Lock and load... - Page 3

Glenn E. Meyer · April 21, 2014, 09:15 AM

With no offense, how many cliches are posted here as answers to common questions?

I suppose the TV should be more accurate?

**44 AMP** · April 21, 2014, 10:03 AM

But..but...I heard the Gunny say "Get a GLock!"

skoro · April 21, 2014, 02:26 PM

As a veteran and WWII buff, I have to roll my eyes at all the obvious and simply corrected errors the History Channel (and whatever they're calling the Military Channel this month) broadcast repeatedly.

And, as an old Marine, the Gunny should know better than to go off like he does at times. But I still like him.

Semper Fi

Glenn E. Meyer · April 21, 2014, 03:52 PM

American Hero Channel - or something like that.

Probably the way SyFy was result of a name change.

**44 AMP** · April 22, 2014, 12:43 PM

Despite the crap shows, and the irritating mistakes in their commentary, and putting the wrong picture on for what they are talking about at the time, I like watching some of it.

General history buff and serious WWII interest and modeler, I like seeing the original footage. I get more from some shows with the sound off!

near panic when I "lost" the Military Channel. Since finding it with a new name, they haven't run anything that really interest me, other than WWII in Color.

Also like the shows where they have surviving veterans talk about what they went through. The CGI planes and tanks are getting better, but still not as good as they ought to be.

Another irritating point for me is when they give you a poor CGI drawing, and then spin it in a constant 360 circle. The "Top Ten" are bad for this, but some others do it too. Probably the same morons working on them....

Glenn E. Meyer · April 22, 2014, 05:21 PM

I always like the Dogfight shows. They were exciting and the interviews were fun.

Evan Thomas · April 22, 2014, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Since finding it with a new name, they haven't run anything that really interest me, other than WWII in Color.

That show is weird. Everyone knows that WWII happened in black and white.

DaleA · April 22, 2014, 06:40 PM

I'm amazed with the air-to-air videos from WWII.

I mean going up to fight for your life and they still took the time to mount gun cameras, load 'em with film and make sure the linkages and switches etc were all working correctly. Again, amazing that they did all that.

**44 AMP** · April 22, 2014, 09:23 PM

The US had a habit of requiring gun camera footage to verify a kill. Not an absolute, but it was tough to get a kill approved without it.

Other nations were not as strict, usually.

Besides the morale value, there is the training & intelligence value of the film, so yes, actually is was a fairly important thing, and pilots wanted it to be working.

There is a story (I'd have to look up the details) about a P-47 pilot, late in the war, who downed 8 Japanese planes over the Philippines, but only got credit for 7 because his gun camera ran out of film!

**Mike Irwin** · April 24, 2014, 05:23 PM

"That show is weird. Everyone knows that WWII happened in black and white."

A lot of the military's combat footage, especially later in the war, was filmed in color. Kodak developed several new or greatly improved color processes, both in film and developing, during the war specifically for military use.

Film shot in the Pacific was almost totally color (the Marine Corps and Navy did it that way, for some reason), while in Europe it was largely black and white early on and color later.

We have the perception of the war as a black and white war because once the film was brought back to the United States and developed, it was reprinted for news reels, and those were always in black and white because of the expense involved.

jimbob86 · April 24, 2014, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Besides the morale value, there is the training & intelligence value of the film, so yes, actually is was a fairly important thing, and pilots wanted it to be working.

As the war went on, the value of the higher level of training of American (and Brittish) pilots began to tell ...... American Aces often went back to train new pilots. German training was mostly OJT by 1944 .... and the German Aces stayed on the job until they were killed, wounded too badly to fly, or captured .....

thallub · April 24, 2014, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Let the semi-famous Gunny R. Lee Ermy get some truly basic stuff wrong, and it's a thousand and one reasons why it's not his fault.

Bingo!!!

i don't have a degree in history; but my BBA and two post grad degrees mean something.

Seriously, i've been a history bug since about 1944. To me accuracy and truth are everything when it comes to history. Forty years ago the History Channel did several series on WWII. All those documentaries were very accurate.

Much of the movie stuff about the Midway battle is terrible; it's not even B grade movie quality. One of the problems stems from the fact that Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher was not well liked nor is much known about his operational style. His memoirs were never published.

