The U-571 experience, or didnt your mommy tell you there was a destroyer up there?

popcorn2721 · 09-09-09, 11:07 PM

Having been a sub simmer since I started playing Silent Service as a kid, all the way to SHIII (which has brought me the greatest pleasures Ive known as a gamer (thanks GWX team)) I know we've all been in a similar situation before, that's why I'm posting this in the SHIII forum and not in the general topics further down (please consider the parallels before thinking that this one is in the wrong forum, thank you).

So, Im watching U-571, which in itself is a pretty good movie, with a pretty high production value as far as special effects go and the story is solid too. Moving in the first couple of minutes we have a sub that gets discovered while sinking a merchant vessel.

The sonar man says "Visa boomb!" or what translates to "depth charges"
"Hold on..The Tommies are crapping all over us" the Kalhoun says while hes calmly eating a lemon.
The first few explosions can be heard from a distance, like I said we've all been here before and can feel the immersive feelings of sweat and looking fearfully up towards the surface climbing deep inside us.
After the depth charges start the captain yells to "stop that leak" as the engineers simultaneously trying to stem the flow of fuel from a leak that started in the engine room with the first barrage of depth charges. The fuel is ignited from the sparks generated by the second barrage of depth charges (I counted 10 really close ones). So the engine room is on fire and leaks have been opened up all over and U-571 is dropping like a rock to 120 meters... at which time the captain orders to "Blow all tanks! Surface! Surface!".

I can understand the captains orders, although from my own simulated experiences... I would have allowed a little more time for recovery while submerged (we all know that 120 meters isnt that deep, right?).

So the ballast tanks are blown and the boat takes takes its trip to the surface... when the sub breaches the water there is no destroyer, not a boat in site and the captain is informing the crew that "Everything is clear." and commands "Lookouts to the bridge!". He then hollers at the radioman to fire off a distress signal after assessing the damage reports. The distress signal is encoded, I get that but wouldn't the ship that just dropped the DCs turn around after the signal was intercepted and triangulated.

All in all I just want to know if there is an explanation for the destroyer dropping a truckload of depth charges and just not being there when the boat surfaces. I can see that its after dark when they surface but surely no destroyer captain would have given up and taken off that quickly. I like this movie, but this part in the first ten minutes has stricken a foul chord with me since the first time I saw the movie.
At the end of my rant and for those that read this long post i just want to know, what do you guys think?

Thank You
Pops

I-25 · 09-10-09, 01:45 AM

apparently you don't know what most of us subsim members think about that movie...

SeaWolf U-57 · 09-10-09, 03:41 AM

Yes I watched that film just after the U-Boat surfaced and no warship in sight
Is when I turned it off (ether they went into time compression underwater or the warship left the area at warp speed)

Ancient Mariner · 09-10-09, 03:59 AM

i watched it once & thought it was bull****,Das Boot is still the greatest Uboat movie follew by down periscope(not realistic but great for a laugh)

papa_smurf · 09-10-09, 04:32 AM

That film takes history and spits it out in american favour. Watch Das Boot for a true submarine experience

Mopy · 09-10-09, 05:30 AM

Time compression? :rotfl:Good call.

I saw it for the first time last week, and there were many oddities. Not changing course when being depth charged (seemed to just wait for them to get closer), the destroyer surfacing incident, the looks of worry at 30 metres. Good effects though, and it was about u-boats. Though I'm sure there are plenty of real WWII stories left untold, so as to why they made one up /shrug

popcorn2721 · 09-10-09, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Padvotke

"The sonar man says "Visa boomb!" or what translates to "depth charges""

It's not Visa bomb it's wasser bomb.

And the captain is eating tangerine not lemon.

Yeah that u-boat is surfacing too quickly after blow ballast and it feels odd not to find DD nearby.

What else could you expect from a Holywood movie pointed at ordinary viewer who has little knowledge how things worked in reality.

Thanks for the accurate translation...

