MovieChat Forums > Story of G.I. Joe (1945) Discussion > Yet another movie showing how incompeten...

Yet another movie showing how incompetent german soldiers were

posted 13 years ago by alphaboo
11 replies | jump to latest

Mitchum and another soldiers move in on two Germans entrenched in a bell tower. Armed with Thompson sub-machine guns effective range 50 meters they take out the two Germans armed with Kar 98ks--Effective range 500 meters.

Why can't we show the enemy as being very competent, often winning in battles when out numbered 5 to 1 and an enemy who were on the edge of winning complete control of mainland Europe until the ran out of gas and production facilities.

Wouldn't it look better to show us beating a fierce enemy than portray them as a bunch of fools who got lucky for a few years?

[–] flan99 13 years ago

I doubt that Americans went to the movies in WW II to watch Germans kill Americans.

[–] norberte 12 years ago

Flan99 Shakespere couldn't have said it any better.

[–] paengmanila 12 years ago

It's possible to show what audiences want while portraying the enemy as competent.

[–] rollieri 12 years ago

Not sure what you wish to see, the Germans winning more often? After 1942 and El Alamein, and Rommel's replacement, there were few moments of competence for the German army.

Howard Roller

[–] hawkeye_74 12 years ago

That scene had everything to do with how well a certain weapon works in a street fighting situation not about incompetence. Sure you can shoot a K98 a lot farther than you can a Thompson SMG but only if you have a clear field of fire. Once the sniper was spotted his options were reduced. Using fire and maneuver, the doctrine of the US Army, the Lt.and the SGt. moved closer until they were able to get into the church and take out the nest of snipers.

[–] Stonework 11 years ago

Strictly speaking, the Germans were incompetent fools who just got lucky for a few years during the war. Their infantry were often brave and skillful, of course, and their low to mid-level officer corps was first rate. However, they mainly succeeding in trading their lives for time while the German leadership bungled their air support, weapons production, and strategic deployment. They lost almost every battle they fought against the Americans, regardless of the odds, dying bravely but dying none the less.

[–] dannieboy20906 10 years ago

The German army of WWII was not only highly competent, it was remarkably innovative and highly challenging. They did not "get lucky," once or twice, but used combined arms in new tactics that their adversaries had not thought of.

The "Blitzkrieg" is often presented as simply the Germans throwing a large weight of arms at a weak enemy. They were, in fact, outnumbered and out gunned by the French when their combination of armor and airpower, coordinated down to the company level with radio communications, completely unbalanced the French and caused them to panic and flee. The German infantry squad, with riflemen formed around a squad level light machine gun proved so effective that the United States Army continues to teach and apply a variation on it today.

The American Army was able to harness our own strengths, overwhelming firepower, mastery of the air, and the ability of small units even down to the company and platoon to operate with a large degree of autonomy and independence within their area of responsibility and following the overall mission objectives to keep the Germans off balance. That approach did not work well at the Kasserine Pass, at Monte Casino, or in Holland during Market Garden (British leadership). But overall, we prevailed.

[–] MidnightThud 10 years ago

No. that scene was well filmed and thought out. Being an ex-grunt it looked realistic.

As mentioned the Germans were snipers so their weapons became less and less practical as the American got closer for close quarter combat. Also the G.I's used smoke as cover and covered each others flanks after they had entered the church.

The only quibble I would have is the name calling bit. I certainly would not have responded to Mitchum, possibly giving away my location - that was a bit silly.

[–] joeparkson 10 years ago

How many battles did the Germans win after D-Day? They couldn't even take Bastogne, and that was before they ran out of gas.

Running out of gas is akin to incompetence. You attack with tanks, you better bring enough gas.

Last time it happened to me was 40 years ago. It was such an unpleasant experience, I never ever wanted to repeat it.

The aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed and clamorous to be led to safety.

[–] thedefenestrated 10 years ago

The Wehrmacht actually had a few victories on the Western Front after Overlord, albeit they were defensive and never actually resulted in regained ground against the Western allies. Market Garden is the best example.

As to running out of gas.. that wasn't a stupid logistical oversight. Germany had a severe shortage of it everywhere. By the time of the Bulge campaign, the Red Army conquered Germany's best oil source, Romania. Germany was completely cut off.

[–] Lava-Rocks 7 years ago

As long as a few Germans were bayoneted in the gut, that was fine by the audiences of the day. Many of the people watching these old war movies had lost family members "over there".