Tom Hanks' new convoy war movie: Greyhound

[Eichhörnchen]

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/tom-hanks-star-destroyer-captain-new-wwii-movie.html?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=postplanner&utm_source=facebook.com

A naval war movie for a change, set aboard a destroyer... perhaps an updating of "The Cruel Sea"?

[August]

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/tom-hanks-star-destroyer-captain-new-wwii-movie.html?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=postplanner&utm_source=facebook.com

A naval war movie for a change, set aboard a destroyer... perhaps an updating of "The Cruel Sea"?

Or even "The Enemy Below" although perfection is difficult to update.

[nikimcbee]

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/tom-hanks-star-destroyer-captain-new-wwii-movie.html?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=postplanner&utm_source=facebook.com

A naval war movie for a change, set aboard a destroyer... perhaps an updating of "The Cruel Sea"?

Since Hollywood is too lazy to open a history book and finds it much easier to just re-make old films, I would totally go for a remake of "The Cruel Sea" or "Sink the Bismarck."


If I were a millionaire, I'd love to make a naval movie the old school way, with the miniature models and giant pool (See Toho). I hate the over use of CGI.

How about a movie about Jutland?
The Tang's final patrol?

[Fubar2Niner]

Jutland............ Now that would be cool !

[Rockstar]

Howzabout The Caine Mutiny? Plenty of inner demons, seafaring and court room drama

[Eichhörnchen]

Or even "The Enemy Below" although perfection is difficult to update.

Still my favourite, too

[Commander Wallace]

It will be great to see this movie when it opens. Tom Hanks is an excellent actor who can play anything .

[Jimbuna]

Will be interesting to see if the ship depicted will be a US Navy destroyer or the real-life HMS Greyhound.

[Eichhörnchen]

I hope we also get submarine-interior drama as in "The Enemy Below"

[Jimbuna]

I wouldn't have thought so, a month or two ago this very topic was brought up either here or on another forum I frequent (can't remember which) and the interview/article led one to believe it was about one man and his inner-self above the surface.

[AVGWarhawk]

Great....now Tom is coming for me.

http://www.themoviescene.co.uk/reviews/_img/2868-3.jpg

[August]

http://www.themoviescene.co.uk/reviews/_img/2868-3.jpg
Heinie, maybe this time we wait for the American destroyer to actually leave the area before we turn back to course 140...

[Eichhörnchen]

http://i.imgur.com/JvEd22e.jpg

"Don't you ever ask yourself why we keep doing this, Heinie? It seems so mindless and futile... every day sitting at our keyboards like this..."

[Bilge_Rat]

well the only issue with having Hanks play a DD skipper is that at 60, he is already older than almost all the WW2 senior admirals in WW2.

but this is hollywood, after all Brad Pitt did play a tank commander at 51.

[AVGWarhawk]

well the only issue with having Hanks play a DD skipper is that at 60, he is already older than almost all the WW2 senior admirals in WW2.

but this is hollywood, after all Brad Pitt did play a tank commander at 51.

Pitt did ok with that roll I think. I believe Hanks can pull it off. Movie magic after all. And a lot of makeup. :o

[August]

Pitt did ok with that roll I think. I believe Hanks can pull it off. Movie magic after all. And a lot of makeup. :o

And combat makes men look older.

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DOH!!

[AVGWarhawk]

And combat makes men look older.

This forum requires that you wait 120 seconds between posts. Please try again in 68 seconds.

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DOH!!

Yes, the time out chair. :oops:

[Eichhörnchen]

Those seconds are precious these days...

[August]

Those seconds are precious these days...

Ok fine now shut up for 120 seconds! :D

[Eichhörnchen]

I can't

[Schöneboom]

There's good reason for optimism, as Hanks has proven himself more than capable as both writer and actor. Sony just acquired the worldwide rights, which bodes well for distribution. And Hanks has based his script appropriately on C.S. Forster's "The Good Shepherd" -- which justifies the age of his character:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Shepherd_(novel)

The one reason we might want to lower our expectations: the budget is about $30 million. These days, esp. for a war movie, that's not much. By contrast, "Captain Phillips" cost $55 million, and "Sully" cost $60 million.

[Netvudu]

This movie is the real deal. Trust me.

[Aktungbby]

Netvudu!:salute: AFTER A SEVEN YEAR SILENT RUN!

[Netvudu]

hahah. Yes.
I don´t post much around. Whenever I find some time I play SH5 and SC.

...and I work in cool film projects with strong NDAs that don´t allow me to explain the details on how awesome they might be. :salute:

[nikimcbee]

Jutland............ Now that would be cool !


ditto.


I wish they would do October Fury as a movie, about the Cuban Missile Crisis.

[ET2SN]

ditto.


I wish they would do October Fury as a movie, about the Cuban Missile Crisis.

I'll always go back to The Missiles Of October. :up:
Or, as I sometimes call it, The Revenge Of The Character Actors. :D

Sure, William Devane had to learn to talk like JFK and he deserved top billing, but (a young) Martin Sheen delivers as Bobby and that guy, what's his name?, he always played the high school principal.., well, you get the idea. :03:

While shot for TV in a TV studio (I think it was Lorimar?) on a TV budget, Missiles still holds up. Khrushchev comes off as almost campy in the Three Minute Egg scene and this is the closest I've seen to the REAL Gen. LeMay.

(To paraphrase-)

"Mr. President, just give the order and SAC will reply in full.."
"Against Cuber? Wouldn't that be over kill?"
"Nooo.. Not against Cuba.."


:o

So, great performances across the board AND done on a fairly low budget. :yeah:

[Cybermat47]

If I were a millionaire, I'd love to make a naval movie the old school way, with the miniature models and giant pool (See Toho). I hate the over use of CGI.

The giant pool makes a brief appearance in Shin Godzilla when it’s filled with mud and composited over a live action shot. Long live the giant pool.

No rubber suit though :(

[Platapus]

I would like to see a nice movie about Karl Muller and the Emden.

The problem is that if they made it true to life, no one would believe it. :03:

[nikimcbee]

The giant pool makes a brief appearance in Shin Godzilla when it’s filled with mud and composited over a live action shot. Long live the giant pool.

No rubber suit though :(


Wish granted.
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--GWLejOAA--/c_fit,f_auto,fl_progressive,q_80,w_320/17xi1ath094gdjpg.jpg


"Are you my mother?"

[nikimcbee]

Wish granted.
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--GWLejOAA--/c_fit,f_auto,fl_progressive,q_80,w_320/17xi1ath094gdjpg.jpg


"Are you my mother?"


Jim back in the day, when he had hair.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9c/21/0b/9c210b2e728b513c354a7640e3e91c12.jpg


No Buna's were harmed in this picture although a lot of bananas were consumed.

[Jimbuna]

:haha:

[Lasstmichdurch]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyzxu26-Wqk


Uuh...now i´m hyped...
And when a trailer has these alp-horns i´m always lost...

[Onkel Neal]

Why are the U-boats roaring?

[StimpsonJCat]

Why are the U-boats roaring?


They aren't. It's clearly part of the film score edited to the rhythm of the trailer. It's about creating a mood to help market the film. For all we know that may not be the films actual score. It sounds very Dunkirk-esque.

[Subnuts]

Pretty sure I never read about that part of the Battle of the Atlantic where U-boats with goofy conning tower emblems were doing Age-of-Sail style drive-bys on American destroyers which massively outgunned them.


Yes, I know I'm an idiot for expecting slow-burn tension or realism in a modern war movie.

[Rufus Shinra]

Pretty sure I never read about that part of the Battle of the Atlantic where U-boats with goofy conning tower emblems were doing Age-of-Sail style drive-bys on American destroyers which massively outgunned them.


Yes, I know I'm an idiot for expecting slow-burn tension or realism in a modern war movie.
That's obviously because it was so effective no Ally commander survived to tell about it. And the submariners don't talk about it to this day because it's a highly classified and effective tactic even using nuclear submarines.

Duh.

[Lasstmichdurch]

IMO, we have better such an maybe unrealistic naval war-film as none...
Cause we have one naval war-film in 10? years...

[Onkel Neal]

Local coverage of the making of. (https://www.wbrz.com/news/filmed-locally-on-the-uss-kidd-see-the-trailer-for-tom-hanks-new-wwii-film/)

[AVGWarhawk]

Hanks is involved. The movie will be good. Embellished a bit? Perhaps. Some oddities? Certainly. However, the movie gets the events that occurred in the Atlantic during the war out there for all to see and remember. If the movie spurns interest to look deeper into the events for just one individual then it has done it's job.

[Furia]

I am really looking forward to this one. I have just bought today the book it is based on.

I have high hopes. About time we got a modern movie based on WWII tim cans.
:Kaleun_Cheers:

[derstosstrupp]

I turned it off after “good luck surviving ze night” came over the destroyer loudspeaker....

[Rufus Shinra]

Once again, the moral of the story is to get off the boat/plane if you ever see Tom Hanks aboard. Be it a plane, a ship or whatever, it's going to be a rough ride

[derstosstrupp]

They left the part out of the trailer where the Somali pirates climb out of the conning tower.

[Jeff-Groves]

Pretty sure I never read about that part of the Battle of the Atlantic where U-boats with goofy conning tower emblems
:hmmm:
Looks to me that they were using the 'Turms Your Way' mod.
:haha:

[blackswan40]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7IyijkgdhA

[iambecomelife]

Nice trailer! I say give it a chance - I know we hard core sub simmers like to take potshots at Hollywood cliches, but this looks passable. I doubt it will be as bad as, say, U-571.

Looks like a nice roster of WWII - era units - I noticed Fletcher DD's, Catalinas, a Flower Corvette, what looked like a C-2 Cargo, and plenty of period-appropriate merchants and liners. Much better than Pearl Harbor, which had several ships that were way too modern.

