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The Tanks are Coming (The Movie)


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Need something to watch while waiting for CM? There's nothing better than a good war movie to really get you "In the Mood".

"The Tanks are Coming" is just the movie ya'll should see. If you can rent it, great. If not, here is the URL to purchase it from Amazon.Com http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/630343102X/102-0247476-8392113

This movie used scores of Sherman tanks and real soldiers from the US Army. It was filmed at Ft. Knox in 1951.

I had a chance to see parts of it yesterday, and all I can say is it's great.

At least it will consume 2 hours of time spent waiting for CM.

Allons

[This message has been edited by Blackhorse (edited 06-13-2000).]

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I heard that the Tigers in Kelly's Heros were mocked-up T-34s. I find that hard to believe since the two tanks had nothing in common.

The equipment in SPR looked as real to me as anything, but people say that those were fake too.

confused.gif

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Finally........Maximus...has come back.....to the Forum!!!

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Does anyone know of any good (or bad) war movies that used REAL (or close to real) German hardware?

Well, the original "Unknown Soldier" had a Panzer IVJ in it. Too bad it was supposed to be a KV-I. (I still wonder why they didn't use one of the real KVs that Finnish army had in storage).

Note that "Unknown Soldier" is a good movie. It is in black and white so the director could use original newsreel material in many places (in particular the shots on speeding T-34s are pretty good). In addition, it has the best musical score that I've heard in a war movie. In the early parts of the movie the score consists of old Finnish military music and in the end Russian marches are played. Also, Sibelius's 'Finlandia' is used very well to create athmosphere in the late parts of the movie.

- Tommi

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The Tigers were faked, I don't recall exactly what the chassis was (it wasn't a T-34, IIRC it was some Czech tank)but they mocked up a Tiger turret. You can tell because the turret sits too far forward on the chassis for a real Tiger. They appear to have done the same thing in SPR.

Does anyone know if there are any real, functioning Tigers still around?

Joe

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"I don't want them brave, I want them dead!"

Thomas J. (Stonewall) Jackson

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"Cross of Iron" used real T-34s.

"Battle of Britain" used real Bf-109s, HE-111s, Spits and Hurricanes, although the Messerschmitts and Heinkels were borrowed from the Spanish Air Force, which believe it or not was still flying them in the late 1960s.

And of course, "Saving Private Ryan" had quite a lot of authentic German and American equipment.

"12 O'Clock High" and "The War Lover" had real B-17s. One of the best flying sequences you'll ever see is the B-17 buzzing the field at treetop level in "The War Lover." It was not faked, but real!

"Memphis Belle" (the 1990s version) also had real B-17s, but the movie as a whole was a stinker.

The old 1970s TV series "Black Sheep Squadron" had real WWII American aircraft, mostly Corsairs. One episode even had a real P-38. What a beautiful sight to see Corsairs and a P-38 in full, living color!

"The Blue Max" had authentic replicas of WWI aircraft.

"Das Boot" was extremely realistic although I can't vouch for the authenticity of the U-boat interiors and exteriors.

Check out "World War II In Color" whenever they show it on The History Channel. Each episode is full color World War II footage taken by both sides.

Speaking of documentaries, try to catch the original "Memphis Belle" which shot full color of that aircraft and crew's 25th bombing mission. Also try to catch the John Ford color documentary on Midway Island. He shot color footage of the Japanese bombing attacks on the island that opened the battle. Snippets from both documentaries show up in lots of Hollywood war movies when they try to fake the action parts.

Most of the war movies made in the late 40s and early 50s have real American equipment, but they also used the American stuff to double as German equipment. It's rough to see a P-51 with black crosses on it trying to be a Messerschmitt!

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The question that just keeps giving smile.gif

The tanks were fake, both in KH and SPR. Can’t recall if it was the same mock-up used both times, both were T-34's at least.

If you try hard enough you can make just about anything look like just about anything else.

In SPR there are two other German SPG's at the end, one of which is a Swedish vehicle, not German that is.

M.

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Guest Germanboy

And didn't they use Leopard I tanks in 'A Bridge too far' to double as Tigers?

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Andreas

The powers of accurate perception are often called cynicism by those who do not possess them. (forgot who said it)

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Mattias is right. In both SPR and KH, the supposed Tigers were mock-ups built on T34s. You can tell fairly easily by examining the roadwheels and tracks.

But hey, they were quality special effects efforts. They put a great deal of detail in the turret, hull equipment, etc.

I have heard but not confirmed that the vehicle(s) used in SPR were the same built for KH.

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I don't think they are the same vehicles. In KH you can easily see that the turret (which is well done) sits just about flush with the front glacis. In SPR it is moved back to its correct position. A lot of people decry SPR for the use of mock Tigers. Fools. Only our discerning eyes would note the difference, and then only in the width of the vehicle and it's running gear. The fact remains there is not one availible, running Tiger I in the WORLD. Bovington has one that is in restoration, Munster has one that has the side cut out, and the French museum at Saumur has a running Tiger II. There are other tigers around, but these are the only ones even close to running/or restored condition. And I can guarantee that none of the museums would have allowed the use of their vehicles to be driven the way they were in the movie, ie over rubble and such.

