viewers have discovered a war film that they believe has "dethroned" Saving Private Ryan. The Six Triple Eight chronicles the remarkable true story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, which was predominantly made up of US black women.

Their formidable task was to tackle a three-year backlog of mail, as military officials worried that morale on the US front lines was suffering due to soldiers not receiving letters from home.

This unit was established following civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune, played by Oprah Winfrey, expressing concerns to the White House about the absence of significant democratic roles for Black women.

Her organisation, the National Council for Negro Women, was instrumental in securing crucial positions for women of colour in the Women's Army Corps. Directed by Tyler Perry, the film also stars Kerry Washington as Major Charity Adams, who made history as the first Black woman to command an overseas battalion for the US army.

Adams' leadership prowess came to the fore when the unit arrived in the UK in February 1945 and were stationed at King Edward's School in Birmingham.

They were tasked with sorting through 17 million letters within six months, many of which were addressed to nicknames or had been damaged by rats after being stored in warehouses for years.

The film's synopsis reads: "An army captain leads her historic battalion of all-female soldiers as they face a mission unlike any other: to restore hope to WWII's frontlines by delivering over 17 million backlogged letters. Witness their courage and determination in The Six Triple Eight."

Despite receiving a mixed reception from critics and just a 55 out of 100 rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has resonated with viewers, securing a 73% audience approval score.

The film has been lauded on social media, with one fan declaring: "The Six Triple Eight might be one of the best movies btw."

"The six triple eight movie had me in tears," penned another viewer as a third wrote: "Saving Private Ryan and Patton have been dethroned. Greatest WWII film ever is The Six Triple Eight."

A fourth agreed: "Just watched The Six Triple Eight. That moment where the white soldiers saluted the black soldiers and that song started playing... Oooohh I wanted to cry. Loveeee it!

"The six triple eight isssssssss crazzzyyyyy gooooood omg," remarked another viewer as someone else echoed: "I finally watched "The Six Triple Eight and my God, it was nothing short of amazing."