The "good luck surviving zee night" - lol - not entirely inaccurate; I have read at least two accounts where German subs/planes mocked the Allied escorts with English messages.

Would have preferred a film focusing on the British role in the Battle of the Atlantic, since of course they shouldered most of the load (and my own family fought for Britain in WWII). Still, I understand the need to keep a US audience interested.

[Mork_417]

The trailer has me snagged. I will be going to see this. :D

[John Pancoast]

Hmmm. Getting that "Here goes Hollywood again" feeling.

[John Pancoast]

I turned it off after “good luck surviving ze night” came over the destroyer loudspeaker....

Me too. The radar got the usual Hollywood treatment too, though why the Allies needed radar is strange; how hard could it have been to see a u-boat with a huge red turm ?.......

[Onkel Neal]

Nice trailer! I say give it a chance - I know we hard core sub simmers like to take potshots at Hollywood cliches, but this looks passable. I doubt it will be as bad as, say, U-571.

Looks like a nice roster of WWII - era units - I noticed Fletcher DD's, Catalinas, a Flower Corvette, what looked like a C-2 Cargo, and plenty of period-appropriate merchants and liners. Much better than Pearl Harbor, which had several ships that were way too modern.

The "good luck surviving zee night" - lol - not entirely inaccurate; I have read at least two accounts where German subs/planes mocked the Allied escorts with English messages.

Would have preferred a film focusing on the British role in the Battle of the Atlantic, since of course they shouldered most of the load (and my own family fought for Britain in WWII). Still, I understand the need to keep a US audience interested.


I'll go along with you, I will give it a chance, I plan to see it on Day 1. Love Tom Hanks and even if this is Hollywooded out, glad to the the subject covered.

[Jimbuna]

Nice trailer! I say give it a chance - I know we hard core sub simmers like to take potshots at Hollywood cliches, but this looks passable. I doubt it will be as bad as, say, U-571.

Looks like a nice roster of WWII - era units - I noticed Fletcher DD's, Catalinas, a Flower Corvette, what looked like a C-2 Cargo, and plenty of period-appropriate merchants and liners. Much better than Pearl Harbor, which had several ships that were way too modern.

The "good luck surviving zee night" - lol - not entirely inaccurate; I have read at least two accounts where German subs/planes mocked the Allied escorts with English messages.

Would have preferred a film focusing on the British role in the Battle of the Atlantic, since of course they shouldered most of the load (and my own family fought for Britain in WWII). Still, I understand the need to keep a US audience interested.

Must agree with you there but seeing as my father spent most of the war in the Atlantic I feel honour bound to give it a viewing.

I think your words will be much kinder than those of the majority of critics after the film is released (June 12).

NOTE: The majority of Greyhound was filmed on The U.S.S. Kidd, a Fletcher Navy destroyer, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where it has sat as a staple local monument and tourist attraction.

[raymond6751]

Yikes! Another Tom Hanks war movie! Great guns!


This is the guy that did Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan, Fury, and has starred in, directed, or produced others - names I have forgotten.

You can be it will be good.

:Kaleun_Applaud::Kaleun_Cheers:

[ChrisPhoenix]

I just hate movies where the germans are portrayed as complete idiots even tho they should be battle hardened veterans who have seen years and years of war... "Fury" was probably the absolute worst example of this.
Seeing the "Uboat drive bys" i have the bad feeling that this is going to be another one...
I will watch it out of curiosity and because well...Uboats. But the trailer worries me more than it excites me.

[Jeff-Groves]

NOTE: The majority of Greyhound was filmed on The U.S.S. Kidd, a Fletcher Navy destroyer, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where it has sat as a staple local monument and tourist attraction.

I Toured The U.S.S. Kidd some years back when I was working in Baton Rouge.
:)

[Jimbuna]

I Toured The U.S.S. Kidd some years back when I was working in Baton Rouge.
:)

Have you forgotten what the judge told you should you ever go near kidds again :03:

:O:

[John Pancoast]

Yikes! Another Tom Hanks war movie! Great guns!


This is the guy that did Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan, Fury, and has starred in, directed, or produced others - names I have forgotten.

You can be it will be good.

:Kaleun_Applaud::Kaleun_Cheers:

I'm not sure I'd call Spr (except for the beach scene) and Fury shining endorsements. <g>

[Jeff-Groves]

Here's a picture from the USS Kidd.
https://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n12/privateer_2006/100_0412.jpg~original

[Pablo]

Pretty sure I never read about that part of the Battle of the Atlantic where U-boats with goofy conning tower emblems were doing Age-of-Sail style drive-bys on American destroyers which massively outgunned them.


Yes, I know I'm an idiot for expecting slow-burn tension or realism in a modern war movie.
Hi!

You may want to read about the duel between USS Chatelain and U-515 on April 9, 1944. Here's a picture taken by an aircraft assisting Chatelain. As you can see from the wake of the Chatelain, they were very close indeed. Chatelain is weaving to try to avoid being torpedoed as it crosses the U-boat's bow. You can see the smoke from the ship's guns and the shell splashes around the U-boat.

For SH3 fans, you can read about this in the GWX Manual, where we put in an historical scenario based on this event.

https://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u113/Pablo_001/U-515.jpg

[Dietger]

That's obviously because it was so effective no Ally commander survived to tell about it. And the submariners don't talk about it to this day because it's a highly classified and effective tactic even using nuclear submarines.

Duh.


Confirm this. My Opa talked about this. But only in his sleep... °°

[Dietger]

That's obviously because it was so effective no Ally commander survived to tell about it. And the submariners don't talk about it to this day because it's a highly classified and effective tactic even using nuclear submarines.

Duh.

Hi!

You may want to read about the duel between USS Chatelain and U-515 on April 9, 1944. Here's a picture taken by an aircraft assisting Chatelain. As you can see from the wake of the Chatelain, they were very close indeed. Chatelain is weaving to try to avoid being torpedoed as it crosses the U-boat's bow. You can see the smoke from the ship's guns and the shell splashes around the U-boat.

For SH3 fans, you can read about this in the GWX Manual, where we put in an historical scenario based on this event.

https://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u113/Pablo_001/U-515.jpg


Forced to surface in an emergency, not actually to engage anyone nearby.

In no way a german torpedo - or anyone's could have been threatening a ship that close. Apparently the sub is absolute helpless and desperate...


Anyway. It may even help some jung people to get into the matter.



Fair winds!

[John Pancoast]

Forced to surface in an emergency, not actually to engage anyone nearby.

In no way a german torpedo - or anyone's could have been threatening a ship that close. Apparently the sub is absolute helpless and desperate...




Yep. There were frequent actions similar to the photo via a forced to surface sub.


And the distance in the photo is much larger than the scraping paint side by side ala the movie trailer.


Though I believe there's mention of something along those lines in Blair's books, not by the subs choice of course.

[Jeff-Groves]

It's just a movie Folks.
So like Spiderman and Star Wars?
It's just not real.
I'll watch it!
I enjoy movies that entertain me. Don't care if it's full of BS!
Part of the fun on this one will be pointing out the BS!
Which will totally annoy the Wife.
:up:

[Subnuts]

Anyway. It may even help some jung people to get into the matter.


All those big, hard seaman-filled things bumbling around in the dark, trying to kill each other?

I think the Freud people will be into it too.

[merc4ulfate]

First ... this is a work of fiction based on a book of a fictional story published in 1955.

Yes, German U-boats were known for surface attacks inside convoys even with escorts. Günther Prien was killed and Otto Kretschmer was captured on one such occassion.

I'm already hating the whole praying man syndrome, "oh dear god please help me survive and be a good killer of men". Hollywood crap.

That being said, I know Hanks brings a good performance and I look forward to seeing his latest work of fiction.

I wish they would have made it where Hanks is a U-boat captain "The Tonnage King" Otto Kretschmer. Kretschmer was an excellent tactician and a good man. He went to university in England and was in shock after his capture that his countrymen had almost bombed out Buckingham Palace.

He had 16 patrols and 47 ships sunk making him the most successful of WW2. These are incredible numbers considering he was captured in 1941. He was not as keen on the Nazi party as some were but still got invited to a meeting of Hitler and the ambassador of Russia.

He was captured after his Uboat nearly collided with a destroyer in the dark and dived. The uboat was depth charged after then being picked up on ASDIC. To badly damaged in the attack she made 700 feet before regaining control enough to surface. Kretschmer scuttled the boat.

He was plucked from the sea by a British sailor who climbed down a rescue net to help him after Kretschmer, being to cold and weak, had try to make sure his men were taken care of first. His story I feel would be a wonderful telling.

In the mid-1990s he was interviewed for the computer simulation game Aces of the Deep, as one of several former U-boat skippers whose input was excerpted specially for the CD-Rom version of the game.

[merc4ulfate]

... doing Age-of-Sail style drive-bys on American destroyers ...

Actually that is exactly how Günther Prien and Otto Kretschmer lost their U Boats. U Boat commanders were not nearly as afraid of surface conflict as their allied counterparts. Granted, they would dive to avoid the escorts when needed but would often resurface to reengage the convoy. During night attacks it was much harder to find them on the surface than submerged where ASDIC could be used.

[Catfish]

I will sure watch it, Hollywood or not. I would have thought though that certain stereotypes would have been overcome meanwhile.. "Good luck surviving the day..."? Please.

[John Pancoast]

Actually that is exactly how Günther Prien and Otto Kretschmer lost their U Boats. U Boat commanders were not nearly as afraid of surface conflict as their allied counterparts. Granted, they would dive to avoid the escorts when needed but would often resurface to reengage the convoy. During night attacks it was much harder to find them on the surface than submerged where ASDIC could be used.




Fwiw, from what I've learned over time, Kretschmer lost his boat when an officer ordered a dive when in Kretschmer's mind, he shouldn't have, allowing them to get picked up via asdic. Kretschmer believing the escort wouldn't have seen them if they'd stayed surfaced, and he could have slipped away into the night. As it turned out, he was right; the British ship "Walker" had not seen U-99.

