Battle of the bulge

[Little Jo]

Hi All

Today here in SA was a stinker of a day. 40+ deg with a Hot North Wind. Just the type of day to stay indoors. To keep cool I cranked up the airconditioner in the home theatre and sat down to watch a movie "The Battle of the Bulge". I had not seen this film for about 20 years and enjoyed it back then. However now that I am involved in Military Vehicle restorations, I have become more critical of WW2 vehicles used in movies. In this movie there are a bucket load of inaccuracies and the more you look, the more you see. Some of the more noticable were.

The American vehicles (jeeps, trucks) in many scenes are painted in German camouflage patterns and colours. If you look you will see the classic red brown/dark green stripes on dark yellow covering them.

None of the German tanks are an accurate representations of German WWII types. They are all post war USA types.

All of the jeeps used by American forces are of post-war design - most probably CJ-3 (M38) models - recognisable by their one-piece windscreens. Some of them were modified to somewhat resemble the WW2 model by moving the spare wheel to the rear, but most of them still have the spare fitted to the side further identifying them as post-war models.

These were only some of the many inaccuracies I noted. The longer I have been involved in WW2 vehicles the harder it is too now enjoy a WW2 movie, because I can’t help checking out the authenticity of vehicles and equipment used.

Some years ago I had the privilege of visiting the WW2 Battle of the Bulge War Cemetery in Luxemburg, where thousands of USA troops are buried and next to that diveded by a hedge, is the German War Cemetery where thousands of German Troops are buried. I found this to be a very moving experience, when you see the thousands of crosses, you can only wonder and think, what a waste of young lives.

At the entrance they have a Sherman Tank on display and inside the cemetery there is a huge map with Blue and Red arrows outlining the Battle of the Bulge. I was there on the day when a bus load of USA Veterans and their wives turned up. There wasn’t a dry eye to be found, including mine.

Cheers

Tony

[Private_collector]

Oh Tony, don't bugger it up for me . Luckily my memory isn't so good, so I may not remember reading this post. You know, for some reason I have not gotten around to seeing that movie yet. Wonder how it ends.

Some of my fondest recollections from youth, are watching the old B&W TV series "Combat". Remember those? They were GOOD stories weren't they. At least from a childs perspective, anyway.

Now where did I put my Commando comics????

Incidentally, i've been fighting the battle of the bulge for years.

[Little Jo]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Oh Tony, don't bugger it up for me . Luckily my memory isn't so good, so I may not remember reading this post. You know, for some reason I have not gotten around to seeing that movie yet. Wonder how it ends.

Some of my fondest recollections from youth, are watching the old B&W TV series "Combat". Remember those? They were GOOD stories weren't they. At least from a childs perspective, anyway.

Now where did I put my Commando comics????

Incidentally, i've been fighting the battle of the bulge for years.

Hi Tony

Seriously it's not a bad movie, I won't tell you how it ends, but I will give you a hint. We won the gold medal and the Germans won the Silver. I think the Japanese won the bronze, or was that a tie for silver.

Yes mate I know what you mean, I also have been fighting the battle of the bulge, though I had no problems when I was a young digger..

Cheers

Tony

[Little Jo]

Originally Posted by Dianaa

Weren't the scenes in the Battle of the Bulge done in Spain using the Spanish Army and their current equipment or was that only the "Patton" movie with George C Scott?

Hi Dianaa

Yes it was all filmed on location in Spain.

Cheers

Tony

[Little Jo]

Originally Posted by Dianaa

I guess that answers our question about the use of post WWII US made equipment. When you're getting millions of dollars of military equipment and thousands of "trained" extras at a bargan basement price you can't expect them to re-equip with the correct WWII period equipment.

At least you can watch and enjoy the "Battle of the Bulge" or "Patton" movies, it's not something I can say about the movie "Tobruk" with Rock Hudson and George Peppard.

Hi Dianna

Yes the movie "Tobruk" with Rock Hudson and Goerge Peppard was an interesting film, about working behind the Afrika Korps lines. There was another film, "Raid on Romel" with Richard Burton also working behind enemy lines, though similar plot there were many scenes where the same photograpic scenes were duplicated. I guess they saved a lot of money that way seeing the were both Universal Studio films. Both are interesting films to watch. But the film I like along similar lines is, "Play Dirty" with Michael Cain as that typical stiff upper lip Pommy officer. There is some great footage of Jeeps used by the LRDG.

Cheers

Tony

[Little Jo]

Originally Posted by Dianaa

Hi Tony

I love a good Sir Maurice Micklethwaite movie, but don't recall that one! Will have to see if I can find it.

On Sophia Loren in the western desert, the 1960's sun glasses just didn't do it for me.

The B&W "Ice Cold in Alex" is one I haven't seen in years. There is a scene near the end as they are entering Alexandria when in the background you see a Series 1 Land Rover.

A couple of other WWII movies, Mosquito Squadron and 633 Squadron. One has a Land Rover partolling behind a row of trees and the other has an Alvis Saracen.

Diana

Hi Dianaa

Yep I regularly sit and watch a good movie from my collection of war films. Funny how we look into the background of the movies and pick up annomalies not seen by others, but I still enjoy them for what they are. I had noticed the Series One Land Rover at the end of the film when Anthony Quale is taken away by the MP's. Good film. Try and get time to have a look at the film "Play Dirty" I know you will enjoy it.

Cheers

Tony

[Private_collector]

What do you think about the movie "Enemy At The Gates"?

Can't vouch for originality, I don't know enough to spot errors, but I like it for entertainment value. Always good to see a nazi sniper get one through the head

[Little Jo]

Hi Tony and Dianaa

In the early part of the movie, "Enemy at the Gate" you come accross a young "Khrushchev" Nasty bast*rd, see him ordering men into the line without weapons waiting for the guy in front to get shot so he can pick up the gun. No regard for the men, expendable. At least Kennedy put him in his place and called his bluff during the Cuban Crisis.

Cheers

Tony

[Little Jo]

Originally Posted by Dianaa

On a smilar vein, do you remember a John Wayne movie "The Sea Chase" about a German tramp steamer that escapes Sydney at the start of the war trying to get back to Germany?

There is a line in the commentary by David Farrar, the RN Commander Jeff Napier where he talks about Captain Karl Ehrlich's (John Wayne) options. The line goes something like "to the East the Indian Ocean and to the West the vast Pacific Ocean". Only a septic could have written that line, because from Sydney the Pacific Ocean is East!

Another interesting "fact" which I haven't confirmed, is footage of the steamer (which I believe is actually a former US liberty ship) the Erganstrass may actually appear in the 1992 Harrison Ford movie Patriot Games.

Hi Dianaa

Not a bad movie, enjoyable but I couldn't help but think it a bit of a propoganda film, some nice scenery and of course and of course that "Line" Duhh. Who could not watch a JW film, some good support acting and as always the hard nut Nazi to mix up the plot. At the end the question is, Did John Wayne and Lana Turner make it.

Cheers

Tony