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Films Any movies about WW2 tanks?

Discussion in 'General' started by I'm_Not_A_Monster, 4 Nov 2008.

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  1. Gooey_GUI

    Gooey_GUI Wanted: Red Shirts

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    Many years before this thread ever started, I saw this documentary only once. Yet, the revelation of why so many of these duplex drive Sherman tanks sank off of Omaha beach has stayed in my mind all these years. The loss of much larger numbers of landing troops, at Omaha, was attributed to these tanks not showing up to give infantry support. I have periodically searched for a source to review it all during this time. Alas, I have been unsuccessful!

    However, as this documentary was originally aired on PBS America, I thought that it may appear on TV more often in the UK. Also, it may appear on PBS, here in the US, as it did long ago.

    It is worth searching for in order to see why 27 of 29 DD tanks did not make the swim to shore at Omaha beach. Short of that, the wiki on this (for D-Day) describes some of what occurred, but lacks references noting that they are still needed. The "The tanks that didn't land on D-Day" BBC link goes into more detail and provides some support for the background of the actual documentary, "Journeys to the Bottom of the Sea - D-Day: The Untold Story" and is well worth reading.

    Most of all, if you ever see that this will be broadcast again, please don't miss it. It is very well done. Good luck in your efforts. If you ever happen to find a source to view it then please post it to this thread.

    DD Tank
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DD_tank

    DD tanks on D-Day
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DD_tank#D-Day


    "The tanks that didn't land on D-Day"
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2016280.stm

    Journeys to the Bottom of the Sea - D-Day: The Untold Story - clip - (1:18)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKf_ZiDqWcs

    Journeys to the Bottom of the Sea (2000– ) (brief listing info on the film)
    D-Day: The Untold Story
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1011564/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

    Slight compensation: Deep Sea Detective - DD Tank (15:13)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UJ3d-nvpjw
     
    Last edited: 25 Oct 2016
  2. Gooey_GUI

    Gooey_GUI Wanted: Red Shirts

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    I've just completed watching these episodes for the second time this week. It is a new series that was recorded off the Smithsonian television cable channel.

    Before watching them the first time, I was hoping for something myopic like "Memphis Belle" was to the B-17 Flying Fortress but for submarines. The battle of the North Atlantic was the longest battle of WW2, so I thought that this would be mostly covering this. I was wrong.

    Due to the eventual, short lives of the actual submarines and their crews, these six episodes of, "Hell Below" (2016), followed several different crews and submarines. Three of them were about American submarines and three episodes about German U-boats.

    I found them to be well done and thorough in their depictions. After watching them a second time, I see what a great job they did with these. It leaves little doubt about the priority of sinking tanks, equipment, supplies, fuel, and troops before they could be used in the war.

    Edit: I liked the American submarine episodes so much that I lost track of the number of German episodes - fixed.

    "Hell Below is an event-based series charting the stealth game of sub sea warfare, tracking the dramatic narrative from contact to attack of the greatest submarine patrols of World War II. From the rise of the Wolfpack to the drive for victory in the Pacific, we profile the strategic masterminds and the rapid evolution of technology and tactics, as the threat of undersea warfare brings every sailor's worst nightmare to life. Expert analysis and stock footage are woven with narrative driven re-enactments filmed on authentic Second World War era submarines to place the characters at the heart of the action."

    Hell Below (2016) (6 episodes) ($2.99 SD per episode or $12.99 for season 1) 8.0/10

    Season 1 by episode
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5730102/episodes?season=1&ref_=tt_eps_sn_1

    Season 1
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IJCLJP0?ref_=imdbref_tt_wbr_aiv&tag=imdbtag_tt_wbr_aiv-20

    :rock::rock::rock: :rock: :rock: :rock::rock::rock: :thumb:

    Edit: This series (below) is, also, one of my favorites about submarines and the "Battle for the Atlantic" which is what the Smithsonian channel refers to as the name of this series.

    Convoy - War For The Atlantic - 1 of 4 - Wolfpack Rising (46:59)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7qF9yk8jlI&list=PLnBmN71PLrPrDxf9WwVXJcrjo-GmZcJLS&index=2

    Convoy - War For The Atlantic - 2 of 4 - The Hunt (47:00)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54iwidxKsEM&list=PLnBmN71PLrPrDxf9WwVXJcrjo-GmZcJLS&index=27

    Convoy - War For The Atlantic - 3 of 4 - The Brink Of Defeat (46:52)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJX1i0NkPOg&list=PLnBmN71PLrPrDxf9WwVXJcrjo-GmZcJLS&index=53

    Convoy - War For The Atlantic - 4 of 4 - Death Blow (46:52)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xg-NRVgGf8&list=PLnBmN71PLrPrDxf9WwVXJcrjo-GmZcJLS&index=5

    Some (but by no means all) other similar films can be located with this IMDB search for "Battle of the Atlantic"
    http://www.imdb.com/find?ref_=nv_sr_fn&q=The+Battle+for+the+Atlantic&s=all

    The Battle for the Atlantic (1983) (TV Episode)
    - World in Action (1963) (TV Series)
    The Battle of the Atlantic (1978) (TV Episode)
    - The Secret War (1977) (TV Series)
    The Battle of the Atlantic (TV Episode)
    - Sworn to Secrecy: Secrets of War (1998) (TV Series)
    Battle of the Atlantic (2002) (TV Mini-Series)
    Battle of the Atlantic (1941) (Short)

    A corresponding search of youtube will keep you looking through the offerings for a long while.

    Edit: This is a great movie about a US navy destroyer against a U-boat battling above and below the waves. This stars Robert Mitchum and Curd Jürgens with outstanding performances.

