Exactly, hence the 'attack' from the observation scope :lol:

I can tell you that the Attack Periscope of a Type VII is within a very very small tin space.

I've given a lot of thought to my moments of terror. I remember them so well that it's like watching a movie. Long periods of tension can make you end up like Johann (which acted very well). But in sudden events everyone just freezes. I don't think that a movie can present such moments without a bit of screaming as the viewer simply can't understand it. A sub sailor always expected a sudden hull breach, so ,every time a bomb went off, he actually thought that the sub itself had imploded. He didn't have the luxury to think "well, it's only been 30 minutes since the movie began, it's clear we won't all die now, I just hope a pipe doesn't fall on my head". His worst fears became true for a few seconds during each blast. As far as "terror" goes, I doubt there's anything worse than a depth charge attack. Even playing Silent Hunter, I sometimes get so involved that it feels like a horror-game.

How is this an SH5 question?

Hello,

i'd say "Das Boot" is the most realistic movie about submarines that has ever been made, and it is not even boring to watch :03:
It is not a Hollywood production, exactly like "Stalingrad" and "Downfall".

The only scene that is technically wrong is when some rivets became loose at greater depths - the inner tube where the crew and engines were was completely welded, so no rivets would become loose. Only the outer hull which was never under pressure (double hull - outer pressure=inner p.) was riveted, and even this only partially.

The attack periscope was indeed located up in the tower, while the (bigger) observation 'scope was located down in the central bridge (control room). Most later VII types would turn the attack 'scope with electric motors, via pedals, and the commander sat in a steel seat, turning with the scope. Buchheim makes a remark about that where Lehmann-Willenbrock plays roundabout in the tower, with the humming electric engines being heard down in the control room.

The behaviour of the crew was spot on in Buchheim's book, if not in the film - which is why Buchheim was not too enthusiastic about it.
In the extended version there is a scene where Buchheim is told not to take pictures of the crew early in the patrol, before they grew beards, so that Mr. Churchill should not find out about german "children going to war", and being "even more frightened" as Willenbrock said with a wink.

In the book (close to the end) there is also a scene described, where the badly-damaged U-96 almost sinks a neutral spanish passenger ship, by mistake. When Buchheim asked commander Lehmann-Willenbrock what would have happened if they'd really sunk it, the answer was "you have to make clear that it does not appear in any log book or KTB, or would be told by survivors". Pretty clear what he meant.

But the only incident when german submariners ever really shot at castaways/survivors of a sunken ship, was Kapitaenleutnant Eck and his IXD/2, at survivors of a greek merchant. He did it out of despair of being detected, in april 1945, due to the horror stories told to him by older commanders, about the allied capabilities and detection methods, and suvivors betraying their position, or course.
He survived the war after beaching his boat, and was sentenced to death and shot, after the Nuremberg trials, because of having committed a war crime. Makes you think about the pacific.
If you want to see a real bad propaganda film watch this "Battle in the Atlantic" with Humphrey Bogart, where an arrogant and pompous clean-shaven U-boat commander, with a white silk scarf, personally guns down survivors and lifeboats.
Another good example of concocted history is this infamous Hollywood-"U-571". I heard US Navy veterans gave it standing ovations, after the premiere.

The discipline aboard german boats was generally strict, but more in a voluntarily way. There are some few reports (i know of two) that claim that there was panic, but it would mostly be only one man whose nerves gave up - like it was shown in the film.
The former crew members who nowadays say such things never happened, probably did not experience it on their own boat, and indeed it seems it did not happen often. But then more than two thirds of the U-boat men did not survive the war.

Now there's no point in accusing others in not knowing all about german submarines that went to war some 70 years ago. I surely don't ;)


Greetings,
Catfish

It's not. But i don't think that it is completely unrelated to this forum tho.

edit:
@Catfish

but Der Untergang isn't a hollywood movie either. And as far as i know Stalingrad comes from germany too.

Hello Nickolas,
thanks, i know - tried to change the above post - english is not my mother tongue :oops:

Greetings,
Catfish

You've been through alot, eh neal?

As does the sphincter.

On the other hand I was involved in a very bad car crash five years ago. I saw it coming, and I screamed real good. But then I tend to be a little vocal when I slip and fall on an icy sidewalk, too.:oops:

The classic ar$e anchor/magnet....always trying to adhere itself to something for support :DL