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...historically acurrate? Hardly.
The Longest Day (1962) - 21 mistakes
In the early part of the movie, Rommel is addressing his Officers on the Atlantic Wall. The "mid-shots" and "close-ups" are shot against a back projection. Rommel turns to view the sea/horizon and the view is exactly the same as their "mid-shots". The effect is an horrendous "jump-cut".
Beachmaster Colin Maude was, in fact, a Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander, but he was wearing the badges of rank of a Royal Navy Captain....two ranks higher.
As the soldiers leave the water and start up the beach, you can see the shadow of the camera.
Before Obertsleutnant Priller and Unteroffizier Wodarczyk attack the allies, there is some stock footage of ME-109's. They flew FW-190's on that mission.
Shadow of the dolly against the smoke of battle during the invasion of Omaha beach. The direction of the shadow and the geography of the beach indicate that this scene, while set at dawn, was filmed in the afternoon.
In one scene, two British paratroopers mistakenly land in the courtyard of the chateau where one of the German generals is staying. The film depicts the two paras being overwhelmed and captured by up to a dozen heavily armed guards. This event did occur but it was actually just one of the general's middle aged staff officers with a pistol who successfully rounded up the two paratroopers.
In the scenes in the square at Ste Marie Eglise you can quite clearly see the war memorial (vaguely disguised by a tarpaulin or something).
The paratroopers in the film are wearing infantry boots, i.e., short ones with a buckle-on ankle-protector rather than a one-piece that protects the ankle from breaking on impact.
A compound fracture of the ankle indicates blood and/or protruding bones, of which Vandervoort's ankle had none. It also would have been impossible to put any weight on the ankle.
German General Max Pemsel says, "Wir haben starke RADAR-storungen" (we have strong radar interference). The word Radar was not used, perhaps even not known in Germany in 1944. They used a similar system, but called it "FunkmeBgerate" or radio measuring equipment.
The film exaggerates the carnage at Ste Mere Eglise. In this battle sequence, the U.S. paratroopers of F company (from John Wayne's battalion) of the 82nd airborne are mown down like ninepins as they parachute into the square of the village which is swarming with German troops. In reality, only about thirty troopers landed in or around the square and less than a dozen were killed or wounded, not the whole company as the film suggests.
As the Americans hit the beach at Omaha, you can see a number of individual African-American troops scattered among them. Unfortunately the U.S. military was not yet integrated; black troops fought in separate segregated units at the time.
When Priller and Wodarczyk strafe Gold-Juno Beaches, the airborne camera overruns the set exposing the empty beach ahead which has not obstacles, vehicles or men.
The voice of the German soldier, who corners the French Resistance woman at the railroad track near Caen, sounds completely different when he attempts to stop the train.
During the assault on the cliff on Point-du-Hoc, the hulking silent fellow (who is later shot in a 'duel' with a German) carries a M1 Carbine. During the climbing action, the carbine is shown without a magazine - going into battle without a loaded weapon is fatal neglect for a soldier.
During the assault on Point-du-Hoc, a BAR gunner tries to take on a bunker from the ladder he stands on, and nearly falls back as he fires his gun. The sound of his gun firing doesn't match the muzzle smoke and the movement of the gun, which fires on full auto - they rather sound like he was shooting three shots in rapid succesion from a semi-automatic rifle.
During the assault on Point du Hoc, a German defender, with light colored epaulets on his tunic, is shown cutting loose an American grappling hook. The scene shifts to other action, then returns to the German, who this time is wearing dark epaulets.
In the scene where John Wayne has a compound fracture diagnosis, the medic looks at John's foot with an uncovered light. Medics and soldiers were trained to use rain coats or anything available to block any light that they needed to use, to avoid drawing enemy fire.
Josef "Pips" Priller and Sergeant Heinz Wodarczyk did not attack at the Gold and Juno beaches. They strafed the invading Allies at Sword Beach.
During the French Commandoes' attack on the Ouistreham casino, the Germans spot commando units at a tower. A lookout gives the information to the cannon crew, but the cannon is aimed towards the target while the commanding officer is still confirming the information.
In one scene, a German Mauser bolt-action rifle makes an exaggerated click-click sound when a bullet is chambered. (A U.S. paratrooper mistakes this click-click sound from his enemy's Mauser rifle with the click-click sound from the American signaling device, which was used when challenged by other U.S. paratroopers.) However, a Mauser rifle does not make such a loud sound when chambered. No decent soldier would allow his rifle to make such a loud click-click sound anyway.
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