    The Enemy Below (1957) 7.6/10 $2.99 (SD)
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050356/?ref_=nv_sr_1

    :rock:

    Treasure Quest (2009– ) $1.99 (SD) (44 min)
    U-Boats

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1417222/?ref_=ttep_ep6

    The Odyssey team explores some of the most dangerous wreck sites in the English Channel. Odyssey's ROV technology reveals new clues that assist U-boat expert Dr. Axel Niestle in piecing together the stories of four U-boats and their final voyages.
     
    Last edited: 5 Nov 2016
  3. Gooey_GUI

    Gooey_GUI Wanted: Red Shirts

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    Das Boot (1981) 8.4/10 $2.99 (SD) Authentic in detail and action, this is a very good movie about a U-boat and its crew.
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082096/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_2

    Lifeboat (1944) 7.8/10 $2.99 (SD) Alfred Hitchcock's great story
    of survivors of a U-boat sinking. This film is easy to find yourself sitting inside the lifeboat - right along with the survivors.
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037017/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_2

    The Cruel Sea (1953) 7.7/10 The World War II adventures of a British convoy escort ship and its officers.

    on disc
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045659/?ref_=nv_sr_1

    Cruel Sea Theatrical Movie Trailer (1953)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jWR5W3V08Y

    Run Silent Run Deep (1958) 7.4/10 Burt Lancaster, Clark Gable:
    Upper command conflict highlights this drama between two superior actors in conflict with each other - within the same submarine crew.

    on disc
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052151/?ref_=fn_al_tt_5

    (Clip) Run Silent Run Deep (1958) Burt Lancaster , Clark Gable 720p
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvP-8c-YQJg

    Run Silent Run Deep Full Movie
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0b9rWD2nhM

    U-571 (2000) 6.6/10 $2.99 (SD) Good, not as good as Das Boot.
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0141926/?ref_=nv_sr_1

    Torpedo Run (1958) 6.4/10 - Glenn Ford, Earnest Borgnine: Great acting, side drama from the non-action shots and personal struggle sequences.

    Many people perished in this war. The attempt to see how the captains and executives would struggle with their feelings, so much, was a brave attempt to try to make some sense out of this portion of the war.

    The story is very faithful -about- the accidental sinking of Japanese transport ships full of allied prisoners. Yet, in the film story, there seems to be more than usual familiarity with what exactly certain ships were carrying.

    In the Pacific, the submarines were out to sink whatever they could find - when they were on patrol and the shot was possible.

    There were other submarine missions, other than ship-to-ship combat, in some operations. This film doesn't have much else than a main and singular mission for its focus.

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052303/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

    Torpedo Run (Preview Clip)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba_qh6dbtAM



    Crash Dive (1943) 6.4/10 Tyrone Power-
    This movie has a strong, under current of how romantic these British officers can be when it comes to two men in love with the same woman.

    It is one of the few British submarine (full length) movies that I've seen. It's a movie of its time.

    There are one hour documentaries about certain British subs and some of their missions which I must locate to show actual RN WW2 missions.

    On disc
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035763/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

    Crash Dive (Drama 1943) Tyrone Power Full Movie
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBKNB9kGNP8

    Secrets of World War II (1998– ) 7.0/10

    Above Us: The Enemy - Secrets of the Submarine War
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1703630/?ref_=ttep_ep11

    Secrets of World War ll - Above Us, the Enemy (51:21)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56axn03ALkk&list=PLwCYCImsOoUr5JbKIlBvB59NpvtKR5yXs&index=7

    Secrets of World War II (1998– ) 7.8/10 <viewable on AHC channel, or purchase series>

    The Corpse That Fooled the Axis <British submarine on important secret mission, Operation Mincemeat>
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1702910/?ref_=ttep_ep1

    Related movie: The Man Who Never Was (1956) 7.4/10

    on disc
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049471/?ref_=nv_sr_1

    The Man Who Never Was 1956 Trailer
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXyFkINMcI8

    The Man Who Never Was
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Never_Was

    Ewen Montagu (also author of the 1953 novel, "The Man Who Never Was"
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ewen_Montagu

    Operation Mincemeat
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mincemeat

    Secrets of World War II (1998– ) 6.4/10 <viewable on AHC channel, or purchase series>

    Secret Mission to North Africa <The only time a submarine was under joint US and British command>
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1702908/?ref_=ttep_ep3
     
    Last edited: 5 Nov 2016
  4. Gooey_GUI

    Gooey_GUI Wanted: Red Shirts

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    This film has motor torpedo boats which were much faster than submarines on the surface and couldn't submerge. Due to the large fuel tanks being full of aviation gasoline - high octane - they were very vulnerable to almost everything that could be fired at them. It need not be a bomb that destroys them.

    This is primarily a story of the only president to serve in a combat capacity during WW2. It was released while John F. Kennedy was in office, but it includes nothing about politics.

    Because PT boats were so vulnerable to the fire power of any enemy plane's machine guns, they were only used in night action - undercover of darkness. This film was made with a heavy imprint, of Hollywood, insisting on covering almost the first hour and a half with daytime runs and nice, well built docking facilities.

    If you read the more accurate book then you'll discover that these PT boats were laid up on mud banks during the daylight hours, under jungle canopies, and with camouflage netting to hide them from arriel surveillance.

    PT 109 (1963) $2.99 (SD) 6.4/10

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057393/?ref_=nv_sr_5
     
    Last edited: 7 Nov 2016
  5. Parge

    Parge the worst Super Moderator

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    Thread locked. This is just a conversation with yourself now mate - no one else seems to be interested in the topic.
     
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