# Major battles/events of WWII NOT given cinematic/TV treatment? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 22, 2014, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-battles-events-of-wwii-not-given-cinematic-tv-treatment/686701 "2014-04-22T18:26:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-battles-events-of-wwii-not-given-cinematic-tv-treatment/686701/1 "2014-04-22T18:26:35Z")
World War II seems to be a pretty thoroughly plowed furrow as regards cinematic treatments but I’m curious what major battles or other significant events of the war have not yet made it to the (big or small) screen? I imagine films might not exist of major Japanese/Chinese engagements or the Russian attack on the Japanese just before the war ended but that’s a guess on my part. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-battles-events-of-wwii-not-given-cinematic-tv-treatment/686701/2 "2014-04-22T18:44:32Z")
Most of the Eastern Front. Sure, there’s _Cross of Iron_ and _Enemy at the Gates_, but what about Kursk? Or the siege of Leningrad? Or the Battle of Berlin? Have they ever made a movie about the invasion of Crete? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-battles-events-of-wwii-not-given-cinematic-tv-treatment/686701/3 "2014-04-22T18:50:47Z")
The Syria–Lebanon Campaign of 1941, if only because the mix of forces involved make it perfect Hollywood fodder - British, Australian, Indian, Proto-Jordanian, Proto-Israeli, Free French and Czech troops all coming together to take Syria and Lebanon from the Vichy French. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-battles-events-of-wwii-not-given-cinematic-tv-treatment/686701/4 "2014-04-22T19:03:39Z")
As mentioned in another thread recently, a biopic of Wendell Fertig seems made for Hollywood and its amazing that one hasn’t been done yet. Supposedly there is one being shopped around. Even though it has not been totally ignored, going by Hollywood you would think the Marines conducted all the operations in the Pacific Theater by themselves. In reality the Army had more combat personnel involved and had higher casualties. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-battles-events-of-wwii-not-given-cinematic-tv-treatment/686701/5 "2014-04-22T19:08:16Z")
The US/German conflict in the [Hurtgen Forest](http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hurtgen_Forest) the longest single battle in US Army history and the bloodiest (for the US) single engagement in the European Theater is often subsumed beneath the larger Battle of the Bulge during which it occurred. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-battles-events-of-wwii-not-given-cinematic-tv-treatment/686701/6 "2014-04-22T19:18:03Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Most of the Eastern Front. Sure, there’s _Cross of Iron_ and _Enemy at the Gates_, but what about Kursk? Or the siege of Leningrad? Or the Battle of Berlin? > > Have they ever made a movie about the invasion of Crete? Much of what you refer to seems to have been covered in [The Great Battle](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151852/)(1969), a mammoth Russian production that I’ve not seen, although on further reading it seems to be as much documentary as cinema. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-battles-events-of-wwii-not-given-cinematic-tv-treatment/686701/7 "2014-04-22T19:19:16Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > The US/German conflict in the [Hurtgen Forest](http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hurtgen_Forest) the longest single battle in US Army history and the bloodiest (for the US) single engagement in the European Theater is often subsumed beneath the larger Battle of the Bulge during which it occurred. Am I recalling correctly that an episode of Band Of Brothers deals with this? ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-battles-events-of-wwii-not-given-cinematic-tv-treatment/686701/8 "2014-04-22T19:29:30Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > The US/German conflict in the [Hurtgen Forest](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hurtgen_Forest) the longest single battle in US Army history and the bloodiest (for the US) single engagement in the European Theater is often subsumed beneath the larger Battle of the Bulge during which it occurred. The Wikipedia page you linked (corrected in quote) references an HBO film called _When Trumpets Fade_, which was done in 1998 and I have no memory of, but the cast list makes me want to seek it out… Band of Brothers covered the Battle of the Bulge around the town of Bastogne, not Hurtgen Forest. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-battles-events-of-wwii-not-given-cinematic-tv-treatment/686701/9 "2014-04-22T20:10:12Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > . . . or the Russian attack on the Japanese just before the war ended . . . The Russian attack was _very_ briefly depicted in _The Last Emperor_, as the title character was captured by the Russians. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-battles-events-of-wwii-not-given-cinematic-tv-treatment/686701/10 "2014-04-22T20:12:52Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > The US/German conflict in the [Hurtgen Forest](http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hurtgen_Forest) the longest single battle in US Army history and the bloodiest (for the US) single engagement in the European Theater is often subsumed beneath the larger Battle of the Bulge during which it occurred. [When Trumpets Fade](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0135706/) specifically covers Hurtgen and the various issues faced there ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-battles-events-of-wwii-not-given-cinematic-tv-treatment/686701/11 "2014-04-22T20:14:43Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > ? Or the Battle of Berlin?? [The Fall of Berlin](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041727/) - although it technically covers the whole Soviet part of the war. And it sucks. