Goofs

Narrator says Rommel was wounded June 17, 1944 the same day he met with Hitler. He later says he was wounded three days before the July 20, 1944 assassination attempt. He was wounded July 17th not as the narrator says June 17th. After the D-Day invasion, Rommel requests and gets a personal interview with Hitler for "June 17". Returning from meeting on "June 17", his car is strafed and overturns, severely injuring him (Rommel). Yet "three days later" it is "July 20".

Just before Rommel's car is strafed, a single American P47 is seen flying high, then appearing to see the car and start to descend. When the car is seen actually being strafed, it was by at least 2 British Spitfires, but no P47.

When von Stauffenberg exits the block house there are 2 guards, one either side of the door. But when he looks back after hiding behind a tree, the guards have gone.

The opening commando raid shows at least a dozen German soldiers killed. In reality, only four were killed.

In a clip, a long line of surrendered German soldiers is described as being the remnants of the Afrika Korps. The soldiers are wearing Wehrmacht uniforms used in Europe and not the distinctive Afrika Korps uniform.

The narrator says that Allied armies were sweeping toward the Rhine when Rommel was approached by the anti-Hitler conspirators in early July 1944, but those forces were actually still being contained by the Germans in Normandy, and did not break out until after the assassination attempt.

The opening scene states that a British submarine inserted a commando unit behind enemy lines; however what is shown is clearly an American Fleet Type submarine which did not operate in the Mediterranean.

During the naval bombardment prior to the D-Day landings, one of the ships shown shooting is HMS Repulse, which was sunk in December of 1941, two and a half years before D-Day.

Some have said the quote by Von Runstedt, "Victory had a hundred fathers, defeat is an orphan" is an anachronism. It is sometimes attributed including Count Galeazzo Ciano (Italian fascist politician, 1903 - 1944). It seems to have been a quote from his diary of 1942. Von Runstedt is unlikely to have quoted it as Ciano's diary was not published until 1946. However, this is a very ancient military saying that goes back to Roman times. It is sometimes attributed to Hannibal though there is no proof of him being the originator. A soldier as educated and able as Von Runstedt might well have been familiar with it.

Speaking in late June or early July 1944, von Rundstedt tells Rommel that he's seventy, and too old to revolt. In actual fact he was sixty-eight at the time. He was likely just rounding up his age for effect.

When depicting the D-Day invasion at Normandy, landing craft are shown approaching the beach at Iwo Jima. Mt.Surabachi is clearly seen, but the shot has been reversed (numbers on the bows of the landing craft are back to front) to make the location less evident.

In a scene between Von Runstedt and Rommel, a man seen through the window in the background does not move at all, showing that it is a painted backdrop.

The scenes concerning the failed 20th July 1944 bomb plot to kill Hitler have a very obvious goof if you look properly. It's midsummer (July, 1944) and Hitler's military planners are shown apparently walking through the East Prussian woods to the building for their meeting with Hitler, where the bomb was to be planted below the table around which they would be assembled. It's midsummer and all the trees have no leaves on them whatsoever. Obviously this was filmed sometime between perhaps December and March and not July as portrayed.

It appears that Rommel and several other officers are wearing the de-Nazified version of the Iron Cross. These versions of the Iron Cross were created by the government of Germany after the end of World War II, long after Rommel had died.

During the montage depicting the invasion of the beaches at Normandy, part of the background music is a portion of the U.S. Marine Corps Hymn, implying participation by the Marines. However, the Marines had no part in the Normandy invasion.

In the opening raid scene, one of the German soldiers is seen briefly carrying an American Thompson submachine gun.

When Desmond Young sees Rommel, the Desert Fox is wearing a leather overcoat. The narrator identifies this as taking place in Libya in June 1942, when it would be far too hot for anyone on the ground to wear a leather overcoat.

In the pre-credit scene of the British commandos raiding Rommel's headquarters some the commandos are seen pulling the pins of their hand grenades with their teeth. This is impossible to do.

During one of the Normandy Invasion scenes, the landing craft can be seen approaching an island with palms trees near the beach. The video is clearly from an operation in the Pacific Theater rather than the D-Day landings.

In Rommel's hospital room in Germany, there is an American electrical outlet next to the bed.

In shots of the battle of El Alamein, there is one of an anti-aircraft battery overlooking Tobruk Harbour, some distance from El Alamein.

During the scene when Rommel has returned to Africa by plane after having nasal diphtheria and is being briefed by his staff. General Fritz Bayerlein (George Macready) is asked has there been any new supplies, tanks, guns? Rommel then asks "and no petrol at all?" Bayerlein answers "Not a pint!" His reply should have been "not a litre!" - Germany was, and still is, on the metric system.

Lt. Col. Caesar von Hofaker is seen in a Wehrmacht (Army) uniform. In fact, he was a Luftwaffe (air force) officer and should have worn a different uniform.