A German Mechanic was part of the Nazi effort to locate the Ark of the Covenant at Tanis, Egypt in 1936. Serving under forces led by Colonel Herman Dietrich, the mechanic was responsible for refueling the German aircraft and assisted in prepping the Flying Wing to send the Ark back to Berlin.
Biography[]
In 1936, a German mechanic and soldier worked out of an airfield located near the Well of the Souls at Tanis, Egypt as part of the Nazi excavation to unearth the Ark of the Covenant. Though the Ark was recovered out from under them by American archaeologist Indiana Jones first, the Nazis captured Jones and imprisoned him, along with his associate Marion Ravenwood, inside the Well of Souls, while the artifact fell into German possession.[1]
However, Jones and Ravenwood managed to escape as the Nazis looked to take the Ark out of Egypt on board the Flying Wing aircraft and deliver it to Nazi party leader Adolf Hitler in Berlin. They infiltrated the airfield, where the mechanic and the Flying Wing's would-be pilot were prepping the plane, during Major Gobler's inspection.[1]
The mechanic fought Jones with a wrench.
After Gobler left, the Americans attempted to hijack the Flying Wing and escape with the Ark. Just as Jones prepared to take the airplane, he was spotted by the mechanic, forcing him into a fight with the mechanic behind the oblivious pilot in the cockpit.[1]
Jones landed the first kick on the mechanic's face from the roof of the plane, sending the Nazi stumbling backwards. As the American leapt down from the jet, the German attempted to fight back with his metal wrench, but the archaeologist was too quick. Despite the mechanic's efforts to subdue the intruder, all of his attacks were quickly proven futile. The mechanic eventually resorted to leaping at the American and attacking with his wrench, but Jones pushed the German's arm back towards the Flying Wing's propeller which caused his wrench to collide with the blade, destroying his only weapon and allowing Jones to knock the soldier to the ground, the mechanic hitting the side of the plane on the way down and being knocked unconscious.[1]
Woken by leaking gasoline, the mechanic fled the Flying Wing's explosive end.
Jones resumed his attempt on the Flying Wing. Unfortunately for him, the mechanic's more formidable partner had noticed the fight and was eager to take on the archaeologist himself. All while the first mechanic was lay unconscious underneath the plane, Marion managed to knock out the pilot, activate the plane's engines and gun down an entire troop carrier full of reinforcements before Jones was saved from his opponent's beating by the Flying Wing's propeller. The first mechanic recovered when hit by leaking gasoline, spilled across the airfield from a tanker cut open during the fight. Realizing the precariousness of his situation, the soldier scrambled out from under the moving aircraft and fled the scene.[1]
Behind the scene[]
The mechanic being knocked out in the comic.
The Mechanic was portrayed uncredited by stuntman Glenn Randall, Jr. in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Despite Pat Roach's Chief Mechanic being credited as "1st Mechanic", Roach's character is actually the second of the pair to appear onscreen.[1] Unnamed in the film, the Raiders of the Lost Ark Sourcebook simply refers to the Mechanic by his profession.[2]
In Marvel Comics' comic book adaptation, Indiana Jones knocks out the Mechanic in one punch in an area full of gasoline containers, unlike in the film where the mechanic puts up more of a fight before being defeated. After that, his companion accidentally shoots the Flying Wing's fuel tank upon being knocked out with the Wing's chocks by Marion Ravenwood, which causes the Flying Wing's explosion, killing him and his partner in the process. The comic possibly implies the Mechanic to be Austrian, as he says "Vas ist..." upon discovering Indy hiding among the barrels.[3]
In the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! at Disney World, the mechanic is absent from the plane fight scene. The first mechanic is thus the one who works on the plane, and is therefore also the first to spot Indy.[4] The character is also missing from LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures[5] and, with the entire Flying Wing sequence being omitted from its sequel.[6]
Appearances[]
- Raiders of the Lost Ark (First appearance)
- Raiders of the Lost Ark novel
- Raiders of the Lost Ark comic
Sources[]
- From Star Wars To Indiana Jones - The Best of the Lucasfilm Archives
- Raiders of the Lost Ark Sourcebook