Spielberg Pacific movie

[Keith Webb]

I have a friend holidaying in Port Douglas at the moment and the new Speilberg film has commenced production.

He sent these pics to me today with a request for ID of the boats:

In the harbour.

Belinda and I were supposed to be joining them for a week or so but instead I've been busy filming Camry and Aurions being built each weekend... not that I'd ever complain about having work.

[4bee]

They look like Higgins Boats.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higgins_boat

[Tony Smith]

Yep, LCVP/Higgins boats.

If Art imitates Life, I wonder if these are the same repros that Spielberg made for the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan? As we know from the LCA thread, the D-Day veteran Boats and crews came to Northern Australia after Normandy!

http://www.sproe.com/l/lcvp.html

The ten LCVPs used in Saving Private Ryan were found stored in the desert at Palm Springs, California and were then transported to St. Austell, Cornwall, England were they were overhauled by Robin Davies of Square Sail. In order to give the appearance of more landing craft, each LCVP had different hull numbers painted on each side.

In reality, the 2nd and 5th Ranger Battalions did not use LCVPs, but instead went to shore in British LCAs (Landing Craft, Assault). In the film itself two modified LCMs (Landing Craft, Mechanized) were used for the Charlie Company Rangers, with the ten LCVPs being used in the background.

and

http://www.karrsltd.com/aviationmarine.html

WWII US Higgins LCVP #1
This is a fully restored Higgins boat that is water worthy. Used in 3 famous movies, This one as well as the other three
were on the USS Talladega and made landings on Iwo Jima. In 1967, all 3 boats were fiberglassed for use in Vietnam.
All the research has been done on them by Mark Samis who is the Curator at The US Army Transportation Museum in
Fort Eustis, VA. Equipped with a fully reworked Grey Marine 671 Diesel engine. Click on Picture to see more pictures.
Price: Price on Request

[John McGillivray]

Originally posted by Lynx45
http://www.sproe.com/l/lcvp.html

The ten LCVPs used in Saving Private Ryan were found stored in the desert at Palm Springs, California and were then transported to St. Austell, Cornwall, England were they were overhauled by Robin Davies of Square Sail. In order to give the appearance of more landing craft, each LCVP had different hull numbers painted on each side.

In reality, the 2nd and 5th Ranger Battalions did not use LCVPs, but instead went to shore in British LCAs (Landing Craft, Assault). In the film itself two modified LCMs (Landing Craft, Mechanized) were used for the Charlie Company Rangers, with the ten LCVPs being used in the background.

Here is a nice piece of miss-information from the same site.

http://www.sproe.com/c/caen.html

Montgomery was NOT the commander of the 2nd British Army. He was the commander of 21st Army Group. This consisted in June and July 1944, of ALL Allied land forces in Normandy including both Bradley’s 1st US Army and Dempsey’s 2nd British Army.

P.S. I sent an e-mail to the web master to complain of the error. I will let you know what answer I receive, if any.

Interesting you made mention of miss-information. If you look at the markings on these LVCP's they show:

PA13-8
Which Should represent the USS Joseph T Dickman
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/s...nsh-j/ap26.htm

PA20-3
Which Should represent the USS President Hayes
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/s...nsh-p/ap39.htm

PA30-7
Which Should represent the USS Thomas Jefferson
http://www.multied.com/Navy/ap/thomasjefferson.html


So by that cursory research only one of the LCVP's represents the right markings for the Guadacanal period ie PA20-3 USS President Hayes

quote
In July the transport steamed to the south Pacific and early in August 1942 landed Marines on Tulagi during the first of the Navy's many World War II amphibious invasions. She supported the Guadalcanal campaign by bringing up supplies and personnel until the Japanese abandoned that island in February 1943. In that month, she was reclassified as an attack transport, receiving the new hull number APA-20.
unquote

The others seem to be somewhat generic, (Ships that served both ETO and SWPA) or at least the art departments attempt to find a mismash of markings (PA13-8 / USS Joseph T Dickman represents a LVCP that would have landed troops at Utah Beach for example)

If these are LCVP's used in "Saving Private Ryan" and "Flags of our Fathers" or even "The Great Raid", then its very likely no has bothered to repaint them since.

Who cares ? Well if they spend $200Million on a series you'd think they'd spend 5mins using GOOGLE.....

[phoenix]

Mmmm, I recall seeing a very similar vessel on the west coast of tassie (strahn) about 5 years ago.

I must look again next time I am down that way.

[Alex van de Wetering]

I actually heard that some of the LCVP's used in Saving Private Ryan were actually post-war versions made from Fibre glass in stead of Steel. Some modifications were made to make them look like the D-day ones, as well as a rusty paintwork.

The ones pictured above might be WW2-dated ones though....

Alex

The one referred to at:

http://www.karrsltd.com/aviationmarine.html

was subject to ...well animated conversation at G503 as to if they were real WW2 or post war fiberglass


http://www.g503.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=93491

[Bob Potter]

At the Motts Military Museum in Groveport (I think that's right) to the southeast of Columbus. Ohio, there is a Higgins boat brought home to Ohio after the war by its coxwain. If I remember correctly (and I would not bet on it) the thing is all original except the mosr recent coat of paint.

What's this Spielberg movie y'all are on about?

Bob

[Tony Smith]

Originally posted by Bob Potter
What's this Spielberg movie y'all are on about?

Bob

From the team that brought you Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers, comes This and This

[Keith Webb]

Originally posted by Tony Smith
From the team that brought you Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers, comes This and This

You'd have to ask why they have used a Hawker Typhoon in the background image of the second page which is supposed to be about the Pacific.

[Keith Webb]

Typhoon in Pacific? With D-Day stripes? With non-existent squadron codes?

[alleramilitaria]

ok now its offical
there were invasion markings on aircraft in the pacific,,, see we have photos of it..... ow no here we go again.

last time it was the pea green M-42.
dave

well I had the misfortune to speak to someone associated with the production back in April, and I was left with the impression they have absolutely no idea what so ever about the WW2 Pacific campaign....

One of the gems was this one, " they were having a hard time finding the black sand for the Saipan filming in Victoria".

I said : You mean Iwo Jima...the black volcanic sand of Iwo Jima"

" Noooooooo.....Saipan"

So who knows maybe we'll have Typhoons, Austin Champs, M47 Patton Kingtigers" you name it !!!

[Keith Webb]

we'll see the Temora Canberra in Japanese markings bombing them with a T28 on the defence.

Hi Keith

Wasn't the Temora Hudson painted as a P-61 Black Widow for filming on "The Great Raid" ???!!!

[Keith Webb]

Originally posted by Lynx45
Hi Keith

Wasn't the Temora Hudson painted as a P-61 Black Widow for filming on "The Great Raid" ???!!!

First I've heard of it.

When they acquired it the paint was US olive drab with grey undersurfaces which was for a movie.

Classic Wings Volume 9 No5 2002 Issue 38
"Aircraft of the Great Raid"

"The Hudson was fully repainted in a USAAF scheme comprising light grey undersides and olive drab upper surfaces. With the American "Star and Bar" insignia applied as a finnishing touch, the Hudson was intended to masquerade as a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura"

Note "intended". The camp was actually buzzed by a P-61 Black Widow.

Rego given as:

VH-KOY
Lockheed Hudson

Search reveals

http://www.warbirdz.net/results.php?rego=VH-KOY

Based at Temora.

Cheers

[Skip]

Hi Pheonix 9. I believe the landing craft you saw at Strahn in Tassie was a late model LCVP. They have been operated by the Royal Australian Navy since the late 1970s.
Cheers Skip.