Quote:

Originally Posted by papa_smurf

That film takes history and spits it out in american favour. Watch Das Boot for a true submarine experience

Das Boot is one of the greatest movies made and what sub simmer would be without it in their video collection? Not I...lol

Schroeder · 09-10-09, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by popcorn2721

Thanks for the accurate translation...

Being the smartass I am I have to say that the accurate translation is "Wasserbombe".

09-10-09, 10:01 AM

Don't think that I could classify sitting through U-571 as an experiance, more like an ordeal.

Bent Periscope · 09-10-09, 10:52 AM

U-571 was the only way I could get my wife to look at a sub movie with me. (The 6-hour Das Boot version was too long for her though I kept explaining that she was missing the point of the boredom.)

During U-571 I kept explaining the errors/ommissions, lack of tactics, unrealistic story development, etc. until my wife just told me to be quiet and "enjoy" the movie.

Afterwards she said that the movie was "fun" to watch.

BP

I-25 · 09-10-09, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bent Periscope

During U-571 I kept explaining the errors/ommissions, lack of tactics, unrealistic story development, etc. until my wife just told me to be quiet and "enjoy" the movie.

Yeaa i get that a lot from my girl too..

Dowly · 09-10-09, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schroeder

Being the smartass I am I have to say that the accurate translation is "Wasserbombe".

Goddammit! I was sure the correct one would've been 'Wasserbomben'.

I love german language, but german language hates me.

As for the movie, my favorite mistake is the one where they are already in the german uboat. They are standing on the bridge when the order comes to dive (I think it's when they blow their cover to the german destroyer), Andy is ALONE in the tower and yet as he yells orders, he looks straight towards the aft of the boat. Shouldnt he, you know, be yelling his orders down to the hatch?

DaveU186 · 09-10-09, 05:31 PM

The film is a disgrace. Completely disrespecting one of the most important moments in the whole war to favour an American agenda.

Sadly it happens all too often in American war films. You'd be hard-pressed to believe there was anyone else in the damn war when you watch half of them.

Rhodes · 09-10-09, 05:56 PM

Again, am I the only one to point out that I never saw diesel oil that can be ignited with sparks? Or the U-571 had a new model of parafin/gasoline engines?

Schroeder · 09-14-09, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dowly

Goddammit! I was sure the correct one would've been 'Wasserbomben'.

Wasserbomben is the plural of Wasserbombe, so you were correct too.

09-09-09, 11:07 PM	#1
popcorn2721 Gunner Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ill Posts: 93 Downloads: 17 Uploads: 0	The U-571 experience, or didnt your mommy tell you there was a destroyer up there? Having been a sub simmer since I started playing Silent Service as a kid, all the way to SHIII (which has brought me the greatest pleasures Ive known as a gamer (thanks GWX team)) I know we've all been in a similar situation before, that's why I'm posting this in the SHIII forum and not in the general topics further down (please consider the parallels before thinking that this one is in the wrong forum, thank you). So, Im watching U-571, which in itself is a pretty good movie, with a pretty high production value as far as special effects go and the story is solid too. Moving in the first couple of minutes we have a sub that gets discovered while sinking a merchant vessel. The sonar man says "Visa boomb!" or what translates to "depth charges" "Hold on..The Tommies are crapping all over us" the Kalhoun says while hes calmly eating a lemon. The first few explosions can be heard from a distance, like I said we've all been here before and can feel the immersive feelings of sweat and looking fearfully up towards the surface climbing deep inside us. After the depth charges start the captain yells to "stop that leak" as the engineers simultaneously trying to stem the flow of fuel from a leak that started in the engine room with the first barrage of depth charges. The fuel is ignited from the sparks generated by the second barrage of depth charges (I counted 10 really close ones). So the engine room is on fire and leaks have been opened up all over and U-571 is dropping like a rock to 120 meters... at which time the captain orders to "Blow all tanks! Surface! Surface!". I can understand the captains orders, although from my own simulated experiences... I would have allowed a little more time for recovery while submerged (we all know that 120 meters isnt that deep, right?). So the ballast tanks are blown and the boat takes takes its trip to the surface... when the sub breaches the water there is no destroyer, not a boat in site and the captain is informing the crew that "Everything is clear." and commands "Lookouts to the bridge!". He then hollers at the radioman to fire off a distress signal after assessing the damage reports. The distress signal is encoded, I get that but wouldn't the ship that just dropped the DCs turn around after the signal was intercepted and triangulated. All in all I just want to know if there is an explanation for the destroyer dropping a truckload of depth charges and just not being there when the boat surfaces. I can see that its after dark when they surface but surely no destroyer captain would have given up and taken off that quickly. I like this movie, but this part in the first ten minutes has stricken a foul chord with me since the first time I saw the movie. At the end of my rant and for those that read this long post i just want to know, what do you guys think? Thank You Pops __________________ Silent Hunter III v1.4b GWX2.0 GWX2.1 GWX3.0 Uboat Commander 3.2 Life Boats final Torpedo Damage final Silent Hunter 4...more on that later

