I thought at first it was an M-18 Hellcat but I guess not.
The Hellcat was a tank destroyer but because of it's main gun and the fact it was the fastest tracked vehicle in the world and still is many times it was pressed into tank duties.
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Saw it this afternoon. It was a good movie, very dark in tone, but nothing memorable like Saving Private Ryan. Lots of shooting and they're certainly graphic with the mangled bodies and body parts strewn about the countryside, but otherwise you've seen this story before in other war movies. Heck, "Sahara" did it in 1943 (but without all the tracers and body parts).
Only thing that struck me was how stupid the SS battalion was in the big final battle scene. Won't give away any spoilers but if anyone sees it you might agree there are better ways to attack an immobilized tank.
Gunnery, gunnery, gunnery. Hit the target, all else is twaddle!
It would be pretty damned hard to top Saving Private Ryan, IMO
"Allways speak the truth and you will never have to remember what you said before..." Sam Houston Texans, "We say Grace, We Say Mam, If You Don't Like it, We Don't Give a Damn!"
Only thing that struck me was how stupid the SS battalion was in the big final battle scene. Won't give away any spoilers but if anyone sees it you might agree there are better ways to attack an immobilized tank.
Thought the same thing but also remembered when this took place - chances are those SS weren't exactly the same battle hardened SS that would have been there in 42 or 43. This taking place about a month before VE.
Was in okc a few years ago and saw a Plymouth Fury somebody had put on a 4wd truck frame. A mean looking rust bucket rat rod. Looked straight out of Mad Max.
Thought the same thing but also remembered when this took place - chances are those SS weren't exactly the same battle hardened SS that would have been there in 42 or 43. This taking place about a month before VE.
Couple of things ya gotta suspend disbelief on, like how a whole column of SS, with vehicles yet, could march ANYWHERE in daylight in the west in April of 1945.
And it may have been SET in April of '45, but it sure wasn't SHOT in April in Germany, a cursory glimpse of the greenery is enough for that, especially where the one guy is hiding in a privet hedge that looks to be already setting fruit.
Nit picks aside though, agreed this is a tremendous movie.
Worth the price of admission just to see the inside operation of a Sherman tank in combat, and ESPECIALLY worth the price of admission to see what happens when Shermans and Tiger collide. One of the more gripping combat scenes I've seen in awhile.
A nice touch too the crew having appropriated a Sturmgewehr 44 or two along the way. This is one of those movies worth buying just to see the equipment and details.
And ya realize how powerful the movie is when the closing credits roll over actual combat footage from that war.
Birdwatcher
"...if the gentlemen of Virginia shall send us a dozen of their sons, we would take great care in their education, instruct them in all we know, and make men of them." Canasatego 1744
There's a Sherman Tank in the Museum over at Camp Maybry in Austin that my nephews WWII re-inactment group uses when they stage a mock battle on Veteran's Day. Pretty cool to see it still run!
Last edited by chlinstructor; 10/18/14.
"Allways speak the truth and you will never have to remember what you said before..." Sam Houston Texans, "We say Grace, We Say Mam, If You Don't Like it, We Don't Give a Damn!"
Just got back from it... was a little disappointed.. but then I am not sure what I was expecting...plenty of blood and guts...
a lot more realistic than a lot of war movies ya see...
thought it was kind of interesting... Brad Pitt is involved in directing this one...
coming out real soon is the one about the LT with the Polish last name that was an Olympic medalist.. and was shot down in a B24 over the Pacific and made a POW in Japan..."Unbroken"
That one is being directed by his wife...
both Brad and Angelina becoming war buffs and conservatives?
coming out real soon is the one about the LT with the Polish last name that was an Olympic medalist.. and was shot down in a B24 over the Pacific and made a POW in Japan..."Unbroken"
Louis Zamperini was of Italian descent.
Looking forward to seeing both movies. "Unbroken" was a heck of a read.
Guns are like guitars - you can never have too many.