PP.
1934 Mauser pocket pistol
A German officer stops Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett "Big X" (Richard Attenborough) on the street and holds a Mauser 1934 "Humpback" pistol on him before being convinced he is a citizen by his fluent German and authentic papers. While it could be a Mauser 1910 or 1914 pistol, it is likely a 1934 since this is a WWII film.
A German holds his Mauser 1934 pistol on Bartlett.
The German with his Mauser 1934.
Mauser Competition Rifle
A Wehrmacht soldier is seen using an unknown sniper rifle to shoot Flight Lt. Colin Blythe "The Forger" (Donald Pleasence). It would appear to be a sporterized Kar98k with a scope, although an actually Kar98k sniper rifle issued at the time was not sporterized.
A Wehrmacht soldier with his sniper rifle.
The Wehrmacht soldier shoots Blythe with his sniper rifle.
Unknown Revolver
SS officers at the train station are seen with revolvers of unknown make and model.
An SS officer at the police station with an unknown revolver.
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