Review of the Movie "Fury"

If you haven't seen the 2014 movie Fury, staring Brad Pitt, this is a spoiler alert. This is my review of the movie, and I would like to hear what anyone thinks about this movie. I enjoyed it for the realistic action sequences, because I'm a big fan of WW2 history and technology. But that movie could have been so much better and a better ending. I have seen some Youtubes criticizing Fury for accuracy.

The battle with the Tiger 1 tank could have been better. First error is there were 4 Sherman tanks traveling down a road spaced CLOSE together, only 20 feet apart! That was an easy target for ambush, and there were NO infantry to accompany them. The tanks should have been spaced out 100 yards between each of the tanks and a number of infantry following each tank. The Germans had plenty of time to set up ambushes, and the Shermans should have known. The Tiger 1 could fire one shot every 6 seconds, so it could have easily destroyed two Shermans, or more, before they could react.

The 3 surviving Shermans correctly turned to face the enemy with their frontal armor, while they retreated by backing away from the Tiger. As they backed away they should have spread out more. They could have blasted the small trees blocking their retreat with HP rounds. I think there were 2 Shermans with high velocity cannons, Fury and one other. They should have started firing armor piercing rounds at the Tiger as soon as they located it. Then smoke shells every 10 seconds to stay hidden from the Tiger that was only 1/2 mile away.

Their MISSION was to protect a crossroads from an impending German counterattack, not screw around with a Tiger on their way. They should have radioed the location of the Tiger to HQ, maybe a dive bomber could destroy it later with a 500 lb bomb. They should have left the Tiger alone, and proceeded with their mission with only 2 or 3 surviving tanks.

But since they decided to stay and fight the Tiger, the surviving Shermans should have retreated out of range of the Tiger, and spread out to surround the Tiger. The Tiger did something very STUPID, it came out of concealment and exposed itself to the Shermans. So the Shermans should have taken advantage of seeing their enemy. With high explosive rounds and smoke shells, the other Shermans distract the Tiger while Fury snuck up closer for some good, close-in, shots with armor-piercing rounds. Then they continue with their mission.

Here is a Youtube of "Fury battle with Tiger": Tank Battle - Tiger 1 Vs Sherman Tanks - Fury - YouTube

The movie could have also omitted the 15 minutes wasted in the German women's apartment. That did nothing to help the movie.

The ending was not a smart plan by Wardaddy. They should have planned to SURVIVE the encounter. All they needed to do was inflict enough damage on the enemy so they were not a threat to the allied supply lines. All they needed to do was play dead until the German battalion was about 20 yards away from Fury, then open up with all machine guns and 76 mm.

Here are 3 Youtubes of the final battle scene:
FURY 2014: Ending full Fight scene (1/3) - YouTube
FURY 2014: Ending full Fight scene (2/3) - YouTube
FURY 2014: Ending full Fight scene (3/3) - YouTube

In preparation for their ambush, it would have been more convincing, and saved time, to just empty a number of gas cans about 10 feet in front of Fury. Then light the fire and it will give the illusion to the approaching enemy that the tank was burning. Also important the cannon is facing AWAY from the approaching column, so as not to appear as any threat. The tank needs to look VERY dead so the Germans are unprepared for a battle and can be taken by surprise.

When the German column was about 20 yards away, the guy hiding behind the turret (who will man the 50 cal) starts throwing a series of 10 grenades into the column to signal the start of the ambush, and all machine guns open up. The bow 30 cal should just fired continuously until the ammo runs out and the barrel gets very hot. At the same time, the turret swings into position and fires AP rounds to disable the armored personnel carriers and any other trucks. While the other 2 machine guns fire short bursts until the bow gunner was done reloading. Then the other 30 cal fires continuously while the others fire short bursts.

The idea was to keep up continuous machine gun fire for about 15 minutes, using several cans of ammo for each machine gun. Just don't allow the gun barrels to get too hot for 15 minutes. One 30 cal prevents flanking around the right and the other prevents flanking around the left. The 50 cal chews up everything in the middle and the 76mm cannon bounces HP rounds with a short delay fuse so the rounds explode over the enemy.

After 15 minutes of this punishment, at least 50 enemy should be dead and another 150 seriously injured. THAT should end the threat to allied supply lines. The surviving SS would have to care for their wounded. Then the tank fires smoke shells to signal time to escape. Each crew throws a few smoke grenades around the front of the tank, and then they also throw a dozen more grenades deep into the column so the enemy keeps their heads down. Then each crew grabs their side arm and all their ammo, and a canteen of water, and they run like hell to the safety of the tree line!

