Other mistake: After being torpedoed, John Wayne orders Burke to radio Pearl Harbor. Burke asks "And break radio silence?" to which Wayne sarcastically replies "don't you think the Japanese know our position?" Actually, a submerged WWII sub could not transmit (radio) without surfacing. Having run up on the submerged sub by chance, only the sub knew their position at that moment. Breaking radio silence did in fact give their position away to the Japanese command.
Suggested correction: A W WII submarine usually surfaced to fire a torpedo thus raising a radio antenna above the water, allowing broadcasting.
Surface torpedo attacks occurred only at night less they give away their position in daylight.
Other mistake: After the sub attack, Mac informs Rock that he graduated from the Naval Academy in 1939. That would make him around 25 in 1941. The actor playing Mac was nearly 40. No competent officer would still be a Lt. JG at that age.
