Das Boot

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Thniper

[IMHO it's the best ending this movie could ever have, showing in a symbolic way the futility of war.

Sometimes I joke that it's because Germans invented opera, so of course it has an operatic ending.:rotfl:

For the external shots: you should keep in mind that not everybody is an expert in submarine warfare, so I see them more as 'explaining the situation to the common man'. I know many people who actually don't know what a DC is and what it may do to a submarine.

Good point; I never looked at it that way.

[Rhodes]

About the depth charges in "Das Boot", I wanted to post here what I am about to put, but many times forgot or slip my mind. Hope this thread is the right place.

I readed in a book, wrote by the Leutnant (Ing) of U-190, Werner Hirschmann, and quote:
"On 27 August, we were hunted by an enemy surface force of four destroyers and pinned down for more than 3 hours while they tried to establish our exact location by Asdic. This time they came closer and launched four depth charges.
At this point, I would like to make a comment about the films that portray life on submarines during the WW2, including the famous German epic "Das Boot". (...)
When depth charges explode, people inside the boat must be falling all over each other, if not desperately hanging onto something to keep themselves upright,while the boat rolls throught 30-degree arcs.
In reality that submarine isn't moving a fraction of an inch as it is a mass of a thousan tons, surrounded by an almost solid mass of whater. In my experience, an exploding depth charge felt like a blow with a giant hammer on an immovable object - valve shafts break, fuses blow, light fixtures shatter, but the boat doesn't move.
The chaos, the panic, the screaming portrayed by the crew in Das Boot was entertaning and interesting but had no connection with reality."

The (...) in the book, he is refering that sub movies have to be entertaning and dramatic, since life on a submarine was usuallt as visually interesting as watching paint dry.
After the part that a wrote here, the author says that none of the engineering officers in real life would have the talent and abilities ouf the chief enginner in the film. Mr.Scott syndrome? (this one is mine).

I liked the book and has many photos and details about training and life in and out the u-boat. But many book's also have.

[Hakahura]

Those people at Amazon are fast. Less than 2 days.

I've got the DVD in this mornings post, thats fast.

Now I just need to get rid of the wife and kids for 5 hours:rotfl:

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Rhodes

In reality that submarine isn't moving a fraction of an inch as it is a mass of a thousan tons, surrounded by an almost solid mass of whater. In my experience, an exploding depth charge felt like a blow with a giant hammer ob ab immovable object - valve shafts break, fuses blow, light fixtures shatter, but the boat doesn't move.

Thanks for posting that, Rhodes. It reminds me of the discussion on the General Topics board a while back, about battleships moving sideways when they fire their guns. I've heard such things before, that the boat doesn't really move much; but I have also heard that the concussion can distort bulkheads and knock the crew off their feet, just as the big guns can have the same effect on the ships firing them.

On the other hand, I like the mod that makes the boat roll about when under attack. I guess the perception is important to all of us.

[Thniper]

Originally Posted by Rhodes

The (...) in the book, he is refering that sub movies have to be entertaning and dramatic, since life on a submarine was usuallt as visually interesting as watching paint dry.
After the part that a wrote here, the author says that none of the engineering officers in real life would have the talent and abilities ouf the chief enginner in the film. Mr.Scott syndrome? (this one is mine).

I think the chief engineer (LI) has to KNOW everything about his boat but not necessarily to DO everything by himself (concerning repairs, etc.).
He actually would have instructed other crew members to perform certain tasks he would not bother with.
So here the movie is deviating slightly from the truth.

[Rhodes]

Sailor Steve, and yes, I agree with your last paragraph. I also like when the boat rolls under attack, in the game and in the movie.
I over looked this phrase, is the next after "the boat doesn't move. One may have the understandable inclination to duck, but no one has to wonder why."

Thniper, if you want I can put here the paragraph about it.

[Thniper]

@Rhodes:
Yes, I'd like to read it!

[Rhodes]

Originally Posted by Thniper

@Rhodes:
Yes, I'd like to read it!

Oh yeah? Buy the book :p

Here it is:

"In addition,none of us engineering officers in real life would have had the talent and the abilities of the chief engineer in that film - truly a superman of our profession - otherwise we would have lost very few boats during the the war, and I, for one, am still puzzled as to how he got that damaged boat back to the surface. While the film was true to life in many of its aspects, especially the depiction of everyday life on a U-boat and also with respecto to the caracters portrayed, most of the battle scenes were overdramatized and defy any logic."

I think this end the das boot references in the book, but I can be sure.

By the way, the name of the book:

Another Place, Another Time.
A U-boat Officer's Wartime Album.

[Thniper]

Thanks, Rhodes!

I will see if I can buy this one in a bookshop in Germany, because I don't trust online shops!