While a trained eye can easily and glaringly tell it's not a real Tiger, they have come a long way from using M-48's. I thank them.

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A german film called Stalingrad (two guesses what it's about) if I remember rightly used real T-34s. I really do recommend the film, it is accurate and as enthralling, if not more then Saving Private Ryan. I saw the English dubbed version, but I have to say that it was dubbed very well. Now go and whatch it!

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I'm still waiting on a hardcore WW2 with full on Armour action wink.gif I wanna see King Tigers, Panthers etc. I've never seen a Panther in a movie yet . I've seen Mark IV H.

How about a hardcore eastern Front movie, set in summer 1943.

I've yet to see a German tank with Ambush cammo in a movie too! smile.gif

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[This message has been edited by CoolColJ (edited 06-13-2000).]

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I remember reading somewhere a while back that they used an actual Marder in SPR (borrowed from an English reenactment group). I've looked, but can no longer find the website. Anyone else out there hear this that can verify it?

BTW: Gotta agree with Zamo. For the most part, they did a pretty good job with the special effects in SPR. Hell, in training, we had to use M-60's as T-72's and M113's with strap-on bow panels as BMP's!

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I'd be interested in hearing more about the authenticity of the vehicles in A BRIDGE TOO FAR. The movie is very faithful to Cornelius Ryan's book in its depiction of events and tactics, of course.

There is a lot of equipment used in the movie: not just the uniforms of several nations, but also PIATs, Brens, lots of Shermans, Daimler armored cars, and a variety of German armored personnel carriers. Does anyone know what substitutions were made, particularly on the German side?

I have heard that the gliders used in the film cost $35,000 each to build.

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I guess what I'm hearing is that there are relatively few, if any, movies that have actual, or close to actual, German armored vehicles in it?!? That sux!

I do agree about SPR and KH though. I'm not a grog so I couldn't tell what was wrong with the Tiger I's in those movies, but I thought they looked and, more importantly, sounded like the real thing.

I was really hoping to catch some Panther's or IV's in action while waiting for CM to show up. Get myself psyched for some double-blind action!

COG

P.S. Please somebody tell me there's more movies with German armor than this!

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Ghostone,

Yes Stalingrad is by the same folks that brought us Das Boot (at least some of them).

Another movie that used real vehicles was Cross of Iron which used T-34/85's. However, for the true authenticity nut there was room to quibble there as the action that was loosely being recreated should have involved 76's. Not sure about that, though. Anyone know? I think the movie was supposed to be set in the Kuban penninsula.

BTW, I have a home movie that is chock full of real vehicles: Shermans, Stuarts, Greyhounds, halftracks, some kubels, a Sdkfz. 222(I think), a couple of P-51's, and two beautiful Hetzers. Course the Hetzers are actually of the postwar variety built for the Swiss, but they have nice camo jobs. I'll probably make another movie with practically the same vehicles come July 4th. My wife and I make the 40 mile trip to Fort Knox each year for their public re-enactment. A couple years ago I even got to play around inside a Sherman and one of the Hetzers. The Sherman I crawled around in was a British lend-lease M4A1 and still had the standard British silver interior-ugly! Regarding the Hetzer, talk about cramped! Those crewmen had to have been jockey-size!

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There is a film Called Steel Tempest.

By Cromwell productions.

It's about a trapped Waffen SS unit in the closing stages of the war. The acting is not up to parr or the budget to SPR. But is well worth watching for all the great German

equipment. I think it's only available through

Cromwell Productions Ltd. They have a web-site, but it's not up and running yet I think? www.cromhistory.com/ I will have a look for the address if anyone wants it. Just email me !!!

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http://www.rzm.com/pvt.ryan/book/atb.html

this site show the line drawings of the pvt ryan tiger over the t 34 ,it will give you a good idea.http://www3.mistral.co.uk/sbg1/battlegr.htm

this site are the reenactors who played the germans in pvt ryan they also supplyed the halftrak etc .they are from england some of the best running tanks etc are located in england . yes im a pvt ryn nut,im always trying to add new bits to my pvt ryan collection .i hope someone makes a pyt ryan map.i hope you enjoy these sites.

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Martyr:

"A Bridge Too Far" did a fairly good job with the equipment, but it wasn't perfect:

The 'Tiger' was (as mentioned earlier in this post) a German post war Leopard 1 tank.

The XXX Corps armoured formation was composed of many Shermans, but several of them were types that the British never used. I'm not sure if the British ever used the US M3 halftrack as a supplement to the Bren carrier, but they are also in the film's armoured column.

At one point, after a Sherman is taken out by a german AT gun, it is seen being pushed off the road. The wreck going off the road, though, is a badly damaged US Chaffee tank.

All in all though, I think they did admirably. Certainly the majority of the movie going public would never notice.

Now... Ponder this:

If they can recreate dinosaurs in CG, a tank, or a formation of tanks, should be relatively easy. That way they could be correct down to the last detail.

Maybe someday.

GAFF

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