Posted on 04/01/2008 3:16:51 PM PDT by wolf78
After decades of war-related silence and shame, Germany proudly celebrated a military hero last night, rolling out the red carpet for "Red" Baron von Richthofen.
The new attitude was on display as stars and celebrities, including British actor Joseph Fiennes, were due to gather for the Berlin premiere of a new film about the Baron.
It is set to mark a new departure for German war films, which usually reflect on the extremism, suffering and even lunacy of the Nazi era if they get made at all.
The Red Baron in contrast, portrays a brilliant and honourable military figure whose life and early death in combat Germans can celebrate without blush.
The film, which at £14 million is one of Germany's most expensive productions, stars Matthias Schweighoefer as the renowned pilot thought to have shot down about 80 Allied airmen in World War One.
It is based on a biography of the pilot published last year, which opens with him engaged in a dogfight only to pull out when he sees his adversary's gun jammed.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
I’d agree Marseille was the best ever. Hartmann was on the Eastern Front.
German Jagdeschwaders that had fought on both the Eastern and Western fronts considered the Eastern front a “vacation.”
It is logical that Germany would be anxious to prepare for the contingency of Americas entrance into the war on the side of the Allies.
And it would be naive to think that every belligerent was not doing something of the sort.
And the frenzy created by Britains friends in the American press over the German Ambassadors inquiry was very effective indeed.
Do you imagine however that England would have enforced Canadian neutrality had the USA supported the Central Powers?
Rommel ignored and would not enforce Hitler’s “Commando Order” which decreed that Allied commandos and paratroops captured behind the lines were to summarily executed, even if they were in full uniform. Most other of the German generals fighting in the West ignored it as well but Rommel was pretty open in his defiance, and the order was eventually rescinded.
Germany’s unrestricted submarine warfare drew us in. Up until the ‘unrestricted’ policy was announced we were as mad at the British as the Germans because of their surface blockade of the North & Baltic seas. The only way Germany could retaliate was by a submarine blockade, and unfortunately, that inevitably meant sinking US ships.
That would be an interesting film on Hartman, there are a number of WWII aces that would make good movies.
For a truly amazing tale they could make one on Joachim Marseille (start of the desert).
Adolf Galland would be interesting as he led the Luftwaffe against the USAF.
***Lets see them make a film about Erik Hartmann, then I’ll be impressed. The Baron has been in many other films over the years.***
Americans tend to know about the Western Front in WWI, but know nothing about the Eastern Front or the Austria-Italy Front. Due to the movies, people will know a bit about the fight against the Turks via ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ and ‘Gallipoli’.
“I wonder who they credit with his kill?”
Ozzie ground troops or a Canadian pilot? There is evidence for both.
“In the last few years I’ve become very interested in foreign films on the wars, just to see it from a different perspective.”
Watch BLESSED BY THE FIRE (Illluminados por el Fuego), an Argentinian film about the Falklands War. Surprisingly well done.
Most of Rommel's numerous writings and letters have survived, and really tell a story about the man.
Some flaws of his might have been naivety towards Hitler and politics, but he changed in time and learned.
He would have negotiated with the allies if possible, while trying to stop the Soviets.
He wouldn't let his son join the SS, he signed an agreement with Hitler to always be faithful to him.
He did not want to follow strategic orders, similar to Patton.
***Just as there’s nothing wrong with admiring Rommel for his role and place in history. Certainly a great general and tactical mind. He was merely playing for the wrong team.***
One of the most interesting episodes of WW1 (or after) was US forces landing in Russia and kicking commie ass.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_Bear_Expedition
An undeniably reasonable man.
Apart from the eternal censure of all things German prior to 1946:
Whether heroes or over achievers, we need them.
I don't deny that it is possible to be an over achiever in business, but I feel lots better thinking of Lee, Richthofen, Hartmann, or Giap as heroes than - Donald Trump, H. Ross Perot, Fiyad, or Soros (?)
So did his brother, Lothar, and his nephew, who started with the Condor Legion in Spain, commanded FLIEGERKORPS VIII, commanded the STUKAS at Sedan, and died of a brain tumor in 1944 or 1945.
By 'our', do you mean British?
The sinking of the Lusitania
How shocking - a ship, carrying the flag of a belligerent, transporting arms, was sunk in an exclusion zone.
Saw a show on the Military History Channel that made a pretty convincing argument he was actually killed by some of the ground troops, specifically named and positioned.
One of the best, despite less than one hundred kills was Werner Molders, first General of Fighters. Like Boelcke, Molders invented fighter tactics. The finger four formation he developed in Spain is still in use today - by everybody. For great pilots with high numbers, you have Nowotny and Gunther Rall. Some of the night fighters were no sluches, either.
There were several solutions, each with advantages and disadvantages. Mounting the gun on the upper wing where it would fire over the prop meant that you couldn't readily clear the inevitable jams. Then there were the pushers, which gave a clear field of fire ahead but were generally unsatisfactory for other reasons.
What it said was that the Germans wanted America to remain neutral.
I liked the solution of having a passenger with a shoulder fired machine gun. He had to be real careful not to shoot the wings off or shoot the pilot...or the prop. That would take some guts...and trust.
But not very competitive with the fokker in terms of maneuverability. Or even speed, I think, for that matter.
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