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Band of Brothers Real Facts.
- Thread starter Lt. Stephenson
- Start date
No. I'm tired and don't feel like piling page upon page of my harsh ranting culminating with someone finally saying "If you want realism join the army". I realize I'm "pissing into the wind" with my viewpoint but that's fine. I just don't like the way Spielberg makes his "war" movies and I never will. I leave you with something you may find personally interesting:http://contrachoppa.ytmnd.com/
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Well, it's been quite a while since I watched it and I also did not watch all the episodes (simply because they became too much of an annoyance) but what I do remember is this one scene where a whole platoon of Jerries rathers runs away from the GIs into an open field (hence, no cover) than trying to fight back (they were in superior numbers IIRC).
How ****ing stupid is that?
Either you do try your luck and fight back (I'd imagine they had a chance actually since the GIs lacked any heavy weapons) or you surrender.
Running away and getting shot in the back is probabaly the least smart idea.
If one soldier would act that way, understandable, but a whole platoon?
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Well, it's been quite a while since I watched it and I also did not watch all the episodes (simply because they became too much of an annoyance) but what I do remember is this one scene where a whole platoon of Jerries rathers runs away from the GIs into an open field (hence, no cover) than trying to fight back (they were in superior numbers IIRC).
How ****ing stupid is that?
Either you do try your luck and fight back (I'd imagine they had a chance actually since the GIs lacked any heavy weapons) or you surrender.
Running away and getting shot in the back is probabaly the least smart idea.
If one soldier would act that way, understandable, but a whole platoon?
It is called panic and it happens. It has been a long time since I read it but from what I remember the Americans managed to assault the German position at a time when they were completely unexpected to do so. If you are a German soldier, sitting there during a lul in a "safe" area when the next thing you see is Americans firing down into your platoon and guys running odds are you are going to do the same.
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i doubt they have invented this kind of event
under fire (surprise surprise) and when the ennemy setup a mg you try to get cover ...
under fire (surprise surprise) and when the ennemy setup a mg you try to get cover ...
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I would take a chance and say that a platoon of 101st Airborne occupying the high ground, raking you with multiple .30 Browning MG's would make you run... if you stayed in the clearing you would die for sure. Not to mention the inevitable 'nade spam sure to follow.
If you disagree, you must be John Rambo or something.
The best you could hope to do is pop some smoke to cover your retreat, if smoke was in reach.
If you disagree, you must be John Rambo or something.
The best you could hope to do is pop some smoke to cover your retreat, if smoke was in reach.
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Dog Company never retreated, Fox Company did, their excuse was that they had ran low on ammo, and had more tanks coming towards them.
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Most history has some innacuracy to it, Egyption history dates are off set by about 150 years.
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You'll never be satisfied with a Hollywood version of military history, so look at the bright side:
BoB is probably the best filmed narrative account of U.S. WWII ETO experience that's been made to date. Is it flawless? Of course not. But at least it brought attention to the efforts of those soldiers who fought in that conflict (albeit not all as stirring a tale, I'm sure). Anything more in-depth or extensive would have been to documentary-like, and thus decreased its viewership.
On a similar note, even the stinkers have their purpose. I recall eagerly awaiting "Enemy at the Gates" in theatres because I had read the excellent book by William Craig. Then I saw the movie and was like "WTF is this?"
But then I was at least appreciative of the fact that a movie about Stalingrad, however flawed, was made into a US mainstream film at all. Perhaps some young people (maybe some RO players today!) were curious after seeing the film and did some more research, and eventually learned about what really happened during that battle.
If nothing else, sometimes even flawed history-based films have collateral benefits - like keeping the memory alive of the events themselves.
BoB is probably the best filmed narrative account of U.S. WWII ETO experience that's been made to date. Is it flawless? Of course not. But at least it brought attention to the efforts of those soldiers who fought in that conflict (albeit not all as stirring a tale, I'm sure). Anything more in-depth or extensive would have been to documentary-like, and thus decreased its viewership.
On a similar note, even the stinkers have their purpose. I recall eagerly awaiting "Enemy at the Gates" in theatres because I had read the excellent book by William Craig. Then I saw the movie and was like "WTF is this?"
But then I was at least appreciative of the fact that a movie about Stalingrad, however flawed, was made into a US mainstream film at all. Perhaps some young people (maybe some RO players today!) were curious after seeing the film and did some more research, and eventually learned about what really happened during that battle.
If nothing else, sometimes even flawed history-based films have collateral benefits - like keeping the memory alive of the events themselves.
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I don't think anyone the fact that German troops reatreated or paniked, nor that Soviets used massive infantry assaults.
It's rather the way it is represented in those movies and series that usually make Germans (SPR, BoB) and Soviets (EatG) look basically utterly incompetent when compared to Western Allies. At least that's my impression. Like how Germans advance into a city like a herd of sheep right in the middle of the streets with no more than 2 metres between each soldier, or leaving an mg crew totally alone right in the middle of nowhere...
