Stupidity: The lack of security at the château is not plausible. The Germans typically would have layers of protection around headquarters or other sensitive areas. In the movie, there are two middle aged guys guarding the road into the Château. After that there are no checkpoints, no patrols, and no controlled access points into the castle. It makes no sense that dozens of officers would be left vulnerable to an attack by French resistance fighters, let alone an Allied airborne assault.
The Dirty Dozen (1967)
1 stupidity
Directed by: Robert Aldrich
Starring: Charles Bronson, Ernest Borgnine, Lee Marvin, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes
Factual error: During the war games they have Jefferson pose as a major in order to facilitate the commandeering of the ambulance and the jeep. Regardless of their personal feelings in the matter the ambulance crew and the driver and troops in the jeep would be perfectly aware that no black man would ever be promoted to a position of authority in an otherwise all white command. We may find it repugnant today but the US Army was rigidly segregated during World War 2 - and it stayed that way until 1948. Jefferson may have been inducted into a special unit like the Dirty Dozen but considering that the future of the entire mission is riding on their success at the games, throwing it all away like that makes no sense at all.
Col. Everett Dasher Breed: Reisman! Some people may consider you a first-class officer. But as far as I'm concerned, you're a disorganized, undisciplined clown. I'm gonna' make it my business to run you out of this Army.
Major John Reisman: I owe you an apology, colonel. I always thought that you were a cold, unimaginative, tight-lipped officer. But you're really quite emotional, aren't you?
Trivia: Notice how the only survivor (Bronson) isn't a "real" Criminal (rapist, murderer etc) but shot a soldier running off with the unit's medical supplies. The Hollywood Code of the time couldn't show criminals "getting away with it."
Question: What are the small tubes that are collected in Colonel Breed's H.Q.? General Warden seems to figure out who they are.
Answer: Rifle firing pins?
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Answer: Detonators for explosives.
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