u 571

U-571

I watched the film U-571 dealing with the allies versus the Germans for control of the Atlantic Ocean. In U-571 an American Navy crew consisting of at least 10 crew members had a mission to steal an Enigma machine which was a communication device that would code messages to other surrounding German Forces. This mission occurred in 1942 while the Atlantic Ocean was extremely hostile and filled with German U-boats. While carrying out their mission the crew that the movie centers around had many problems to overcome. Many crew members were killed during this mission and the ship that they embarked on was eventually blown up. Because of this the American crew took control of the German U-boat that carried the Enigma machine. The crew faced many challenges while carrying out their mission such as steering clear of other U-boats and Nazi destroyers as well as killing any German survivors still on the U-571. One German remained throughout the movie and continually almost got the American crew discovered by sending Morse code to German forces and by killing members of the American Crew. As the movie continues the leader of the crew, played by Matthew McConaughey, carried out a last minute plan to drop 200 meters below the sea, which the pressure of the water almost destroyed their ship, then submerge after the last torpedo was fixed, It was destroyed during one of the many explosions on the ship during earlier gun fights, and destroy their last threat, a Nazi Destroyer. One of the crew members sacrifices his life to fix a faulty pressure pipe needed to fire the torpedo. After the torpedo was fixed and fired the Nazi Destroyer was destroyed and the American crew was eventually discovered and saved by US navy planes.

This movie was based on true missions of American Navy crews that infiltrated U-boats to steal communication devices. I think that this movie truly captured the courage that these men had as they put themselves in danger not only of being killed but also to be tortured by the Germans.