Landships II

James H · Legend

Lawrence and Turkish MGs

Excelsior1 · Major

I'd imagine they would have used German machine guns?

Rob · Legend

Yes - I don't know if the Turkish employed captured MG's at all though, in which case a Hotchkiss would not be impossible, captured at Gallipoli

TinCanTadpole · Legend

Films will feature whatever equipment can be found - how many WW2 films are there with Shermans or Pershings posing as panzers?

Ironsides · Legend

Rob wrote:
Yes - I don't know if the Turkish employed captured MG's at all though, in which case a Hotchkiss would not be impossible, captured at Gallipoli

I remember reading something about captured MGs in Turkish Service though�I think it was the Hotchkiss LMG

Found it rather easily here: http://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse/index.blog?topic_id=1106158

"Apart from being an excellent weapon, it was in much demand by the Turkish forces who considered the capture of a Hotchkiss Gun well worth any risks involved in the process"

Unfortunatly dont know anything more�the line lodged somewhere in my memory smile �

however�I do believe the turks actually had some Hotchkiss HMGs didnt they, frequently seen mounted on pre-war light patrol cars...

�

Cheers wink

James H · Legend

Aha. Just as there is an IMDB for motor vehicles, there's one for firearms: http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Lawrence_of_Arabia It is a Hotchkiss, and therefore possible, if not probable. I'll let the other one be a surprise.

Rob · Legend

Oh dear! Seems to be quite a few weapon anomalies, with the Turkish soldiers using SMLEs. Also, the Rolls Royce armoured car replica has the 1924 pattern louvres on the radiator doors.

James H · Legend

And there's more . . . A movie mistakes website offers the following: "There are a number of mistakes with the Vickers guns used by the Arab forces in the film. Quite a few of them are smooth jacketed guns, not introduced until October 1918. Secondly, the one on Colonel Brighton's armoured car not only has the smooth jacket but has a blank fire adaptor very prominently at the front." The SMLEs are partially excused as being captured weapons from Gallipoli.

Rob · Legend

I thought the bit on the muzzle of the Vickers guns looked quite like the muzzle of a Maxim gun which the RNAS and Army were using in early WW1 and would have a smooth jacket, so could have been intended to look like a Maxim or even been one (without seeing the rear hard to confirm)

Brancaleone · Corporal

Hello,

Regarding the Hotchkiss MG the answer is more prosaic: many scenes were shot on location in Spain and this is Spanish MG you can see (in 7mm caliber if my memory is right..) And about SMLE in Turkish hands other scenes were shot in Jordan where this British rifle was still in use at the begining of the 60's. Dont forget that Lawrence of Arabia was shot in Jordan, Spain and Morocco. Strangely enough I dont understand why��the Spanish army did not lend its Mauser 1893s very�similar with Turkish Mauser. �It did it well for�some "spaghetti�"westerns�treating about the Mexican Revolution confuse