Re: [OT] "Enemy At The Gates" Review

Not that there's any argument as to factual inaccuracies in the movie
but....

John sezs...
> Right.  I noticed that most of their Ruskie tank
> turrets seemed to be /85s.  The other technical
> problem I run into is the depiction of the initial
> attack.  In 1942 the Russians had plenty of problems,
> but a shortage of Mosin-Nagants and 7.62mm ammo was
> not on the list.  An attack of that nature belongs to
> the early WWI era, not mid-WWII.  Also the complaints
> about lack of air, artillery, and armor seemed wierd
> considering the Russians had more of all three.  There
> was also a considerable degree of exaggeration of the
> nature of the Russian political officers.

A few points.. . the 62d Army was in dire straights supply, personnel,
combat leader  and materiel-wise throughout the pre-Operation URANUS
Phase
of the Stalingrad campaign which is the time frame depicted in the
movie.
The Germans also had air superiority over the city and that sector of
the
front until the Russian counter-offensive (and winter) both of which
happen
after the events in the movie. There are accounts of exactly that kind
of
weapons rationing, check out Beevor's "Stalingrad:The Fateful Seige", or
more or less any oethr Stalingrad historical account.

Also the role of the commisars as portrayed in the movie were pretty
much
spot on for that time period.  It was not until nearly the end of the
Stalingrad campaign (Well, until winter 42/43 that the role of the
commisar
began to change, the dual command structure was replaced and the role of
the
commander again in ascendancy. NKVD records note the trial/execution of
13,500 Russian soldiers in the Stalingrad sector during the campaign.,
that's well over a full division of troops executed! That does not
inclded
OGPU/schmersh actions as depcited in the movie where troops were fired
upon
as they retreated. Also at any given time during that period there were
a
further 250,00 troops (give or take) on the books in penal units along
the
entire Russain front in the pipeline to "make up for their crimes in
blood".
(Stalin's words) The lot of the Russain soldier was so harsh that even
after
encirclement Russians were still going over to the German side. The
sixth
Army, at the time of encirlcemnt had nearly a  quarter of its strength
or
70,000 men logged in it's strength reports as hiwis or other Russain
volunteers.

> I did, however,¥Î÷Öoy the portrayal of Krushkev.

me too...
(BTW welcome back)