During the war games sequence, some of the Dozen are shown to exchange their blue armbands for the red ones worn by the opposing forces. But for the next few minutes of the film, they are still wearing their blue ones.
When Franko refuses to participate in the close order drill, the direction he is facing changes between ground level view and above ground view.
An airplane in the sky during the fake General's inspection scene disappears a frame later.
At the end when Reisman is driving over the bridge, another vehicle of Germans comes from the opposite direction. He lifts his machine gun over the frame of the windshield. The camera cuts to another angle, and from behind Reisman he is still holding over the windshield. Another cut to the front of his vehicle shows he has not yet raised the gun at all, but it is then that he lifts it from the seat.
When Jefferson shoots the soldier through the second floor window of the chateau, there doesn't appear to be any glass in the framing, but we clearly hear the sound of shattering glass as the soldier tumbles.
General Denton's single star is pinned on the end of the epaulet, it should be in the middle.
When two of Breed's men are roughing Wladislaw up in the latrine, one of them is wearing a rank insignia of two chevrons with a rocker. Two chevrons is a corporal. Three with a rocker is a staff sergeant. No rank existed that would have two chevrons with a rocker.
The howitzers shown were British, not American, and have chromed muzzle brakes. American howitzers do not have chromed muzzle brakes.
While the Germans did actually have early night vision scopes in World War II, these active infrared devices were clumsy, very heavy, rare, and reserved for special ops. It is hardly conceivable that any would be stationed at a glorified officer's brothel.
The 25-pounder howitzers used during the war games do not appear to recoil. They should in fact recoil the full length of the barrel.
When Reisman throws the rope down from the second story of the chateau and Wladislaw is throwing the grapnel up to the roof, the ropes are a small diameter (1" or less) and made of a white material. Later, in the scenes, where the stunt men actually climb up the ropes they are much larger diameter and made of a darker, tan colored
material.
The white ropes could have been lighter ropes used to make it easier to throw the hook, which are then tied to the heavier ropes that are actually used for climbing.
The white ropes could have been lighter ropes used to make it easier to throw the hook, which are then tied to the heavier ropes that are actually used for climbing.
When Sgt. Bowren is introducing Maj. Reisman to the twelve prisoners, he refers to Glenn Gilpen as "Gilpen, S." and Joseph Wladislaw as "Wladislaw T."
"Wladislaw, T." and "Gilpen, S." could be their official names, while Joseph and Glenn could be the names they go by on an everyday basis.
"Wladislaw, T." and "Gilpen, S." could be their official names, while Joseph and Glenn could be the names they go by on an everyday basis.
Wires visible on a flare during the attack on the German compound.
When going through the airborne school, the static lines are not connected to the parachute and can be seen when some jump. The cloth ribbon they used for the shot would also not work as it is too thin.
The clothing and hairstyles worn by the women in the graduation ball are 1960s hairstyles.
General Worden's barracks cap has gold braid on the visor, incorrect for the World War II period. Douglas MacArthur was the only U.S. Army general who wore braid on his cap, but this was actually his Philippine Field Marshal's cap and not U.S. issue.
In the dinner scene at the end of the training, one of the characters shoots a picture with a Kodak Tourist Flash camera not produced until 1951.
In the chateau scene, the German girl has a 1967 hairstyle and clothing.
During the scene with the prostitutes, there is a black-and-white print posted on the wall by pinup artist Gillette Elvgren entitled "Waiting For You" featuring a blonde woman in a babydoll. The original painting of that print is from 1962.
When Wladislaw is beat up in the latrine, the men in the truck ask what happened, but when Franko sarcastically says "Three wise men, trust the major," the last three words do not match his mouth. It appears he says "Trust Reisman."
Jiminez plays guitar while singing "The Bramble Bush". After a pause, his hands continue strumming but the guitar makes no sound.
After the scene where the Dirty Dozen remove the weapons from the regular soldiers, they can be heard laughing and taunting Colonel Breed as Major Reisman watches. However, their mouths are closed.
After Sergeant Bowren dubs the Dirty Dozen with their titular nickname, he orders "Dress right, dress." The men space off with left hand on belt and elbow extended to the side, which is "close interval dress". At the sergeant's order, they should have spaced off with the left arm extended at shoulder level.