| In the Book |
In the Movie |
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Schmid was actually a Delta medic. |
SFC Kurt Schmid is a Ranger Medic. |
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Super Six One actually landed in a narrow alleyway surrounded by quite small one story houses. |
The area where the first Black Hawk (Super Six One) crash lands is a large open area surrounded by large 2-3 story buildings.
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This did happen but it was actually a small force led by Delta operator, Sgt John 'Mace' Macejunas who reached Durant's crash site on foot only to find no sign of the crew or Shughart and Gordon. Sizemore was not part of this group and neither was Hoot who was still pinned down at Crash Site One.
The group were also not part of the second Humvee convoy sent out earlier in the day but part of the huge rescue convoy sent into the city that night. |
In the rescue convoy of Humvees sent out in a desperate attempt to reach Crash Site Two, they drive around the city unable to reach it so a small team of Delta Operators and Rangers (including SPC Dale Sizemore) commanded by Sgt Norman 'Hoot' Hooten, volunteers to move to the crash site on foot instead. |
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He was actually called John Stebbins and was awarded a Silver Star for his part in the battle. He was convicted some years later of child abuse and it seems this was the reason for the controversial change of name. |
The lovable company clerk, coffee barista and unlikely hero, portrayed by Ewan McGregor is named as SPC John Grimes.
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Durant actually believed the two snipers were part of a larger rescue team securing the crash site. He only realised that they were his only help after Gordon was killed and Shughart asks Durant how to set up the Black Hawk's radio to call for help. |
When the two Delta snipers, Shughart and Gordon reach Durant, Shughart tells him almost straight away that they are the only ones there to rescue him. |
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This event never actually happened, or at least it is never mentioned in the book. |
At the beginning of the movie, Eversmann and a group of Delta operators witness Aidid's militia gunning down unarmed civilians at a Red Cross Food Distribution Centre and ask for permission to engage.
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This never actually happened. Yurek did stumble upon a terrified group of young Somali children and their teacher in a small tin hut while guarding his corner of the target building but he just tells them to stay down and don't move then leaves them with a guard. The incident with the father and son is never mentioned and Yurek is never separated from his Chalk team during the fight. |
While moving to the first crash site on foot, Sgt Yurek comes under fire from a Somali man and his young son, he becomes separated from his Chalk team and stumbles into the house of a scared Somali woman and a group of children. He then slowly exits through the back door but miraculously slips and falls just as the young Somali boy opens fire, missing Yurek and hitting his father instead. Yurek then moves to the crash site alone until he finds Twombly and Nelson. |
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This never actually happened, there is a large weapon used by the militia to bombard Lt Perino's position but it is taken out by Sgt Howe's Delta team just using grenade launchers, it is also not a vehicle mounted weapon as it is fired from the window of a building. |
After securing Crash Site Two, Hoot and his small team of 'D-boys' and SPC Sizemore move to Crash Site One and encounter a vehicle mounted heavy weapon firing upon Eversmann's position. They sneak up on them, silently kill the crew with garrote wire then use the weapon to destroy another of the militia's 'technicals.'
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This never actually happened. IR strobes were only used to mark friendly positions to prevent friendly fire when the huge rescue convoy reached Crash Site One. Fluorescent orange panels were used during the day and Twombly did have to brave a gauntlet of fire by running out into the middle of Marehan Road earlier in the day to place a panel to mark friendly positions but nothing like what is shown in the movie, not to mention the fact that Eversmann never made it to the crash site and returned to base with the Lost Convoy. |
As the battle at Crash Site One reaches it's climax, Eversmann is asked to mark the Somali positions with an IR strobe marker so the Little Bird gunships can make a gun run without hitting friendlies. Eversmann throws the marker but misses so he then heroically volunteers to run through a gauntlet of fire across Marehan Road to pick up the marker and throw it onto the Somali positions which the gunships then decimate. |
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The story is told from several perspectives. |
The story is only told by the American soldiers.
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The rangers marked targets and close contact did the rest. |
The Rangers fired strobe lights at their targets at night. |
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No soldier had nightvision goggles, not even Delta(Operators) |
When they take down the RPG truck and 50 cal. attacking the base, the operators are shown wearing nightvison goggles
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Sergeant Eversmann was actually picked up by Lt Col Danny McKnight's 'Lost Convoy' and returned to base without reaching Crash Site One. |
Sergeant Eversmann (Josh Hartnett) reaches Crash Site One with Chalk Four on foot and remains there throughout the night until the rescue convoy arrives. |
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Pilla was actually killed while he was shooting out of the left hand back seat of the Humvee. Ruiz and Cavaco were the only men killed while in the turret of a Humvee. |
Sergeant Pilla was killed while manning his Humvee's 50 Cal.
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Ruiz was actually manning the 50 Cal of his Humvee on the Lost Convoy when he was hit and eventually returned to base after the convoy failed to reach Crash Site One. He was evacuated but died on his way to a hospital in Germany along with Delta operator, 'Griz' Martin. |
Sgt. Ruiz was mortally wounded while moving to Crash Site One on foot with Cpt Steele and a group of Delta operators then remains in the city throughout the night. |
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Smith was actually hit while fighting on Marehan Road near Crash Site One. He was in Chalk One, commanded by Lt. Perino who was the one who assisted in the attempt to save Smith, not Eversmann who was back at base by then. The incident where Twombly was almost hit never happened. |
Corporal Jamie Smith was mortally wounded while trying to save Twombly who was almost hit while trying to reach Eversmann's position at Crash Site One. Eversmann is his chalk leader (Chalk Four) and assists with the futile attempt to save Smith after his femoral artery is severed.
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