For some reason the U-Boat captain has an eidelweiss badge on his cap. This was an insignia worn by German Army mountain troops.
I can't imagine why he is wearing it - any suggestions?
A stricken U Boat was rescued in Norwegian waters by members of the Mountain troops in 1940 and some crews wore the Edelweiss badge as a sign of recognition for their service at Narvik.
shareBecause the art department screwed up.
shareSeveral u boats used the eidelweiss badge on both their hats, and their boats.
shareThere is nothing authentic about this movie. Here's just a short list:
No u boats ever operated in South America.
No Grumman Duck was ever used by British, or any Commonwealth country.
No illiterate, drunken merchant marine could learn to pilot the aircraft without crashing.
None of the uniforms of any character are correct.
Aside from all the too-numerous-to-list inaccuracies, Peter O'Toole is the greatest ham in film history. He knew no nuance, and simply overacted at every opportunity.
He sure overacted here ... all that screaming
shareHave you seen 'Lawrence of Arabia'? Try watching it (again), properly, and you will see some nuanced acting from Peter O'Toole.
His character in this film, that of a lary maverick, certainly required some over-acting, though.
In April 1940, 2600 men from destroyers sunk in second battle of Narvik formed three small ad hoc battalions that took part in defense of the Norwegian port alongside German mountain troops. They were led by their own officers and armed with Krag-Jorgensen rifles taken from the Norwegian 6th Division's arsenal, which had been overrun by the mountaineers. But as soon as the operation was concluded, these units were dissolved and the men became sailors again.
For all of those Navy men the Edelweiß was authorized to wear as an battle honor.