Valkyrie= History Channel

[Esox]

The HBO series "Band of Brothers" was very, very, good. Possibly the best TV production of all time.

I have trouble stomaching Tom Cruise, though he's pretty funny in "Tropic Thunder".

Kevin

 

[Clugnut]

I saw Valkyrie. I thought it was excellent, considering if you know anything about history, you know how it was going to end. I was skeptical of Cruise, but thought he did a great job.

 

[warbirdlover]

Love that movie. When I used to live in Chicago I used to go down to the Museum of Science and Industry to go see U505. Yes, the boat is really that small. I can not imagine going to sea in that thing and going through those conditions.

Another war movie I enjoy that was based on a true story is "The Great Escape". While its not exactly how it happened due to time constraints, characters portraying several real life prisoners, and some scenes were thrown in to appease McQueen; it is a great movie.<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

ualtim

I've been on that sub so often I could probably skipper it...

You guys need to learn the Pacific Theatre of WWII. That's where my FIL and dad fought. Alot different then the European Theatre.

History books have it that the Navy and Marines won the Pacific war but it's a big crock of BS. The Army Air Corp and Army grunts did their equal parts also. And not many know it but certain USAAF squadrons (Bong and McQuire) got all the missions which exposed them to the enemy aircraft so they could get all the "kills" and make the news. This is true. They were prima donas and a-holes.

And I"m partial to "Tora-tora-tora"...

 

[David Hillman]

While I've dabbled in WW2 reading and whatnot, from a militaristic standpoint Germany was brilliant. Absolutely so, and the minds driving the force were equally so, on the tactical and scientific standpoint.

?

You've been reading some different sources, apparently. Germany had some amazing war technology, but they made too many strategic gaffes to count. The guy in charge was quite possibly clinically insane.

 

[mddubya]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned The Battle of Britain?

 

[BigJim13]

?

You've been reading some different sources, apparently. Germany had some amazing war technology, but they made too many strategic gaffes to count. The guy in charge was quite possibly clinically insane.

I puzzeled at the statement as well. While its hard to argue that the blitzkrieg worked wonders, its also hard to argue that it worked wonders because of the army's that they were fighting-non existent really.

 

[mddubya]

?

You've been reading some different sources, apparently. Germany had some amazing war technology, but they made too many strategic gaffes to count. The guy in charge was quite possibly clinically insane.

He was certifiably insane. And if he hadn't been totally moronic and attacked Russia they most likely would have or could have won the war. And their lack of a heavy bomber was a major gaffe that came back to haunt them all through the war.

 

[David Hillman]

I puzzeled at the statement as well. While its hard to argue that the blitzkrieg worked wonders, its also hard to argue that it worked wonders because of the army's that they were fighting-non existent really.

I'm willing to give credit where due, there, blitzkreig was the perfect strategy for that objective.

Invading Russia after signing a pact with them, on the other hand, was not. Attempting to build an underground country in response to Allied bombing, didn't pan out either. Even some of their successes, like the V2 rockets, required so many resources to develop that their ROI was very small, and likely contributed to the eventual end. You can't really un-couple the under-production that eventually crippled Germany from the reckless leadership that, to put it mildly, bit off more than they could chew.

We're lucky Germany didn't have wiser, more coherent, leadership, or we'd have had a much more difficult time of it.

 

[BigJim13]

I'm willing to give credit where due, there, blitzkreig was the perfect strategy for that objective.

Invading Russia after signing a pact with them, on the other hand, was not. Attempting to build an underground country in response to Allied bombing, didn't pan out either. Even some of their successes, like the V2 rockets, required so many resources to develop that their ROI was very small, and likely contributed to the eventual end. You can't really un-couple the under-production that eventually crippled Germany from the reckless leadership that, to put it mildly, bit off more than they could chew.

We're lucky Germany didn't have wiser, more coherent, leadership, or we'd have had a much more difficult time of it.

Hitler refused, like so many before and after him, to learn from history. Napolean attempted to invade Russia as well-didn't work out for him either.

 

[mddubya]

?

You've been reading some different sources, apparently. Germany had some amazing war technology, but they made too many strategic gaffes to count. The guy in charge was quite possibly clinically insane.

I'm willing to give credit where due, there, blitzkreig was the perfect strategy for that objective.

Invading Russia after signing a pact with them, on the other hand, was not. Attempting to build an underground country in response to Allied bombing, didn't pan out either. Even some of their successes, like the V2 rockets, required so many resources to develop that their ROI was very small, and likely contributed to the eventual end. You can't really un-couple the under-production that eventually crippled Germany from the reckless leadership that, to put it mildly, bit off more than they could chew.

We're lucky Germany didn't have wiser, more coherent, leadership, or we'd have had a much more difficult time of it.

Their under production was due primarily to the over engineering everything. Their tanks, while amazing pieces of engineering, were to complicated and took way to long to build. And they wasted a lot of time and resources on pet projects of Hitlers that had no chance of ever panning out. Ever seen that vertical take off contraption they were working on with the rocket engines that spun around and around on arms?

 

[David Hillman]

Their under production was due primarily to the over engineering everything. Their tanks, while amazing pieces of engineering, were to complicated and took way to long to build. And they wasted a lot of time and resources on pet projects of Hitlers that had no chance of ever panning out. Ever seen that vertical take off contraption they were working on with the rocket engines that spun around and around on arms?

Without doubt, the coolest/craziest pet project... the Gustav Gun.

The Biggest Gun - Gustav

The shells were seventeen feet long!

 

[JEFF4i]

I puzzeled at the statement as well. While its hard to argue that the blitzkrieg worked wonders, its also hard to argue that it worked wonders because of the army's that they were fighting-non existent really.

I'm not saying there weren't many flaws, and many coming from Hitler himself. However, the capability was there, the potential was there. Rommel was brilliant, and the Germans during WW2 had invented the first jet, which could have single handedly taken the air war entirely, except Hitler didn't commission it.

 

[Slingblade61]

My friend shot one of those jets down.
Caught it landing on highway.

I think the story is called "the closing days"

 

[ualtim]

Germany had the first in service jet, but Frank Whittle did a lot of jet engine pioneering out of England at the same time as von Ohain/Heinkel. Yes, Germany's jet was the first to see military service but only due to England not wishing to use valuable resources trying to get the jet through the initial production issues. They wanted what was saving their island at the time, more Spitfires and any fighter that the US would send on the lend/lease program.

Hitler's insistence on making the Me-262 more of a bomber/attack plane rather than let it assume the traditional fighter role was another colossal mistake. If the Me-262 was allowed to be produced in large enough numbers to repel bombers earlier in the war, things might have been different. The allies had no answer for the Me-262 and most of the 262 losses were either on the ground during a bombing raid or as Sling mentioned of his buddy, taken out in low speed flight on approach to landing by US fighters.

By the end of the war, England had the Gloster Meteor and the US had the P80 Shooting Star far enough along in development that they would have seen action had the European theater stayed open a little longer.

 

[mont86]

Altho fictional I thought kelly's heroes is an exceptional war movie...Great cast!