The Blue Max

The Blue Max Movie poster Country UK Directed by John Guillermin Release Date 1966 Language English Studio Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Distributor Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Main Cast Character Actor Lt. Bruno Stachel George Peppard General Count von Klugermann James Mason Countess Kaeti von Klugermann Ursula Andress Holbach Anton Diffring

The following weapons were used in the film The Blue Max:

Machine Guns

Maxim LMG 08/15 "Spandau" (mockup)

The Germans historically used air-cooled Maxim LMG 08/15 machine guns on their Fokker biplanes and triplanes. The guns featured in the movie are either one of two mockup kits. The first is the blank firing version which is achieved by using two submachineguns inside a "shell" made to look like the Maxim. The second is the flame shooting variant, (using gas), that is more faithful to the design of the original Maxim but only fires a gas flame. The revealing mistakes for the blank firing version are easily spotted: The cocking handle on each MG doesn't move when the gun is fired unlike the original. The brass also ejects through the right side of the gun and actually from the middle of the cooling jacket as opposed to the original. Another giveaway is that the barrel of each MG is seen protruding from just above the exact center of the cooling jacket. (In reality, the barrel was at the bottom of the jacket.) Another strong hint that the movie MG's are a mockup is the presence of stick magazines inserted very near where the movie-version MG's is seen ejecting brass. The mockups might are the main reason (at least in part) why the pilots are using a handle to fire the MG's even though the historical aircraft used buttons attached to the flight stick in order to fire the onboard weapons.

Maxim MG08/15

Stachel pulls the (fictionous) handle in order to fire the MG's.

Note the stick magazine on the MG on the left with a revealing magazine release lever plainly visible.

Note the trigger with trigger guard mounted on the "Maxim". The barrels are also placed higher than on Stachel's machine guns, and even higher than on a original Maxim.

Heidemann with his visually correct (but still mockup firing flames) maxims.

Second shot of same.

Klugermann with his own pair of flame shooters.

Lewis gun (mockup)

The British fighter craft and recon plane is armed with the Lewis aircraft gun which is revealed to be a mockup on all the planes. Besides the general (incorrect) form of the weapon, the main revealer that it is a mockup is that the ammo drum does not rotate while firing.

Aircraft mounted Lewis Gun .303

The British observer/gunner after being hit by machine-gun fire from Stachel. Note the hose between his hands which leads to the weapon and supplies the gas for the muzzle flame. The front round sight is also incorrect.

A top-mounted "Lewis" on a British S.E.5. The details reveal it is not a genuine Lewis. First of all the wooden stock. Second, note the hose which supplies the muzzle flame.

Vickers Mk 1

Vickers machine guns seen used by British troops.

Vickers Mk1 Machine Gun - .303 British

Note the soldier manning the MG on the right. His helmet is tilted to his left in an awkward angle. Seconds later this screencap was taken an explosion takes place just to the left of the soldier meaning the tilted helmet was most likely done for safety reasons.

Vickers Machine Gun (mockup)

The British are also seen using the Vickers MG, though they all seem to be mockups made to shoot flame only.

Vickers gun with ribbed water jacket - .303 British

A British pilot of the S.E.5 aircraft has a Vickers MG mounted bottom right. For some reason, the weapon is never seen fired in the finished movie. The gas hoses for both the top mounted Lewis gun and the Vickers MG are clearly seen though.

An Anti-Aircraft crew man their dual Vickers MG during an attack by Stachels Squadron. Note the gas hoses hanging down in the center.

Unknown Light Machine Gun

The Lewis Gun is replaced in some scenes by what appears to be a genuine (but unknown) LMG. It is modified to fire flames only from the muzzle and the hose is visible in most scenes.

A flame shooter standing in for the Lewis. The design, however, suggests it is based upon a unknown (but genuine) Light Machine Gun.

Second shot. Note the hose.

Rifles

Lee-Enfield No.4 Mk.I

Lee-Enfield No.4 Mk.I is carried by German troops. The rifle is also seen in the hands of Bruno Stachel (George Peppard) during his own time in the trenches. The movie was shot in the Republic of Ireland and there was a lack of genuine German firearms (with one exception) for the shoot so older Irish Defence Forces weapons were substituted for German weapons. The bayonet is a "No 9 MK1" which was issued in 1947.

Lee-Enfield No.4 Mk.I - .303 British

Stachel during the 1916 prolouge (when he was still in the infantry) with his British rifle and bayonet.

The Germans are seen with Lee-Enfield rifles during the depiction of the first day of the historical Kaiserschlacht (Kaiser's Battle) offensive starting 21 March 1918.

Several British soldiers with their Lee-Enfields are visible.

Lee-Enfield No.1 Mk.III*

Lee-Enfield No.1 Mk.III* - .303 British.

In a reasonable move made by the producers all the British soldiers are carrying the older Lee-Enfield No.1 Mk.III* with it's original sword bayonet to distinguish it from the German soldiers who (due to lack of German authentic weapons) carry the Lee-Enfield No.4 Mk.I with it's shorter bayonet.

British soldiers await the German attack with their Mk.III*'s. Note the very long bayonet which would prove too long and cumbersome in trench warfare. It's successor is ironically carried by the Germans with their Mk.IV short bayonet.

Lee-Enfield Mk.I (probable)

During the hand to hand combat scenes at least one German is seen with what appears to be an older Lee-Enfield Mk.I. The rifle is identifiable via the magazine cut-off switch visible and the portruding barrel which none of the later Lee-Enfield models had. The bolt action handle, (for the combat scenes), seems to have been removed though the bolt itself seems to be in place.

Lee-Enfield Mk.I - .303 British.

A British soldier is stabbed by a German soldier with what looks like a Lee-Enfield Mk.I. Note the slightly visible magazine cut-off switch and lack of a bolt handle.

A top shot of the same rifle showing the portruding barrel and long bayonet. The bayonet matches a P1888 model issued to the Mk.I.

Handguns

Luger P08

The Luger P08 can be seen briefly carried by a German 2nd. Lieutenant.

Luger P08 9x19mm. This is a 1917 dated handgun, thus it is a World War I firearm.

Other

Webley & Scott No. 1 Mk. III* Signal Pistol

A German officer uses a Webley & Scott No. 1 Mk. III* Signal Pistol.

Webley & Scott No. 1 Mk. III* Signal Pistol - 1 inch