War Movies - Based on a true story

Defiance
Bridge on the River Kwai
633 Squadron

 

Sorry Bofors, 633 Sqdn is total fiction, based on a Frederick Smith book of the same name. Good film though!
M

 

Bravo Two Zero?

 

South Pacific

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTM5QpMEwo_T-XH1rgBgtQOuRtTGZyIJ9qLsKcGndbowezFBoam7A

 

U571 (and in turn it's Enigma machine) was captured by the Royal Navy before Pearl Harbour so it couldn't possibly have been captured by the US Navy as claimed in the film!

So accuracy is certainly not it's strong point.

Winch

Actually U571 was on Foxtel here the other day and I was half watching half working.

I noticed that the credits now include the real detail that the RN did capture U571 which was really (U110).

From Wiki:

Also:

The real U-571 was never involved in any such events, was not captured, and was in fact sunk in January 1944, off Ireland, by a Short Sunderlandflying boat from No. 461 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force.


Though the film was generally well received[1] and won an Academy Award, the plot attracted criticism for two reasons: firstly, it was British personnel from HMS Bulldog who first captured a naval Enigma machine, from U-110 in the North Atlantic May 1941, before the United States entered the war. Secondly, German U-boat crews were portrayed in a negative light.

 

Maybe they should make a movie about 461sq RAAF.

It is interesting to note that they sunk 6 Submarines, one being their own squadron namesake U461 and damaged 3 others.

During the war No. 461 destroyed a total of six German submarines. These submarines were:

• U-332 (1 May 1943)
• U-461 (30 July 1943)
• U-106 (2 August 1943)
• U-571 (28 January 1944)
• U-385 (10 August 1944)
• U-270 (13 August 1944)

The squadron lost 20 Sunderlands to enemy action and accidents. 86 squadron members of all nationalities were killed on operations.

64 of those killed were Australian.

Caught on the Surface
by Robert Taylor

Robert Taylor's spectacular painting captures the sinking of German U-Boat U-461 by Sunderland 'U' of 461 Squadron RAAF, RAF Coastal Command during the epic war in the Atlantic.

 

Some good foreign films:
The Cranes are Flying (Partisan Warfare Russia)
The Battle of the Rails (Resistance -Railway Sabotage France)
The Sorrow and the Pity (Resistance France)
Max Manus Man of War (Resistance Norway)
Kanal (Warsaw Uprising - Poland)
Flame & Citron (Resistance Denmark)

 

Some good foreign films:
The Cranes are Flying (Partisan Warfare Russia)
The Battle of the Rails (Resistance -Railway Sabotage France)
The Sorrow and the Pity (Resistance France)
Max Manus Man of War (Resistance Norway)
Kanal (Warsaw Uprising - Poland)
Flame & Citron (Resistance Denmark)



The Sorrow and the Pity (Resistance France)
YouTube - The Sorrow and the Pity—Theatrical trailer

Max Manus Man of War (Resistance Norway)
YouTube - Max Manus Man of War

Flame & Citron (Resistance Denmark)
YouTube - Flame & Citron - Official UK Trailer (OUT NOW ON DVD)

Can say I have ever seen any these.

 

"The Heroes" (about Operation Jaywick)
"Heroes II: the Return" (about Operation Rimau)

Some Yugoslav movies

"Desant na Drvar" ("Parachute drop over Drvar")
"Sutjeska"
"Neretva"
"Kozara"
"Uzicka Republika"

 

I vaguely remember watching the 1951 classic "Go for Broke" about the Japanese-American combat unit in WW2. I believe it was relatively accurate.

Just read recently that another movie on the same unit was planned, called simply "442nd" -

Ken Watanabe is usually to be found being tough and awesome in front of the camera in the likes of Batman Begins, Letters From Iwo Jima and Chris Nolan’s upcoming Inception. Now rumour has it he might be stepping behind the lens to direct a film about World War Two’s legendary 442nd US military unit.

It’s certainly a story worth telling: following the events of Pearl Harbour, the US moved to contain all Japanese/Japanese American citizens in internment camps, labelled as “enemy aliens” thanks to Japan’s opposition in the conflict. But thanks to the sheer number of Japanese Americans living on Hawaii, it was deemed impractical on the island. Plus there were many Japanese troops in the State still willing to fight for the US

 

"Hell to Eternity"

Starring Jeffrey Hunter.

