I watched the movie Hurricane last night regarding the 303 Polish Squadron. The highest scoring squadron in the RAF during the Battle of Britain.

The aerial scenes were no where near as good as the Battle of Britain movie but fairly accurate.

There were however a few mistakes/errors

(1) The Bedford bus tasked to collect the Poles and transport to RAF Northolt had fitted modern direction indicators instead of the semaphores fitted during that period.

(2) A civilian car had brake lights, which if I remember correctly were not fitted until after WW2

(3) The Humber staff car used to transport Polish pilots to a function, had the incorrect group and command identification on the front mudguard, identity shown command and group was B/8 or Bomber Command 8 Group, instead of F/11 or Fighter Command 11 Group

What was correct was the correct inverted engines fitted to the German BF 109, and not the Merlins used in the Battle of Britain movie

What was also correct was the disgusting refusal to allow the Poles to take part in the VE day march in London, in case it upset Stalin.

The movie was on TV quite good, but I don't think its worth paying to watch the movie at a cinema.

Originally Posted by BritinAfrica

I watched the movie Hurricane last night regarding the 303 Polish Squadron. The highest scoring squadron in the RAF during the Battle of Britain.

The aerial scenes were no where near as good as the Battle of Britain movie but fairly accurate.

There were however a few mistakes/errors

(1) The Bedford bus tasked to collect the Poles and transport to RAF Northolt had fitted modern direction indicators instead of the semaphores fitted during that period.

(2) A civilian car had brake lights, which if I remember correctly were not fitted until after WW2

(3) The Humber staff car used to transport Polish pilots to a function, had the incorrect group and command identification on the front mudguard, identity shown command and group was B/8 or Bomber Command 8 Group, instead of F/11 or Fighter Command 11 Group

What was correct was the correct inverted engines fitted to the German BF 109, and not the Merlins used in the Battle of Britain movie

What was also correct was the disgusting refusal to allow the Poles to take part in the VE day march in London, in case it upset Stalin.

The movie was on TV quite good, but I don't think its worth paying to watch the movie at a cinema.

Strangely I have never heard of this movie I will have to rectify that and watch it .

British actions regarding the Poles was odd given Churchill's dislike of the Russians and that the freedom of Poland was the reason Britain and France went to war.

Originally Posted by MontyB

Strangely I have never heard of this movie I will have to rectify that and watch it .

British actions regarding the Poles was odd given Churchill's dislike of the Russians and that the freedom of Poland was the reason Britain and France went to war.

Churchill had a vibrant dislike of Stalin. What surprised me that during a meeting with Stalin and other allies, Stalin castugated Churchill for not invading western Europe and asked if the British were afraid to fight Churchill didnt take him to task. He should have reminded Stalin that he sent Hitler a telegram congratulating him on reaching Dunkirk, Allied lives were being lost on the Russian convoys supplying the Soviets with material and equipment.

If I remember correctly, even George Patton had a strong dislike for Stalin and the Soviets.

As a matter of interest there is a memorial near RAF Northolt to 303 Polish Squadron.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxVV0lOZUKI

I haven't heard about the movie Hurricane, I google it and it seems interesting.

I watched the movie/documentary They Shall not Grow Old, a different take on the First World War when you hear veterans telling their stories while watching colorized depictions of the war

The Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrabKK9Bhds

Originally Posted by I3BrigPvSk

I haven't heard about the movie Hurricane, I google it and it seems interesting.

I watched the movie/documentary They Shall not Grow Old, a different take on the First World War when you hear veterans telling their stories while watching colorized depictions of the war

The Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrabKK9Bhds

The trailer looks amazing.

My Granddad was at Hill 60 when it was blown up with the Middlesex Regiment. I remember him watching newsreel showing wounded horses, he had tears running down his cheeks. i'll never forget that.

My Granddad never spoke of the horrors of the trenches, only the funny things that happened. He was my hero along with my uncle Charlie when I was growing up, I still miss them both today.

