Hogan's Heroes is a comedy television series produced by Bing Crosby Productions about a band of multinational POW's imprisoned in the German Prisoner Of War camp Stalag 13 during World War II. After creating a vast underground tunnel network directly beneath the prison complex, the group around Colonel Robert E. Hogan (Bob Crane) begins to disrupt the German war machinery through cunning sabotage operations. The series ran from 1965 to 1971 across 6 Seasons with a total number of 168 episodes.
The following weapons were used in the television series Hogan's Heroes:
Major Bonacelli (Hans Conried) uses a Beretta M1934 in "The Pizza Parlor", (Season 1, Episode 22). The handgun made a reappearance in "How to Catch a Papa Bear" (Season 4, Episode 3) in the hands of Sergeants Kinchloe (Ivan Dixon) and Carter (Larry Hovis). The use by Major Bonacelli marks one of the few occurences were a character is portrayed using a weapon that a potential real life counterpart would have used as well. The Beretta M1934 was the standard sidearm of the Italian Armed Forces - the Esercito Italiano - during World War II.
Never seen in the hands of resistance members, the Colt M1911 appears to be an exclusive weapon of the Stalag 13 prisoners. It is carried most frequently by Corporal Newkirk (Richard Dawson).
Most prominently featured in the pilot episode and used throughout the rest of the series by German soldiers and resistance members. Colonel Klink has two Luger P08 with pearl or ivory grips in "To Russia Without Love" (Season 6, Episode 18).
Used by the "Milk Maid" in "Diamonds in the Rough" (Season 2, Episode 3). It can also be seen in "The Rise and Fall of Sergeant Schultz"
(Season 2, Episode 6) in the hands of Cpl. Louis LeBeau (Robert Clary). A German doctor is also using one to examine Newkirk's reflexes in "The Swing Shift" (Season 2, Episode 21).
Wielded by part of the German forces. These appear to be a mix of replica MP40 and plastic props. The latter can be recognized by the filled-in front sights, the space between the magazine well and the folding stock.
In a rather memorable scene from "Kommandant Schultz", Colonel Klink takes a MP40 out of Schultz's hands and accidentally unloads a full volley into the roof of the Hausnerhof Hotel, causing an immense amount of damage. It also marks one of only two scenes were the generally bad trigger discipline on the show is directly addressed. The second situation takes place during "Never Play Cards With Strangers" (Season 4, Episode 7).
During the early run of the show, the MP40 was a rare sight, being substituted in most cases by the Thompson Submachine Gun. The latter was gradually phased out as the production had more of the former available for on screen use.
Used as a stand-in for the MP40 by German forces and by members of the resistance. Most of the Thompson Submachine Guns appear to be replicas which have metal shoulder stocks, pistol grips and foregrips. They also seem to lack an ejection port and have filled in rear sights. In certain scenes the brown paint, made to cover up the metal below, is clearly seen chipping off of parts of the weapon. A likely reason for their use would be unavailability of real, or replica, MP40 Submachine Guns. The prop shop then could've chosen to use already existing Thompson replicas (few of the ones seen on screen were real).
The Krag-Jørgensen rifles were used as a stand-in for the German Karabiner 98 which was used by the German military before, during and after WWII. The major difference between this and the aforementioned Karabiner 98 is the loading gate on the right side of the receiver. This particular weapon was the service rifle of the U.S military from the late 19th to early 20th century. When it proved to be far behind the weapons of enemy combatants in the field in terms of performance it was phased out and the remains, that the armed forces had kept as a reserve, were put up for sale on the civilian market in the 1920s. At the time of Hogan's Heroes production - 1965 to 1971 -, the team had a large quantity of them available and a replacement for the Karabiner 98 was needed. Aquiring an arsenal of the latter would have blown the small budget the show ran on out of proportion, so the prop department most likely grabbed the weapon that resembled the 98 the closest and which was available in sufficient quanitites.
The M1 Carbine can be seen used by Maurice Dubois (Felice Orlandi) in "A Russian is Coming" (Season 3, Episode 12) and Nadya (Naomi Stevens) in “The Crittendon Plan” (Season 3, Episode 1).
First seen during "The Scientist" (Season 1, Episode 12), on a weapon rack next to multiple Krag-Jørgensen rifles and during the last few episodes of Season 6. This weapon, like the Krag-Jørgensen, was meant as a stand-in for the Karabiner 98k.
It's prominent presence in Hogan's Heroes final season can be put down to a lack of availability of the latter rifles and is a logical continuation of the shows lack of accuracy when displaying the equipment of the Third Reich's armed forces.
Appears in stock footage as armament on B-17 bombers and landing craft. A Browning M2 with barrel shroud can be seen mounted on a M7 tank in "One Army at a Time" (Season 5, Episode 20). The tank served as a stand-in for the German Tiger tank, complete with fake markings and fitting flat grey paint job. This is it's second appearance, having already appeared in the second episode of Season 1 "Hold That Tiger" (Season 1, Episode 2).
Browning M1919 are used in Stalag 13 towers. The majority of the turrets placed around the camps perimeter fence appear to be mock-ups. With the limited budget the show ran on, the production crew probably opted to build fakes, rather than invest the money into acquiring real Browning M1919.
A Lewis Gun makes a brief appearance in Stalag 13's ammunition depot in "German Bridge Is Falling Down" (Season 1, Episode 7). The other weapons seen mounted on the walls in that particular scene are plastic molds that represent no real firearm.
In "Praise the Fuhrer and Pass the Ammunition" (Season 2, Episode 19), SS officers training close to Stalag 13 are using fake Stielhandgranaten. They make a reappearance in "Sergeant Schultz Meets Mata Hari" (Season 3, Episode 4) and "The Empty Parachute" (Season 5, Episode 11). The prop department apparently did not do much research on how the actual Model 24 works, so the cord with which the grenade is primed is not kept within the handle, but is attached to the head of the grenade (the "Pot"). A different build of fakes are used in "The Big Broadcast" (Season 6, Episode 12), which lack the priming cord altogether and have a silvery finish.
In "At Last- Schultz Knows Something" (Season 5, Episode 14) Carter (Larry Hovis) can be seen producing a Mk 2 hand grenade from inside his jacket. The group is often shown to simply remove needed weapons from Stalag 13's armory and they frequently receive equipment drops from Allied Command, the latter explaining how Carter was able to get his hands on it, though the logic of carrying U.S. made explosives in the middle of Germany is questionable.
