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Legally it's on AppleTV+...
Tom Hanks may star as WW2 CO of destroyer in "Greyhound" movie
- Thread starter CougarKing
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I watched it last night. I thought it was very well done- there is so much detail crammed into it, I need to watch it again to see what I missed. The gun battle between the U-boat and a Canadian Corvette (probably Sackville)/The Greyhound is actually similar to a couple of real life incidents that happened to Canadian ships during the battle of the Atlantic where the UBoat was so close that it was under the guns of the Corvette.
The depiction of the ASW battle was not bad, but greatly sped up (and over states the efficacy of both radar and sonar in 1942), for dramatic effect. In real life, we don't call it "Awfully Slow Warfare" for nothing.
My wife is an NWO and felt that Tom Hanks played a very good CO and the impossible choices he faced were realistically portrayed.
Overall, it is not a "historical" movie, but one that captures the mood of a knife fight with a submarine very, very well.
The depiction of the ASW battle was not bad, but greatly sped up (and over states the efficacy of both radar and sonar in 1942), for dramatic effect. In real life, we don't call it "Awfully Slow Warfare" for nothing.
My wife is an NWO and felt that Tom Hanks played a very good CO and the impossible choices he faced were realistically portrayed.
Overall, it is not a "historical" movie, but one that captures the mood of a knife fight with a submarine very, very well.
I managed to watch it, and I have to admit...it was substantially better than the trailer made it out to be!
I have no experience in anything naval, and I assumed some things would be sped up or dramatized for effect. However, I found it really kept me hooked, and visually played out the way I imagined when I've read books on the U-Boat campaigns and the Battle of the Atlantic.
Definitely enjoyed
I have no experience in anything naval, and I assumed some things would be sped up or dramatized for effect. However, I found it really kept me hooked, and visually played out the way I imagined when I've read books on the U-Boat campaigns and the Battle of the Atlantic.
Definitely enjoyed
- Reaction score
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Watched it last night, entertaining movie. Seems like it did a good job showing the absolute chaos of escorting hundred ship convoys across an ocean with none of the modern technology we have now for Blue SA.
Colin Parkinson
Army.ca Myth
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Also in the early days, some of those Corvettes sailed with 1-2 people having had deep sea experience and Canadian built ships lacked a lot of the needed equipment, being further fitted out in the UK. Green men, on Green ships, taking green seas over the bows. Interesting is that in one Corvette vs sub fight, it was the first command for both Captains, luckily it was the Canadian skipper that made the least mistakes and sunk the U-boat.
It's unreal to think about that period of history, and how some Skippers and XO's -- pilots, soldiers, armour crew, etc etc -- were teenagers or in their early 20's.
That period of time really forced an entire generation to skip what we now think of as 'your early 20's' and jump straight into serious adulthood, FAST.
I remember reading in various books that sometimes the ships would have broomsticks painted black in lieu of guns, as they couldn't outfit the ships fast enough.
I had an "Uncle Cliff" who passed away probably a decade ago, or longer. I didn't get the chance to see him very often, as he was in Ontario and I was a young kid in Alberta.
But I vividly remember him joking around about 'war stories' - he was a turret gunner in a bomber. He used to joke "I shot at them every day, not sure I ever actually hit any!" He told my dad and I he was 17 when he did his first tour, and when I was young that didn't really mean much.
In hindsight, now that I'm in my mid 30's, it's pretty mind blowing. An entire generation, all around the world, at war, or struggling to survive as civilians.
That period of time really forced an entire generation to skip what we now think of as 'your early 20's' and jump straight into serious adulthood, FAST.
I remember reading in various books that sometimes the ships would have broomsticks painted black in lieu of guns, as they couldn't outfit the ships fast enough.
I had an "Uncle Cliff" who passed away probably a decade ago, or longer. I didn't get the chance to see him very often, as he was in Ontario and I was a young kid in Alberta.
But I vividly remember him joking around about 'war stories' - he was a turret gunner in a bomber. He used to joke "I shot at them every day, not sure I ever actually hit any!" He told my dad and I he was 17 when he did his first tour, and when I was young that didn't really mean much.
