depth charges

This film reminds me of Furious (Brad Pitt) ... TOTALLY UNBELIEVABLE ... and yet entertaining.

You are correct... to a degree.

But wrong in your absolutism of your statement.

Yes the Depth Charges were shown very close. Close enough that damage would definitely be much higher than shown and very likely fatal.

But they were not"Ridiculously close" and would not have "resulted in sinking many times over".

Possible. Yes.
Even most likely.

Absolutely?... No.

Depth charges had to be within roughly 30-40 feet or less to cause serious damage. And that's assuming they are exploding at the same depth as the sub. exploding above the sub, the charge would alnost have to be in contact... within 15-20 feet.

Below the sub the range is more forgiving and a detonation within 50-70 feet could prove deadly.

During WW2 there have been a few cases where crews have heard charges hit the hull then explode a few moments later after having sunk just past them... and survived with heavy damage.

The damage done by Depth Charges are inexact and you cannot make such a statement as definitively as you did.


What is actually more unbelievable... is the the pattern and timing of the depth charge attacks. THAT is utterly ridiculous and unrealistic.

Depth charge attacks come in limited salvoes and then a break as the attacking vessel maneuvers for another run.

The number of charges dropped in each attack is limited by the number of DC rails and projectors (K-guns and the like). As a destroyer passes over the sub, a number of charges will be dropped in a pattern. There will then be a delay as the Destroyer passes beyond the sub, and circles and loops back for another run, reloading the projectors while repositioning for another attack.

As shown in the film there are two things wrong.

1) The salvo goes on for far too long. The destroyer would have to be literally parked and at a dead stop directly on top of a nonmoving sub, not moving past the sub and circling back. Any destroyer doing this would blow itself out of the water with it's own charges when the blast vents to the surface.

2) the sheer number of charges is far more than ANY ship could have prepared and readly to drop in a single salvo. In fact there are more charges dropped in a single attack, than most ships carried in total.

As shown... the depth charge attacks are very much the equivalent of the old western film's common goof of having some cowboy firing many dozens of rounds from a 6-shooter revolver without reloading.
And worse... doing so like it was a gatling.

I joined the Navy to see the world, only to discover the world is 2/3 water!

It's more dramatic when you see the sub and the depth charge in the same frame.