Attack

Although he played a cowardly officer in this film, in real life Eddie Albert, who served in WW II, was a decorated war hero. At the Battle of Tarawa (1943), while braving heavy enemy fire, he rescued over 70 wounded Marines, loading them onto his landing craft and taking them back to other ships to receive medical care. For these actions he was award the Bronze Star with "V" device for valor.

In every shot in which they appear, the German tanks have external travel locks on their main gun, including whilst they are firing. These braces are mainly applied when the tank is being transported by ship or train, and is to prevent the turret from shaking and damaging sensitive systems like aiming mechanisms. However, any such device would be removed long before the tank enters combat, as it makes aiming virtually impossible. That, and thanks to recoil, the act of firing the gun in such a situation would not only damage the lock, but also likely harm the very mechanisms the lock is supposed to help protect in the first place.

Opening credits prologue: EUROPE 1944

When originally released theatrically in the UK, the BBFC made cuts to secure a 'X' rating. All cuts were waived in 1997 when the film was granted a 'PG' certificate for home video.

Featured in Discovering Film: Lee Marvin (2015)