Below- The Movie (Historical Question Content)

[Suicide Charlie]

Has anybody seen this? It's about a US sub operating in the Atlantic. It's actually a sort of horror/thriller/mystery movie.

Anyways, in the movie the sub is hunted by a German destroyer/sub chaser/HK'er at one point. While identifying it they note its weapon systems. As they rap off the usual listing of gun emplacements, and ASW capabilities they say "Grappling Hooks."

At first I didn't pay much attention to it even though it drew a "Grap... Wha?" from me. Within the next few minutes I see what they mean. Apparently the ship was towing these heavy grappling hook like apparatus's behind it. They grabbed a hold of the framing supporting the periscopes and radar and made a mess of them.

Was this a real weapon? I have never heard of it until then.

[Torpex752]

There was at least one instance of some sort of hook used on a US Sub in shallow water. Its mentioned in the book "Silent Running". The author discovered after the war that the Japanese idea was to hook the sub and slide down the cable a charge that would detonate directly next to the hull. The movie version is IMHO nonsense.

Frank "Torpex" Kulick
Subsim staff :cool:

[dean_acheson]

Yes, I have read of the Japanese using this tactic, and somewhere in my brain I think I remember reading about the British having discussions on the use of something like this in WWI, the latter I wouldn't want to swear by.

I can't remember off hand the U.S. sub that had this happen to it in the Pacific in WWII.

[Sailor Steve]

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=84082&highlight=grappling+hooks
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=84150&highlight=grappling+hooks

[Suicide Charlie]

Thank you good sir.

[Sawyer]

The ship used for some of the external shots in the movie, the USS Silversides, is docked in Muskegon, Michigan. Last fall, as part of a Boy Scout outing, my son and I spend the night on the Silversides. We had full run of the ship, which was pretty awesome. For what it is worth, I didn't see any grappling hooks or ghosts...

[barracuda]

I have the DVD. It´s nonsense but the first 10 min are good with the diving sequence.

[Monica Lewinsky]

It´s nonsense but the first 10 min are goodStrongly agree. What a waste of time from the 11th minute to the title of "The End".