After I'd seen this movie a couple times, and heard Howard say "DBF" before pouring his booze into the tank, I finally ran it down -- "Diesel Boats Forever." It was the defiant rallying cry of the diesel Navy when the nuclear boats started coming in.
By the time "Down Periscope" came out, it was about 40 years out of date, but so was Howard and so was the Stingray. Nod to the producers for doing their research.
Is that what that meant? I thought he meant to say DFB "Death from Below," but screwed it up because he was drinking.
"NPH wouldn't do that!"
Thank you so much!! I have watched this movie thousands of times and I am a closed caption freak, too - I love Harry Dean Stanton - he's a legend, funny and just awesome. I am so glad to find out what "BDF" means after all these years. I even saw it when it first came out, but on St. Patrick's Day!!
Nancy*
Living my life vicariously through cinema
http://www.shadowsandlightshoppe.com
Thank You!!
just watched this again last night and asked my husband, yet again, what it meant.
This is from my brain, so no guarantees.
It's also an ironic rallying cry for the nuclear operators that work in the engine room of the new boats. Usually shouted when life is really sucking- after all, if the submarines were all diesel, the Navy wouldn't need nukes!
shareAnd without nukes, the submarine force would still be "surface ships with the ability to submerge for short periods of time." I'm an ex-sailor, but still a nuke-at-heart. Try spending 2-1/2 months submerged in a diesel boat!
I did my time on a nuke attack sub, but my hat is off to those who served on those old pig boats. Different worlds. One of our old-time torpedomen was assigned to one of the US Navy's last diesel boats. He said going from that to a nuke was like going from a VW Beetle to a Cadillac Fleetwood.
And without nukes, the submarine force would still be "surface ships with the ability to submerge for short periods of time." I'm an ex-sailor, but still a nuke-at-heart. Try spending 2-1/2 months submerged in a diesel boat!
Some modern non-nuclear boats use AIP Stirling Engines that carry liquid oxygen to feed the diesel engines. Very quiet and allows for weeks of submerged operation. Swedish and Japanese diesel-electric boats use them.
Once you know what it means, it's sort of all over. Several labels (not just commemorative plaques, but engraved labels for equipment names) on the USS Dolphin (AGSS-555... a research sub, and a diesel struck in 2006, now at the SD Maritime Museum) end in "DBF."
So, it hung on in there, as did the odd diesel boat.