Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor (2001)

Pearl Harbor is the 2001 World War II film that stars Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett as childhood friends who became pilots for the US Army Air Corps and find themselves in the middle of the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Directed by Michael Bay and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, the film was released to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the actual event and the production was allowed to shoot sequences on the actual Naval base at Pearl as well as stage several explosions aboard actual decommissioned vessels in the harbor.

The following weapons were used in the film Pearl Harbor:

Handguns

Webley Mk IV

While serving with the British Royal Air Force's Eagle Squadron early in the film, Lt. Rafe McCawley (Ben Affleck) carries a Webley Mk IV revolver as his sidearm. He is seen only using it once when he tries to shoot out the canopy of his Supermarine Spitfire fighter when trying to bail out after suffering critical damage during a dogfight with German fighters during the Battle of Britain.

Webley Mk.IV WW2 British Army version .38 S&W

Lt. Rafe McCawley draws his Webley Mk IV while trying to escape his doomed Supermarine Spitfire

M1911A1

After crashing in Japanese-occupied China, the surviving B-25 Mitchell crews are armed with only M1911A1 pistols to defend themselves. A few M1911A1's can also be seen in the hands of U.S. military personnel during the attack on Pearl Harbor, most notably when several soldiers inspect a crashed Japanese plane.

M1911A1 .45 ACP

Capt. Rafe McCawley (Ben Affleck) and other B-25 crash survivors are armed with M1911A1's as they try to repel the Japanese forces.

A closeup of Capt. Rafe McCawley's M1911A1 as he grabs for it to shoot Imperial Japanese Army soldiers.

Nambu Type 14

When the Imperial Japanese Army soldiers attempt to capture the B-25 Mitchell survivors, one of the soldiers can be briefly seen armed with a Nambu Type 14 pistol, but isn't shown firing it in the ensuing shootout.

Nambu Type 14 8mm Nambu

An Imperial Japanese Army soldier brandishes a Nambu Type 14 pistol

Aircraft Machine Guns

MG15 Machine Gun

During the Battle of Britain, Heinkel He-111 bombers can be seen armed with MG15 machine guns as defensive armament, though these prove no match for the R.A.F. Spitfires, which simply attack the German planes from angles where the machine guns cannot engage them.

MG15 machine gun 7.92x57mm Mauser

A German Heinkel He-111 with a nose-mounted MG15 machine gun during the Battle of Britain.

MG17 Machine Gun

During the Battle of Britain, Lt. McCawley becomes engaged in a dogfight with German Me-109 fighters equipped with MG17 machine guns as their primary armament.

MG17 machine gun - 7.92x57mm Mauser

An Me-109 (right) firing its MG17 machine guns at Rafe's Spitfire

A tracer from an Me-109's MG17 machine gun flashes past Rafe's Spitfire

Browning M2 Aircraft Heavy Machine Gun

The Browning M2 Aircraft heavy machine gun appears in the film as the primary armament of U.S. aircraft, specifically the P-40 Warhawk fighters and the B-25 Mitchell bombers, the latter of which have some removed and replaced with black-painted broomsticks to reduce weight and maximize fuel economy.

Browning M2 aircraft heavy machine gun .50 BMG

A group of Browning M2 heavy machine guns being test-fired in a P-40 Warhawk

A Browning M2 heavy machine gun lying discarded on the deck of the U.S.S. Hornet after being pulled out of a B-25 Mitchell

A B-25 Mitchell flown by Col. Doolittle (Alec Baldwin) is seen armed with Browning M2 heavy machine guns in the nose and dorsal turret.

Browning AN/M2 Machine Gun

At the start of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the tail gunner on a Japanese B5N "Kate" torpedo bomber can be seen firing on people below with a Browning AN/M2 machine gun on a flex mount. This is highly inaccurate, as the Kate was equipped with a Type 92 machine gun, Japan's version of the Lewis gun for the tail gunner, as shown below.