In the 60s and early 70s i spent two tours at NOS Indian Head, MD. Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher resided quietly at his historic estate, Araby, at Mason Springs, Charles county, MD. Many of Admiral Fletcher's papers were lost in combat and he refused to re-construct them.

Admiral Fletcher refused an interviewed during the writing of The US Navy History of WWII. . Not to worry, they just wrote him out. This refusal ticked off some historians who simple ignored him.

IMO: Ermey has been over his head for years.

**Mike Irwin** · April 25, 2014, 10:16 AM

I never realized until just now that Fletcher had been awarded the Medal of Honor for action off Vera Cruz in 1914 while a Lieutenant.

April 21, 2014, 09:15 AM	#51
Glenn E. Meyer Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2000 Posts: 20,064	With no offense, how many cliches are posted here as answers to common questions? I suppose the TV should be more accurate? __________________ NRA, TSRA, IDPA, NTI, Polite Soc. - Aux Armes, Citoyens

April 21, 2014, 10:03 AM	#52
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,833	But..but...I heard the Gunny say "Get a GLock!" __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

April 21, 2014, 03:52 PM	#54
Glenn E. Meyer Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2000 Posts: 20,064	American Hero Channel - or something like that. Probably the way SyFy was result of a name change. __________________ NRA, TSRA, IDPA, NTI, Polite Soc. - Aux Armes, Citoyens

April 22, 2014, 12:43 PM	#55
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,833	Despite the crap shows, and the irritating mistakes in their commentary, and putting the wrong picture on for what they are talking about at the time, I like watching some of it. General history buff and serious WWII interest and modeler, I like seeing the original footage. I get more from some shows with the sound off! near panic when I "lost" the Military Channel. Since finding it with a new name, they haven't run anything that really interest me, other than WWII in Color. Also like the shows where they have surviving veterans talk about what they went through. The CGI planes and tanks are getting better, but still not as good as they ought to be. Another irritating point for me is when they give you a poor CGI drawing, and then spin it in a constant 360 circle. The "Top Ten" are bad for this, but some others do it too. Probably the same morons working on them.... __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

April 22, 2014, 05:21 PM	#56
Glenn E. Meyer Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2000 Posts: 20,064	I always like the Dogfight shows. They were exciting and the interviews were fun. __________________ NRA, TSRA, IDPA, NTI, Polite Soc. - Aux Armes, Citoyens

April 21, 2014, 02:26 PM	#53
skoro Senior Member Join Date: April 30, 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 1,952	As a veteran and WWII buff, I have to roll my eyes at all the obvious and simply corrected errors the History Channel (and whatever they're calling the Military Channel this month) broadcast repeatedly. And, as an old Marine, the Gunny should know better than to go off like he does at times. But I still like him. Semper Fi

April 22, 2014, 06:40 PM	#58
DaleA Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2002 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 5,313	I'm amazed with the air-to-air videos from WWII. I mean going up to fight for your life and they still took the time to mount gun cameras, load 'em with film and make sure the linkages and switches etc were all working correctly. Again, amazing that they did all that.

April 22, 2014, 09:23 PM	#59
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,833	The US had a habit of requiring gun camera footage to verify a kill. Not an absolute, but it was tough to get a kill approved without it. Other nations were not as strict, usually. Besides the morale value, there is the training & intelligence value of the film, so yes, actually is was a fairly important thing, and pilots wanted it to be working. There is a story (I'd have to look up the details) about a P-47 pilot, late in the war, who downed 8 Japanese planes over the Philippines, but only got credit for 7 because his gun camera ran out of film! __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

April 24, 2014, 05:23 PM	#60
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	"That show is weird. Everyone knows that WWII happened in black and white." A lot of the military's combat footage, especially later in the war, was filmed in color. Kodak developed several new or greatly improved color processes, both in film and developing, during the war specifically for military use. Film shot in the Pacific was almost totally color (the Marine Corps and Navy did it that way, for some reason), while in Europe it was largely black and white early on and color later. We have the perception of the war as a black and white war because once the film was brought back to the United States and developed, it was reprinted for news reels, and those were always in black and white because of the expense involved. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

April 25, 2014, 10:16 AM	#63
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	I never realized until just now that Fletcher had been awarded the Medal of Honor for action off Vera Cruz in 1914 while a Lieutenant. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.