Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)

Probably for this attack we have to look at the Royal Navy attack on Taranto harbour where the Fairey Swordfish sunk three Italian Battleships. Yamamoto actually said this when planning the attack. Plus Taranto was like Pearl shallow, (45 feet) and the Japanese copied the torpedoes from the Royal Navy, after a lot of experimentation.
Redcap

Its a shame that those Italian Battleships couldn't be captured. Those from what i've read in the past about, were basically like the "Ferraris" of the Worlds Navies.

Quote from The Ringo Kid

Hi Redcap, that is true about the Japanese kids being tought wrong. I was actually in contact for some months, with a Japanese Reporter from Nagasaki? who was asking me for help on researching some pacific battles I never had heard of because he was working on a Documentary about those battles. I was trying to help him get in touch with American Vets who took part in those battles. Anyway, this reporter told me he was wanting to get the full truth out to the Japanese public, about what really happened in WWII, instead of what their revisionist teachers actually taught in classrooms. I really do hope he did as he said he was going to do.

Don't know if this true but, some years back, I heard or read somewhere that the Japanese were telling their school kids that the reason they attacked Pearl Harbor was because we dropped the A-Bomb on them. Maybe they're trying to convince them that Emperor Hirohito, being a god, was able to forsee the A-Bomb attacks and needed to strike first.

Hi Jim, I wouldn't be surprised at that. I absolutely hate revisionist history. Two great books were virtually destroyed when they were reprinted. These two books were The American Heritage Book of WWII and The American Heritage Book of the US Civil War. The original books were outstanding. The reprints some years ago-were drasticalkly changed to be politically correct and was full of BS revisionist history. I CAN'T stand these Lemming PC crouds.

As I stated before, the Japanese certainly took their lead from Taranto. It was a pity that those battleships weren't captured, as you say they were the Ferraris of the large warships. It would certainly upset the revisionist writers in Japan for the whole truth to come out. Unfortunately I don't think this will happen, as I was talking to some Japanese students here in Queensland, and they asked why Australia attacked Japan along with England and America. Still we can only hope.
Regards
Redcap

Hi Bill, I fully agree with you and VERY well said. Im constantly eh hem "correcting" people over at ww2f on things. Somehwo if they would take a little time away from watching mtv and read a few books, wouldn't have to be always correcting them ;-))

Hi All,
A Japanese student at the International College near here was sent home because she questioned the literature from Japan about WW2. Apparently the tutors are paid by the Japanese Government who dictate what is taught and said. If this is so we have no hope of the truth coming out.
Redcap

Quote from Redcap

Hi All,
A Japanese student at the International College near here was sent home because she questioned the literature from Japan about WW2. Apparently the tutors are paid by the Japanese Government who dictate what is taught and said. If this is so we have no hope of the truth coming out.
Redcap

More revisionist """"historians"""" and I use the word: Historians--VERY loosly. Those people should get a severe dressing down by some WWII Aussie Vets - especially those who fought hard on the Kokoda Trail and at Imphal & Kohima-against the Japanese as well as those magnificent Desert Rats holding off Rommels Afrika Korps @ Tobruk.

To me, them sending that student home as well as spouting their garbage revisionist history, is not only a major slap in the face to all Aussie Vets, but to British Vets and our Guys too.

I certainly agree with you on the so called historians. I think it was last year, 2008, that the Royal British Legion actually turned their backs on the Queen who was sitting in a carriage with the Japanese Prime Minister. This was to show the British Government, the Royal Family and the Japanese people that they had not forgotten the atrocities performed by the Japanese Military.
Regards
Redcap

Hi Bill, I would have loved to had seen that happen ;-)) Those Gents sure had lots of guts to do that and my hats off to them for doing so ;-))

I was watching the movie again and one comment that really stood out was that the "Zero" was superior to both the "Spitfire" and "Me (Bf) 109". To be truthful how could a Japanese aviator compare them when he had never flown either aircraft, let alone off of an aircraft carrier for which neither aircraft was originally designed.
Redcap

Thank you again Keith, and I also found 23 300 Spartans stills, 5 more The Longest Day, and some others. I sent a message to the sellers on them to see if I can bid and if I win? pay by money order since I cant get a paypal account to work?

Just got word, these stills are mine but, the lobby cards aint.

Just wanted to note: The two P-40s destroyed on the ground during attack were shot using several cameras at different locations and were inserted at different points in the film to give the effect of more aircraft blown up.
A similar device was used in "Bullitt" during the big chase. The Volkswagen is passed at least three times, but shot from different places to give the effect of a longer chase.

Bought a copy of Tora Tora Tora on Blu-ray and I'm watching it as I write this. So far, it is a visual feast. Picture is clear, crisp and looks like a totally new movie. There are numerous extras with it, plus you have a choice of watching the original theatrical version or the extended Japanese version, which is what I'm watching. It comes in a book style version that has pictures and text of the making of it and a brief biography of four of the actors, the two Japanese actors who played Yamamoto & Genda(the architect of the attack), and on Martin Balsam & Jason Robards Jr. who played Adm Kimmel & Gen. Short respectively.

Jim, to quote David Crockett in "The Last Command" - "Well, I been persuaded".
Thanks for the info, I'm ordering my copy as soon as I finish here.

We deal in lead, friend.

One of my favorites! Great war movie! Two thumbs up!!