- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Question about "The Longest Day"
Posted on 5/30/15 at 5:43 pm
Posted on 5/30/15 at 5:43 pm
This morning, I watched this famous movie once again. However, I noticed a major omission: the lack of Allied air support over the beaches and initial battlefields. Aside of paratroop drops, there was no Allied air force presence in the movie.
According to www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AAF/AAF-H-DDay/:
During the June 6 D-Day assault itself, a total of 171 squadrons of British and AAF fighters undertook a variety of tasks in support of the invasion. Fifteen squadrons provided shipping cover, fifty-four provided beach cover, thirty-three undertook bomber escort and offensive fighter sweeps, thirty-three struck at targets inland from the landing area, and thirty-six provided direct air support to invading forces.
So why no air force presence in the movie? I understand that staging this massive force would be impossible for a movie of that time, but they certainly could've used archive footage to show the role the AF played in the invasion.
Can anyone answer my question? Thanks.
According to www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AAF/AAF-H-DDay/:
During the June 6 D-Day assault itself, a total of 171 squadrons of British and AAF fighters undertook a variety of tasks in support of the invasion. Fifteen squadrons provided shipping cover, fifty-four provided beach cover, thirty-three undertook bomber escort and offensive fighter sweeps, thirty-three struck at targets inland from the landing area, and thirty-six provided direct air support to invading forces.
So why no air force presence in the movie? I understand that staging this massive force would be impossible for a movie of that time, but they certainly could've used archive footage to show the role the AF played in the invasion.
Can anyone answer my question? Thanks.
3
Posted on 5/30/15 at 6:15 pm to Tigerwaffe
Read D-Day by S Ambrose and you will understand that every occurrence cannot be covered in a movie or even a mini series.
Posted on 5/30/15 at 6:26 pm to goatmilker
quote:
Read D-Day by S Ambrose and you will understand that every occurrence cannot be covered in a movie or even a mini series.
Understood. But the Allied AF was so massive, so superior that day ... to see the skies over the beaches completely empty (except for a brief scene featuring two Luftwaffe ME-109s) seemed--well, quite noticeable to me.
Now that I think about it though, I can see the difficulty of weaving the AF presence in the movie: if they used archive footage to show the planes bombing and straffing the German positions, it would've looked pretty weird when, switching to filmed footage, we suddenly see no Allied planes overhead.
That's gotta be the answer. Too bad though because it leaves a significant piece of the D-Day story ... out of the D-Day movie.
Posted on 5/30/15 at 7:46 pm to Tigerwaffe
The Luftwaffe had a cameo role, as two fighters strafed the beach. The fact that they were such an outlier, in what was expected to be an intense air battle, demonstrated Allied air superiority.
Plus, didn't they show the airborne troops jumping out of airplanes? It's been a while since I've seen the movie, so I don't remember.
Plus, didn't they show the airborne troops jumping out of airplanes? It's been a while since I've seen the movie, so I don't remember.
Posted on 5/30/15 at 7:52 pm to Jim Rockford
quote:
Plus, didn't they show the airborne troops jumping out of airplanes?
Yes, the movie does show a large paratroop drop at night.
Posted on 5/30/15 at 10:11 pm to Tigerwaffe
My dad was stationed in London for several years as a B17 pilot. He flew a bomber over the area that day. He told me that it was one of the mistakes on D-Day that they MISSED the armaments/artillery at sunrise that morning. The Army complained so much about the possibility of dropping bombs on the soldiers onthe beach that they were about 30 seconds late and dropped the bombs behind the artillery in the farm land and woods. The planes had passed the beach and were gone by the time the soldiers hit the beach. There were none to be in the movie,they were gone.
Posted on 5/31/15 at 1:03 am to Tigerwaffe
Uh Richard Burton was an RAF pilot in the movie
Posted on 5/31/15 at 6:35 am to Tackle74
quote:
Uh Richard Burton was an RAF pilot in the movie
Truly a star-stuuded cast: Sean Connery, Henry Fonda, John Wayne ... and my favorite, Robert "Bob Bitchin'" Mitchum, who played some bloodthirsty army officer.
Another cool thing about the movie: the Germans actually spoke German.
Posted on 5/31/15 at 7:35 am to TupeloTiger
What Tupelo says.
Posted on 5/31/15 at 7:38 am to Tigerwaffe
Mitchum played Norm Cota famous for the quote: “Gentlemen, we are being killed on the beaches. Let us go inland and be killed.”
Posted on 5/31/15 at 7:41 am to TupeloTiger
quote:
The Army complained so much about the possibility of dropping bombs on the soldiers
Considering how many US soldiers were killed by American bombers in Operation Cobra I think they were right to be worried. Jimmy Doolittle should have faced court martial for Cobra. Not sure the bombers would have done any more then the Naval fire anyway.
Page 1 of 1
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News