Movies and Films
This is the forum for Movie and Film discussions. Again, our topic is naval warfare in WWII for the most part.
Re: What did you dislike about DAS BOOT?
Posted by:
Stefan
()
Date: January 20, 2004 06:28PM
<HTML>Hi Kenn,
some assistance for Meg from Germany.
The behaviour of that german u-boat officers was as described and was not a single event.
Although some vets did not want that to be published in a movie there a sveral sources for that kind of behaviour in books wirtten by them or the officers itself.
Let's citate some sources:
Wolfgang Hirschfeld describes his Kaleun riding drunk on a bob smashing into a fence giving the Kaleun a lot of headache the next morning
There are a lot of events described by Teddy Suhren both himself and other officers drinking and behaving not as an officer should do.
Dönitz himself sent his officers with his car to the brothel (more or less official known by the whole u-boat arm).
Now how does this go in line with the Heydrich incident (which you correctly citate)? When I remember right Heydrich was in love with a girl which was (due to reasons I don't remember) not accepted by his superior officer. (Due to that time a marriage of a german navy officer has to be approved by his superiors) His officer forced him to leave that girl and i can't remember if he did not want it and left therefore the navy or he was fired, because he did not follow the officers instructions (This happenend in the mid or early 30s and than Heydrich went to the SS).
"Dienst ist Dienst und Schnaps ist Schnaps."
You can behave during your off duty time as "a normal human" as long as you do nothing which is against the honour of a "normal men" and the officers corps. Therefore incidents like that were tolerated by the superior officers especially in the light of the "special rules" for members of the "Freikorps Dönitz".
But when you are in duty you have to follow the rules and especially you have to follow the orders of your superiors.
In addition to that an episode which was described in a novell, but which is typicall "deutsch" and therefore I think it is true.....
In Summer 1944 (when the hope for victory was already gone and all armed forces were looking for new man) a "Fähnrich" (cadett?) did not wear the white gloves which were part of his uniform dress while he was walking on a street. A senior officer notified this and informed his superiors. The Fähnrich was dismissed and he shot himself dead.
Typicall "deutsch"?
But for sure:
"Dienst ist Dienst und Schnaps ist Schnaps"
Regards
Stefan</HTML>
some assistance for Meg from Germany.
The behaviour of that german u-boat officers was as described and was not a single event.
Although some vets did not want that to be published in a movie there a sveral sources for that kind of behaviour in books wirtten by them or the officers itself.
Let's citate some sources:
Wolfgang Hirschfeld describes his Kaleun riding drunk on a bob smashing into a fence giving the Kaleun a lot of headache the next morning
There are a lot of events described by Teddy Suhren both himself and other officers drinking and behaving not as an officer should do.
Dönitz himself sent his officers with his car to the brothel (more or less official known by the whole u-boat arm).
Now how does this go in line with the Heydrich incident (which you correctly citate)? When I remember right Heydrich was in love with a girl which was (due to reasons I don't remember) not accepted by his superior officer. (Due to that time a marriage of a german navy officer has to be approved by his superiors) His officer forced him to leave that girl and i can't remember if he did not want it and left therefore the navy or he was fired, because he did not follow the officers instructions (This happenend in the mid or early 30s and than Heydrich went to the SS).
"Dienst ist Dienst und Schnaps ist Schnaps."
You can behave during your off duty time as "a normal human" as long as you do nothing which is against the honour of a "normal men" and the officers corps. Therefore incidents like that were tolerated by the superior officers especially in the light of the "special rules" for members of the "Freikorps Dönitz".
But when you are in duty you have to follow the rules and especially you have to follow the orders of your superiors.
In addition to that an episode which was described in a novell, but which is typicall "deutsch" and therefore I think it is true.....
In Summer 1944 (when the hope for victory was already gone and all armed forces were looking for new man) a "Fähnrich" (cadett?) did not wear the white gloves which were part of his uniform dress while he was walking on a street. A senior officer notified this and informed his superiors. The Fähnrich was dismissed and he shot himself dead.
Typicall "deutsch"?
But for sure:
"Dienst ist Dienst und Schnaps ist Schnaps"
Regards
Stefan</HTML>