Browning AN/M2 machine gun .30-06

The tail gunner of a Japanese B5N Kate opens up with a Browning AN/M2 machine gun

MK 2 Browning Machine Gun

During Lt. McCawley's service with the Eagle Squadron during the Battle of Britain, his Supermarine Spitfire can be seen armed with Mk 2 Browning machine guns, the British version of the American Browning M1919 machine gun as the main armament, chambered for the .303 British round instead of the American .30-06 cartridge. In some shots, such as the screenshot below, the muzzle flashes are emerging from where the 20mm Hispano cannons would be. The four Brownings would be positioned further out along the wing, near where the roundels are. Most Spitfires during the Battle of Britain were only armed with 8 MGs and no cannon, however, as the early cannon-armed Spitfires were buggy and unreliable.

Browning Mk 2 machine gun .303 British

Lt. McCawley firing his Spitfire's Mk 2 machine guns during the Battle of Britain

Type 92 Light Machine Gun

During the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese D3A "Val" dive bombers and B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers can be seen with Type 92 light machine guns, a Japanese copy of the Lewis Gun for the tail gunners.

Type 92 - 7.7×58mm Arisaka

A group of Japanese B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers fitted with Type 92 light machine guns prepare to attack Pearl Harbor

Type 99 Cannon

Japanese A6M3 "Zero" fighters are also armed with Type 99 cannons mounted in the wings.

Type 99 cannon 20mm

A Japanese A6M3 "Zero" uses its Type 99 cannons to strafe the airfield during the attack. The Type 97 light machine guns are mounted in the nose in front of the cockpit, and fire through the propeller using a gun synchronizer. The Type 97 machine guns do not appear to be firing in this particular picture.

Japanese Machine Guns

In one sequence, pilots on the ground are seen being strafed from a Japanese plane's machine gun point of view. These appear to be the fuselage mounted twin machine guns of a Japanese Zero, but the propeller and fuselage would be visible from this view.

In one sequence, pilots on the ground are seen being strafed from the Japanese plane's machine gun point of view. These appear to be the fuselage mounted twin machine guns of a Japanese Zero, but the propeller and fuselage would be visible from this view.

Machine Guns

Browning Automatic Rifle

During the attack on Pearl Harbor, several Browning Automatic Rifles can be seen wielded by U.S. military personnel. All BAR's used in the movie were WWII/Korea M1918A2 fitted with WWI era handguards and buttstocks to make them look like the older version. Although most WWI era BAR's were modernized, the handguard was usually the first thing that was replaced or converted. The real M1918 that would have been correct for the time would have been in a highly blued finish without bipod. Furthermore, the sight would have been different.

Browning Automatic Rifle .30-06

Joe (Matthew Davis) holds the BAR.

Joe and another man inspect a crashed Japanese plane armed with Browning Automatic Rifles.

A U.S. Army soldier fires on the pursuing Japanese planes with a Browning Automatic Rifle.

Browning M2HB Heavy Machine Gun

The Browning M2HB heavy machine gun makes several appearances in the film, most notably during the attack on Pearl Harbor where Petty Officer Doris Miller (Cuba Gooding Jr.) uses a pair of M2HB's in a twin naval anti-aircraft mounting aboard the U.S.S. West Virginia to shoot down several Japanese aircraft and when Lt. "Gooz" Wood (Michael Shannon) mans one to defend the auxiliary airfield.

Browning M2HB .50 BMG in vehicle mount

Lt. Billy Thompson (William Lee Scott) mans a Browning M2HB heavy machine gun.

Lt. "Gooz" Wood (Michael Shannon) mans a Browning M2HB heavy machine gun (note the missing front and rear sights)

Browning M2HB .50 BMG in twin naval anti-aircraft mount

Petty Officer Doris Miller mans the Browning M2HB's in a twin naval anti-aircraft mounting aboard the U.S.S. West Virginia.

Petty Officer Doris "Dorie" Miller (Cuba Gooding Jr.) lets out a cheer after shooting down a Japanese plane.

Submachine Guns

M1928A1 Thompson

During the attack on Pearl Harbor, several M1928A1 Thompsons can be seen wielded by Rafe, Danny and several of the other pilots. These Thompsons are fitted with 50-round drum and 30-round box magazines. The usage of the 30-round box magazines is anachronistic due to the fact that it was not in use until its debut together with the M1 Thompson in the 1942. The 20-round magazine would have been accurate.

