"A German battalion commander wrote:
The Australians, who are the men our troops have had opposite them so far, are extraordinarily tough fighters. The German is more active in the attack but the enemy stakes his life in the defense and fights to the last with extreme cunning. Our men, usually easy going and unsuspecting, fall easily into his traps especially as a result of their experiences in the closing stages of the Western [European] Campaign.
The Australian is unquestionably superior to the German soldier:
1. in the use of individual weapons, especially as snipers
2. in the use of ground camouflage
3. in his gift of observation, and the drawing of the correct conclusions from his observation
4. in every means of taking us by surprise….
Lt. Gen. Erwin Rommel was also impressed by the Australians. He said:
Shortly afterwards a batch of some fifty or sixty Australian prisoners were marched off close behind us-immensely big and powerful men, who without question represented an elite formation of the British Empire, a fact that was also evident in battle. Enemy resistance was as stubborn as ever and violent actions were being fought at many points."
A little known fact about d-day...the film used for numerous landings by allied forces to show d-day, was filmed by a Canadian press/film man, and is noticed by a door opening on landing craft, the house at Ben-sur-mer, and a Canadian soldier patting the back of another...have scene this clip used in US films/media, British, i guess because the helmets look similar...but the biggest blunder in a motion picture was saving private ryan
YouTube - Saving Private Ryan Trailer
does most people know...the Mrs Bixby had only 2 kids...one fighting in the south, and one in the north...when she received this letter from Lincoln, she tore it up with disgust for her hate of Lincoln...as she was claiming insurance/death benefit fraud from the USA...even Spielberg could benefit from some research as the whole premissis of this film is tainted with the false fact of a lady loosing 5 sons in battle...
bf109 Emil