09-10-09, 04:32 AM	#5
papa_smurf Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 2,851 Downloads: 33 Uploads: 0	That film takes history and spits it out in american favour. Watch Das Boot for a true submarine experience __________________

09-10-09, 05:56 PM	#14
Rhodes Silent Hunter Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Figueira da Foz, Portugal Posts: 4,515 Downloads: 110 Uploads: 0	Again, am I the only one to point out that I never saw diesel oil that can be ignited with sparks? Or the U-571 had a new model of parafin/gasoline engines? __________________ http://www.flickr.com/photos/16416646@N05/

09-10-09, 01:45 AM	#2
I-25 Commodore Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Bavaria, Germany Posts: 629 Downloads: 27 Uploads: 0	apparently you don't know what most of us subsim members think about that movie...

09-10-09, 03:41 AM	#3
SeaWolf U-57 Ace of the Deep Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 1,231 Downloads: 92 Uploads: 0	Yes I watched that film just after the U-Boat surfaced and no warship in sight Is when I turned it off (ether they went into time compression underwater or the warship left the area at warp speed)

09-10-09, 03:59 AM	#4
Ancient Mariner Torpedoman Join Date: May 2009 Location: Somewhere north of Auckland Posts: 114 Downloads: 80 Uploads: 0	i watched it once & thought it was bull****,Das Boot is still the greatest Uboat movie follew by down periscope(not realistic but great for a laugh)

09-10-09, 05:30 AM	#6
Mopy Torpedoman Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 118 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	Time compression? :rotfl:Good call. I saw it for the first time last week, and there were many oddities. Not changing course when being depth charged (seemed to just wait for them to get closer), the destroyer surfacing incident, the looks of worry at 30 metres. Good effects though, and it was about u-boats. Though I'm sure there are plenty of real WWII stories left untold, so as to why they made one up /shrug

09-10-09, 10:01 AM	#9
Randomizer Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	Don't think that I could classify sitting through U-571 as an experiance, more like an ordeal.

09-10-09, 10:52 AM	#10
Bent Periscope Lieutenant Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Dry docks of Los Angeles, CA Posts: 250 Downloads: 46 Uploads: 0	U-571 was the only way I could get my wife to look at a sub movie with me. (The 6-hour Das Boot version was too long for her though I kept explaining that she was missing the point of the boredom.) During U-571 I kept explaining the errors/ommissions, lack of tactics, unrealistic story development, etc. until my wife just told me to be quiet and "enjoy" the movie. Afterwards she said that the movie was "fun" to watch. BP

09-10-09, 05:31 PM	#13
DaveU186 Torpedoman Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 112 Downloads: 14 Uploads: 0	The film is a disgrace. Completely disrespecting one of the most important moments in the whole war to favour an American agenda. Sadly it happens all too often in American war films. You'd be hard-pressed to believe there was anyone else in the damn war when you watch half of them.