Band of Brothers Viewing Guide #5

 

EPISODE 5 

HE –  high explosives;  it is an artillery round that combines armor-piercing and high explosives 

88 -   the awesome German artillery piece that was the most feared German weapon;  originally an anti-aircraft weapon, it made most of its name as an anti-tank weapon.  Tiger tanks were equipped with this awesome gun. 

MG42 -  The German’s had the best machine gun in the war.

NOT HISTORICAL LICENSE:  Winters did throw Nixon’s pee on him to wake him up. 

In the assault on the Germans at the crossroads, they were not pinned down in the field. 

NOT HISTORICAL LICENSE:   Winters did sprint out ahead of the assault group and did encounter a German sentry who he shot.  However, he first threw a grenade, which he neglected to take the tape off that held the spoon, so the grenade did not go off.  The German also threw a grenade which Winters avoided by running forward.  He shot the German point blank, but the German was not the innocent victim portrayed in the show.  The Germans were caught by surprise and it was a turkey shoot. 

It is Leibgott, not Talbert, that Winters orders to bring the prisoners back and then has him remove all but one bullet.

In the battle at the crossroads, they expended a huge amount of ammunition.  For example, Christenson said he fired 57 clips. 

Moose Heyliger was actually the second replacement for Winters.  The first was a bad choice and was quickly removed.  Heyliger was wounded by a jumpy sentry as shown in the episode 

The depiction of them lighting gasoline fires for warmth is ridiculous.  No one would have given away their position like that. 

NOT HISTORICAL LICENSE:  Believe it or not, the Jimmy Fallon character is actually in the book. 2^nd Lt. George Rice made several trips bringing ammunition.  He mentions “Tigers, Panthers, SPs, Stukas…”