Kretschmer never forgave said officer for that order.

Numerous theories on Prien's loss since it's not 100% known. Kretschmer states on the AOD cd I believe, his opinion that one of Prien's own torpedoes sunk him. But no one knows for sure what happened. But it wasn't on the surface.

There's an entire section about his loss in Blair's books (along with some of the above Kretschmer info.) in which a depth charge attack by two escorts near his position (boat was never seen) is given credit by the British but never confirmed, along with various other theories including again his own torpedo.


Regardless, engaging a convoy in a "surface conflict" is one thing. Choosing to be right beside an escort having a gun duel with it is another.

[John Pancoast]

Side note regarding Hanks, he does one of his better roles portraying Walt Disney in "Saving Mr. Banks", the story of how the story of Mary Poppins came about.

[Texas Red]

Subnuts, " Pretty sure I never read about that part of the Battle of the Atlantic where U-boats with goofy conning tower emblems were doing Age-of-Sail style drive-bys on American destroyers which massively outgunned them." Next thing you know, a mafia hitman will take out the captain with a Rail Gun. Lol. And also, where the hell is the German crew?? Casper took them.

[mapuc]

After having seen this movie clip I'm absolutely going to see it, when it comes out on blu-ray or on one of my movie channels.

Markus

[merc4ulfate]

Fwiw, from what I've learned over time, Kretschmer lost his boat when an officer ordered a dive when in Kretschmer's mind, he shouldn't have, allowing them to get picked up via asdic.

That is correct. Kretschmer had a standing order to "not" submerge knowing that upon an escort sighting they might not have been seen away so they then could use their surface speed to gain a better position or escape.

Playing the game I do the same thing all the time. With Operation Monsun running inside a convoy surfaced was a lot of fun. I have been playing the latest version of Fall of the Rising Sun Ultimate on the allied side and that is way way harder to do.

[jaop99]

http://www.themoviescene.co.uk/reviews/_img/2868-3.jpg
Heinie, maybe this time we wait for the American destroyer to actually leave the area before we turn back to course 140...

The enemy below, this was a great novel by Denys Rayner, I remember to read it maybe two or three times a year when I was a teen (in the 70s, no PC nor PS4 on this years), the film was ... just a Hollywood thing, you get used to that.

Anyway I will watch to Tom Hanks and his new film on IMAX and enjoy the film as usual.

[kapuhy]

Re: "drive-by"

Just speculation on my part, but in other shots we can see U-Boat surfacing in front of the destroyer, and in other, a destroyer narrowly avoiding "down the throat" torpedo shot. In the movie it could go like this - badly damaged in DC attack, U-boat can't keep submerged anymore and blows ballast just as destroyer returns for another attack. This gives U-boat opportunity for last ditch attempt at torpedoing the DD, which fails (but succeeds in providing audience with edge-of-the-seat thrill in the final battle) and then DD just continues forward passing extremely close to now helpless U-boat while ravaging it with artillery.

[John Pancoast]

Re: "drive-by"

Just speculation on my part, but in other shots we can see U-Boat surfacing in front of the destroyer, and in other, a destroyer narrowly avoiding "down the throat" torpedo shot. In the movie it could go like this - badly damaged in DC attack, U-boat can't keep submerged anymore and blows ballast just as destroyer returns for another attack. This gives U-boat opportunity for last ditch attempt at torpedoing the DD, which fails (but succeeds in providing audience with edge-of-the-seat thrill in the final battle) and then DD just continues forward passing extremely close to now helpless U-boat while ravaging it with artillery.

I was thinking that too; hard to actually tell what the actual scene is with all the stupid millisecond sound/video bites.

But with all the rest of the blatant Hollywood/Ramboism of the trailer, odds are against the scene making sense. <g>

[John Pancoast]

That is correct. Kretschmer had a standing order to "not" submerge knowing that upon an escort sighting they might not have been seen away so they then could use their surface speed to gain a better position or escape.

Playing the game I do the same thing all the time. With Operation Monsun running inside a convoy surfaced was a lot of fun. I have been playing the latest version of Fall of the Rising Sun Ultimate on the allied side and that is way way harder to do.

Ok, I guess I misunderstood your earlier post seeming to state Kretschmer and Prien's boats were lost via surface duels similar to the one in the trailer clip.

[iambecomelife]

It's just a movie Folks.
So like Spiderman and Star Wars?
It's just not real.
I'll watch it!
I enjoy movies that entertain me. Don't care if it's full of BS!
Part of the fun on this one will be pointing out the BS!
Which will totally annoy the Wife.
:up:

Yep! That is my attitude. The trailer makes me feel like, although there are cliches and it won't be perfect (and, yes, it's the 'Murican point of view again!!!) it will be a watchable movie - fun, and dealing with a subject I like.

I don't believe Hollywood could make another "Das Boot" or its equivalent today; accurate submarine movies are kind of a niche market. The pacing and character-heavy style of "Das Boot" is not likely to appeal to most people.

And then there's the political issue. It's hard to imagine a modern, mass-market American Hollywood movie that would portray any WWII German protagonist positively. Aside from exceptions (like Tom Cruise in "Valkyrie" as the anti-Hitler von Stauffenberg).

That's a shame to me; I agree that a balanced, historical Hollywood film about Kretschmer/Prien etc would be interesting. German film makers have proven with recent series (Generation War, etc) that it's possible to take a nuanced approach .... to humanize Germans who fought during WWII and, at the same time, point out that Nazism was evil and had to be defeated.

Perhaps a modern U-Boat film maker could solve the pacing issue by covering the sinking of Royal Oak, several convoy battles, etc instead of one patrol like Das Boot.... thus, plenty of drama/pyro stuff, and plenty of historical material.
Ah well, food for thought.

[John Pancoast]

Yep! That is my attitude. The trailer makes me feel like, although there are cliches and it won't be perfect (and, yes, it's the 'Murican point of view again!!!) it will be a watchable movie - fun, and dealing with a subject I like.

I don't believe Hollywood could make another "Das Boot" or its equivalent today; accurate submarine movies are kind of a niche market. The pacing and character-heavy style of "Das Boot" is not likely to appeal to most people.

And then there's the political issue. It's hard to imagine a modern, mass-market American Hollywood movie that would portray any WWII German protagonist positively. Aside from exceptions (like Tom Cruise in "Valkyrie" as the anti-Hitler von Stauffenberg).

That's a shame to me; I agree that a balanced, historical Hollywood film about Kretschmer/Prien etc would be interesting. German film makers have proven with recent series (Generation War, etc) that it's possible to take a nuanced approach .... to humanize Germans who fought during WWII and, at the same time, point out that Nazism was evil and had to be defeated.

Perhaps a modern U-Boat film maker could solve the pacing issue by covering the sinking of Royal Oak, several convoy battles, etc instead of one patrol like Das Boot.... thus, plenty of drama/pyro stuff, and plenty of historical material.
Ah well, food for thought.


I'd like to see the British side of a "Das Boot" type movie made; instead of a German sub, a British escort around the same time frame or in the spring of '41 instead.

But it'd probably have to be a British production; Hollywood would Ramboize it to much.

[Tanyrhiew]

https://youtu.be/joUDAD3GB3g


No CGi back then, they just used the ships.


Excuse the Brit sub masquerading as a U-boat.


Dated but still worth watching.

[iambecomelife]

I'd like to see the British side of a "Das Boot" type movie made; instead of a German sub, a British escort around the same time frame or in the spring of '41 instead.

But it'd probably have to be a British production; Hollywood would Ramboize it to much.

Good idea, John. I would like to see a remake of "The Cruel Sea". For those who don't know, it's a novel about a Flower Class corvette crew, from 1939 - 1945. It was an excellent book and I heard the 1953 movie was good, although I've never seen it.

A modern version with good special effects (but not excessive Michael Bay crazy stuff) would be nice. A movie faithful to the book would be too long, but a 2 hour film could include all the best action-packed chapters. The book has submarine, Luftwaffe, and German Destroyer attacks, which would be a nice variety of combat scenes to keep the audience excited. Plus, there's a good romance in the novel, and if they cast a "cute" young male actor as the love interest, that would help keep both men and women interested.

EDIT: lol!! Timely post!

[John Pancoast]

Good idea, John. I would like to see a remake of "The Cruel Sea". For those who don't know, it's a novel about a Flower Class corvette crew, from 1939 - 1945. It was an excellent book and I heard the 1953 movie was good, although I've never seen it.

A modern version with good special effects (but not excessive Michael Bay crazy stuff) would be nice. A movie faithful to the book would be too long, but a 2 hour film could include all the best action-packed chapters. The book has submarine, Luftwaffe, and German Destroyer attacks, which would be a nice variety of combat scenes to keep the audience excited. Plus, there's a good romance in the novel, and if they cast a "cute" young male actor as the love interest, that would help keep both men and women interested.

EDIT: lol!! Timely post!




Yes, "The Cruel Sea" is a great book. Didn't realize it had been made into a movie at one time.


Not on the sea, but "A Piece of Cake" is a good read set during the Blitz.

[Jimbuna]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUDAD3GB3g

[John Pancoast]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUDAD3GB3g

Took a look on Amazon for it.....to rich for my blood.

[Jimbuna]

Less than a fiver on DVD in the UK, then I checked your whereabouts.

[John Pancoast]

Less than a fiver on DVD in the UK, then I checked your whereabouts.

Yeah, even eBay is no bargain. Always liked Jack Hawkins.

[mapuc]

My longtime memory said to me:

You have seen this movie on German tv in the middle of the 70's.

Markus

[Jimbuna]

Yeah, even eBay is no bargain. Always liked Jack Hawkins.

