I had the impression subs were claustrophobic and dirty from movies but was surprised by the room inside and clean it was.

I didn't see the videos in the OP as I have no sound on my work computer. So not sure which films were mentioned. Of course Das Boot has to be at the top of the list. Run Silent Run Deep is a classic as well, Down Periscope deserves a mention.

My opinion of The Enemy Below is not as good as others, I thought it was horrible, and laughed out loud a number of times while watching it. Two thumbs down for me

I didn't see the videos in the OP as I have no sound on my work computer. So not sure which films were mentioned. Of course Das Boot has to be at the top of the list. Run Silent Run Deep is a classic as well, Down Periscope and We Dive at Dawn deserve a mention.

There's a little-known film made recently called The Wolf's Call (Le Chant de Loup I think in French) that is really good if you like modern boats. It takes some liberties but is worth a look, especially if you liked films like Red October.

My opinion of The Enemy Below is not as good as others, I thought it was horrible, and laughed out loud a number of times while watching it. Two thumbs down for me

Yeah that's what I was getting at with the liberties comment. And the sound man has special abilities as well that maybe take it beyond entirely plausible. But the general vibe seems authentic and worth a look for sub movie fans. It's on netflix.

I'm sure that really mostly applied to WW 2 subs.

Yes, the old diesel boat sailors lived in much more spartan conditions. Having a nuclear reactor meant we generally had plentiful electricity and steam, which enabled such things as a bigger hull, better lighting and a better ability to make more fresh water. Fresh water was still a precious commodity on our Permit class boat, but not so rare and dear as it was for the ol' diesel boats. Air conditioning and precipitators made for better air, but we still had a marked aroma when we got back from sea. There was no escaping the atomized hydraulic oil and (back then) cigarette smoke in the air, but I'm sure it was worse for the diesel boat guys.

If you ever get to the Groton / New London area, tour the submarine museum and the U.S.S. Nautilus which is tied up there. The Nautilus was basically a diesel boat hull converted for a nuclear reactor propulsion system. So you still have somewhat tighter quarters, but many of the improvements that nuclear power enabled. The museum has the twin screws from my one-of-a-kind design sub, the U.S.S. Jack, there as well. We were a Permit class sub, but we had a unique propulsion system.

U-571

U-571

Here's an interesting bit of trivia for both films. "The Enemy Below" came out in 1957 and "Run Silent, Run Deep" came out in 1958. The only major difference is that the former involved a German U-boat being hunted by a US ship and the latter involved a Japanese ship with a US sub hunting it.


Hollywood copy-cat syndrome at work indeed.