Saving Private Ryan - Slightly OT

[Harlan (Deceased)]

Yep, the scope thing, as other aspects of the A4 was disappointing for sure.

I just sat and watched it to the end again. Even with some errors that keep popping up each time I watch it, it's almost worth watching until the end to see the P-51's hit the tank Captain Miller is defiantly shooting with his 45.
(Just cool to me)

* New filming error I just noticed tonight in the final battle scene. When they throw the two 'sticky bombs' covered in axle grease and stick them on the road wheel of the faux Tiger tank, you can clearly see two axle grease spots the size of the sticky bombs showing where they had already filmed the sequence before, or done it before as practice and not cleaned off the grease.
(Yes, I've watched it too many time!)

I put the movie in just to review the ships in the first place -
After the taking of the beaches, and Miller returns from patrol for revised orders, the fleet in the background does appear. But I swear, as the scene goes on for a few mintutes more, you can still can view the sea in the background and the whole fleet disappears.

I know, I know, it's only a movie!
(I still think it's a great movie - Heck I only put the DVD in to review the beach scene, but watched it to the end again!)

There's a lot of things Spielberg got correct! I haven't seen Band of Brothers series in years and I just went into my little library and pulled it off the shelf. Think I'll watch it over the weekend. It's a special edition in a metal box and one of the original members of Easy Company signed it, so I keep it in a protective plastic sleeve on a shelf in my library to help protect the signature.

I have signed books in new condition and dedicated to my son from Tex Hill, Robert Morgan, and Paul Tibets that I also keep in clear plastic sleeve on my built-in shelves. My son got to know them all as sort of grandfather figures while he was growing up in CAF hangars, and I hope he appreciates it as he gets older. All three of these gentlemen were very nice to my son, (Who grew up a 'hangar rat') and they didn't ever talk about flying, but played pitch (baseball) and clowned around like grandpas do.

[Gibbs505]

Still, there should have been more than 2 or 3 LCVPs visible in the opening shots. At least 5 destroyers came in close to the beach to take out strongpoints.






Watercolor by Navy Combat Artist Dwight Shepler, 1944, showing USS Emmons (DD-457) bombarding in support of the "Omaha" Beach landings, on "D-Day" of the Normandy invasion, 6 June 1944.

I think those destroyers going in saved the invasion on Omaha.

[Milsurp Collector]

I just sat and watched it to the end again. Even with some errors that keep popping up each time I watch it, it's almost worth watching until the end to see the P-51's hit the tank Captain Miller is defiantly shooting with his 45.
(Just cool to me)

That reminds of another thing. Steven Spielberg must love P-51s (nothing wrong with that) and he features them whenever he can, such as in Empire of the Sun (yes, that is Christian Bale before he became Batman):



and in Saving Private Ryan after some P-51s destroy a Tiger tank without even mussing the hair of Captain Miller lying a few yards away, Private Ryan says "they're tank-busters sir, P-51s".

While the P-51 was an excellent long-range bomber escort, it wasn't really suited to the ground support role (because of its vulnerable radiator). The more rugged and heavily-armed but often-overlooked P-47 was the real USAAF tank buster Saving Private Ryan Movie Blooper

[Harlan (Deceased)]

Yep, the Jug was a tough old bird for certain!

There were many that returned with cylinders shot up, but the engine was still running.

I loved Empire of the Sun. I have it on DVD and have watched it many times.
It flopped at the box office from what I remember, but I think it was one of Spielbergs best war movies.

[imarangemaster]

I talked to an old boy who flew a "Jug" in Europe after D-Day. He never fought in a single dogfight, but took out many a tank and train with the 8x .50 M2s and under wing rockets and bombs. As A kid, I had a 1/32 Revell model of a P47 in tank killer form. I had it paired up with an FW190, which I believe was far better than the ME109. As I recall, Wolfgang (the ex-Luftwaffe pilot my Dad worked with) flew an FW 190. It had a reputation of taking punishment like the Jug. He said he would have died if he had been in an ME109!