I'm unaware of postage costs to you but it is next to nothing for a copy here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1311.R1.TR9.TRC0.A0.H0.Xthe +cruel+sea.TRS0&_nkw=the+cruel+sea+dvd&_sacat=0

[John Pancoast]

I'm unaware of postage costs to you but it is next to nothing for a copy here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1311.R1.TR9.TRC0.A0.H0.Xthe +cruel+sea.TRS0&_nkw=the+cruel+sea+dvd&_sacat=0

I'll look into that Jimbuna, thanks ! Just have to make sure to get one for my region.

[Sonarman]

Can't believe so many haven't seen "the Cruel Sea" for me it is the second best naval war film ever made after Das Boot, a definite must see.

Greyhound is based apparently on 'The Good Shepherd" by CS Forester who wrote the Hornblower series so the story should be a good one.

[John Pancoast]

Can't believe so many haven't seen "the Cruel Sea" for me it is the second best naval war film ever made after Das Boot, a definite must see.

Greyhound is based apparently on 'The Good Shepherd" by CS Forester who wrote the Hornblower series so the story should be a good one.

Read the book (Cruel Sea) years ago. Never knew a movie of it existed until now.

Dvd is very expensive here in the states, but I'll keep checking now and then.

[Mariner1]

I spent 2 happy hours on Sunday last (15th March) watching the film on BBC2 in the UK, free-to-air (for licence-payers). It whittles down Montserrat's excellent novel, which was based on his real-life experiences in corvettes. The book also fictionalises to some extent the career of Johnny Walker, who some may say became the ace U-Boat hunter of the Western Approaches. In the film, only 2 U-Boats are sunk, from one of which survivors are rescued. The tone of both book and film is sombre, concluding that the sea is cruel to start with, and was made more so by men's wartime activities.
As an aside, Sea Breezes magazine for March 2020 has a first-hand account of a convoy battle SC 94 in August 1942 from the point of view of the First Lieutenant of HMS Primrose, a Flower-Class corvette. From Halifax Nova Scotia to UK "one third of the convoy of 34 merchants was sunk, two escorts were damaged and put out of action, and 3 U-Boats sunk. At its height 23 U-Boats were estimated to be in contact with the convoy". Fuller details on www.uboat.net, but I find it hard to envisage the scale and complexity of what occurred, just on that one convoy.

[promitheas]

Why is there no watch crew when the boat is surfaced?

[John Pancoast]

Why is there no watch crew when the boat is surfaced?

They were busy painting that emblem on the turm. :haha:

[Jimbuna]

They were busy painting that emblem on the turm. :haha:

I could sense something like that coming.

[Jeff-Groves]

VisualAboveWater Node was set wrong.

[Subnuts]

Why is there no watch crew when the boat is surfaced?

The captain forgot to click and drag the IIWO onto the bridge.

Alternately, the entire watch crew was somehow killed by depth charges because WWII.exe thought that their souls were still on deck when the boat was submerged.

[JuanLiquid]

I think this movie is about the fear of the "terrible" uboots. It has a similar environment that an ovni invasion movie. No uboot crew to inhumanize germans and do them more terrifing.

I'm super hyped!!!!!

[nikimcbee]

Yes, but will there be red triangles?:/\\k:
Needs more Harvey Keitel, Jon Bon, and Mr. McConaughey.


I've been sailing a Fletcher for a long time.
I didn't do it, cuz WoWs gave me one.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QEAA94FjHc

[nikimcbee]

Will be interesting to see if the ship depicted will be a US Navy destroyer or the real-life HMS Greyhound.


Jim, this is a US made movie, so no RN.:k_confused: Royal Navy in WW2? lolz


I'll continue my rant.
Bonus if: Hanks sinks the U-Boat with his pistol.
Save by the Army Air Corps at the last second.
They show Pearl Harbo(u)r attack....as that is the offical starting moment of WW2.
Produced by Kathleen Kennedy, forcing 21st Century morals in 20th century. Will there be enough SJWs? ew, gross, the crew is too white. Lesbian, vegan love scenes? Did I miss anything?




update, no Kathleen Kennedy, so no mish-mash of Das Boot (tv series) meets Star Wars with emo-Vader. emo-nazi vader?

[Texas Red]

One of the comments said "Legit thought that this movie was about a badass bus driver" Lol :har:

[nikimcbee]

One of the comments said "Legit thought that this movie was about a badass bus driver" Lol :har:


:haha::haha::haha::haha:

[Nefarious]

Why is there no watch crew when the boat is surfaced?

Can't make the enemy look human. :Kaleun_Periskop:

[Levyathan89]

Ahaha I just watched the trailer and wow, this is going to be some bull****.

I like the creepy whale noises the uboats make, though. They're pretty badass. Definitely bull****. But badass.

[Jeff-Groves]

Having watched the Accountant for like the 5th time?
I expect this to be just as entertaining as that.
I mean, who could shoot a BMG .50 Cal semi-auto at a standing position like that?
That thing is 30 pounds PLUS easy!
Mostly BS but still probably fun IF the Wife can handle how many times We point out the BS!
:haha:

[Levyathan89]

Well, I'd watch it, too. it looks entertaining. Unfortunately, due to corona virus, we're not going to be able to watch this in a movie theatre in June, are we?

[John Pancoast]

Well, I'd watch it, too. it looks entertaining. Unfortunately, due to corona virus, we're not going to be able to watch this in a movie theatre in June, are we?

Hard to say; June is aways off still.

[ET2SN]

Man, I need to get my post count up. :doh:

[ET2SN]

I really, really need to get my post count up. :Kaleun_Cheers:
You'll see why. :D

[John Pancoast]

Woohoo ! Finally found a Region 1 dvd of this film on eBay ! :yeah:

[John Pancoast]

Got a chance to watch this. Outstanding film even all these years later. Very well done.

[irishblue]

Just finished reading "The Bravest Man" about Dick O'Kane and reread the portion of John Keegan's book "Battle at Sea" about the epic battle between two convoys and about 40 U-boats crossing the Atlantic. So much rich historical material and Hollywood always has to butcher it. Never understand why they can't just stick to the real history which can be so interesting and engaging.

Oh well. May go see it or wait for Bluray. Hope it is not SJW'd to death.

Reading "Das Boot" for the first time too. Fascinating and scary stuff.

Thanks for all you guys do keeping the history alive.

[Texas Red]

I freaking hate it when Hollywood ruins movies. Midway (2019) is an example. There are too many freaking "Hollywood" explosions and the dialogue is so bad, maybe even corny.
I only really liked the historical accuracy it had in it. I think that 1917 was my favorite war movie of the year.

I pray that Greyhound isn't ruined by Hollywood.

[Aktungbby]

irishblue!:Kaleun_Salute:

[Levyathan89]

Can't they just, I don't know, put it on netflix?


The World War II drama Greyhound — starring Tom Hanks, who himself is recovering from the coronavirus — is now undated (it has been moved several times, and was most recently set to open in early June).

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/sony-delays-release-morbius-ghostbusters-due-coronavirus-1285759

[mrb__]

Y’all gonna see it when it comes out anyway. Me too. Multiple times.
Despite all the hollywood drama and sales tricks, us hating the details and the wives hating our mumble every time we play it.

Too much of inhumanizing the boot crews in my sense, scaring the audience with the shadowy Ze Germans of the dark. Makes me feel like I am watching an alien movie, rather than a story based on actual events as the spoiler says. But lets not judge the book by the cover and wait a bit more.

I’d love to see a sensible picture about Kretschmer and Prien too, we all know that is not going to happen though. Cant correlate the nazis to modern Germany these days, too political, I believe. That including the true uboat’s emblems and other tiny movie details the interested public could pick up and use as political fuel later.
Tom wants to stay close to the true series of events, but can’t get too close too.

Hi!

You may want to read about the duel between USS Chatelain and U-515 on April 9, 1944.

I would rather say, the plot line to be loosely based on convoy SC-107 story, the HMCS Restigouche and the U132. If you take a closer look at the emblems, despite their sizing and location, the first sub actually resembles the modified U132 with another one pretty close to U190.


:hmmm:
Looks to me that they were using the 'Turms Your Way' mod.
:haha:

Looking forward to the new graphics pack. Would be fun to have them in SH3 :haha:

[Jimbuna]

Welcome to SubSim mrb :Kaleun_Salute:

[Onkel Neal]

Tom Hanks Submarine Drama ‘Greyhound’ Skips Theaters to Debut on Apple TV Plus (https://variety.com/2020/film/news/tom-hanks-greyhound-apple-plus-tv-1234610903/)

Apple TV Plus has bought worldwide rights from Sony Pictures to the Tom Hanks World War II drama “Greyhound” following a bidding war for the movie, which was previously set for a Father’s Day theatrical release.

Six-month-old Apple TV Plus announced the deal Tuesday. The streaming service did not disclose when it will release “Greyhound.”

[Texas Red]

facepalms

Why the heck is God or whoever trying to ruin this movie? :/\\!!:/\\!!:/\\!!

[Aktungbby]

mrb_,:Kaleun_Salute:

[Levyathan89]

Tom Hanks Submarine Drama ‘Greyhound’ Skips Theaters to Debut on Apple TV Plus (https://variety.com/2020/film/news/tom-hanks-greyhound-apple-plus-tv-1234610903/)


This sort of competition between the streaming services is nothing but trouble for the customers. Well...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRh-dzrI4Z4

[jaop99]

This sort of competition between the streaming services is nothing but trouble for the customers. Well...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRh-dzrI4Z4

The war between streaming services is only making to the people to find other alternatives. Is time to take a look to my friend Jack Sparrow's movie library!

:arrgh!:

[Catfish]

Just reread C.S. Forester's "The good shepherd", the book Hanks' film is supposely based upon. I still liked it, rather realistic story, even if i think the US captain's portrayal by Forester is a bit cheesy at times, with his religious remarks like accompanying the radius of the destroyer's turm with bible quotes and such :doh:. It came out 1955, and the war was still close in the minds of all, as was the war propaganda.

