Originally Posted by Khayman

Well one of the crew of U-123 said of Buchheim; "He is truly crazy. He made only one trip in a U-Boat, as a photojournalist. How could he presume to write about U-Boatmen? Some things are factual but most are not"

He's wrong in that Buchheim was on one late war patrol IIRC, a patrol where it's suggested he got the negative tone for the movie and book. Anyways opinion among U-Boat commanders and men is divided. What really matters is that it's a great movie, despite it's faults.