At the start of World War II, Cmdr. Ericson is assigned to convoy escort HMS Compass Rose with inexperienced officers and men just out of training. The winter seas make life miserable enough, but the men must also harden themselves to rescuing survivors of U-Boat attacks, while seldom able to strike back. Traumatic events afloat and ashore create a warm bond between the skipper and his first officer. Atmospheric sea footage.
The Battle of the Atlantic: British and Canadian convoys carry supplies across the North Atlantic to supply Allied forces in Europe and Africa.
Allied supply convoy crossing the Atlantic
Here’s a closer look at the Flower class corvette used by the heroes of the movie:
Flower class corvette
Specifications:
Displacement: 950 tons
Dimensions: 62.5 x 10.0 x 3.5 meters (205 x 33 x 11.5 feet)
Propulsion: Single shaft; 2 fire tube Scotch boilers; 1 4-cyl. triple expansion steam engine, 2750 hp.; 16 knots
Range: 3500 nm. at 12 knots
Crew: 85
Radar: SW1C or 2C (later)
Sonar: Type 123A, later Type 127DV
Fire control: none
Main gun: 1 4″ BL Mk.IX single (range: 12,660 m / 13,850 yd)
Anti-aircraft: 2 .50 cal mg twin, 2 Lewis .303 cal mg twin
The World War II U.S. Navy submarine commander P.J. Richardson (Clark Gable) has an obsession with the Japanese destroyer that had sunk his previous boat and three others in the Bungo Straits. He persuades the Navy Board to give him a new submarine command with the provision that his executive officer, or “exec”, be someone who has just returned from active sea patrol. He is single-mindedly training the crew of his new boat, the USS Nerka, to return to the Bungo Straits and sink the destroyer, captained by a crafty ex-submariner, now destroyer captain, nicknamed Bungo Pete. Richardson’s executive officer, Lieutenant Jim Bledsoe (Burt Lancaster), is worried about the safety of his boat and his crew. Bledsoe also is seething with resentment at Richardson and the Navy management for denying him command of the boat which he believes should rightfully have been his.
Deck Gun: 1 3″/50-calibre, or 1 4″/50-calibre, or 1 5″/25-calibre
Anti-Aircraft Weapons: 1 or 2-20mm Oerlikons, or 2-40mm Bofors, or 1-20mm and 1-40mm
Torpedoes: 10-21″ torpedo tubes (6 bow, 4 stern); 24 Mark-14 torpedoes; Mark III Torpedo Data Computer
Radar: Short range SD air detection radar; SJ surface search radar; ST periscope radar
Sonar: JP hydrophone, upper deck; JK/QC, QB Sonar under bow
As everyone knows, I have an interest in all things military, including submarine warfare. One of the first games I ever played was Gato by Spectrum Holobyte, on my old Apple Macintosh. A good newer game to play is Silent Hunter IV and Dangerous Waters. For something more macro, I recommend Harpoon.
In the early years of World War II, the Nazis have overrun the Netherlands and have taken over the shipyard co-owned and run by Jaap van Leyden. The yard was making submarines for the Dutch Navy. The German ‘Protector’ Von Schiffer demands that they resume making submarines, but for the Nazis. By lowering food rations to starvation point, they induce some of the skilled workers to return to the yard.
This leads to many problems for van Leyden and his wife when everyone sees them as collaborators. But van Leyden works out a way to appear to do what the Nazis want but to keep his conscience clear as well.
WINTERY KNIGHT 