5 Stupid War Myths Everyone Believes (Thanks To Movies)

[Vladd67]

True any idiot can pick up a musket and make it fire with little training, I should know I was that idiot
Here is how it is done

 

[Caledfwlch]

The Duke of Wellington actually looked into reforming some sort of War Bow Brigade, as War Bows had more range and accuracy, but was put off when the experts told him it would be 20+ years before they had people trained to the correct standard.

 

[Vladd67]

Didn't Stirling want the SAS issued with bows in the desert for taking out sentries quietly? I believe his request was denied.

 

[Venusian Broon]

Didn't Stirling want the SAS issued with bows in the desert for taking out sentries quietly? I believe his request was denied.

Although, at least according to Wikipedia, Lieutenant Colonel 'Mad Jack' Churchill did kill a German with a Longbow in 1940.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Churchill

He also always went into battle armed with a sword as well. Obviously hadn't heard or had chosen to ignore the maxim, never bring a knife to a gun fight.

 

[Mirannan]

@KyleAW
A mistake to ignore common parlance and be pedantic. You end up drinking alone at a party.
Being right can be wrong.
The 1/10th as a severe punishment is the original meaning. Now it just means Majority killed.
c.f. Meaning of "gay", "gender", "awesome" (inspires awe), "Terrific" (creates terror), "ejaculated" (even in 1950s meant kind of shouting), "cool".
Or "faggot" (a stick or mince item), "Rubber" (USA Eraser, a Rubber in USA means something else).

Language and description and expressions change meaning.

Yup. Several comedians have mined this for comedy gold. One more of interest is that, apparently, Durex is a brand name for sticky tape a la Sellotape. The word "fag" is a cultural minefield, too.

 

[WaylanderToo]

Indeed, it's the other way round!
What was Vietnam? 57,000 US shots per target hit?

I was going to say that I suspect that that figure is waaaaaaaaaaaay off - but when you think about the helicopter gunships effectively 'mowing the lawn (jungle)' with their guns (think each gun had 4,000 rounds of ammo) maybe you're not that waaaaaaaaaaaay off

 

[Caledfwlch]

The way the UK and the US are divided by the same language is worthy of a thread of its own.

"Decimate" get's misused dreadfully.
I remember witnessing a hysterical chat conversation during an online game of Medal of Honour.

Fool on opposing team "Blue Team, I'm gonna decimate y'all"
Wit on Blue Team "Wouldn't you be better off killing our entire team off, son?"
Fool "Eh???"
Wit "You said your going to Decimate us... you know, kill 1 in every 10 people....."
Fool "Eh????"

I was sniggering for hours after.

 

[ralphkern]

Wasn't Mad Jack the chap who said words to the effect of 'If those yanks hadn't joined the war, we could have kept it going for another 10 years?'

Notwithstanding the horrific losses that would have meant... one still has to give a wry smile at the gallows humor.

 

[Caledfwlch]

Although, at least according to Wikipedia, Lieutenant Colonel 'Mad Jack' Churchill did kill a German with a Longbow in 1940.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Churchill

He also always went into battle armed with a sword as well. Obviously hadn't heard or had chosen to ignore the maxim, never bring a knife to a gun fight.

That's nothing!!!

Major Digby Tatham-Warter, a British Officer in WW2, used to famously take his Umbrella into Battle with him - during the Arnhem Bridge landings he was in charge of the Para's Second Parachute Brigade - one reason for carrying his Umbrella was he was useless at remembering Passwords and "felt that anyone who saw him with it would think that "only a bloody fool of an Englishman" would carry an umbrella into battle." Before they landed at Arnhem, he also instructed his Paras in Napoleonic War era Bugle calls in case the Radio's went down, which seems a really good idea.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digby_Tatham-Warter

 

[Kylara]

You stole my favourite bit of war trivia with the Germans thinking we had machine guns when we just had highly trained efficient rifle teams now what am I supposed to come up with?

 

[BAYLOR]

Although, at least according to Wikipedia, Lieutenant Colonel 'Mad Jack' Churchill did kill a German with a Longbow in 1940.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Churchill

He also always went into battle armed with a sword as well. Obviously hadn't heard or had chosen to ignore the maxim, never bring a knife to a gun fight.

And he still lived to be 89.

 

[Dave]

Key false factor in movies:...nearly every shot hits its target.

Just to add to what has been said, I was recently watching a film about a project to try to find the site of "The Battle of the Ford of the Biscuits" on the Arney River near Enniskillen. There is much dispute about the actual place but they discovered a hill using metal detectors with musket balls embedded in the turf everywhere. They said it was either the battlefield or a firing range, but I was astounded that there were so many musket balls. Now I see it isn't really that odd.

 

[Jaxx]

Not quite Stormtrooper level of misses, but close

Brilliant.

Loving this thread.