Posted on Apr 21, 2016
What oft-repeated historical innaccuracy bugs you most?
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We've all seen it at least once; somebody who probably should know better says something we know to be demonstrably false. I've got several of these; the Bismarck was the most powerful battleship ever, the Nazis weren't socialist, etc. But the one that I saw yesterday ticks me off the most; the watertight bulkheads on the Titanic were a design flaw. Nope, they were fine for the design.
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 14
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The U.S. is a democracy.
That one should be right at the top of everyone's list.
That one should be right at the top of everyone's list.
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1LT Aaron Barr
Capt Walter Miller - No, it is not. The United States is a constitutional republic with a democratic system of representation.
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Capt Walter Miller
You have your opinion and Winston Churchill has his. Your statement agrees with his, any way.
Walt
Walt
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CPO Frank Coluccio
Want to know the TRUE definition of a "Democracy???"
Two wolves and a sheep sitting at a table deciding what's for dinner!!!
Two wolves and a sheep sitting at a table deciding what's for dinner!!!
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1LT Aaron Barr
As a student of history, the question brings to many things too the surface to list here. The one that always drives me crazy are the ones about the Crusades. That is was something that the Christian West initiated out of a historical vacuum, and not a reaction to hundreds of years of Muslim aggression or that is was Western land grab, ETC.
As a student of history, the question brings to many things too the surface to list here. The one that always drives me crazy are the ones about the Crusades. That is was something that the Christian West initiated out of a historical vacuum, and not a reaction to hundreds of years of Muslim aggression or that is was Western land grab, ETC.
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Col Jim Harmon
This is spot on. The Crusades were in fact a defensive reaction to an Islamic invasion. But it’s not very PC to confuse history with facts these days.
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That the Sherman Tank was awesome, when in actuality it was a gas bomb waiting to go off.
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MSG Brad Sand
Col Jim Harmon
Not good odds, but when the US could make 10 Shermans for every 1 Tiger/Panther, it tipped the balance in the favor of the Allies.
Not good odds, but when the US could make 10 Shermans for every 1 Tiger/Panther, it tipped the balance in the favor of the Allies.
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Capt Walter Miller
One thing about US vs German and Soviet tanks --- any US tank had to be transportable world wide (to ports with cranes large enough to unload them), and suitable for service in all climates. To that degree the Sherman was pretty good.
Don't forget that Shermans were produced in at least 11 different plants with a bunch of different engines. Only 11,000 of the M4A3's were produced. They had the purposed designed V-8.
Walt
Don't forget that Shermans were produced in at least 11 different plants with a bunch of different engines. Only 11,000 of the M4A3's were produced. They had the purposed designed V-8.
Walt
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That Democrats have always been the party of the minorities, the workers, the underprivileged, the huddled masses. The KKK, for example, was their pet group throughout the late 1800s and into the very early 1900s. Historical and irrefutable fact!!!
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MCPO (Join to see)
You're right, Donnie! Back in the day, the platforms of the Dem and Repub parties were reversed - the Repubs were the progressive reformers and the Dems were the party of conservatism. Neither side likes to hear that much, though...
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I've actually got three:
1. That the US had only a minor/late role in WWI
2. That there was only one, vs. the actual two, Socialist Revolutions in Russia
3. That the P-51 was the "best" fighter of WWII
1. That the US had only a minor/late role in WWI
2. That there was only one, vs. the actual two, Socialist Revolutions in Russia
3. That the P-51 was the "best" fighter of WWII
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Capt Walter Miller
This is a really cool picture taken from inside a B-17 Combat Wing. The Wing comprised 3 combat Boxes. This point of view is from within the Box on the right. A second Box is in the middle distance and another is in the far distance. The Combat Wings would proceed in column to the target usually within visual distance but not ‘butted’ together. Late in the war, five Wings might visit a given target. The key to accuracy was that the 3 Boxes would fall into trail to bomb the target. A Box was only 750 feet across.
This type picture leads many – okay, many Brits – to say there couldn’t possibly be precision bombing from this formation, without realizing that this formation, or configuration, was not used for bombing. A lot of the bombs cast out over Europe were not very accurate but when they were on target, it was totally whacked.
This type picture leads many – okay, many Brits – to say there couldn’t possibly be precision bombing from this formation, without realizing that this formation, or configuration, was not used for bombing. A lot of the bombs cast out over Europe were not very accurate but when they were on target, it was totally whacked.
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Capt Walter Miller
Some late F's received the chin turret making them almost indistinguishable from the early Gs.
B-17 production off the top of my head:
B-17B,C,D, about 100. B-17E - 512 B-17F - 4550, B-17G - 8600.
B-17's were produced at 3 different plants, Lockheed, Vega and Boeing. The Boeing plant was producing a new Fort every 3 hours at one point.
Walt
B-17 production off the top of my head:
B-17B,C,D, about 100. B-17E - 512 B-17F - 4550, B-17G - 8600.
B-17's were produced at 3 different plants, Lockheed, Vega and Boeing. The Boeing plant was producing a new Fort every 3 hours at one point.
