Is Greyhound Based on a True Story and What was it’s Important?

By Lois Robinett On Mar 30, 2022

No, that is not the case. However, despite the fact that it is set during World War II, the Tom Hanks film is not a direct adaptation of a genuine storey. Instead, it is based on the novel The Good Shepherd by C. S. Forester, which was published in 1955.

Despite the fact that the book’s tale is fictional, it was thoroughly researched, and it takes place during the Battle of the Atlantic in the winter of 1942, at the halfway of World War II’s second phase. During the film, Tom Hanks portrays Naval Commander Ernest Krause (in the book, he is referred to as George Krause), who, after years of service as a career officer, is finally given command of a destroyer, the USS Keeling, whose radio codename is “Greyhound.” The film is directed by Steven Spielberg.

Krause is in command of a multinational group of four escort ships tasked with defending a convoy of commerce ships from German U-boats, which are on the prowl in the Mediterranean.

Is Greyhound Based on a True Storey or a Fictional One?

The action of the film takes place over the course of five days in the Atlantic, during which time the convoy of 37 ships is without air protection. Hanks as Krause is aided by two British warships and a Canadian corvette as he attempts to escape and fight not just the enemy submarines but also his own self-doubt and scepticism.

What was the Duration of the Battle of the Atlantic?

It is important to note that, while the film depicts Commander Ernest Krause and the convoy as being involved in the Combat of the Atlantic for five days in the latter part of 1942, the battle actually lasted virtually the entire war, commencing on September 3, 1939 and concluding on May 8, 1945.

Was the USS Keeling a Real Naval Destroyer or a Fictitious Vessel?

No. An investigation into the USS Keeling (codenamed “Greyhound”) indicates that it was a fictional ship and not a real-life Navy destroyer, according to a Greyhound fact check. The USS Kidd (DD-661), a Fletcher-class Navy destroyer named after Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, who died on the bridge of the USS Arizona during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, served as the setting for a significant chunk of the film. It has been docked in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for many years and has acted as a tourist attraction during that time.

It is one of the primary reasons that the producers chose to shoot on the historic battleship is that the Kidd is the only surviving World War II destroyer that has retained her wartime form.

If you pay close attention during the movie, you will hear one of the sailors aboard the ship make a reference to a friend of his who was on the Kidd. As a lovely homage to the ship that was used for filming, it should be noted that the USS Kidd wasn’t actually launched until late February 1943, several months after the events shown in the film.

What was the Significance of the Battle of the Atlantic?

The Battle of the Atlantic, in which the fictional USS Keeling becomes involved, is the part of Greyhound that is based on a genuine storey. The Atlantic Ocean was the focal point of Germany’s effort to shut off transatlantic supply routes by seizing control of the ocean during World War II.

In order to sustain the crucial flow of supplies and personnel to Europe, the United States and Canada had to keep up their efforts to do so. Stopping the supply route would effectively give Germany victory in Britain and the rest of Europe, as well as in the Soviet Union, and therefore bring the war to a close, as Germany realised in 1941. There wouldn’t have been enough troops, food, weapons, or resources to produce weapons if the situation had been different. There would have been no American forces on D-Day, and as a result, there would have been no D-Day and thus no victory.

With the help of various warships, Germany prowled the Atlantic Ocean, hunting down and attacking Allied convoys, much like what happens to the convoy that Commander Krause’s ships are protecting in the Greyhound film. Wolf packs were a type of U-boat squadron that was used to hunt down and attack Allied convoys during World War II.

It was the Allies’ tactic to send a convoy of commercial ships across the Atlantic, escorted by a group of warships and, when possible, aircraft, in order to deter the Germans. Moving about 40 ships as a coherent unit was a logistical challenge on the most difficult of levels. It was also more difficult to go unobserved by the Germans during this time.

The Engagement of the Atlantic was the longest-running battle of World War II, lasting almost a year. The possibility of losing supply lines was a constant source of concern for the Allies. In order to underline the significance of the war, Winston Churchill devised the moniker “Battle of the Atlantic,” which was intended to be a reference to the Battle of Britain, which took place the previous year.

Review of the Film “Greyhound”

Greyhound, a World War II nautical action drama starring Tom Hanks that is currently streaming on Apple TV+, is about an Allied convoy crossing the North Atlantic while under attack by Nazi U-boats, and was written by Hanks.

The courage of World War II Armed Forces has been a source of inspiration for Tom Hanks throughout his career as a producer, actor, writer, and director, as evidenced by his work on Saving Private Ryan, the television series Band of Brothers, the forthcoming Masters of the Air, as well as the documentaries He Has Seen War and Beyond All Boundaries.

The idea of American gallantry and heroism has also run through many of his roles, which is not surprising. The Good Shepherd, a historical marine fiction written by C.S. Forester in 1955, was an obvious choice for Hanks to adapt and appear in, so it’s no surprise that he was approached to do so.

If you must, you can scoff at the film’s return to familiar material, but Greyhound is a taut action thriller that maintains its hold on the audience for the whole duration. The production, which was originally intended for a June theatrical release by Sony, is one of a number of celebrity vehicles that have been pushed to Apple TV+ as a result of the COVID-19 shutdown, and it is expected to find an enthusiastic audience there.