Whatever, in the book it is about a 30 ships convoy "shepherded" by two destroyers (one US one being polish) and two corvettes, against four U-boats (and some more far away being detected by HF-DF and sometimes radar). It is of course entirely based on the Captain's view and action, but it is really well done, you instantly feel and see what this all is about, it tells more about those convoy fights and problems than you could ever properly explain to someone. I doubt this and the Captain's thinking of manoeuvering and personal pressure of how he looks in the eyes of his crew can be shown in a film, but then of course i did not see i yet.

What i found interesting is that i the book both sides can somehow hear the radio chatter of the other, while Germany was a bit ahead after having broken the allied codes already early in the war, something that is seldom heard but it is (indirectly) in the book. Forester also writes of U-boat radio operators switching their frequency to the convoy's and placing some juicy english curses into the radio chatter, though this and the film's threatening of "good luck to survive the night" is most probably pure fiction and once more propaganda.
U-boat's radio operators were ordered to strict dario discipline, to restrict radio raffic only when ordered for weather and position data, along with the status of the boat and such. Even those status signals were compressed in two-second bursts called "Tabus", so the enemy would not have the time to properly get their position by reading cross bearings.

And 40 boats attacking one convoy like i think it is shown in the film? Doenitz would have been very happy to even have 30 U-boats scattered all across the atlantic, let alone all close to a convoy at one time.

"Apple film". Thanks but no thanks. Yes i will see it, later then.

[John Pancoast]

Just reread C.S. Forester's "The good shepherd", the book Hanks' film is supposely based upon. I still liked it, rather realistic story, even if i think the US captain's portrayal by Forester is a bit cheesy at times, with his religious remarks like accompanying the radius of the destroyer's turm with bible quotes and such :doh:. It came out 1955, and the war was still close in the minds of all, as was the war propaganda.

Whatever, in the book it is about a 30 ships convoy "shepherded" by two destroyers (one US one being polish) and two corvettes, against four U-boats (and some more far away being detected by HF-DF and sometimes radar). It is of course entirely based on the Captain's view and action, but it is really well done, you instantly feel and see what this all is about, it tells more about those convoy fights and problems than you could ever properly explain to someone. I doubt this and the Captain's thinking of manoeuvering and personal pressure of how he looks in the eyes of his crew can be shown in a film, but then of course i did not see i yet.

What i found interesting is that i the book both sides can somehow hear the radio chatter of the other, while Germany was a bit ahead after having broken the allied codes already early in the war, something that is seldom heard but it is (indirectly) in the book. Forester also writes of U-boat radio operators switching their frequency to the convoy's and placing some juicy english curses into the radio chatter, though this and the film's threatening of "good luck to survive the night" is most probably pure fiction and once more propaganda.
U-boat's radio operators were ordered to strict dario discipline, to restrict radio raffic only when ordered for weather and position data, along with the status of the boat and such. Even those status signals were compressed in two-second bursts called "Tabus", so the enemy would not have the time to properly get their position by reading cross bearings.

And 40 boats attacking one convoy like i think it is shown in the film? Doenitz would have been very happy to even have 30 U-boats scattered all across the atlantic, let alone all close to a convoy at one time.

"Apple film". Thanks but no thanks. Yes i will see it, later then.

Thirty ship convoy with only four escorts ?! That's crazy, just asking for trouble.

[Jimbuna]

Thirty ship convoy with only four escorts ?! That's crazy, just asking for trouble.

My father was once in a convoy to Russia bereft of any escorts.

[John Pancoast]

My father was once in a convoy to Russia bereft of any escorts.

Even crazier ! He ever mention the results ?

[jaop99]

Even crazier ! He ever mention the results ?

The convoys to Russia had a positive impact on the war, in this way the Russians received tanks, provisions, planes, etc.

The most notorious for the losses they faced, were the PQ-17 and the JW 55B, and I quote:

"Notable convoys:

The "Dervish" convoy assembled at Hvalfjörður and sailed on 21 August 1941.[1] It arrived at its destination, Archangel, ten days later. The convoy was relatively small and consisted of only six merchant ships: Lancastrian Prince, New Westminster City, Esneh, Trehata, the elderly Llanstephan Castle, the fleet oiler Aldersdale and the Dutch freighter Alchiba. The Commodore was Captain JCK Dowding RNR. The escorts comprised the ocean minesweepers HMS Halcyon, Salamander and Harrier, the destroyers HMS Electra, Active and Impulsive and the anti-submarine trawlers HMS Hamlet, Macbeth and Ophelia. As evidence of Churchill's astute mastery of propaganda, on board Llanstephan Castle were two journalists and the artist, Felix Topolski.[5]

On 30 May 1942, the surviving ships of Convoy PQ 16 arrived, most ships to Murmansk and 8 ships to Archangel; the convoy was such a success in terms of the war stores delivered that the Germans made greater efforts to disrupt the following convoys. The crane ships from PQ 16 including SS Empire Elgar stayed at Archangel and Molotovsk (now Severodvinsk) unloading convoys for over 14 months.

In July 1942, convoy PQ 17 suffered the worst losses of any convoy in the Second World War. Under attack from German aircraft and U-boats, the convoy was ordered to scatter, following reports that a battle group, which included the battleship Tirpitz, had sailed to intercept the convoy (although the German group did not leave port until the following day, and was subsequently ordered to return to port). Only 11 of the 35 merchant ships in the convoy succeeded in running the gauntlet of U-boats and German bombers. The novel HMS Ulysses (1955) by Alistair MacLean contains fictional events reminiscent of PQ 17 and other historical events.

The Battle of the Barents Sea: In December 1942, German surface forces, including the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper and pocket battleship Lützow sailed to intercept Convoy JW 51B. The German force was driven off by a combined force of destroyers and cruisers.

In December 1943, Convoy JW 55B was the target of the German battleship Scharnhorst. Two British warship forces were in the area. In the Battle of the North Cape, Scharnhorst encountered British cruisers and was then sunk by HMS Duke of York and her escorts in a night action before it could return to port. German destroyers missed the convoy, which had been diverted north based on intelligence from the Norwegian resistance movement.[citation needed]"

[Jimbuna]

Even crazier ! He ever mention the results ?

I have all his papers filed away but copies were also sent to Sailor Steve who's eagle eyes soon discovered he was only sixteen years of age when he joined up (having lied about his age).

As current memory recalls I remember him telling me there were a dozen or so vessels with less than half eventually returning.

The reason there were no escorts was because they were all required for the invasion of Sicily.

He also said every man received a £50 war bonus which was an absolute fortune at the time.

[John Pancoast]

I have all his papers filed away but copies were also sent to Sailor Steve who's eagle eyes soon discovered he was only sixteen years of age when he joined up (having lied about his age).

As current memory recalls I remember him telling me there were a dozen or so vessels with less than half eventually returning.

The reason there were no escorts was because they were all required for the invasion of Sicily.

He also said every man received a £50 war bonus which was an absolute fortune at the time.


Very interesting, thanks !

[nikimcbee]

My father was once in a convoy to Russia bereft of any escorts.


Now on the Twilight Zone...


Son hunts the convoy his father is in, as SHIII gets a little too real.


https://danwoog.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/rod-serling.jpg

[Schnee]

I had a feeling it would be diverted to the streaming services but had hoped for HBO and maybe eventually Netflix as I had a serious desire to see this flic -- would have even gone to a theatre.


But Apple TV ? WTF? :hmmm:

[nikimcbee]

I had a feeling it would be diverted to the streaming services but had hoped for HBO and maybe eventually Netflix as I had a serious desire to see this flic -- would have even gone to a theatre.


But Apple TV ? WTF? :hmmm:
Ditto, not signing up for it.

[nikimcbee]

i really need to this


Hey, welcome to subsim, Mr. 1st post!:Kaleun_Salute::Kaleun_Cheers:

[Jimbuna]

Welcome to SubSim alfred :salute:

[Aktungbby]

alfred0809!:Kaleun_Salute:

[Sonarman]

I think Apple TV plus has a 7 day free trial so a lot of us might get to se the movie for free LOL. Would still like to have seen it in the cinema though.

[Onkel Neal]

Tom Hanks says new movie 'Greyhound' going straight to streaming is 'heartbreaking'

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tom-hanks-greyhound-straight-to-streaming-heartbreaking-092641604.html

Tom Hanks says the decision to send his new movie Greyhound straight to a streaming platform instead of cinemas is 'heartbreaking'

The World War II movie, based on the book The Good Shepherd by C.S. Forester and set around the Battle of the Atlantic, was supposed to be released in cinemas in June this year.


However, the coronavirus pandemic put paid that that, with the announcement that it would instead be released on AppleTV+ in July.

Speaking to The Guardian, Hanks said that the change of plans had been 'an absolute heartbreak'.

“I don’t mean to make angry my Apple overlords, but there is a difference in picture and sound quality,” he added.

[nikimcbee]

So anybody seen it yet?

[Jimbuna]

So anybody seen it yet?

Seen what? :hmmm:

[Vox165]

Shame. Tom Hanks put a lot of effort into it and would have been worth seeing-He does quality stuff. Judging from the trailer this film looks like it would have benefited from a cinema release, and may have created a lot of interest in the Battle of the Atlantic history.

[mapuc]

Here's something I don't understand.

Due to this Corona pandemic the producer and Tom hanks have decided to skip the traditional cinemas and let a streaming service have the right to this movie.

They have given AppleTV+ the right to show this movie.

How many have this streaming channel/service.

Everyone of the Americans ?

I thought the idea of making a movie was to let a wide spread of people having a chance to see it and not only a group of exclusive member of AppleTV+.

Well then get this Apple tv+ problem solved...

