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Deathwatch
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Deathwatch is a 2002 British horror film that follows the survivors of a British unit, Y Company, who are separated from their regiment during the brutal trench fighting of the First World War. Attempting to return to their lines, the British soldiers discover what appears to be a bombed-out German trench, abandoned except for three German soldiers. After killing most of the Germans, and taking one prisoner, the British company fortifies to hold the trench until reinforcements can arrive. Soon, however, strange things being to happen as a sense of evil descends upon the trench and the British begin to turn on each other.
The film contains largely accurate World War I-era weaponry, but there are some major historical inaccuracies as the filmmakers used some WWII-era weapons for much of the film.
The following weapons were used in the film Deathwatch:
WARNING! THIS PAGE CONTAINS SPOILERS!
Rifles
Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I
The Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I is used by almost all of the British soldiers of Y company, including Pvt. Charlie Shakespeare (Jamie Bell), Sgt. David Tate (Hugo Speer), Pvt. Jack Hawkstone (Hans Matheson), Pvt. Willie McNess (Dean Lennox Kelly) and Pvt. Anthony Bradford (Hugh O'Conor). Pvt. Barry Starinski (Kris Marshall) has a telescopic sight fitted to his. During the opening sequence, these rifles are equipped with period-correct Pattern 1907 Bayonets.
This is a painfully inaccurate anachronism. While the rifle is a British design, the No. 4 wasn't even adopted by the British Armed Forces until 1939, closer to World War II. The film takes place in 1917, during World War I, and the cast should be using the period correct No. 1 Mk III*. But there is nary a No. 1 to be seen in this film, unusual since the No. 1s design is one of the most iconic weapons of the First World War.
Karabiner 98k
Most of the German rifles seen in the trench are the Karabiner 98k. They are used by Pvt. Charlie Shakespeare (Jamie Bell), Cpl. 'Doc' Fairweather (Matthew Rhys), and some British soldiers in the opening sequence. Shakespeare also gives one to German prisoner Friedrich (Torben Liebrecht) to defend himself.
Like the use of No. 4s in WWI, the use of the Kar98k in WWI is painfully incorrect, as the 98k was first produced in 1934. In WWI, the Germans did use carbine variants of their Gewehr 98 long rifle, but they were called the Karabiner 98AZ/98a and looked significantly different than the Kar98k.
Mauser Gewehr 1898
The German soldier Friedrich (Torben Liebrecht) uses a Mauser Gewehr 1898 to hold Pvt. Charlie Shakespeare (Jamie Bell) at gunpoint at the end of the film. The historically accurate Gewehr 1898 is only used in this part and at the beginning; the rest of the Mauser rifles are the historically incorrect Karabiner 98k.
Submachine Guns
Bergmann MP 18/I
A Bergmann MP 18/I is wielded by Pte. Charlie Shakespeare (Jamie Bell) at one point in the film. This gun is a post-World War I conversion that has been retrofitted with a box magazine feed rather than a period-accurate TM 08 "snail magazine". In some shots, the gun is replaced by a Haenel MP 28/II, standing in for an MP 18/I; the two guns are distinguishable by their rear sights.
Haenel-Schmeisser MP 28/II
An anachronistic Haenel-Schmeisser MP 28/II stands in for the aforementioned MP 18/I in some shots. To be fair, however, it's hard to tell the difference and the guns are very similar, with the MP 28 simply being an upgraded version of the MP 18.
Machine Guns
Goryunov SG-43
Pvt. Willie McNess (Dean Lennox Kelly) uses a Goryunov SG-43 visually mocked-up to resemble a British Vickers Machine Gun in the opening sequence. Perhaps it is the same mockup used in the 2008 Czech movie Tobruk.
Vickers Mk. I
What appears to be a genuine Vickers is also seen fired by Pvt. Willie McNess (Dean Lennox Kelly).
ZB-53 / Vz.37
A ZB-53 / Vz.37 mocked up to resemble a Maxim MG08 is used by German machine gunners in the opening sequence.
Handguns
Luger P 08
A Luger P 08 is used by Capt. Bramwell Jennings (Laurence Fox) when he threatens Pvt. Willie McNess (Dean Lennox Kelly) to stop him from going over the top.
Webley Mk IV
The revolver used by the British troops of Y Company, including Pvt. Charlie Shakespeare (Jamie Bell), Capt. Bramwell Jennings (Laurence Fox), Sgt. David Tate (Hugo Speer), Pvt. Thomas Quinn (Andy Serkis), Pvt. Anthony Bradford (Hugh O'Conor) and Cpl. 'Doc' Fairweather (Matthew Rhys), is the Webley Mk IV. This choice of revolver is anachronistic with the .38 Mk IV not entering service until 1929. The correct revolver would be the larger .455 Webley Mk VI. Note that Quinn has a rare Pritchard Bayonet attached to his revolver.
Grenades
Mills Bomb
A Mills Bomb is carried by Pvt. Charlie Shakespeare (Jamie Bell) when he compares it with the Model 24 Stielhandgranate, it is incorrectly identified as a 'Pineapple' by Sgt. David Tate (Hugo Speer).
Model 24 Stielhandgranate
Y Company soldiers Sgt. David Tate (Hugh O'Conor) and Pvt. Thomas Quinn (Andy Serkis), along with several others, use captured Model 24 Stielhandgranate hand grenades to clear out German dugouts. Based on their shape, they appear to be antipersonnel fragmentation models. These are anachronistic, as the Model 24 was adopted following World War I. The stick grenades of choice for the Imperial German Army were the Model 15, Model 16, and Model 17 Stielhandgranate.
