[quote]Originally posted by BratwurstDimSum:
[QB] Ok some comments from our collegues in the Axis history forum:
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...the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen’s Recon Battalion under HaputsturmFuhrer Viktor Graebner attempted to attack the south of Arnhem bridge held by Colonel Frost..
Where do you find a SS Captain stand in the full view for the enemy at the recon car without even firing any weapons at all against the Brits? He only shouted feuer!! Feuer! And when his command vehicle got burned, he didn’t try to get out but let himself burned….
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From what I can recall, the film was based primarily on Cornelius Ryan's book of the same name. I think at the time (late 1970s) that there were few books detailing the Arnhem operation, (but am prepared to be proved wrong). In the book, it mentions that Graebner was killed during the assault on the bridge but didn't go into detail how.
The film shows Graebner in a (replica?) Sdkfz 251 halftrack - I recently found out that he had a captured British armoured car (Humber?)
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Some historical doubts or inaccuracy regarding the first SS attack on the bridge
a) the SS collar patch of the commander only shows that he is a Obersturmfuhrer where in real life, Viktor Graebner is a Haupsturmfuhrer (Captain)
b) a command vehicle leading the attack don’t stick pennant flag on the vehicle itself
c) why does the untersturmfuhrer who try to rescue his commander (before he was shot down by the brits) say something like Herr Hauptmann! Herr Hauptmann
I thought SS officers address their leader or their men as Herr Haupsturmfuhrer? Also Gruppenfuhrer Bittrich address Brigadefuhrer Ludwig as General
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Apparently it was quite commonplace for W-SS officers to address each other with the Heer rank equivalent. Technically, their rank would be e.g. "SS-Brigadefuehrer und General der Waffen SS" or similar (don't pull me up if I got the ranks wrong, I don't have my books to hand!)
I suppose it could be down to a glitch in the script writing - most war films have such errors, which go unnoticed by the majority of the viewing public - it's only us obsessives that pick up on such details! [img]smile.gif[/img]
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But I’m also surprised that some of the vehicles of the Hohenstaufen’s auflakrung abetilung had the Hohenstaufen symbol as well as the tactical syombol of a recon unit. You had to paused frame by frame to see it.
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An early example of the movie industry striving for authenticity, maybe - shame about all the dark grey vehicles, though [img]tongue.gif[/img]
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my favorite one is in the scene where Maximilian Schell in his role as Hohenstaufen's divisional commander Willi Bittrich looks up at the sky where an seemingly endless formation of allied aircraft passes, causing him to remark: "Einmal nur solches Material zur Verfügung haben...!" Can't put my finger on it, but something about Schell's delivery of that line is just great.)
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A lot of Schell's role appears to have been a portmanteau of General Bittrich and General Kurt Student, who actually made the comment. A bit of artistic licence, to keep up the pace of the film (and I presume, to avoid employing another actor).
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a very good film a bridge too far. love the bit when model automatically assumes he is the obvious target for the paratroopers, what sheer arrogance. does the para drop into his back garden or is bittrichs. some of the cgi films are excellent but the oldies, some of them at least (not battle of the bulge whos only memorable moment is the singing of the Panzerleid), do have a lot of character and should not be ignored by younger generations brought up on the glitz of modern day hollywood
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Also, in the movie ... there is a German General Ludwig. But there wasn't any General Ludwig near Arnhem!! I believe they mean SS-Colonel Harmel.
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You are correct.
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Or during the battle at Nijmegen during the movie, General Ludwig calls for a officer called "Captain Krafft". But SS-Major Sepp Krafft was active at Arnhem and not at Nijmegen!!
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Then again, 25 years ago, I guess that the interest in accuracy was as yet undeveloped - the only people who would have picked up would have been the ones who were actually there or who had read the book.
Trivia point - the scene where the Leapard tank smashes through the house during the street fighting was apparently an accident but kept in for its atmosphere.