If it was available then perhaps people would sign up for a membership as they do with Netflix og HBO.

Markus

[nikimcbee]

Seen what? :hmmm:


Steed's Scottish Pride kilt collection.

[Jimbuna]

Steed's Scottish Pride kilt collection.

Who do you suppose he bought it from? :)

[DJS4000]

ok gents, i just watched it.


it's...ok. if you have no idea about submarine warfare and tactics i gues it's a competent WW2 action flick. everyone else will facepalm pretty hard, pretty often. it also has impressive visuals.


to summarize the movie in one sentence:


if you ever wanted to watch a type vii boat engage in a surface gun duel with a fletcher class DD and a flower class at the same time at literal point blank range - this movie is for you.



-SPOILERS BELOW THIS POINT-


things i learned watching this movie:


-german u boat captains are complete idiots
-they never used their stealthy vessels as intented
-they liberally ignored radio silence protocol all the time to coordinate wolfpack attacks, despite being in visual range of each other
-they happily surface amid convoys
-they drive around during wartime on the surface without a standing watch
-they painted their conning towers with HUGE emblems, making them easier to spot
-they had zero scope discipline
-they would taunt enemy DD captains via radio. in english. ending each message with literal wolf howling.
-fletcher class DDs are incredibly stable plattforms, despite sea state 5 or 6, nobody ever needs to brace anywhere on the ship


and many more that i already forgot. anyway. you can get a quick uboat fix in, but nothing more. i enjoyed it...a bit :D

[Aktungbby]

DJS4000,:Kaleun_Salute: after a long silent run! I see the infamous:subsim:seven-year-itch has struck again,:up:

[DJS4000]

DJS4000,:Kaleun_Salute: after a long silent run! I see the infamous:subsim:seven-year-itch has struck again,:up:


thanks for the warm welcome back :) i just had to share this with like-minded individuals. also, after receiving a very nice christmas card from onkel neal i wanted to give something back :salute:

[Onkel Neal]

Welcome back and thanks for the review, sir. I cloaked your spoilers using the spoiler function, cheers - Neal :up:

Greyhound is available now on Appple TV, I will see if the 7 day free trial option works this evening.

https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/greyhound/umc.cmc.o5z5ztufuu3uv8lx7m0jcega?irgwc=1&aosid=p239&cid=aos-us-aff-ir&irchannel=13631&irpid=221109&clickid=0lJ1OETnkxyOWXKwUx0Mo3cjUkiU5HXN2XNiyU0&ircid=7613

[fastfed]

I loved it. Yes mostly because movies like this are a dying thing so I will take anything these days. Lol

But it felt very real at least in terms of the visuals. Don't know about the tactics . I mean did uboats really contact the destroyers like radio rose did in the Pacific ?

[prozac919]

I watched it and I enjoyed it. I did not love it tho. Characters are way too shallow and not much of a plot. CGI was A LOT better than I thought it was going to be (probably why I enjoyed it . . . expectations were really low going into this). But it was entertaining if u can overlook the uboats on the surface during the day in visual range of a convoy. Sign up for the free week of apple plus tv, watch the movie and then u can cancel the subscription. I'll probably watch it once more.

[Onkel Neal]

Well, Apple isn't available on a Sony smart TV, guess I will skip it.

[Skvid]

Movie was good enough to cause a relapse for me. Already looking for recent naval games to try out.

[Aktungbby]

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=2682803&postcount=3253 (https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=2682803&postcount=3253)

[u crank]

It was almost unwatchable.

It's hard for me to believe that Tom Hanks could be involved in something this bad. Hanks' previous work as a producer in Band of Brothers, The Pacific and as an actor and producer in Saving Private Ryan were all beyond reproach.

One has to wonder if anyone involved in this movie ever watched Das Boot? Or read up on U-boat tactics during WW2. I'm going to say they didn't or decided to ignore basic military history to make a Hollywood version of reality.

I give it zero stars.

[Jimbuna]

It was almost unwatchable.

It's hard for me to believe that Tom Hanks could be involved in something this bad. Hanks' previous work as a producer in Band of Brothers, The Pacific and as an actor and producer in Saving Private Ryan were all beyond reproach.

One has to wonder if anyone involved in this movie ever watched Das Boot? Or read up on U-boat tactics during WW2. I'm going to say they didn't or decided to ignore basic military history to make a Hollywood version of reality.

I give it zero stars.

Agreed :yep:

[Becker67]

After seeing the trailer I despair for this film. Will give it a go at some point but fully expecting to be waist deep in bull****. You cannot mess about with this stuff. U-boat drive by wtf...

Been a long time fan of Tom Hanks work especially with regard to attention to detail in the WW2 era but 'this' does not look good. Always a problem when it's a topic close to one's heart.

Edit

Watched it... Howling on the radio - taunting on the radio - Periscope so high out of the water ... Kiss my ass ...

Hollywood garbage.

[Aktungbby]

It was almost unwatchable.

It's hard for me to believe that Tom Hanks could be involved in something this bad. Hanks' previous work as a producer in Band of Brothers, The Pacific and as an actor and producer in Saving Private Ryan were all beyond reproach.

One has to wonder if anyone involved in this movie ever watched Das Boot? Or read up on U-boat tactics during WW2. I'm going to say they didn't or decided to ignore basic military history to make a Hollywood version of reality.

I give it zero stars.like I said...'poetic license'. Entertainment only and better than U-571. Also, did uboats harass/threaten convoy commanders on their radios?!!:hmmm: as depicted in the movie. By that period the Germans knew their transmission were trackable, just not how accurately on 'huff-duff'. I cannot find anything, if there is anything, on the subject. BOTTOM LINE: I go to movies for entertainment, and I was. Bloopers and all...with two gin & tonics! EDIT: I did pickup on the command dialog: "come to port, handsomely"; a new one for me and my Catalina captain/gin-mixologist. Looking it up this AM: it means "full rudder in direction order carefully, without jamming the rudder(s)" My captain mockingly says from now on when tacking...we will: "prepare to come-about...handsomely". Having actually lost a rudder(snapped at the lower pintel while tacking) in 4' whitecap waves, causing much loss of control, handsomely would be good! Thus, Mr. Hanks has taught me something new!! One star! :Kaleun_Salute:

[GinoC]

I loved it. Yes mostly because movies like this are a dying thing so I will take anything these days. Lol

But it felt very real at least in terms of the visuals. Don't know about the tactics . I mean did uboats really contact the destroyers like radio rose did in the Pacific ?I wondered that as well. Seems highly dubious.

[GinoC]

I watched it and I enjoyed it. I did not love it tho. Characters are way too shallow and not much of a plot. CGI was A LOT better than I thought it was going to be (probably why I enjoyed it . . . expectations were really low going into this). But it was entertaining if u can overlook the uboats on the surface during the day in visual range of a convoy. Sign up for the free week of apple plus tv, watch the movie and then u can cancel the subscription. I'll probably watch it once more.Concur, what kind of insane U-boat skipper would stay on the surface with escorts nearby?

[bluegoon]

I really enjoyed it! :Kaleun_Thumbs_Up:

[Jonesy]

Really liked it also.
I'd give it an 8 or a 7 out of 10.

[PurpleCow]

Not sure why people are panning this film. I thought it was great!

No stupid side plots, just all naval action and much of it true to life. Sure perhaps subs typically didn't go after escorts, but it did occur during the war. UBoats would often attack from the surface using their deck guns, especially at night. I agree they probably would not do that with escorts about, but I just chalk up to making it exciting. For example the taunting by the German uBoats was a bit ridiculous as the safest place to be in a convoy was a destroyer and no sub skipper would transmit like that as it would give away their position. Heck that was one of the ways the Allies managed to track uBoats. Dönitz kept requiring frequent checkin-ins from the uBoat commanders.

I also thought the acting was very good, including Hanks. I would give it a 9/10 personally.

[Levyathan89]

When I saw the trailer, I thought the U-Boats had no watch crew on deck because they were just diving/surfacing when shown. But goddammit the UBoats in this movie actually don't have any watch crews :doh:

[Iraqveteran99]

Just finished reading "The Bravest Man" about Dick O'Kane and reread the portion of John Keegan's book "Battle at Sea" about the epic battle between two convoys and about 40 U-boats crossing the Atlantic. So much rich historical material and Hollywood always has to butcher it. Never understand why they can't just stick to the real history which can be so interesting and engaging.

Oh well. May go see it or wait for Bluray. Hope it is not SJW'd to death.

Reading "Das Boot" for the first time too. Fascinating and scary stuff.

Thanks for all you guys do keeping the history alive.

Its not SJWed to death but the U-boat tactics are very "hollywood":har: still enjoyable though, they did not make it for our community that is clear :subsim: The uboat commanders manual states that the periscope should not be out of the water longer than a fist, yet in this movie its sticking about 6 feet out of the water. i guess to tell the audience that "HEY LOOK I AM A SUB!" LOL

[mapuc]

Hollywood know...that the common person isn't interested in actual historical correctness...they want action...a lot of it

Markus

[Levyathan89]

Apart from the historical inaccuracies (surface battles...really!? Frickin' surface battles...), this movie is just so poorly made. The effects are mediocre and there's no real suspense as there should be in an escorts v uboat situation. This movie is just so much worse than "the enemy below", for instance.

[DJS4000]

like I said...'poetic license'. Entertainment only and better than U-571. Also, did uboats harass/threaten convoy commanders on their radios?!!:hmmm: as depicted in the movie.


absolutely not. even the very idea is egregious and goes against every imaginable u-boat SOP.

[Levyathan89]

absolutely not. even the very idea is egregious and goes against every imaginable u-boat SOP.

Did u-boats even have the technology to "call" other ships like they do in that movie? Because normally, sending sending radio messages meant sending mesages in morse code as far as I know.