Originally Posted by I3BrigPvSk

I haven't heard about the movie Hurricane, I google it and it seems interesting.

I watched the movie/documentary They Shall not Grow Old, a different take on the First World War when you hear veterans telling their stories while watching colorized depictions of the war

The Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrabKK9Bhds

I have completely forgotten about this story but it is one I want to see, I am told Peter Jackson has done a very good job recreating the period.

Originally Posted by BritinAfrica

Churchill had a vibrant dislike of Stalin. What surprised me that during a meeting with Stalin and other allies, Stalin castugated Churchill for not invading western Europe and asked if the British were afraid to fight Churchill didnt take him to task. He should have reminded Stalin that he sent Hitler a telegram congratulating him on reaching Dunkirk, Allied lives were being lost on the Russian convoys supplying the Soviets with material and equipment.

If I remember correctly, even George Patton had a strong dislike for Stalin and the Soviets.

As a matter of interest there is a memorial near RAF Northolt to 303 Polish Squadron.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxVV0lOZUKI

Churchill did put forward Operation Unthinkable but it never went much further than a concept and Patton in May 1945 certainly believed the Allies could beat the Russians as he wrote...

On May 7, 1945, just before the German capitulation, Patton had a conference in Austria with U.S. Secretary of War Robert Patterson. Patton was gravely concerned over the Soviet failure to respect the demarcation lines separating the Soviet and American occupation zones. He was also alarmed by plans in Washington for the immediate partial demobilization of the U.S. Army.

Patton said to Patterson: "Let's keep our boots polished, bayonets sharpened, and present a picture of force and strength to the Red Army. This is the only language they understand and respect."

Patterson replied, "Oh, George, you have been so close to this thing so long, you have lost sight of the big picture."

Patton rejoined: "I understand the situation. Their (the Soviet) supply system is inadequate to maintain them in a serious action such as I could put to them. They have chickens in the coop and cattle on the hoof -- that's their supply system. They could probably maintain themselves in the type of fighting I could give them for five days. After that it would make no difference how many million men they have, and if you wanted Moscow I could give it to you. They lived on the land coming down. There is insufficient left for them to maintain themselves going back. Let's not give them time to build up their supplies. If we do, then . . . we have had a victory over the Germans and disarmed them, but we have failed in the liberation of Europe; we have lost the war!"

...On May 18 he noted in his diary: "In my opinion, the American Army as it now exists could beat the Russians with the greatest of ease, because, while the Russians have good infantry, they are lacking in artillery, air, tanks, and in the knowledge of the use of the combined arms, whereas we excel in all three of these. If it should be necessary to right the Russians, the sooner we do it the better."

Two days later he repeated his concern when he wrote his wife: "If we have to fight them, now is the time. From now on we will get weaker and they stronger."

I find his comments about artillery and tanks odd as Russia fielded more artillery and better tanks than the west and the comments about logistics are odd given the wests supply lines would have been longer than the Germans.

Monty; I liked it, it doesn't tell if you are watching and hearing things about Somme, Ypres or any other battles. The documentary tells the story about how the soldiers experienced the war.

The Operation Unthinkable makes me think about all the novels about a war between NATO and the Warsaw Pact/Soviets. I have read a few of them, the best one is Red Army by Ralph Peters. It isn't a techno porn like the others. The most famous one must be Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy

Originally Posted by I3BrigPvSk

Monty; I liked it, it doesn't tell if you are watching and hearing things about Somme, Ypres or any other battles. The documentary tells the story about how the soldiers experienced the war.

I purchased a copy of it the other day and we watched it last night, i thought it was excellent.

I am intrigued by how operation unthinkable would have planned out.
Patton makes some good points and he was there at the time but my impression is:
West
1. Better but longer logistics.
2. Overwhelming air superiority.

Russia.
1. Better armour
2. More artillery
3. Good infantry

Patton makes a very good point in that the land Russia would have been calling back on had essentially been stripped of supplies during their advance and the German withdrawal but the West would have needed to move all of its supplies from the US and UK which requires a massive logistics train.