Operation Crossbow (1965)

Average War Heroics - Operation Crossbow review by GI

One of a cycle of Boys Own war adventure films that were popular family entertainment in the 1960s. This one is clearly influenced by the James Bond films and incorporates espionage and the evil baddies, in this case the Nazis, in their underground lair. With an all star cast this had great appeal and being British made and on location in the UK it remains popular as it pushes the myth of the Second World War as a contest between the plucky English and the nasty Hun. It's historically all over the place but never intended to be a realistic depiction of events but a roustabout adventure film with plenty of action. In this case handsome American star (so as to appeal to the US market) George Peppard is Curtis, a cocky American pilot recruited by British intelligence because of his engineering qualifications to infiltrate the German installation making experimentation rockets. Assisted by John Mills, Anthony Quayle, Sophia Loren (her husband Carlo Ponti produced the film!), Trevor Howard, Tom Courtney, Richard Todd, Sylvia Sims et al this will be a favourite of many although there are far better films to be found of this type of war drama. Viewed today it's more likely to raise a smile at the clumsy script and stereotypical characters.

Soso fictional account of real-life Allied bombing of V1 & V2 rocket plants in Germany summer 1943/4 - Operation Crossbow review by PV

I would advise anyone interested in the V1 and V2 rocket campaign to watch BATTLE OF THE V1 (1958) (also known as Battle of the V.1, Battle of the V1, Missiles from Hell and Unseen Heroes) which also uses authentic WWII footage, but of actual V1/V2 rockets flying and where they hit. This film uses some of British guns shooting them as they approach the coast.

German TV series BABYLON BERLIN also features the 1927/8 rocket mania in Germany, where the posh privileged assistant was Werner von Braun, aged 18, who went on to design the V1 and V2 rockets and was then poached with his team (and helped them escape justice and the Soviets) by CIA/USA to work for NASA - it was he who put man on the moon in 1969 really. Werner von Braun was a card-carrying member of the Nazi party and the SS.

Anyway, the worst thing about this film is the title, which was the real title for the operation to bomb the V1/V2 rockets development and manufacture centre at Peenemünde in Germany of course in summer 1943 and 1944. When the Soviet's liberated the plant, they found it 75% destroyed.

Some background. After D-Day landings 1944, the allies liberated France, incl Paris, Belgium and the southern Netherlands up to the Arne river, the famous Battle of Arnhem followed at the bridge. SO the Nazis still help northern Netherlands and that is where the rockets were made in underground networks. Not only London was targeted with the rockets, also Antwerp in the south of the Netherlands. As well as the terror and deaths wreaked on London, the massive destruction of these huge rockets contributed greatly to the post war housing crisis.

Of course this film is a story, fictionalised, with heroes infiltrating the plant which never happened. Operation Crossbow was the name of the bombing mission. In reality, 2 Polish janitors passed plans of the plant to their Polish Home Army Intelligence service, and separately in 1943 the same year an Austrian resistance group gave plans to the British too, and they were in contact with head of US secret service in Switzerland too, before they were discovered by the Gestapo and executed.

SO the story of the Brits and an American parachuting in is all derring-do hokum, to create narrative tension and suspense - fair enough. It does not try to deceive (as some movies may do when faking real events, like Argo, or U-571, which claim Americans did stuff done by Brits, Canadians and Poles.

Great cast. Anthony Quayle almost replays his ICE COLD IN ALEX role; Tom Courtney is superb. Reminds me of THE DAMBUSTERS in its higher-ups cynical of success while the better junior officers are proved right in the end...

Amazing to think Sophia Loren is now 90...

Anyhoo, I liked this for what it is. Not a classic but watchable. 3.5 stars rounded up.