The British 6th Airborne Division was dropped a good 45 miles away from the US 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions. How do you propose the men get from east of Caen to west of Carentan?
That would occur above the units portrayed in this move.

I am assuming that the "that scene" you are refering to is the beach assault scene at the start of the movie. No, it portrays Charlie Sector of Omaha Beach, adjacent to Dog Green. C Company/2 Ranger Battalion landed to the right of A Co./116thIR/29thID. Both landed at the Vierville Draw, a land feature that was mentioned more than one time during that scene. "A" Company of the 116th lost about 96% of it's men within 10 minutes of hitting the beach.

The climb up cliffs you are asking about was made further to the west at Pointe du Hoc, between Omaha and Utah beaches, by Cos. D, E & F of the 2nd Rangers.

__________________
Best Regards,
JW

To add to Jeffs post, those Rangers I believe, were commanded by Lt.Col. William O'Darby (Darby's Rangers) NOTE: I said: "I believe" because im not absolutely sure if Col Darby was at that point or not? I remember reading something about him but was many years ago unfortunately.

__________________
Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Darby was in the CONUS June 1944. The 2nd Ranger Battalion was commanded by James E. Rudder in Normandy. He climbed the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc.

__________________
Best Regards,
JW

Hi Jeff, thanks for the correction ;-)) It's been too many years-probably about 20?? or more? since I last read anything about him. One factual thing I can say about Lt. Col. Darby-is that Darbys Rangers has been released on DvD (FINALLY) and i've placed my order from TCM for a copy ;-))

Speaking of Darby, it sure was a darn shame that he didn't survive the war.

__________________
Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

well i stand corrected it is omaha beach, i just always remembered that film to be from utah beach, now that ive seen it again i understand. guys i just read some of the most racist mean comments on finland on utube
YouTube - Saving Private Ryan Omaha beach
check it out, i would respond if i was signed up.

__________________
News today, a man has fallen into a chocolate vat in the arnotts factory

In other news arnotts have anounced that there will be 50% more tim in your tim tams.
(p.s. only aussies will get this joke)

What do people think about the comparison between The Longest Day and Saving Private Ryan?
Personally, I think that while the opening sequence of SPR is in a class by itself, TLD is far better as a portrayal of the events of the day and although forty-odd years old still stands up very well.
Overall, SPR is a fairly standard "adventure" war film.

I don't really look to compare the two movies, as they had a different focus and story to tell.

TLD tried to encompass all aspects of one day in a factual way, showing what happened to all nationalities. SPR was a work of fiction concerning a small number of men in a US formation in a small area of Normandy.

__________________
Best Regards,
JW

I do not think the film "Saving Private Ryan" rates anywhere near the best war film that was ever made. As others have already pointed out, the movie had its good parts, but there were too many sloppy mistakes. If Hollywood can spend that kind of budget making a film, why can't they do a bit more research? I have my own list of SPR nit-picks, that I won't bother to go into.

I will say this: SPR was a revolutionary film in that it was the first to use the new cinematic techniques of the hand-held camera and sound effects work, that brought the viewer right into the chaos of combat. The realism factor was boosted ten-fold. This would be repeated in Band of Brothers, and I believe changed the way war movies will be made forever. I remember talking with my father's platoon leader (rest his soul), who eventually became a company commander. He went to see SPR with his grandson. After the movie ended, his grandson asked: "Was being in the war as bad as that, grandpa? Grandpa simply replied: "worse!"

Greg C.

__________________
"These are my credentials!"-Brig. Gen. Charles D.W. Canham [pointing to GI's of Company I, 13th Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division] to General der Fallschirmjager Hermann Bernhard Ramcke, Crozon Peninsula September 19, 1944.

There was one Higgins boat with a platoon of men from Company A, 116th Infantry. It is said that that particular boat was the only boat to land at the exact spot at Vierville Draw that it was supposed to, while all other were carried off course by wind, tide and currents. As the ramp dropped, machine gun rounds peppered the interior of the craft. Of the thirty some odd men, only three made it to the shingle, and two of those were wounded. All others were dead. In his D-Day book, Stephan Ambrose describes this boat very well (considering I have a love/hate relationship with Ambrose). Since Ambrose was a historical advisor on SPR, I always wondered if the Tom Hanks beach landing scene was modeled more on the one boat of Company A, 116th Infantry, than a Ranger boat. Any thoughts?

Greg C.

__________________
"These are my credentials!"-Brig. Gen. Charles D.W. Canham [pointing to GI's of Company I, 13th Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division] to General der Fallschirmjager Hermann Bernhard Ramcke, Crozon Peninsula September 19, 1944.

Sounds reasonable, since the Rangers did not suffer casualties like the A/116th did.

__________________
Best Regards,
JW