The movie, Momuments Men

[eagle21]

JMC - nothing to forgive.

I never knew before now that the Americans operated night fighters at all over France, so I've truly learnt something.

Even if a night fighter had made a night radar contact on a Tiger Moth I doubt whether they could have made a kill (whatever the nationality) as I guess a 'robust' cruise speed in a Tiger would have been hard to match without stalling from any of the n/fighters of the day.

Haven't seen the movie yet.

Barry

It is ok, it forced me to do a little research of my own. Apparently the British Night Fighters were mostly out as escorts for the British bomber streams, protecting them from German night fighters. That must have been spiffy, two night fighters trying to find and fight each other!

It looks like the Americans were mostly after V-1s and any night intruders over England until the move to the Continent, and then more of the same, patrolling for anything out there I suppose.

I recommend the movie. Don't expect a documentary on wartime Europe, but it was good entertainment and some thought provoking. I need to get the book and read it now!

JMC

JMC

[seagull61785]

JMC

It's true the British (Beaufighter and Mosquito) night fighters used to fly missions embedded in the RAF night bomber stream matching the slower speed of the bombers. They had a special rearwards facing radar code-named 'Serrate', which picked up the radar emissions from the German night fighters. As the German closed in the Mosquito (mostly) would execute a split-arse (but accurately timed) turn and get behind the other plane for a shot. They were very successful but I'm not sure I would like the principle of using one-self as bait in this manner.

The Mosquitos also operated night 'Intruder' missions where they used their long range to harass the Luftwaffe's training airfields far behind the lines. Many fledgling German night fighter crews succumbed to these 'Intruder' tactics. They also used to take a keen interest in shooting up any trains or other targets of opportunity whilst roaming over German or other occupied territory night skies.

I'll try and get a copy of the book.

Thanks

Barry

[redvanner]

I saw the movie last Saturday in German language. Though in general convincing, some parts were quite loosely related to reality. As I live near Siegen, I drive along the mine where they put the artefacts at least twice a week. History was a little bent to fit the screen, lol. But all in all I enjoyed the film, though I would not rate it as a major film. Nicely made, but as others stated the persons were painted with quite a broad brush. Maybe (but that´s just my opinion) it would have been better to skip one or two places, and exploit the others a bit more intensively. BTW G. Clooney wearing his sunglasses was just like an promotion clip for a certain well known brand, lol.

Michael

[JDK]

Appreciate the opinions, folks.

If you're interested in the topic, beyond the film and the book the film was based on (which I've not read) I strongly recommend the book "Rape of Europa" by Lynn A Nicholas, an excellent account of these events, and it's telling that this gripping account hasn't translated to a gripping film, because the book is a page turner with some larger than life characters. This says there was a film too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rape_of_Europa

"The Lost Masters" by Peter Harclerode & Brendan Pittaway covers the same ground, and has some better coverage for areas, but isn't as readable as Europa. More general on art theft is "Museum of the Missing" by Simon Houpt, which has a chapter on war theft.

Another side of the art looting of W.W.II is the guy who sold Goering a load of fake Vermeers; a story you couldn't make up, but which is true "I was Vermeer" by Frank Wynne about the Dutch art forger van Meegeren who 'painted his way out of prison'. THAT would make a neat film.

Regards,