Usually when people complain about this sort of thing in movies, I usually say "Shut up and enjoy it," but this is really bothering me.
How did the Allies know that U-571 was disabled and sending out an SOS when they hadn't broken the Enigma machine yet? I mean, they derived a lot of information, where the ship would be, etc.
Usually when people ask a question about a film I try to give a good reasoned answer.
But when people pose a question out of sheer ignorance or just a plain lack of common sense..... AGGGHHHH'
Did you even bother WATCHING the film?
During the Mission briefing?
Lt. Hirsch: Last night at 0300 hours a British destroyer reported depth charging and sinking a German U-boat. However, sometime thereafter, Allied direction finding station triangulated a coded enemy radio signal to this position here near the chop line.
[indicates position on map]
Lt. Hirsch: We believe the U-boat was disabled, not sunk, and is drifting eastward on a four-knot current. Now, French resistance reported a resupply submarine sailed from the Lorient U-boat pens yesterday afternoon with engine parts and mechanics. Now, we believe it's gonna rendezvous with the disabled U-boat.
They did not have to be able to read the distress message U-571 sent out.
They were able to triangulate the location to the same place where the British destroyer reported sinking a U-Boat. Couple that with the sailing of the resupply sub with spare parts and extra mechanics, it's clear they are going to help a disabled sub. We know where that Disabled sub is. And we can deduce where it will be by accounting for current drift.
The above lines does illustrate a goof however in that the resupply sub sailed BEFORE the sub was attacked and disabled.
The sub was attacked last night around 0300
The resupply sub sailed Yesterday afternoon.
Even accounting for different time zones (only a 6 or 7 hour difference) this is still a goof.
Lesson learned?
1) PAY ATTENTION to the movie
2) Use your dang brain and some common sense!
I joined the Navy to see the world, only to discover the world is 2/3 water!
Whoa there, what was with the attitude? Did I kick your dog this morning or something?
No, I haven't seen this movie in a few years. I was trying to remember how they got the location of U-571 without having broken the code yet. You gave a nice description, just could of done without the attitude.
Sorry but when someone posts either a question or an opinion or a false fact that is utterly mired in a total lack of thinking or common sense... that's what you get from me. I am sick and tired of the utter lack of common sense prevalent in today's world.
Had you simply posted "I haven't seen this in years and I can't remember how it was they knew this" then that would be understandable. As it was... the way you phrased it was a complete DUH! HELLO McFLY! moment.
With the answer squarely in the movie itself, you gave no indication of having "not seen the film in years" and one presumes that if you just posted a question about the film... you had probably just watched it recently.
Again my apologies for the atitude, I have just been fed up not simply with trolls (which you are not) but with the utter stupidity shown by a frighteningly large portion of posters here on imdb (and people in real life)
I joined the Navy to see the world, only to discover the world is 2/3 water!