[DJS4000]

Did u-boats even have the technology to "call" other ships like they do in that movie? Because normally, sending sending radio messages meant sending mesages in morse code as far as I know.


good question. i had to dig through my stuff to verify it, but yes! you are correct. type vii boats used a Telefunken S 406 S/36 transmitter (plus a low powered Lorenz 40K39d as a backup) which could only transmit in the so called "A1" and "A2" modes - which is morse code. no voice. :up:


IIRC voice comms were only possible from the type XXI onwards.

[Cpt.Spoke]

ok gents, i just watched it.


it's...ok. if you have no idea about submarine warfare and tactics i gues it's a competent WW2 action flick. everyone else will facepalm pretty hard, pretty often. it also has impressive visuals.


to summarize the movie in one sentence:


if you ever wanted to watch a type vii boat engage in a surface gun duel with a fletcher class DD and a flower class at the same time at literal point blank range - this movie is for you.











-SPOILERS BELOW THIS POINT-


things i learned watching this movie:


-german u boat captains are complete idiots
-they never used their stealthy vessels as intented
-they liberally ignored radio silence protocol all the time to coordinate wolfpack attacks, despite being in visual range of each other
-they happily surface amid convoys
-they drive around during wartime on the surface without a standing watch
-they painted their conning towers with HUGE emblems, making them easier to spot
-they had zero scope discipline
-they would taunt enemy DD captains via radio. in english. ending each message with literal wolf howling.
-fletcher class DDs are incredibly stable plattforms, despite sea state 5 or 6, nobody ever needs to brace anywhere on the ship


and many more that i already forgot. anyway. you can get a quick uboat fix in, but nothing more. i enjoyed it...a bit :D

"they would taunt enemy DD captains via radio. in english. ending each message with literal wolf howling."




Hahaha, i thought that was really odd too

[mapuc]

I recall an episode from my history channel.

There was a series about combat ship(I think it was) they had some episode where they looked into the German, English and American subs, in this episode they looked at the sailor.

From memory

When a sailor asked for a transfer to another sub/area, the first he looked at was if the commander had "won" the Iron Cross.
A commander who had "won" an Iron cross was very popular among the sailors, because a commander who had was not so aggressive.

While a sub commander who hadn't could be very aggressive in his attack against convoys.

Markus

[Aktungbby]

Cpt.Spoke!:Kaleun_Salute: after bit of a silent run...:up:

[CommissarStarfish]

At the end of the day, it's a movie. Subs are close to all of our hearts, but for movies everyone needs to suspend their disbelief and just enjoy it. Personally, I find the flaws to be in the writing; Hanks' character was paper thin and unrelatable. But to call it a piece of garbage and unwatchable for a little bit of Hollywood embellishment is an overreaction.

[DJS4000]

At the end of the day, it's a movie. Subs are close to all of our hearts, but for movies everyone needs to suspend their disbelief and just enjoy it. Personally, I find the flaws to be in the writing; Hanks' character was paper thin and unrelatable. But to call it a piece of garbage and unwatchable for a little bit of Hollywood embellishment is an overreaction.


oh it's definitely not "unwatchable". but i think it's ok to criticize the movie based on the very particular knowledge that we here possess :)


another thing that came to mind: the trailers spoiled the "kicker" at the end - that this is Hanks' first atlantic crossing as a DD skipper. the way this information is presented is supposed to surprise you when he gets relieved.


i hate it when they do that.

[JgzMan]

If I were a millionaire, I'd love to make a naval movie the old school way, with the miniature models and giant pool (See Toho). I hate the over use of CGI.


If I were richer then Midas, I'd want to make a naval movie the way they made at least one military movie, and just rent some battleships.

[mrb__]

03:00
Isn’t that a satellite dish?
:rotfl2:

https://youtu.be/1TWFQHwfeWw

[Subnuts]

03:00
Isn’t that a satellite dish?
:rotfl2:

https://youtu.be/1TWFQHwfeWw


Looks like a Mk 19 fire control radar to me. Bofors mounts started receiving them by the end of the war, so showing them, along with quadruple mounts on a DD in 1942, is obviously anachronistic. Looks like the filmmakers just left the radars on and prayed none of us nerds noticed. :03:

[Randomizer]

Some Naval Historians eviscerate the movies' lack of historicity:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5Jo6WR44Tw

I re-read the book and it would seem that, according to one of the reviewers, the film bears little resemblance to CS Forrester's novella.

It's sad that even when Hollywood can get the history right, they inevitably choose not to bother. Think that I will give Greyhound a miss.

-C

[Bilge_Rat]

So finally got to see the movie over the weekend and I really liked it. It's not as good as "The Cruel Sea" or "Das Boot", but not as bad as "U-571".

The action is over the top, but the interior scenes, the interplay and dialogue between the crew is well done and mr. Hanks as usual, does a very good job as the skipper.

Note that the film was filmed mostly on the USS Kidd museum ship. It's a Fletcher class DD still in its august 1945 config which would explain some of the minor errors.

Note that the budget for this kind of film is limited and it only got made because Tom Hanks wrote the script, pushed to get it made and agreed to star in it. Personally, I would rather have this kind of WW2 naval warfare film that none at all.

[Aktungbby]

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=2682803&postcount=3253 (https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=2682803&postcount=3253)
Note that the budget for this kind of film is limited and it only got made because Tom Hanks wrote the script, pushed to get it made and agreed to star in it. Personally, I would rather have this kind of WW2 naval warfare film that none at all. They perhaps should have titled it: In Hank's Way :arrgh!: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c4/In_Harms_Way_Poster.jpg/220px-In_Harms_Way_Poster.jpg (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:In_Harms_Way_Poster.jpg)

[Randomizer]

I would rather have this kind of WW2 naval warfare film that none at all.
I am just the opposite, better nothing at all than crap. Greyhound is up there with U-571 and Pearl Harbor for cringe-worthy Hollywood entertainment excrement.

-C

[Onkel Neal]

Since AppleTV won't work on my 2020 Sony TV, I went ahead and signed up using the free trial and watched Greyhound on my PC. It would have been far more rewarding on the big screen or my 85" TV, but I just finished reading The Good Shepard and I wanted to see how they compare.

The book: very good, virtually a manual on sub hunting and detection. The protagonist Captain Krause is a 1950's man, tough and all business. He has doubts and uncertainty but he keeps them to himself. The book does a good job of illustrating how every second matters, how the captain is responsible for not only his ship but the whole convoy and the lives of the men on the other 40 or so ships. Krause has some reflections on his failed marriage but is not a bitter, hard-drinking crybaby trope. He has his duty and that's what matters. He's a man like men used to be. He sustains his watch for over 50 hours, making numerous decisions that prove crucial for the mission of getting the convoy across the Mid-Atlantic gap. I highly recommend this book.

The film follows the tone and structure of the book closely. It begins and within 3 minutes the action starts. A wolfpack is detected on radar and with his limited resources Captain Krause has to decide which contacts to pursue and how much of the convoy to leave unprotected. Tom Hanks plays Krause with very little surface emotion but is successful in convey some of the neophyte convoy leader's underlying emotions. Tom Hanks, ladies and gentlemen. I found the subtextual gay undercurrent between the captain and the sassy mess steward interesting. Few of the other characters are more than faces, cogs in the machine which makes perfect sense in the context of this film.

The U-boats behave realistically. They come to the surface when out of view of the convoy to take advantage of their superior surface speed and maneuverability. The scene in the trailer where the U-boat is slugging it out on the surface is valid, for reasons the movie suggests. There's a bit of Hollywood in some scenes, such as the outsized conning tower logos and seeing four U-boats surface within 100m of each other, done no doubt for dramatic effect. And possibly some scenes were constructed to have the U-boats and convoy appear in the same shots. I found not having lookouts on the bridge odd.

Overall the elements of U-boat warfare of accurate and engrossing. Uncertain radar pips, technical issues, sonar limitations, pillenwerfers, confusion, friendly fire, and simply the physical aspects of escorts, merchants, and U-boats are all very satisfyingly portrayed.

One glaring exception is the intercepted radio transmissions the Greyhound picks up from a taunting U-boat commander. Now sure, there may have been some insane U-boat captains who would use the radio to give away their position solely to taunt the enemy but to howl like a wolf? That's cartoon crazy but fits in with 2020 movie audiences, so ok, whatever.

The movie is structured a lot like the Mad Max movie Fury Road, relentless, hurtling forward. The sound effects and scoring underpin the action. There's a special U-boat sound that seems evil and dastardly every time a boat appears thrusting through the waves.

I would definitely recommend seeing Greyhound, if you can get Apple TV to cooperate with your large screen TV, it's a tense and exciting movie that mostly gets the details spot on.

