K-19: The Widowmaker

Factual error: Many shots of the submarine in drydock show Halifax, Nova Scotia's MacKay and MacDonald bridges in the background.

Factual error: As I've seen posted, the conning tower (a more correct term is "sail") of the sub is damaged by the sea presure, and later appears intact. In fact, this kind of damage at the place that is shown in the movie should not happens because the sail is a "free flooding" structure: the pressure is the same inside and outside the plates, and only the watertight structures housed in the sail (missile tubes, periscopes and masts, access trunk, etc.) have to withstand the sea pressure.

Factual error: The film takes place in 1960, but the propaganda film shown by the Political Officer includes TV footage from the Civil Rights demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama in May 1963.

Twotall

Factual error: When the General's black Russian car ("Volga" car) stopped near "Soviet NAVI headquarters" and General is entering the house, those who can read Russian can see that this is "Frunze's Museum of Russian Army" - it's just an ordinary Russian museum in Moscow and has nothing in common with the government. (01:42:07)

Factual error: When the rescue sub pulls up to the K-19 to begin offloading the crew, the rescue sub is a NATO Oberon class sub, even though it was meant to be a soviet submarine.

Factual error: At 300 meters, we see the hull starting to cave in - from the outside. But the outside hull is only a cover. The preasure hull is below that. There is water behind the outer hull, so it would never cave in that way. We actually see the double hull in a shot where we pass from the inside of the boat through the double hulls and out into the sea.

Jacob La Cour

Factual error: Vostrikov is a Captain 2 rank, however when Polenin is about to tell him that they have been found by a friendly submarine Vostrikov's sleeve briefly reveals that he has 4 thick gold bars on his wrist. This is consistent with a Captain 1 rank. Vostrikov would as a Captain 2 rank have 3 thick gold bars and 1 thin. (01:55:15)

Factual error: Many shots of the submarine in drydock show Halifax, Nova Scotia's MacKay and MacDonald bridges in the background.

More mistakes in K-19: The Widowmaker

Suslov: In American propaganda you will see how everyone has a car, nice clothes, a nice apartment. But you will never see the truth behind this lie. You will not see police dogs attacking strikers and demonstrators for civil rights. You will not see the beggars on the streets, the homeless, the negro-shantytowns in the south. You will not see the warmongers who threaten the world with nuclear holocaust.

More quotes from K-19: The Widowmaker

Trivia: When this film was made, many of the original, Russian crew members involved in this historic incident were very upset about the submarine crew being portrayed as drunkards. Oddly enough, one of the promotional items given out at premieres and to executives was a silver K-19 vodka flask.

Lynette Carrington

More trivia for K-19: The Widowmaker

Question: When they fire the test missile it appears to come out of the sail. That would be incorrect, no? (00:49:30)

Answer: The movie is correct on this. The early Soviet ballistic missile subs like this one had the missile launcher in the sail, carrying 3 missiles. Missile tubes integrated into the hull, and the ability to fire while completely submerged, didn't come til later.

More questions & answers from K-19: The Widowmaker

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