Do you have a better plan?

 

Just a quick one here. I found the culminating battle scene ludicrous. If an SS Bn couldn't handle one immobile Sherman without taking 80% casualties then they would NOT have been any threat to our supply lines! Brad Pitt, excuse me, "Wardaddy", took how many 7.92 rounds the the chest? ...and still kept talking and functioning!
It took everything I had not to burst out laughing at that scene. I've seen better in "Sgt. Rock" comic books.
Everything before that was plausible and interesting.

Well, maybe not the SS officer on a white horse. A SS officer on a motorbike with side-car, yes.

 

There will never be a 'completely accurate' war movie made. Either it ill be 2 hours of guy's in ill fitting uniforms complaining about the food and boredom, or so visually intense half the audience will need professional mental health counseling after watching it.

As to the final battle, yes it was cinematic, but that was the medium used. I also think we might be overthinking this somewhat. In the summer of 1944 I would expect a 'SS Battalion' to easily bypass or destroy a immobile tank, but this is the last days of the war, the unit is likely a collection of odds and sods from training units, service troops with a sprinkling of survivors from other combat units. Dead tired, beat down from constant retreat, and with a shaky command structure that might have been further degraded by the open salvo.

As for wardaddy's wounds I would look into some the citations involving VC.s and MoH's, men and women have suffered greivious wounds and kept on fighting, earning these awards I suspct for everyone seen and recorded a far larger number are known only to god.

 

tarantino films often start out great, then devolve into a muddled mess. i blame the coke and booze.
pulp fiction being the best of his work, i figure. maybe kill bill.

 

The SS would have used their panzerfaust sooner. The Tiger would not closed the distance. Standoff is to its advantage.

BTW, there's a book on Amazon on how to make your own panzerfaust launcher.

 

Thanks for the comments above. I've been rethinking what my plan would have been if faced with an SS battalion, half of them carrying Panzerfausts. If you were in command of a crippled Sherman, with only a crew of 5, what would your plan be? Here is my new plan:

At the end of the movie “Fury” Bible asked Wardaddy, "What is your plan?" The only “plan” Wardaddy had was play dead until surrounded, then shoot the first German to open a hatch, then throw a few grenades, and open up with ONLY the bow 30 and the cannon. Turns out it was a dumb plan. Wardaddy SHOULD have planned to fight for less than 10 minutes using all 4 guns, and many grenades, then escape running the other way, under cover of smoke grenades.

All they needed to do was kill about 50 - 100 enemy and seriously injure another 50 - 100, and disable all vehicles, to cripple the Nazi counterattack of a battalion of 300 (we must assume) motivated, singing-while-they-marched, SS veterans. The biggest worry would be a great number of Panzerfausts, hand-held, anti-tank rockets, which had a range of 30 to 60 yards, depending upon the type. Also, the tankers must know a grenade is an ideal weapon for tankers to defend themselves. They should carry about 100 grenades and 50 smoke grenades to cover retreat.

Fury could have played dead better by dumping out gas cans, about 10 feet in front of the tank, and lighting the gas. From a distance it would look like the tank was on fire. This would lure the enemy even closer with more false sense of security. The 76mm was previously elevated and carefully sighted down the road, then the turret was turned away to not appear a threat. The tank looks very dead from a distance.

Ellis is ready on the bow 30, Wardaddy is ready to fire the top 30, and Gordo is hiding behind the turret ready to fire the 50. ALL ammo cans are close at hand next to each gun for quick reloading. Bible is ready to sight and fire the 76mm as quickly as possible, firing one shell every 8 seconds for about 3 minutes (20 to 30 rounds), high explosive (HE) shells to primary target troops, but also disable all vehicles. Then bouncing HE shells on a short time delay, to explode OVER the enemy. That is the plan.

When the SS column gets to about 10 yards from Fury, Gordo starts lobbing grenades as fast and far as he can, from behind the turret. When the first grenade explodes, that signals the other 2 machine guns to open up. After throwing a dozen grenades, Gordo also opens up on the top 50. Ellis continuously fires the bow 30, and Wardaddy on the top 30, also firing continuously. At the same time, Bible is firing the cannon with Grady reloading. The first minute is most critical because the enemy will quickly spread out and make harder targets. They need to inflict most of the damage in one minute.

