The Devil’s Brigade (1968)- Monte la Difensa Assault

Описание: In the climax of The Devil’s Brigade (1968), the First Special Service Force assaults Monte la Difensa. The Devil’s Brigade stars William Holden, who plays Lt. Col. Robert T. Frederick, the real-life commander of the First Special Service Force. The First Special Service Force was a joint American-Canadian commando unit that served in World War II. Robert T. Frederick served as an advisor during production in 1967. Ironically, unlike in the movie, he did not lead the assault on Monte la Difensa. The battle scenes were filmed in Utah and the extras were members of the Utah National Guard.

The Devil’s Brigade has received a mixed reception over the years due to its portrayal of the Americans. In the movie, the Americans were depicted as being convicts and misfits from army stockades across the country. In reality, many of the Americans who served in the First Special Service Force were former woodsmen, lumberjacks, and foresters; men experienced in the outdoors. According to A Perfect Hell: The True Story of the Black Devils, the Forefathers of the Special Forces, there were convicts (both American and Canadian) that were recruited from stockades. But the convicts were the minority in the Force, not the majority.

"The Devil's Brigade was and is a very entertaining war movie. But as a piece of accurate history it's sheer nonsense. There was never an aspect of The Dirty Dozen. This was absolutely not true."

Bill Story, Canadian Veteran of the First Special Service Force