In hindsight, now that I'm in my mid 30's, it's pretty mind blowing. An entire generation, all around the world, at war, or struggling to survive as civilians.
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Saw it last night. Very good film, with reasonable historical accuracy.
While it's unlikely that a Fletcher class destroyer would be lead ship on an HX convoy, I understand from the theatrical license perspective. As well, HFDF was only starting to be installed in Mar 1942.
What the film does get right, is that early 1942 was what the Germans called "the Second Happy Time", which was the period where the Germans had switched from a 3 rotor to 4 rotor Enigma. Losses went up dramatically. We had broken the 3 rotor version in spring 1941, but by Feb 1942, we lost that advantage until Oct 1942. The convoy depicted in the film would have been at much greater risk than convoys in 1941.
While it's unlikely that a Fletcher class destroyer would be lead ship on an HX convoy, I understand from the theatrical license perspective. As well, HFDF was only starting to be installed in Mar 1942.
What the film does get right, is that early 1942 was what the Germans called "the Second Happy Time", which was the period where the Germans had switched from a 3 rotor to 4 rotor Enigma. Losses went up dramatically. We had broken the 3 rotor version in spring 1941, but by Feb 1942, we lost that advantage until Oct 1942. The convoy depicted in the film would have been at much greater risk than convoys in 1941.
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CBH99 said:
They are / were, in my opinion, the Greatest Generation any society has ever produced. Not that they were born that way. But, because of The War.
My father joined the RCN in August 1943 when he was 17.
My uncle joined the RCAF in July 1941 when he was 18. KIA in July 1944 when he was 21.
Colin Parkinson
Army.ca Myth
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Boinking for the good of the nation!! 
FSTO
Army.ca Fixture
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It was a pretty good movie.
That was pretty quick warfare (as opposed to Awfully Slow Warfare) and sinking 3 subs in 1942 is absolutely in alien space bat territory.
But they got the nuances right so that the laypeople are not totally confused and the naval people are not totally rolling their eyes. In my mind Tom Hanks and crew hit this target as close as possible.
I know that this is not in any way possible, but wouldn't it be nice if there was a movie done about Athabaskan and Haida and their actions in the English Channel prior to D-Day. Lots of action and heartache and would show Canadians that it wasn't only the Americans who won WWII.
Dare to dream, dare to dream!
One more thing about Greyhound, at the end they had the surviving escorts heading to Londonderry in a line abreast formation. Shawinigan was the farthest out and there is no way that a Corvette could maintain any sort of speed with a Fletcher. But it was a good visual, too bad we couldn't see battle flags! ;D
That was pretty quick warfare (as opposed to Awfully Slow Warfare) and sinking 3 subs in 1942 is absolutely in alien space bat territory.
But they got the nuances right so that the laypeople are not totally confused and the naval people are not totally rolling their eyes. In my mind Tom Hanks and crew hit this target as close as possible.
I know that this is not in any way possible, but wouldn't it be nice if there was a movie done about Athabaskan and Haida and their actions in the English Channel prior to D-Day. Lots of action and heartache and would show Canadians that it wasn't only the Americans who won WWII.
Dare to dream, dare to dream!
One more thing about Greyhound, at the end they had the surviving escorts heading to Londonderry in a line abreast formation. Shawinigan was the farthest out and there is no way that a Corvette could maintain any sort of speed with a Fletcher. But it was a good visual, too bad we couldn't see battle flags! ;D
- Reaction score
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This is a good little article about it.
Tom Hanks' Greyhound Is a Quietly Thrilling War Drama That's Not Just for Dads
https://time.com/5865255/greyhound-review-tom-hanks/
The trailer didn’t do it justice. I really enjoyed it. I thought it had a great balance of realistic/technical aspects vs the story and emotional sentiments—One element didn’t overpower another. The CGI was a lot better than I was anticipating too.
I like Hanks. He’s good at portraying strong and knowledgeable, yet humble characters who aren’t void of humanity and values, regardless of what’s at stake.
