Film
We Dive at Dawn (1943)
The crew of HMS submarine Sea Tiger have their leave (and assorted
family problems) cut short when they are recalled for a special mission:
sink the new German battleship Brandenburg. En route, they learn that their
target has entered the heavily defended Baltic. Rather than fail, they
follow it. Tension builds as they approach their target. After the attempt,
escape seems impossible … unless they can refuel in enemy waters.
The Cruel Sea (1953)
At the start of World War II, Cmdr. Ericson is assigned to convoy
escort HMS Compass Rose with inexperienced officers and men just out of
training. The winter seas make life miserable enough, but the men must
also harden themselves to rescuing survivors of U-Boat attacks, while seldom
able to strike back. Atmospheric sea footage.
Sink the Bismarck! (1960)
Chronicles the breakout of the Bismarck during the early days of World
War II. Seen both from the point of view of the many naval vessels on
both sides and from the central headquarters of the British where the search
for the super battleship was controlled.
Das Boot (1981)
A detailed look into the claustrophobic and terrifying world of a
German U-boat crew hunting ships from under the sea. Gritty, realistic,
and peppered with black humour, this is one of the few sympathetic portrayals
of the war from the German side to be released in western distribution.
In Which We Serve (1942)
Based on the true story of Lord Louis Mountbatten's destroyer HMS
Kelly, In Which We Serve is one of the most memorable
British films made during World War II. Unfolding in flashback as survivors
cling to a dinghy, constantly strafed by the Luftwaffe, the film recounts
the history of HMS Torrin through various battles to her sinking
off the coast of North Africa. The action is interwoven with the onshore
lives of her crew. The film was the inspiration of Noel Coward, who desperately
wanted to do something for the war effort.
Battle of Britain (1969)
The Royal Air Force's finest hour is brought to the screen in this
historical World War II drama about Britain's desperate struggle to defend
itself against the Luftwaffe's unrelenting aerial onslaught in the summer
of 1940. Creates some of the greatest aerial battle scenes in film history.
The Dam Busters (1954)
Dramatisation of an actual operation in World War II, in which low-level
Avro Lancaster bombers from England drop skimming bombs into reservoirs
in the Ruhr water system to cause floods and destroy much of Germany's
industrial base.
Reach for the Sky (1956)
The true story of airman Douglas Bader who overcame the loss of both
legs in a 1931 flying accident to become a successful fighter pilot and
wing leader during World War II.
Cross of Iron (1977)
A squad of German soldiers fighting on the Eastern Front during World
War II led by a battle-hardened officer fight to survive Soviet attacks
and dogmatic commanders in a chaotic and lethal environment in this sympathetic
portrayal of another side of the war not usually portrayed in Hollywood
film.
The Longest Day (1962)
An account of the Allied invasion of the beaches of Normandy during
D-Day. Seen from every angle, including that of the Germans, who were totally
overwhelmed by the size of the Allied armies thrown against them. From
the German high command and frontline officers to the French Resistance
and all the key Allied participants, the screenplay is as factually accurate
as possible. The endless parade of stars makes for an uneasy mix of verisimilitude
and Hollywood star-power.
The Guns of Navarone (1961)
Gregory Peck heads a star-studded cast in Alistair MacLean's thriller.
Peck leads a guerrilla force charged with a near impossible mission to
destroy a pair of German guns controlling a vital sea passage from their
position nestling in a protective cave on the strategic Mediterranean island
of Navarone.
The Young Lions (1958)
The destiny of two soldiers during World War II. The German officer
Christian approves less and less of the war, while the American GI Ackerman
climbs the military hierarchy.
