Getting history right, or at least the movie version
Published on Thu, Jun 24, 2010 by John PierreRead More The Constant Curmudgeon
I love movies. I suppose that revelation comes as no surprise to either of you who read this slapstick comedy column regularly.
I admit I'm addicted to movies because they were a rare treat when I was a kid. These days? Heck... I guess I watch 3 or 19 of 'em daily. Being retired has its advantages.
But, like many things in life, I have a few problems with the apparent lack of technical advice involved in these Hollyweird productions.
I was inspired to write about it because I just watched "Bridges at Toko-Ri" for about the 27th time. The deck scenes were shot on the USS Oriskany, CVA-34, while I was on her sister ship, the USS Kearsarge, CVA-33, near enough that we landed some of her aircraft so that certain flight deck scenes could be staged on the Oriskany.
I have to say that what happens on a flight deck was so accurately portayed, it took me back a few years to the Korean War.
The large motorized deck crane was actually called "Tillie."
The scene where "CAG" (Commander Air Group) came through the thick, webbed, nylon barriers was realistic... except for one thing.
The 12-foot high barrier (Davis barrier) that was destroyed was replaceable in minutes as they were regularly damaged and we had back up barriers at hand as opposed to the movie version where it wasn't "repairable" causing William Holden to have to land toward "Tillie" placed as a last resort to keep him from crashing into planes parked forward, being loaded for the next hop.
I know... I was one of the red shirts (other deck hands called us BB stackers) loading them with bombs 'n' rockets.
Another criticism I have of the technical advisors to that movie is the fact that when the "ADs" (prop driven AD-1 Skyraiders of the type in my squadron, Attack Squadron 115) were strafing those nasty ol' North Koreans to keep them from killing the downed flier, they were already overhead when their bullets struck.
As a swabby who serviced and loaded them, let me assure you that their 20mm wing cannons do not shoot downward.
As happens in many movies, they neglect to notice that bullets should spray the ground moments before the arrival of the attacking aircraft. They fire forward not down.
Finally, the story by James A. Michener was based on a real attack on some real bridges by another name.
The actual destruction of those real bridges was by ADs ... not the jets. But, what the hey... literary license and all.
I admit I'm addicted to movies because they were a rare treat when I was a kid. These days? Heck... I guess I watch 3 or 19 of 'em daily. Being retired has its advantages.
But, like many things in life, I have a few problems with the apparent lack of technical advice involved in these Hollyweird productions.
I was inspired to write about it because I just watched "Bridges at Toko-Ri" for about the 27th time. The deck scenes were shot on the USS Oriskany, CVA-34, while I was on her sister ship, the USS Kearsarge, CVA-33, near enough that we landed some of her aircraft so that certain flight deck scenes could be staged on the Oriskany.
I have to say that what happens on a flight deck was so accurately portayed, it took me back a few years to the Korean War.
The large motorized deck crane was actually called "Tillie."
The scene where "CAG" (Commander Air Group) came through the thick, webbed, nylon barriers was realistic... except for one thing.
The 12-foot high barrier (Davis barrier) that was destroyed was replaceable in minutes as they were regularly damaged and we had back up barriers at hand as opposed to the movie version where it wasn't "repairable" causing William Holden to have to land toward "Tillie" placed as a last resort to keep him from crashing into planes parked forward, being loaded for the next hop.
I know... I was one of the red shirts (other deck hands called us BB stackers) loading them with bombs 'n' rockets.
Another criticism I have of the technical advisors to that movie is the fact that when the "ADs" (prop driven AD-1 Skyraiders of the type in my squadron, Attack Squadron 115) were strafing those nasty ol' North Koreans to keep them from killing the downed flier, they were already overhead when their bullets struck.
As a swabby who serviced and loaded them, let me assure you that their 20mm wing cannons do not shoot downward.
As happens in many movies, they neglect to notice that bullets should spray the ground moments before the arrival of the attacking aircraft. They fire forward not down.
Finally, the story by James A. Michener was based on a real attack on some real bridges by another name.
The actual destruction of those real bridges was by ADs ... not the jets. But, what the hey... literary license and all.