Fury - another WWII movie

[p246]

I do remember my Grandfather talking about using smoke to close the distance on bigger German armor. I also remember when they got the HV 76mm guns they'd use bait tanks to get the enemy to expose their position so the HV tank, which was hidden, could hopefully kill it. He also talked about using the Sherman's speed but I can't remember the details.

Either way saw the movie and liked it. Thought it was weird to see Pitt using a Stg 44. I liked seeing both short barreled 75 Sherman's and long barreled 76's. I was going to watch for any three piece cast front end early Sherman's but don't remember any. The Tiger was also neat to see, although in the movie it seems almost as agile as a Sherman which is not true. It had a lot going for it but speed and agility were not any of them.

Its worth seeing in my opinion.

[PhillipM]

I never knew any tankers, but was around as a kid for some of the 101'st AB recon platoon reunions. The scenes in the town where they were dismounted and interacted with Germans, both soldiers and civilian, tracked closely with the way the vets I knew described it. One comment in particular I remember was, "We were the conquerors, everything was all ours." I had the benefit of being around them as sort of a fly on the wall when they drank their Old Charter and Coke and talked among themselves. What really got me what when the war was over, for them, it was OVER. They captured some German plinking at them on a mountain and after disarming him, got him drunk.

[PhillipM]

I also watched Patton the other day for the first time in years and in the very beginning someone tells Bradley that the German tanks were diesel and didn't explode when hit and ours being gasoline blew up.

Further research reveals the German tanks were gasoline too and ours blew up because they were hit in their cannon magazines, but the myth persists.

[Col. Colt]

Just got back from seeing "Fury" and must give it an enthusiastic thumbs up! I spend as little with Hollywood as possible, but once in a while they do something good in spite of themselves. Very gritty and tough, no sugar coatings - but very INTENSE and real. Our fathers and grandfathers real did have "It" - in spades. Watch the fight with the Tiger and realize that what is being depicted happened more often than not. Tankers had a very poor life expectancy in the US Army in Europe in WWII. CC

PS - GO see it - if for no other reason than to send a message to Hollywood that we want, and will support with our dollars, reality and a good, honest telling of US History - we can take the ugly so long as they show the Noble with it, and in proper proportion. I did not find the profanity or the religious references (either one) to be odd for troops in a life and death setting. Pretty real, as best as I can tell having not been there. CC

[Embalmer]

If I were the director, I would have ended not with the damaged 'Fury', but with a tank retriever hauling it off to be patched up, hosed off, and fitted with a new crew as what was actually done, showing that the war goes on.

least I wasn't the only one to have thought, that should have been the ending.

Wishing my paternal grandfather was still alive. he was a tank driver in the 4th armored, and came home badly injured from the battle of the bulge. though not to extent some of the other tanks crews got. would be very curious to get his take on it, but know he probably wouldn't go see it. There were quite a few wwii vets that were at the first showing on Friday here. all had armor division pins on their wwii vet hats. end a couple seemed a bit shooken up.

[sgm11z]

Despite the user name I spent my 1st few years as a tanker (M60's)in the late 1960's and went from loader to driver to gunner before cycling out to track commander of our M577 command post track.

That said the movie was, from my perspective a pretty accurate portrayal of life as a tanker, noisy, dirty, dangerous; not only in combat but around the clock with lots of big moving parts just waiting to hurt you. the tactic used to engage the Tiger; at least three on one when possible, was what some of our "old guys" remembered as how they engaged Tigers and Panthers, in order to have a chance to kill the other tank and survive.

I have to give the movie a thumbs up and from what I could see the weaponry and equipment as well as how the crew interacted was well done. That plus the initial response to the new crew member when he came on board. Tankers tend to live together and also to die together. Frankly I was glad to transfer to the infantry for the rest of my career but I can still get nostalgia to the smell of diesel smoke on a wet cold day.

Just my two bits thrown in.

[M1Tommy]

I saw the movie and want to ask a question... without giving away movie plot and such.

Would Sherman tanks actually attack a Tiger, like they did in the movie? It seemed a bit hookey to me, and not what I'd figure good tactics would call for. Then again, I've never been 'there' and this former TMT2 doesn't really know tanks.

Tommy

[dave]

Yeh, good 'ol Brad said he learned a lot about war!!

[Embalmer]

I saw the movie and want to ask a question... without giving away movie plot and such.

Would Sherman tanks actually attack a Tiger, like they did in the movie? It seemed a bit hookey to me, and not what I'd figure good tactics would call for. Then again, I've never been 'there' and this former TMT2 doesn't really know tanks.

Tommy

Was a known fact that the tactic to take on tigers and Panthers, were to attack them in groups. Why my grandfather camehome after battle of bulge in essentially a full body cast after his tank was knocked down a hill by a panther while trying to flank it. Said of the 4 Sherman's against it 2 were knocked out and or fire, and his was on its side

[M1Tommy]

Was a known fact that the tactic to take on tigers and Panthers, were to attack them in groups. Why my grandfather camehome after battle of bulge in essentially a full body cast after his tank was knocked down a hill by a panther while trying to flank it. Said of the 4 Sherman's against it 2 were knocked out and or fire, and his was on its side

Movie spoilers..............



I would have expected them to split in different directions and try to flank, with one or tow staying in the trees for some cover. THen again, I am nor ever was a tanker.
Thanks for that reply. I have never known any armor folks from WWII. My own grandfather never returned from there, and is buried in Margraten Cemetery.

Tommy