Also I remember some just plain unrealistic and stupid stuff in SPR and BoB, like GI's throwing a Browning MG (without tripod or anything) on a windowsill pulling the trigger and killing multiple retreating Germans with magic accuracy. I could find dozens of other rather "odd" scenes. One individually might be explained by "that might have happened sometimes" but in these movies they are the rule not the exception.
It wasn't even that bad if Spielberg didn't give them this documentary style, with interviews before each episode etc... There are enough people who think this is actually how it happened.
It's rather the way it is represented in those movies and series that usually make Germans (SPR, BoB) and Soviets (EatG) look basically utterly incompetent when compared to Western Allies. At least that's my impression. Like how Germans advance into a city like a herd of sheep right in the middle of the streets with no more than 2 metres between each soldier, or leaving an mg crew totally alone right in the middle of nowhere...
Also I remember some just plain unrealistic and stupid stuff in SPR and BoB, like GI's throwing a Browning MG (without tripod or anything) on a windowsill pulling the trigger and killing multiple retreating Germans with magic accuracy. I could find dozens of other rather "odd" scenes. One individually might be explained by "that might have happened sometimes" but in these movies they are the rule not the exception.
It wasn't even that bad if Spielberg didn't give them this documentary style, with interviews before each episode etc... There are enough people who think this is actually how it happened.
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I'm going to address your issues with BoB first of all, because that's the only one that's actually trying to replicate real events as experienced by real GIs. I think you're looking at it from a rather biased perspective as well.
Did you forget the episode where a soldier shot himself in the femoral artery with a luger? What about the time that a bullet came from long range seemingly out of no where and severed the spine of a machinegunner? What about the guy who blew his face off with a grenade while they were snatching prisoners? What about where combat veterans die en mass attacking Foy because of an incompetent commander, or another failed attack early in the series on another village the Germans recaptured?
Considering the fact that BoB, by necessity, had to be about a unit that saw lots of action from Dday onwards, yet had many survivors, Americans in BoB die horribly all the time, and often for rather stupid reasons. We tend to dismiss them because they're not 'main characters' (how could they be, as they didn't survive to give an interview). BoB only seems biased because it focuses on the guys who were lucky as hell, who were in incredible situations and survived.
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True, will I'm somewhat of a 101st Historian, had read plenty of books and storys, talked to veterans. But I'm getting at how people, think Easy Company did everything in WWII, I'm glad people like Band of Brothers but when you see and hear people imitating their names, saying Easy Company did this, and that it starts to get frustrating. I had a great uncle who fought with the 502nd of the 101st, he fought at the famous battle of WXYZ, Jim Stephenson. People try and be the know it all of the 101st after watching BOB.
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Just a side note... At least one thing in this website does not seem to be 100% correct: On this page http://www.101airborneww2.com/bandofbrothers7.html a Village called "Briealf" is mentioned. As far as I can tell there is no such village in Germany, at least not today. But I was in a Town called "Bleialf", and it seems that this one might have been meant
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I have just found the definitive volume of Easy Company's actions during the war at Borders today: "Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Dick Winters", by Maj. Dick Winters, US Army(Ret.) with Col. Cole C. Kingseed. Haven't gotten a chance to read it, but I have no doubt that Winters would betray the memory of his men by writing inaccuracies.
And, there is one thing I would like to add: The book and the movie are different. The movie(I think) did a decent job, but it wasn't as good as the book. And whild Ambrose did put Easy Company in a good light, I do not question the accuracy of his book, "Band of Brothers", (not to say that it's 100% accurate, but I do believe it to be as accurate a re-telling of the experiences of Easy Company), and he did not try to make Easy Godlike, IMHO. For example, I seem to recall another company from their battalion(Dog, IIRC) coming to save their butt, and another when some tanks showed up to fight off some Panzers that Easy had encountered and were trying to hold out against(or maybe it was one event and D showed up with the tanks, it's been a few years since I've read it).
And, there is one thing I would like to add: The book and the movie are different. The movie(I think) did a decent job, but it wasn't as good as the book. And whild Ambrose did put Easy Company in a good light, I do not question the accuracy of his book, "Band of Brothers", (not to say that it's 100% accurate, but I do believe it to be as accurate a re-telling of the experiences of Easy Company), and he did not try to make Easy Godlike, IMHO. For example, I seem to recall another company from their battalion(Dog, IIRC) coming to save their butt, and another when some tanks showed up to fight off some Panzers that Easy had encountered and were trying to hold out against(or maybe it was one event and D showed up with the tanks, it's been a few years since I've read it).
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I get angry when I see people do this. The thread was made to make a petition to give Winters a medal of honor.
I replyed.
I replyed.
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I personally believe you, however this movie was BASED on easy company, im sure the movie title never said anything like "The memoirs of all american ww2 soldiers", the movie rather chose to narrow its base and write a great movie about easy company.... although i respect your opinion, but if you want to watch a reallistic ww2 movie lol, band of brothers is always there (not to mention its correct history) there are many other ww2 movies that are based mostly on almost all the world war 2 soldiers.
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