Author Topic: Battle of Alam el Halfa (short historic clip)  (Read 691 times)

Offline DanielNL

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Battle of Alam el Halfa (short historic clip)
« on: 07-02-2012, 21:02:13 »
Just to see and bring some ideas if the FH2 map is as real as possible...

http://youtu.be/FT4Y2oDJVhM

Offline Knitschi

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Re: Battle of Alam el Halfa (short historic clip)
« Reply #1 on: 08-02-2012, 13:02:45 »
Couldn't really see much in the video, but the fh2 map has no shermans and priests or bishops or whatever they where. But I would not be surprised if the video was inacurate...

Offline Thorondor123

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Re: Battle of Alam el Halfa (short historic clip)
« Reply #2 on: 08-02-2012, 13:02:25 »
They just used whatever footage they found to make that video... The British tanks at Alam el Halfa were Grants, Crusaders, Valentines etc. The first Shermans saw action in the second battle of El Alamein, about a month after Alam el Halfa.
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Offline LuckyOne

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Re: Battle of Alam el Halfa (short historic clip)
« Reply #3 on: 08-02-2012, 14:02:43 »
^ As you can see FH 2 is even more historically accurate than "history" itself. ;)
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Offline TASSER

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Re: Battle of Alam el Halfa (short historic clip)
« Reply #4 on: 08-02-2012, 16:02:45 »
^ As you can see FH 2 is even more historically accurate than "history" itself. ;)

And they said it couldn't be done...  :D

Interesting footage none the less. I always enjoy seeing what it was like for the soldiers actually on the front lines of the desert war. It's easy to imagine life as an infantryman in Normandy (mostly because it has been better documented, at least in the U.S.). One hedgerow after another, theres a town here and there, and a Pak or Stug behind every bush (wild generalization, but you get my point).

But what was it like for those who spent 2-3 years in North Africa? Long days in transports traversing miles of open desert? Spending weeks laying minefields? Did they spend more time digging in or preferred to stay mobile? Just some things I've always wondered.

If anyone has any books or films they'd recommend on the topic I would greatly appreciate your suggestions. I've read a few books on Rommel and the battles of Alamein but they tend to focus more on the overall strategy or grand tactics more so than the experience of the common soldier.

Thanks!
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Offline Zoologic

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Re: Battle of Alam el Halfa (short historic clip)
« Reply #5 on: 08-02-2012, 17:02:07 »
That clip is compilation of many videos, not all of them are actual battle of Alam el Halfa. That is what Thondoror means. Correct me if i'm wrong, they also used some Rommel footage from Tobruk offensive as well.

Most people referred Alam Halfa battle to the early El Alamein southern sector offensive by the German Panzer & Italian Divisions. Not the general campaign of El Alamein or the famous second battle of El Alamein (which is won by the Allied, hence the turning point and repeated mentions), which according to Thondoror, is where the Sherman Tanks first appeared in the WW2 Western Dessert campaign.

IMO, you can't just believe all these seemingly credible documentaries thrown by specific subject TV channels. Even the critically acclaimed Apocalypse: World War 2 that has been aired repeatedly in NatGeo Channel also contained deliberate errors, some which are sadly learned from Hollywood sound effect: the typical Stuka's Jericho trumpet noise whenever a plane is downed in the footage. That distinct high pitch noise is only produced by trumpet-equipped Stuka whenever the dive brakes are engaged, not all falling/diving propeller planes sounded like that.

These documentaries are originally mute, the sounds you hear on TV are added much later, some are even re-colored to produce better images. That's why each of documentaries may have different sound effect for the same equipment (e.g. MG42 noise). It is better to refer the sound to FPSRussia's videos.
« Last Edit: 08-02-2012, 17:02:44 by Zoologic »

Offline flyboy_fx

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Re: Battle of Alam el Halfa (short historic clip)
« Reply #6 on: 08-02-2012, 18:02:16 »
^ As you can see FH 2 is even more historically accurate than "history" itself. ;)

Sounds like an old spice commercial. LOL
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Offline Rustysteel

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Re: Battle of Alam el Halfa (short historic clip)
« Reply #7 on: 08-02-2012, 19:02:30 »

If anyone has any books or films they'd recommend on the topic I would greatly appreciate your suggestions. I've read a few books on Rommel and the battles of Alamein but they tend to focus more on the overall strategy or grand tactics more so than the experience of the common soldier.

Thanks!

Alamein to Zem Zem by Keith douglas is worth a read. He was an officer in the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry serving in africa & normandy where he was killed a couple of days after D-day. Quite an interesting character, when he joined his regiment he got a posting to some backwater place in Palestine which he wasn't too happy about. Frustrated with the lack of action he 'borrowed' a truck and made his own way to the frontline, found his CO and got a tank in one of the squadrons just in time for the second battle of El alamein. Good book if you're looking for something with a soldiers perspective of the desert war.

Offline Rawhide

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Re: Battle of Alam el Halfa (short historic clip)
« Reply #8 on: 09-02-2012, 16:02:15 »