They need to neutralize all enemy close to the tank, and prevent them from encircling the tank with Panzerfausts. After Wardaddy empties the first can of ammo, he drops down into the turret, because the top 30 is too exposed to safely reload. Wardaddy drops all the way down to the floor, to exit through the floor hatch, then to the rear of the tank to cover Gordo on the 50, and also cover their retreat with his assault rifle, and by throwing grenades. They must prevent the enemy from flanking them, so their frontal armor is facing the Panzerfausts.

Bible continues firing the cannon for another minute or two, with Grady reloading. After firing about 30 or 40 HE rounds, Bible fires several smoke shells at point blank range to cover their retreat. Then Bible and Grady drop to the floor and exit through the floor hatch, and to the rear of the tank with their side arms and ammo.

Ellis and Gordo continue firing and reloading their machine guns. After 5 or 10 minutes of continuous firing, Ellis is the last to exit through the floor hatch. The crew all throw smoke grenades to cover their escape. Then each crew throws a few more grenades deep into the smoke screen, so the enemy keeps their heads down. All surviving crew take their side arms, all their ammo, a full canteen of water, and run like hell together, zig-zagging for the tree line. The enemy will be so stunned they may not choose to send a pursuit squad, but are forced to attend to their wounded. The SS counterattack on division supply lines was disabled by the heroic surviving crew of Fury!

Ok, what's wrong with my plan?

 

Ok. Who in the hell would attack the ĺone Sherman? You got the men and equipment and any view to go past and leave only a couple of men to fight further. Movie fun?? I accept it as it looks fun. I would go on and leave the sherman alone. I am not a hollywooď boy.

 

Tank disabled? Fix it or flee.

 

Some observations:

• The floor hatch is not easily accessible in a Sherman. If Brad Pitt is already on the turret why doesn't he just jump off and run for it? Dropping through the floor hatch is a royal pain to do, and exposes you to direct front fire as you're doing so.
• If the top M1919A4 is too exposed to reload, why does the M2HB keep firing? The M2HB is far more exposed than a field-expedient M1919A4 mount on the commander's cupola.
• Having the front armor of the Sherman facing the panzerfausts would not have offered much protection. They'd penetrate the front, just as they would the sides.
• It is unlikely that an E8 sherman would have carried 30-40 M42A1 HE rounds.
• "Bouncing" M42A1 HE rounds off the ground and having them explode over the attacking troops is optimistic. This is in no small part due to the fuse that was used.
• M88 smoke at "point blank" would not have covered their retreat due to the fusing of the smoke rounds. The smoke would have been laid far beyond the attacking troops at "point blank"

 

Thanks for your observations!

I still think that after 5 minutes of constant fire from 3 machine guns, a dozen grenades, and a cannon firing HE shells, it would be safer for Sgt Collier to exit the Sherman thru the floor hatch. By that time Gordo on the 50 cal would need his cover. They are trying to keep the enemy pinned down in front of them.

I still think the 30 cal in front of the commander's cupola is more exposed than the 50 cal. They should have put sand bags in front of the top mounted guns. I would not expect Collier to try to reload the 30 cal more than once, before he becomes a sniper magnet. Firing the 50 cal seems less exposed, firing from behind the turret.

Agreed that the Sherman frontal armor would not stop a panzerfaust. Which leads me to question why they didn't have sand bags, or tank wheels, or armor plates welded to the front of the tank? They have skinny logs hanging from the sides. Those should be thicker timber logs to stop a panzerfaust and to use for crossing over deep mud.

I checked Wikipedia and it says a Sherman carried 71 rounds of 76mm ammo. Would not most of those be HE rounds?

Interesting opinion you have about the difficulty of bouncing HE rounds off the ground with a short fuse. I was not aware.

Then instead of firing smoke shells at point blank range, you would have suggested just throw lots of smoke grenades to cover their retreat?

Thanks again for your interest.

 

I saw it twice. I’m not going to go into an extensive opinion except to say that I enjoyed it with Brad Pitt and the other actors. Movies, yep, are what they are.

 

Haven't seen a single Brad Pitt movie...And won't in the future.

 

He is so cool, don’t you think?

 

I appreciate the advice above. After thinking about it, I question why Fury had such skinny logs hanging from the sides? They should be at least a foot thick to stop a panzerfaust and also use for crossing over deep mud. Why didn't they add sand bags, tank wheels, and pieces of armor to the front? That is what Patton ordered Sherman crews to do. They should have piled a couple of sand bags in front of each top-mounted gun. Then the 3 machine guns and the cannon could fire all together, non-stop until they decided to run for it under cover of smoke.

 

A movie