(I found myself thinking about what would be worse—being in a freezing/frozen snow covered trench, or standing on a frozen ice-covered deck with freezing water being splashed in one’s face. The Army and Navy folk will have to weigh in. I haven’t experienced either, and neither one seems appealing. Go Airforce
)
Tom Hanks' Greyhound Is a Quietly Thrilling War Drama That's Not Just for Dads
https://time.com/5865255/greyhound-review-tom-hanks/
The trailer didn’t do it justice. I really enjoyed it. I thought it had a great balance of realistic/technical aspects vs the story and emotional sentiments—One element didn’t overpower another. The CGI was a lot better than I was anticipating too.
I like Hanks. He’s good at portraying strong and knowledgeable, yet humble characters who aren’t void of humanity and values, regardless of what’s at stake.
(I found myself thinking about what would be worse—being in a freezing/frozen snow covered trench, or standing on a frozen ice-covered deck with freezing water being splashed in one’s face. The Army and Navy folk will have to weigh in. I haven’t experienced either, and neither one seems appealing. Go Airforce
)
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BeyondTheNow said:(I found myself thinking about what would be worse—being in a freezing/frozen snow covered trench, or standing on a frozen ice-covered deck with freezing water being splashed in one’s face. The Army and Navy folk will have to weigh in. I haven’t experienced either, and neither one seems appealing. Go Airforce
The RCAF didn't have it easy either. The pitiful prospects of surviving a tour in Bomber Command were only matched in hazard on either side by the German U-boat crews.
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mariomike said:
From wiki:
The same folks who produced Band of Brothers, The Pacific, and Greyhound are working on Masters of the Air, a miniseries about the US 8th Air Force (specifically the 100th Bombardment Group). I have pretty high hopes for it.
What this movie didn't really mention (or I missed it) was the total convoy sailing time. The movie covers about 3 days in the Pit, but an HX convoy from Halifax to Liverpool would take 15 days. When they shifted to New York to Liverpool during the timeframe of Greyhound, it would have been longer.
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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BeyondTheNow said:This is a good little article about it.
Tom Hanks' Greyhound Is a Quietly Thrilling War Drama That's Not Just for Dads
https://time.com/5865255/greyhound-review-tom-hanks/
The trailer didn’t do it justice. I really enjoyed it. I thought it had a great balance of realistic/technical aspects vs the story and emotional sentiments—One element didn’t overpower another. The CGI was a lot better than I was anticipating too.
I like Hanks. He’s good at portraying strong and knowledgeable, yet humble characters who aren’t void of humanity and values, regardless of what’s at stake.
(I found myself thinking about what would be worse—being in a freezing/frozen snow covered trench, or standing on a frozen ice-covered deck with freezing water being splashed in one’s face. The Army and Navy folk will have to weigh in. I haven’t experienced either, and neither one seems appealing. Go Airforce
If you get it right, a trench can be fairly comfy.... depending on what the enemy's raining down on you at the time, of course
Spencer100
Army.ca Veteran
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I was reading on another board And it was told that the movie makers hired a Canadian firm to help with the CGI and that firm scanned the HMCS Sackville, HMCS Haida and the ORP Błyskawica for the movie. I wish I had a link.
BeyondTheNow said:This is a good little article about it.
Tom Hanks' Greyhound Is a Quietly Thrilling War Drama That's Not Just for Dads
https://time.com/5865255/greyhound-review-tom-hanks/
The trailer didn’t do it justice. I really enjoyed it. I thought it had a great balance of realistic/technical aspects vs the story and emotional sentiments—One element didn’t overpower another. The CGI was a lot better than I was anticipating too.
I like Hanks. He’s good at portraying strong and knowledgeable, yet humble characters who aren’t void of humanity and values, regardless of what’s at stake.
(I found myself thinking about what would be worse—being in a freezing/frozen snow covered trench, or standing on a frozen ice-covered deck with freezing water being splashed in one’s face. The Army and Navy folk will have to weigh in. I haven’t experienced either, and neither one seems appealing. Go Airforce
I'd say standing on a freezing deck, with freezing water splashing in your face. Cold as hell, sure -- but at least you can go back inside the ship eventually. Trench? Hope you enjoy the suck!
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