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Admin moved page How historically accurate is the movie 'The Battle of the Bulge'? to How historically accurate is the movie 'The Battle of the Bulge'
The screenplay gives a very accurate portrayal of the Germans and their concerns prior to the Ardennes Offensive. One of the preoccupations of the German generals was the need to secure oil. They were very concerned that the offensive could grind to a halt because of a shortage of oil for their tanks and trucks. It also shows many of the generals did not believe that the offensive could achieve the goals set by Hitler. Publicly they agreed with the offensive, but in private they knew that it was doomed, except for some hard line and fanatical SS generals. There was only a narrow window of opportunity for the Germans to inflict a decisive defeat on the allies and this is shown in one of the more memorable scenes.
Colonel Joachim Peiper is briefed by his commanding officer, who states that Germany had only 50-hour to win the battle because they lacked resources such as men and oil. The reliance of the Germans on their ‘wonder weapons’ is also very well shown in the movie. Hitler believed that the massive Tiger Tanks and the V1 and V2 rockets could turn the tide of the war in Nazi Germany’s favor.<ref> Parker, Danny S, The Battle of the Bulge, <i>The German View: Perspectives from Hitler's High Command </i> (London, Pelican, 1999), p. 13</ref>. This Hitler's confidence was proved to be once again misplaced and this was evident in the outcome of the Battle of the Bulge, a resounding American victory.
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====The Setting of the Battle====
[[File: 1024px-Battle of the Bulge.jpg|200px|thumb|left|American G.I.s fighting in the Ardennes, 1944]]
While the opening scenes may be reasonably accurate not much else of the movie can be called historical. One of the main problems with the movie was that it was filmed in Spain. The terrain and geography of that country are not like the Ardennes region. The battle took place in often densely forested and hilly terrain.<ref> Parker, Danny S, Battle of the Bulge: Hitler's Ardennes Offensive, 1944–1945 (Da Capo Press, NY, 2002), p. 157</ref>
The terrain shown in the movie was not really like the battlefield and this is a major weakness in the movie. At the time, it was noted by many movie critics and this glaring inaccuracy infuriated many veterans of the battle. Then there is the weather in the movie. This was very important in the battle and it directly impacted on its outcome. The initial success of the German advance is shown in the motion picture to be a result of their daring use of tanks. In fact, it was due to the weather. Snow storms Snowstorms kept the American P-45 and other planes grounded and this allowed the German Panzers to advance rapidly. When the weather changed the American air force attacked the German Panther and Tiger tanks and ravaged them.<ref>Shaw, p 119</ref> The weather in the movie does not really reflect the wintry conditions of the battle. There is snow shown but the actual battlefields of the Ardennes were covered deep in snow. Because the movie was shot in Spain, with its Mediterranean climate the wintry battlefields of the Ardennes offensive is not captured. <dh-ad/>
====Opening stages of the battle====
The movie does accurately show the importance of German covert operations in the opening stages of the battle. The German planners knew that speed was of the essence and that they needed to act quickly. They had to seize certain key bridges over the Meuse to allow the heavy Tiger Tanks to advance. The Nazis had detachments of English speaking soldiers dressed in the uniforms of American MPs. This operation was codenamed Operation Greif.<ref> Parker, p. 117</ref> Disguised German operated behind the US front line and they seized bridges and disrupted communications.
This is shown very well in one scene in the motion picture when German troops disguised as MPs led by an SS lieutenant, played by Ty Hardin, are shown as taking over a key bridge over the River Meuse, the only one that could allow the Tiger tanks to cross the river. The same disguised German soldiers are later shown as changing road signs to confuse the G.Is and disrupting key supply lines. The German covert operation was as successful as shown and played an important part in the early success of the Nazi German offensive.<ref> Toland, John, Battle: The Story of the Bulge, Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1999), p. 156</ref>. What <i>BattlegroundBattle of the Bulge </i> got right was the desperate German need for oil and how they deliberately targeted oil depots. They needed the oil to enable the Tiger and Panther tanks to advance, as their own reserves of oil were depleted.
The movie also accurately captured one of the best-known war-crimes committed by Germans against American prisoners. The Malmedy massacre as it became known occurred in the early stages of the battle. SS troops killed approximately 90 American prisoners. This was accurate and after the war, several of the German involved faced war crime charges. Another thing that the movie got right was that the inexperienced American troops had been largely caught by surprise and that, at least initially, they were in some disarray.
====The Germans in the Battle of Bulge====
[[File: Bulge 2.jpg|200px|thumb|left| American POWs with their German captors (1944)]]
The movie focuses on Colonel Hessler, commander of the SS Panzer brigade that is in the forefront of the German offensive. The character Hessler was played by the British actor Robert Shaw, who dyed his black hair blond for the role. In reality, there was no Colonel Hessler, but the character is based on Joachim Peiper one of the most important Nazi SS commanders in the Ardennes. However, Peiper was still alive in 1965 and he did not want his role in the battle to be shown and he . He even threatened the movie makers with a libel suit. The producers then decided to change the name of from Peiper to Hessler, but the character is still fairly obviously meant to represent be representative of Pieper. The name change saved the producers from a libel caseand unnecessary legal fees.<ref> Whiteclay and Cuthbert, p. 134</ref>
What is perhaps inexplicable is the fact that the German commander's real role in the Malmedy massacre is not shown and he is even exonerated of any involvement in the outrage. Men under his command were responsible for the killing of 90 American G.I.s who had surrendered and were in transit to prison camps in Germany.<ref> Parker, p. 123</ref> In the movie, Robert Shaw’s character, who is based on Peiper, is shown as surprised and angered by the killings of the G.Is by his men. This was not the case, Peiper had a long record of killing prisoners and he even ordered the cold-blooded murders of civilians during the offensive. He was extremely lucky to escape prosecution for war crimes. The character Men under his command were directly responsible for the killing of Hessler did not represent 90 American G.I.s who had surrendered and were in transit to prison camps in Germany.<ref> Parker, p. 123</ref> Perhaps the real Peiper or film makers were a little spooked by Pieper's potential legal action and distorted his role in the Battle of the Bulge and this is a major shortcoming of the moviebattle.
====Final Battle====