Band of Brothers

[kato13]

DeaconR 07-04-2005, 01:56 AM I wonder if anyone has seen this series. If not, I highly recommend it. It is gritty and very realistic, and is based on the stories of veterans from the 101st Airborne. In particular, the documentary which tells the story in the words of the surviving veterans is very moving. This is a good tribute to men who fought in WWII.

********************

ReHerakhte 07-04-2005, 05:05 AM And for a change they used authentic looking vehicles for both sides instead of using US WW2 halftracks for the Germans for example. The German vehicles were supplied by a re-enactment group from what I understand so you have a Czech OT-810 modified to resemble the SdKfz 251 halftracks (OT-810 is basically a post-war Czech version of the SdKfz as the Germans were having a number of vehicles built in Czech factories during the war) and from memory a StuG III assault gun along with some artillery pieces and so on.


Saw it here in Australia on TV and was quietly impressed, keep meaning to buy the boxed set but always see something else I want to buy first!


Cheers,

Kevin

********************

Jason Weiser 07-05-2005, 09:52 AM I have the boxed set and am VERY Very impressed! :2overpape

********************

hitman 07-05-2005, 09:22 PM Saw it on TV here last..fall?


Excellent.

I WILL be buying it.

********************

GDWFan 07-07-2005, 06:44 AM Wow I have on-demand HBO and I watched the whole series over one weekend and it was amazing. Its great to see a Tiger come into view and it's not an M48 with a cross on it. I thought it was better than Private Ryan as it focused on the war and not a special mission within the war.

********************

Abbott Shaull 07-10-2005, 06:32 PM It was very good show and very enlightening in which it show what happens to a Rifle Company that is caught in the middle of fighting. Not just any Rifle Company, but an Airborne Rifle Company to boot. Yes, it was great to see that they were using the real thing instead of surplus US equipment that has 'make-up' to pose as German equipment.


I think this is one of several shows/movies that all players and GMs should watch. Most of the time these shows I would suggest for players to get some idea, since many GMs are more evil than the plots in these movies. Yet, this movie was real-life and not some producer/director/writers trying to see a product.


Being a military history buff that I didn't realize that Lt/Captain Spears was the same later Lt Colonel Spears who was the last officer to preside over the Prison where German War Crimials served. At the end when they were talking about what they did in future that the dots were connected. Even though I knew he had served in line unit during the war. Its quite amazing that his was so damn lucky too. Then again Nixon and Winters were extremely lucky too, with Nixon not firing a shot at all even though he was spent most of his time near the front lines. Winters didn't fire shot after his last engagement as Company Commander, even though much like Nixon he was very near to the front.


Abbott

********************

ReHerakhte 07-12-2005, 05:58 AM I don't know how it is structured in the DVD set but on TV here in Australia, they advertised the episodes as a WW2 drama type of deal but it really struck home that these things really happened to real people when they had the interviews with the veterans of the 101st Airborne and the things I had seen in that episode were based on the things that really happened to them.


I think it would be good for Players to watch this series because even though most of the non-military Players aren't going to get a crash-course in how to play a military PC from it, they will probably get some appreciation of what warfare is about and see what the PCs can and cannot do.


Adding my extra 20 cents worth!

Cheers,

Kevin

********************

DeaconR 07-12-2005, 08:20 AM On the DVD set there is a synopsis of each episode as well as each episode beginning with reminiscences of some of the men regarding the subject of the episode. Furthermore, there is a documentary which includes more of the veterans talking about their experiences. What would be very good for players who don't have much knowledge of military matters is that there is also a field guide that explains the campaigns, the rank system and other things.

********************

Snake Eyes 07-28-2005, 11:04 PM Band of Brothers was some of the best TV I have ever watched. I'm probably gonna pick up the DVD set soon too. I really hope the Pacific version that HBO has in the works lives up to the original.

********************

Matt Wiser 07-29-2005, 01:09 AM Same here, it was very, very accurate. Having the vets give input to the producers and writers made it great. In one episode (the one dealing with days one and two of Market-Garden) there looked like one of SPR's Tigers

making an appearance.