M1928A1 Thompson with a drum magazine .45 ACP

A production image of Josh Hartnett as Lieutenant Danny Walker wielding an M1928A1 Thompson with a 50-round drum magazine.

The pilots take cover behind sandbags while holding M1928A1 Thompsons. Both Rafe & Danny have their Thompsons fitted with drum magazines, but the Thompson held by Joe (Matthew Davis) is loaded with the anachronistic 30 round "box" magazine.

While in the tower, Lt. "Red" Winkler (Ewen Bremner) holding an M1928A1 Thompson with fitted with a drum magazine.

M1928A1 Thompson with 30-round box magazine .45 ACP

Lt. "Red" Winkler (Ewen Bremner) takes cover with an M1928A1 Thompson with the anachronistic 30 round box magazine. He's seen later with the more accurate drum magazine loaded.

Rifles

Springfield M1903

During the attack on Pearl Harbor, the majority of U.S. soldiers, sailors, and Marines are seen armed with M1903 Springfield bolt-action rifles.

M1903 Springfield .30-06

U.S. Navy sailors return fire on attacking Japanese planes with M1903 Springfield rifles

M1 Garand

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor and President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Jon Voight)'s famous "Day of Infamy" speech, newsreel footage of America's military response is shown, wherein U.S. Army soldiers can be briefly seen marching with M1 Garand rifles.

M1 Garand .30-06

Newsreel footage of U.S. Army soldiers marching with M1 Garand rifles following the attack on Pearl Harbor

Arisaka Type 38

After crashing in Japanese-occupied China, the surviving B-25 Mitchell crews are captured by Japanese soldiers armed with Arisaka Type 38 rifles, one of which is used to fatally wound Captain Danny Walker during a brief shootout. Afterward, the remaining survivors commandeer some of these rifles until they make contact with the Chinese.

Arisaka Type 38 battle rifle 7.7x58mm

An Imperial Japanese Army soldier holds his Arisaka Type 38 rifle on Capt. Danny Walker

Imperial Japanese Army soldiers brandishing Arisaka Type 38 rifles while capturing surviving B-25 Mitchell crewmen.

Shotguns

Winchester Model 1897

During the attack on Pearl Harbor, Sgt. Earl Sistern (Tom Sizemore) can be seen wielding a militarized version of the Winchester Model 1897 shotgun retrieved from the saddlebag of his Indian motorcycle, firing off several rounds at passing Japanese aircraft. In a goof, he fires eleven shots from a six-shot magazine.

Winchester Model 1897 12 gauge militarized

Sgt. Earl Sistern fires off his Winchester Model 1897 shotgun at passing Japanese planes.

In the director's cut, Sgt. Earl Sistern (Tom Sizemore) with the militarized version of the Winchester Model 1897 shotgun.

Sgt. Earl Sistern (Tom Sizemore) fires the shotgun.

Other

Type 97 Hand Grenade

During the shootout between the surviving B-25 crews and the Imperial Japanese Army soldiers, Lt. "Gooz" Wood (Michael Shannon) grabs a Type 97 hand grenade off a dead soldier, using it to kill the remaining Japanese soldiers.

Type 97 High-Explosive Fragmentation hand grenade

A Type 97 hand grenade on a slain Imperial Japanese Army soldier.

20mm Type 98 Anti Aircraft Cannon

When the B-25's bomb Tokyo, Japanese forces are seen opening fire on the bombers with their 20mm Type 98 Anti-aircraft cannons. The exaggerated, fiery muzzle flashes however reveal these to be acetyline prop weapons.

Japanese soldiers man a Type 98 anti-aircraft gun during the raid on Tokyo

Naval Guns

14"/45 caliber - United States Naval Gun

The USS Oklahoma (BB-37) and USS Arizona (BB-39) are armed with 14"/45 caliber guns.

A Japanese bomb about to hit the Arizona. This particular image appears to have been paid homage to in Michael Bay's 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi.

5"/51 caliber gun

These guns formed the secondary armament of the battleships.

The Oklahoma going down as it is about to hit with a torpedo.