The Enemy Below

Factual error: When the UBoat changes course, Andrews, operating the radar repeater, is immediately able to provide the bridge with the target's new course and speed. This would be impossible without extensive calculations and at least range and bearing plots once the target has steadied up on the new course, either figured on the scope screen or on a maneuvering board. One must remember that both vessels' courses and speeds must be taken into account when making computations, and the relative direction of a target's travel most often is not its true course.

Character mistake: About half-way into the movie the Captain asks for a fathometer reading and is told 150 fathoms. He preforms a mental calculation and says that it is 310 meters and over a thousand feet. In fact, 150 fathoms is 275 meters or 900 feet (1 fathom = 6 feet = 1.83 meters). (00:57:15 - 00:57:40)

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Captain Murrell: I have no idea what he is, what he thinks. I don't want to know the man I'm... trying to destroy.

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Trivia: The number of the (fictional) USS Haynes is DE-181. This number was actually used for the USS Straub - an actual Cannon Class escort destroyer.

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