Question: The disagreement between Hunter and Ramsey centers on the interpretation of the message that got cut off - Hunter says it might be a recall order so it has to be verified before they launch missiles; Ramsey says it is meaningless because it got cut off, so they should proceed with their original orders. I do understand that the captain was working within a scary time limit (one hour till the Russians could fire their missiles), but I don't understand how anyone could justify not spending part of that hour trying to confirm the cut-off message. Naval command would hardly have radioed them again to say "Yes, we really want you to fire your missiles, we're just telling you again for emphasis," so that means it was not just possible but extremely likely that the cut-off message was a recall order. Given that, how could anyone in their right mind want to cause a nuclear holocaust without first trying to find out what the cut-off message really said?
Corrected entry: Dougherty and Weps argue on the bus about who starred in the submarine warfare movie 'The Enemy Below.' Dougherty was correct, in was Curt Jurgens. Dougherty was wrong, though, about the star of the movie 'Run Silent Run Deep.' It was Clark Gable, not Cary Grant.
Correction: Not really trivia. More of a character mistake.
Which is a weird mistake for the character to make. He describes Clark Cable and then offers Cary Grant. It's a much easier mistake to make about Burt Lancaster, the other star of "Run Silent, Run Deep." Could it have been an editing error? They talk about TWO stars in the first film they discuss. Perhaps they edited around this cut dialogue? "Clark Gable and? Cary Grant."
I would say you are correct about the Burt Lancaster part being edited out and nobody catching it.
Corrected entry: Throughout the entire movie, Denzel Washington as XO says his rank is Lieutenant Commander. He is also spoken to as Lieutenant Commander by the Rear Admiral of the convening board. however his shoulder boards on his uniform at the final trial indicate he is a Commander, not a Lieutenant Commander.
Correction: The shoulder boards show 2 and 1/2 bars which is correct for LT. Commander. Commander is a full 3 bars.
Correction: That is true...the shoulder boards on his uniform at the final trail indicate he is a Commander, but when he puts his cap on outside and calls his Captain, the cap does not feature a single arc of oak leaves on both left and right side.
His shoulder boards are for an O-4, not an O-5.
Corrected entry: Hunter gives the order to fire torpedoes 2 and 4. The external shot shows the torpedoes firing from opposite sides of the sub. On all US submarines, tubes 2 and 4 are on the same side.
Correction: The Alabama does launch from tubes on the same side. It is the enemy Akula that launches from opposite sides in that sequence.
Just watched that scene on YouTube (which may or may not have been a thing when this correction was originally posted). Alabama fires from opposite sides, like the Akula. It just shows both bays on the starboard side open.
Corrected entry: I have been in some stressful situations on board, but I don't believe I ever heard "holy shit sir" on the 21 MC like the sonar sup does here.
Correction: In times of extreme stress, people can and do say things that are not appropriate or required, even without realizing they said it. That you've never heard it personally doesn't mean it could never happen.
I personally observed a newly qualified Engineering Officer of the watch grab the 1MC (mikes had been swapped by his predecessor) after all watch standers hit alarm test and fiddled with their panels, he announces to the whole boat over the 1MC "What the F***k just happened?" We all sat down with our panels normal and nobody forward even called.
Factual error: You don't wear your working uniforms underway. You all have coveralls on, both officers and enlisted. (00:18:30)
Suggested correction: Coveralls did not become the primary uniform underway until the NWU Type I was found to melt, which was post 2010. Prior to that, enlisted wore the blue two piece working uniform, and officers and chiefs wore khakis.
Not true. I'm a veteran of 10 ssbn patrols during the 80s and 90s. Everyone wore coveralls, and that included all ranks up to and including the captain. However, coveralls weren't required. My second captain always wore khakis. We wore them because they were more comfortable and functional than dungarees and khakis.
Answer: In a war situation, the Captain is absolutely NOT allowed to try and contact anyone, lest it gives their position away, which is why he was unable to question or confirm the order.
GalahadFairlight
All respect to GalahadFairlight, but Hunter was not asking the Captain to 'contact' anyone, but rather to use all possible measures to receive the EAM. Active contact was not required, and in fact, going shallow would have been 100% necessary just to launch the missiles, at which point VLF reception would have been easily possible. No nuclear submarine captain would ever have been so stubborn, nor so dismissive of his own XO. Both of these were pure Hollywood inventions.