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-battles-events-of-wwii-not-given-cinematic-tv-treatment/686701/12 "2014-04-22T20:20:27Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > [When Trumpets Fade](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0135706/) specifically covers Hurtgen and the various issues faced there I have never heard of that film and I have seen the majority of US war films made in the 20th century. It apparently didn’t do very well ratings-wise as it hasn’t been re-broadcast recently ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-battles-events-of-wwii-not-given-cinematic-tv-treatment/686701/13 "2014-04-22T20:24:25Z")
> [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#): > > The Russian attack was _very_ briefly depicted in _The Last Emperor_, as the title character was captured by the Russians. Revenge for Port Arthur. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-battles-events-of-wwii-not-given-cinematic-tv-treatment/686701/14 "2014-04-22T20:28:15Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > I have never heard of that film and I have seen the majority of US war films made in the 20th century. It apparently didn’t do very well ratings-wise as it hasn’t been re-broadcast recently It is an HBO movie, its kind of a downer, and while it holds up well to movies made before it, BoB, Saving Private Ryan and other movies are better technically. You can see how they were doing the learning curve for later movies, however. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-battles-events-of-wwii-not-given-cinematic-tv-treatment/686701/15 "2014-04-22T20:35:17Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Am I recalling correctly that an episode of Band Of Brothers deals with this? The 101st Airborne was not involved in that battle. They had been pulled back for refitting after Market Garden and were held in reserve until the Bulge. The episode you might be thinking of was the battle of Foy and their occupation of the Bois Jacques outside of Foy during the Battle of the Bulge. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-battles-events-of-wwii-not-given-cinematic-tv-treatment/686701/16 "2014-04-22T20:37:07Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > The 101st Airborne was not involved in that battle. They had been pulled back for refitting after Market Garden and were held in reserve until the Bulge. The episode you might be thinking of was the battle of Foy and their occupation of the Bois Jacques outside of Foy during the Battle of the Bulge. Yep, that’s the one. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-battles-events-of-wwii-not-given-cinematic-tv-treatment/686701/17 "2014-04-22T20:37:59Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > It is an HBO movie, its kind of a downer, and while it holds up well to movies made before it, BoB, Saving Private Ryan and other movies are better technically. You can see how they were doing the learning curve for later movies, however. I’ll check this one out…if I can find it. The Australian conflict in [New Guinea](http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Guinea_campaign) has been poorly documented. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-battles-events-of-wwii-not-given-cinematic-tv-treatment/686701/18 "2014-04-22T20:49:59Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > I’ll check this one out…if I can find it. > > The Australian conflict in [New Guinea](http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Guinea_campaign) has been poorly documented. There is [Kokoda](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0481390/) ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-battles-events-of-wwii-not-given-cinematic-tv-treatment/686701/19 "2014-04-22T20:50:53Z")
I don’t know of any US films about [Operation Dragoon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Dragoon). The invasion of Southern France in late summer 1944. Quite successful. If a few more resources had been devoted to it, they could have trapped and destroyed a good chunk of Army Group G. And that might have lead to fewer problems later in the Vosges Mountains. The Battle of Berlin is indirectly covered in numerous films covering Hitler’s final days. (I thought _The Last Battle_ by Cornelius Ryan was made into a movie but apparently not. Only one of his 3 WWII books not made into a film.) ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-battles-events-of-wwii-not-given-cinematic-tv-treatment/686701/20 "2014-04-22T20:57:00Z")
While not a major conflict in respect to the outcome of the war, my father used to refer to the battle of Pago Pago, where he was stationed for much of the war. The Seabees somehow sidetracked a shipment of beer heading for Manila, I believe, and the regular Navy stationed on the island with the assistance of one Army engineer went through hell getting their share of it. “Never have so few struggled with so few over so much…” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-battles-events-of-wwii-not-given-cinematic-tv-treatment/686701.md?page=2)