********************

DeaconR 07-29-2005, 03:30 AM The only thing that faintlyl irritated me...and I'm sure many of you guys have heard this lament before...is that the other Allies always seem lately to be second fiddle in American war movies. Like for instance the cockney with his Wermacht gear that the one guy meets who is 'talking cockney', or the fact that the only depictions of British and Canadian troops is where they are being rescued or the like.

********************

Twilight2000V3 07-29-2005, 10:23 AM Yes they did the vehicles as close to real as possible. They used Soviet T-55 for the Jagdpanther and Tiger. They used FV438s for the STUG III.


The surviving Tiger from SPR is here in Califronia. It belongs to a WWII re-enactor who brings it out to some events.


Max

********************

huffdaddy35 08-08-2005, 06:30 AM OK, since this topic has been brought up, I wonder if anyone would know a bit of trivia. In Band of Brothers (and,of course, real life) the group was under the command of a Colonel Sink. On a long shot, does anyone know where this guy was from. The first house I bought back in 1995, in Camden SC was originally owned by a Colonel Sink, which I never thought much about until the Band of Brothers hit the History Channel and the name hit me. It is a faily unusual last name, especially here in the south, and the house was built right after WWII during the building boom. I flipped through the book but it didn't give any indication.

********************

TR 08-08-2005, 05:15 PM Born April 3, 1905, in Lexington, NC, Robert Frederick Sink began his military career upon graduation from West Point in 1927. His first assignment as a Second Lieutenant was with the Eight Infantry at Fort Screven, GA. In November 1929, he was assigned to the 65th Infantry at San Juan, Puerto Rico. In March 1932, he joined the 34th Infantry at Fort Meade, MD, and remained with this unit until July 1933, when he was assigned to duty with the Civilian Conservation Corps at McAlevy's Fort, PA until December of that same year. He then returned to the 34th Infantry.


Following graduation from the Infantry School, Fort Benning, GA, in September 1934, he was assigned to the 57th Infantry at Fort McKinley, Philippine Islands. He returned to the United States in November 1937, and was assigned to the 25th Infantry at Fort Huachuca, AZ, where he served successively as Company Commander and Regimental Operations Officer.


Sink's first encounter with the airborne took place in November 1940, when he was assigned to the 501st Parachute Infantry Battalion at Fort Benning. He later commanded the 503rd Parachute Infantry Battalion and the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. In July 1942, he was named as Commander of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment at Toccoa, GA; Fort Benning, GA; and Fort Bragg, NC.


In September 1943, he moved to Europe with the 506th PIR, commanding it until the end of hostilities there. On August 12, 1945, Sink was named Assistant Division Commander of the 101st Airborne Division.


In December 1945, Sink returned to the United States, and the following month assumed command of the infantry detachment of the United States Military Academy. He entered the National War College at Washington, DC, in August 1948, graduating in June 1949.


Sink then was transferred to the Ruckus Command, and became Chief of Staff in October 1949. In January 1951, he was named Assistant Commander of the Seventh Infantry Division in Korea.


He returned to the United States and became Assistant Commander of the 11th Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, KY, in December 1951. In February 1953, he assumed command at the Seventh Armored Division at Camp Roberts, CA. In November 1953, he became Commanding General of the 44th Infantry Division At Fort Lewis, WA.


In October 1954, Sink was assigned to the Joint Airborne Troop Board at Fort Bragg, NC. In early 1955, he was transferred to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and in April 1955, assumed the dual functions of Chairman of the United States Delegation to the Joint Brazil-United States Military Commission and Chief of Army Section, Military Assistance Advisory Group, Brazil.


He returned to the United States and assumed Command of the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg in May 1957. In May 1958, he was announced as Commander, Strategic Army Corps (STRAC), United States Army.


His last major command was as Commander of United States forces in Panama.


Lieutenant General Robert Frederick Sink retired in 1961. He died on 13 December 1965. He is buried in Section 1, Grave 320A in Arlington National Cemetery


http://currahee.hispeed.com/hisrhqwwiiphoto01.html

********************