********************

U-boat between burning ship and Tom Hanks
https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/attachment.php?attachmentid=3544&d=1599489128


U-boat on the surface really close to enemy ships
https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/attachment.php?attachmentid=3547&d=1599489183

Desperate grey wolf in a fight with an escort
https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/attachment.php?attachmentid=3549&d=1599489199

[bobdoane]

I agree with Onkel Neal’s review of “Greyhound” as a piece of very entertaining fiction. It was a very good movie. However, I would like to point out some inaccuracies/inconsistencies that mildly disturbed me while watching.
1). Fletcher class destroyers did serve in the Atlantic albeit in very small numbers. But very few did convoy duty. They basically served as fleet/heavy warship escorts. The probable ship referenced in C. S. Forester’s excellent book would be a smaller DD, such as a Bagley or Gleaves class ship.
2). The “Greyhound” (as depicted) was armed with quad mount 40 mm Oerlikon aa guns athwart the after funnel. These mounts were added specifically to combat the kamikaze threat in the Pacific and did not appear until the late summer or early fall of 1944. However, the time frame for the book and the movie appears to be late 1942 to early 1943 (obvious winter weather). By late 1943 there were far more escorts, including D. E.s and escort carriers, and the u-boat menace was waning. Many historians state that the u-boat war had been won by late’43 (I’m not sure I agree, but it was far more dangerous to be a u-boat sailor by then). This is an anachronism and since the ship is a CGI construct really should have been caught and corrected.
3). Early in the film Krause orders a speed of 30 knots, which is very unlikely given the sea state depicted. The ship’s screws would have spent 20 to 30% of their time out of the water. This is almost excusable but then when he wants to begin the sonar search, he orders a speed of 22 knots. Even if the sea state had been calm, this would have been way too fast to get reliable return echoes on the sonar sets of the time. The best probable speed would be about 12 knots.
These glitches did not invalidate a very good film but it does mean the “details” weren’t quite there. I noticed some other questionable items, such as the German torpedo grazing the side (bilge keel?) of the ship without exploding. But I’m not an expert on the “touchiness” of German torpedo exploders.
My opinion is that the flaws of this film should have been caught by a competent technical/historical adviser. But the film is no less entertaining because of them. In actuality, I feel there were far fewer technical/historical issues than most other “great” Hollywood war films I have seen and as an amateur historian, I’ve seen most of them.
By the way, Forester spent quite a bit of time on U. S. and U. K. ships (merchant and warships) during the war doing research for his writing. His writing has always been very highly critically acclaimed and was especially popular right after the war. “The Good Shepherd” was serialized in “Life” magazine in the early ‘50s I think, but I’m not sure exactly when.:Kaleun_Applaud:
Thanks very much for the review.

[Aktungbby]

bobdoane!:Kaleun_Salute:

[Jimbuna]

Welcome to SubSim bobdoane :Kaleun_Salute:

Great first post :Kaleun_Applaud:

[bobdoane]

Thanks. I've been a reader for years, but this is the first time I felt I had something I could contribute. I really enjoy this site and visit daily. Keep up the great work.


:Kaleun_Applaud:

[mapuc]

I must say I was..can't find the word...when I read bobdoane analyse of the movie versus reality.

As I have mentioned earlier in this thread...people want action not historical correctness.. and this is what Hollywood give.

Those of you who has knowledge in ASW and ASUW around WWII have to disengage it and just enjoy the action in the movie

Markus

[FlemiJackson]

A naval war movie Best one to watch

[Aktungbby]

FlemiJackson!:Kaleun_Salute:

[DrakonPL]

imho I give it 6.5/10

It was a nice show but it wasn't too realistic. If u have opportunity to watch it for sure give it a chance.

[Jimbuna]

A naval war movie Best one to watch

To each there own I suppose.

Welcome to SubSim :Kaleun_Salute:

[Rinaldi]

Re-read 'The Good Shepherd' by Forester before re-watching. I went in with low expectations based on the trailer and was pleasantly surprised. It very faithfully re-creates the book and is far from "Hollywood" - I will forgive the grumpy nitpickers who hang on to a few inaccuracies but I enjoyed it. Thoroughly.

[stormrider_sp]

I gave up watching this movie simply because of Apple's bubble of slavery. I'm not interested in signing up for yet another internet tv, especially one so restrictive as Apple. Gave up my old iphones, itunes long ago and don't regret and my old last apple hardware, an old macbook pro 2010 now runs only on bootcamp windows. Not that I like windows, but it's at least not a concentration camp as apple stuff.

[JU_88]

Intreasting, someone should start a comprehensive SUB movie & Documentary?) thread here with legal links to said movie or documentary,
(like the SS music thread in GT) that would be cool.

[Onkel Neal]

Early in the film Krause orders a speed of 30 knots, which is very unlikely given the sea state depicted. The ship’s screws would have spent 20 to 30% of their time out of the water. This is almost excusable but then when he wants to begin the sonar search, he orders a speed of 22 knots. Even if the sea state had been calm, this would have been way too fast to get reliable return echoes on the sonar sets of the time. The best probable speed would be about 12 knots.




Yeah, I caught that too. I was puzzled, because in the book it does list 12 knots as the fastest active sonar speed. Wonder why they changed that for the movie...?

[Macgregor the Hammer]

My first impressions of the 'Greyhound' trailer is a little too much CGI. I'm probably going to have to wait for the DVD or one of the movie channels to see it.

New movie ideas:
One of the David Poyer novels
The Bedford Incident with a serious haircut.
One of the 'Destroyermen' series by Taylor Anderson.
Run Silent, Run Deep that tracks the book better. The movie was a Gable-Lancaster vehicle.
One of P. T. Deutermann novels.
A well written movie about O'Kane or Morton

The 'Untouchables':
Das Boot
The enemy below
Destination Tokyo

Just a thought :salute:

[mapuc]

The Bedford Incident with Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier was released in 1965. It was one of the first war movie/cold war movie I saw

Or you already knew it has been filmed ?

Markus

[Pri3n47]

The movie is really pleasurable to watch, constant action, etc... That's why I like it, but it's totally unrealistic in my opinion. Which u-boat commander would behave like this in real life!? He wouldn't survive too long :doh:

[Jimbuna]

Had an afternoon to myself so watched it again and I'll readily admit the more I see it the more I like it.

[Aktungbby]

To each there own I suppose.


Had an afternoon to myself so watched it again and I'll readily admit the more I see it the more I like it.To each their own I suppose. :arrgh!: As I pointed out in my meager critique post (#151): I go to movies to be entertained-and was; and Das Boot and The Enemy Below need not worry...really, only the radio harassment by kaleuns was most flawed...they should have used an Axis Sally or Lord Haw Haw for that
Implausible scenario.:hmmm: I'll watch it again I'm sure.

[Von_Fleming]

The main oddity of the film is how it portrayed the U-boats as having some personnel vendetta against Greyhound to the extent that they all ultimately revealed their own positions, in trying to sink Greyhound, where realistically they would have used their inherent stealth to avoid the escorts and sneak into the convoy. At this point in the war, escorts by and large still had an extremely hard time even 'generalizing' the location of submerged U-boats.

[FireDragon76]

Good movie, but obviously dramatized. An elegy to the War in the Atlantic for the Playstation Generation.


I think Tom Hank's age really helped him in this role and didn't really detract (people now days just look younger), but I think his best work was in depicting Mr. Roger's. His acting here is just perfunctory.

[FireDragon76]

Actually that is exactly how Günther Prien and Otto Kretschmer lost their U Boats. U Boat commanders were not nearly as afraid of surface conflict as their allied counterparts. Granted, they would dive to avoid the escorts when needed but would often resurface to reengage the convoy. During night attacks it was much harder to find them on the surface than submerged where ASDIC could be used.


This even works out in Silent Hunter IV with American boats. I've had situations where it was safer to slip past a Japanese coastal patrol on the surface rather than submerged

[les green01]

too me this movie was like watching the new movie midway i just cant get into it

[ABBAFAN]

Fwiw, from what I've learned over time, Kretschmer lost his boat when an officer ordered a dive when in Kretschmer's mind, he shouldn't have, allowing them to get picked up via asdic. Kretschmer believing the escort wouldn't have seen them if they'd stayed surfaced, and he could have slipped away into the night. As it turned out, he was right; the British ship "Walker" had not seen U-99.

Kretschmer never forgave said officer for that order.

.

Shouldn’t Kretschmer have been giving the orders? Or was it a case of not being able to countermand them in time?

[John Pancoast]

Shouldn’t Kretschmer have been giving the orders? Or was it a case of not being able to countermand them in time?

Not necessarily. I.e., standard sailors on watch wouldn't/couldn't/shouldn't wait for the skipper's order to crash dive upon spotting an airplane. But maybe so (your point), not sure.
In terms of a countermand, guess not. Once picked up on asdic at close quarters, surfacing wouldn't have been an option anyway.

[Jimbuna]

Shouldn’t Kretschmer have been giving the orders? Or was it a case of not being able to countermand them in time?

He was below and the order was given before he was aware of the situation as I understand events.

[John Pancoast]

He was below and the order was given before he was aware of the situation as I understand events.

:salute: Thanks !

[Aktungbby]

He was below and the order was given before he was aware of the situation as I understand events. He warn't called 'Silent Otto' fer nuthin'!:doh: I Came across this easy to read site for all the :subsim: novice bilgerats to conveniently absorb!:O: https://naval-encyclopedia.com/battles/ww2/battle-of-the-atlantic.php

[ABBAFAN]

I see. I wonder if strong words were exchanged in the aftermath. Things like this are why I’d prefer a job working alone. 🤔

[Silent Otto]

Here's the U-99 Interrogation post sinking. It gives all the details:

https://web.archive.org/web/20121219000406/http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-99INT.htm

[John Pancoast]

Here's the U-99 Interrogation post sinking. It gives all the details:

https://web.archive.org/web/20121219000406/http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-99INT.htm




Good read, thanks ! :up:

[Silent Otto]

Despite the thread topic, I won't comment on "Greyhound", as everything has been said already and I agree with the majority of comments.


I too found "The Cruel Sea" to be exceptional and enjoyed the part where the U-boat was hiding under the men in the water and the decision made to attack. You don't find too many films these days that deal with the hard realities of war, unfortunately.


Another decent, somewhat obscure and hard to find film is "Of Sharks and Little Fish". It portrays a sailor's life in the Kriegsmarine aboard ship and later transferred to U-boats. I understand from those more knowledgeable than I, it is a pretty accurate depiction of what life was really like for the average sailor onboard.

[lees72]

Re-read 'The Good Shepherd' by Forester before re-watching. I went in with low expectations based on the trailer and was pleasantly surprised. It very faithfully re-creates the book and is far from "Hollywood" - I will forgive the grumpy nitpickers who hang on to a few inaccuracies but I enjoyed it. Thoroughly.

I've read all the Hornblower books by C S Forester and he definitely knows his stuff regarding sailing, ships and the sea, but submarines I'm not so sure