Walt
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Capt Walter Miller
You do see this in the literature. But it is just beyond amazing, the courage of these guys. When a B-17 or B-24 was hit at altitude, you had to disconnect from the comm system, the electrical system, the oxygen system, get out of your flak suit if you have one, don your parachute, and escape the aircraft – all in about 60 seconds. After that anoxia could kick in. The flyers were very aware of that. One heartbreaking story had a B-17 right behind a stricken squadron mate. The pilot watched 4 crewmen escaping from the aft starboard side hatch, pulling their rip cords as they did so. A thin wisp of blue flame coming off the wing ignited all 4 chutes.
Walt
Walt
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Good question! Bothers me: The false idea that President Lincoln freed the slaves through the Emancipation Proclamation. The EP only freed slaves in the areas of the country not currently under federal control. The 13th Amendment ended involuntary servitude in the USA. The story is brilliantly told in Spielberg's "Lincoln".
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That the Republican party is the party of the KKK when in fact the Democrat party formed the KKK to keep northern Republicans from coming south and registering blacks to vote, and that the parties had a secret meeting at some time in the 60's where they switched platforms so that the Republicans could ascend the mantle of hate. I'm sorry to be political, but this really grates me.
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Let's see...
1. Medieval folk were dirty and smelly - bathing rarely.
2. The Salem Witch Trials killed hundreds of supposed witches.
3. There was only one Inquisition.
4. The US Navy has been around since 1775.
5. Madonna was a good singer...
There are others, but those are a good start.
1. Medieval folk were dirty and smelly - bathing rarely.
2. The Salem Witch Trials killed hundreds of supposed witches.
3. There was only one Inquisition.
4. The US Navy has been around since 1775.
5. Madonna was a good singer...
There are others, but those are a good start.
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1LT Aaron Barr The misconception that Roman Gladiator Battles were blood baths.It is widely believed that these battles resulted in 30 men dying in one fight and 1 in 200 fights always resulted in killing. The truth is that gladiators were really expensive (think about the training and equipment). An injured man always resulted in the fight coming to an end. Gladiators were very well cared for by those that owned them.
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LTC David Brown
Many gladiators were free men who did it for the glory. Sorta like MMA fighters. There was an interesting article I read about a gladiator cemetery in Ephesus. The chane of dying was about 1 in 6 according to the article. Gladiator remains showed they had excellent medical care and diets.
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I am in a Facebook group about Battleships. They are always creaming over the Yamato.
Reading “The Bombers and the Bombed” by Dr. Overy. Hitler abolished all the unions, but as you point out, there was a strong streak of socialism in German culture. Amazing to relate that the Germans had a program to pay workers for time lost – if their factories were out of action due to Allied bombing! Maybe that is where the US automakers got the idea for job banks.
I think one of the enduring appeals of the Titanic story is that somehow the iceberg opened up 4 of the 6 watertight compartments. Did someone say, “God himself couldn’t sink this ship”?
Walt
Reading “The Bombers and the Bombed” by Dr. Overy. Hitler abolished all the unions, but as you point out, there was a strong streak of socialism in German culture. Amazing to relate that the Germans had a program to pay workers for time lost – if their factories were out of action due to Allied bombing! Maybe that is where the US automakers got the idea for job banks.
I think one of the enduring appeals of the Titanic story is that somehow the iceberg opened up 4 of the 6 watertight compartments. Did someone say, “God himself couldn’t sink this ship”?
Walt
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Col Jim Harmon
It would have been an interesting, but brutal battle, to have pitted the Yamamoto against one of the Montana Class Battleships that were being designed in WWII.
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1LT Aaron Barr
I need to find that facebook group! Anytime any of your buddies goes on about the Yamato, direct them to combinedfleet.com and tell them to take a long, hard look at the facts presented. Yamato's guns were powerful but not particularly accurate. ESPECIALLY compared to US and British warships after 1944.
That said, I think the appeal to the Titanic story is all of the ways it might've ended differently and the end of the era it came to symbolize.
That said, I think the appeal to the Titanic story is all of the ways it might've ended differently and the end of the era it came to symbolize.
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Capt Walter Miller
Neither Yamato nor Musashi ever fired on a major US warship.
"Hotel Yamato" used to sit at Truk and refuel the smaller ships as they went out to fight the USN.
I took this picture in Rota in 1975. Former USS Cabot. Planes from this ship attacked HMIJN Musashi in 1944. Used as Helo/AV-8 carrier by the Spanish until 1987. ES Dedalo.
If you guess the vulgar nickname, show a little class. :)
Walt
"Hotel Yamato" used to sit at Truk and refuel the smaller ships as they went out to fight the USN.
I took this picture in Rota in 1975. Former USS Cabot. Planes from this ship attacked HMIJN Musashi in 1944. Used as Helo/AV-8 carrier by the Spanish until 1987. ES Dedalo.
If you guess the vulgar nickname, show a little class. :)
Walt
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