True story of marine Guy Gabaldon on Saipan who took over 1,000 Japanese prisoners.

YouTube - Guy Gabaldon WWII Marine - Hell To Eternity

 

"Ill Met By Moonlight" - the story of the Kriepe kidnap, is closely based on Billy Moss' diary of the event, just with the dialogue chopped around a lot, like Jackson's Lord Of The Rings!

Dirk Bogarde's other almost forgotten SOE film, "They Who Dare" was intentionally as close as possible to the historical events of the SOE demolition raid on Rhodes. The director Lewis Milestone intended it to be as close as he could make it...even down to renting Lebanese ex-Regia Aeronautica SMs!

"Above Us The Waves" - the story of the RN's chariot and X-craft attempts on the Tirpitz.

"They Were Expendable" - the story of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three in the Philipines in 1941/2...VERY close to historical events except for the invented love story for John Wayne, and and changing the commander's name from Bulkely to Brickley!

 

A favourite of mine:

'PT-109' - Lt John Fitzgerald Kennedy's war in the Pacific - Cliff Robertson (always a solid actor) takes the lead role.

Steve W.

 

The wooden Horse.!!! and Albert RN.!!!

 

"The Outsider" - Tony Curtis.

As a dramatization of the tragic career of Ira Hayes, the Pima Indian vouth thrust into national fame as one of the six men who raised our flag at Iwo and, according to the script, was destroyed by this sudden glory, it makes a moving and captivating story.

 

"Hell to Eternity"

Starring Jeffrey Hunter.

True story of marine Guy Gabaldon on Saipan who took over 1,000 Japanese prisoners.

YouTube - Guy Gabaldon WWII Marine - Hell To Eternity

The film was made on Okinawa with members of the 3rd Marine Division and Japanese extras trained by a Japanese World War II veteran. The savage bayonet fighting depicted in the film was done with much enthusiasm.

Even though he captured more enemy soldiers single-handedly than anyone else, including WW I hero Sergeant Alvin C. York, he was not awarded the Medal of Honor, as York was.

 

The next morning he returned with 50 Japanese prisoners. As a result Gabaldon was permitted by his commanding officer to act as a "lone wolf" operator.[1]
This was the situation when on July 7, 1944, after spending a night near Saipan's northern cliffs, Gabaldon heard and listened to thousands of Japanese troops and civilians preparing for a large "banzai charge." The attack was unsuccessful and the surviving Japanese returned to their positions. The next day, Gabaldon captured two guards and convinced one of them to return to the cave with an offering of surrender. Shortly after, a Japanese officer showed up and after speaking to Gabaldon accepted the conditions of surrender. Over eight hundred soldiers and civilians surrendered to Gabaldon and were turned over to the United States military authorities. For his exploits, Gabaldon became known as the "Pied Piper of Saipan".[1]
Gabaldon continued to capture more Japanese soldiers until he was wounded in a machine gun ambush. He was credited with the capture of 1,500 enemy personnel and was recommended for the Medal of Honor by his commanding officer, Capt. John Schwabe, on the justification that he singlehandedly captured more than ten times the number of prisoners taken by Sgt. Alvin C. York in World War I, Gabaldon however, was awarded a Silver Star instead.[1][5]


They finally upgraded his Silver Star to a Navy Cross.

 

What about "Bridge at Remagen"

Personally I have to say that "Theirs is the Glory" and "A Bridge Too Far" are great, particularly because the location is so easy to visit and then see exactly where the history unfolded.

Having watched Schindlers List I visited the factory and have since invested in the DVD.

Watch the film then visit the site - A great policy.

 

East L.A. Marine: The Untold True Story of Guy Gabaldon (Video 2008) - IMDb

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRkpJKNwoxLADoWSr8HbXOhdFnQAPgq8YyI-hpDi3CZawIjChRE

 

Devil's Brigade

I have yet to figure out just what accent Cliff Robertson was trying to speak but I always liked this scene:

YouTube - The Devil's Brigade - The Canadians Arrive