History Literature / TheCruelSea

* EnsignNewbie: Ferraby and Lockhart. Lockhart gets better rather faster than Ferraby does.

* FluffyTheTerrible: The Flower-class corvettes were all named for kinds of flowers. It is specifically mentioned that the Navy had made sure "Pansy" was not on the list. TruthInTelevision, as HMS ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Heartsease_(K15) Heartsease]]'' was originally intended to be called HMS ''Pansy'', but had its name changed before being launched.
** Averted, in that a "compass rose" is not a flower at all; it’s the design appearing on the face of a compass. [[WordOfGod The author]] stated in a later interview that this was deliberately done so that no actual vessel would be implied or inferred.

* AuthorAvatar: Lockhart in the book. Like him Montsarrat was a journalist-turned RNVR officer, who was also promoted to First Lieutenant.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: In the book, Sub-Lieutenant Baker is desperate to lose his virginity. He ends up going to a prostitute -- and catching a sexually-transmitted infection. His fear of having to live with this renders him indifferent to the prospect of death when ''Compass Rose'' sinks.

** Also Lockhart, after the death of his [[spoiler:pregnant]] love interest Julie Hallam, lost at sea - about the worst death Lockhart can picture, although no details are given

* HeterosexualLifePartners: Ericson and Lockhart, to the extent that Lockhart passes up the chance of commanding his own corvette, in order to remain Ericson's second-in-command.

* FaceDeathWithDignity: In the book, played straight by [[spoiler:Tallow, Wainwright and Wells]] and averted by [[spoiler:Watts, Gregg, and Carslake]] when ''Compass Rose'' sinks.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: In the book, Sub-Lieutenant Baker is desperate to lose his virginity. Having failed to meet the 'right' girl, he ends up going to a prostitute -- and catching a sexually-transmitted infection. His fear of having to live with this renders him indifferent to the prospect of death when ''Compass Rose'' sinks.

* FluffyTheTerrible: The Flower-class corvettes were all named for kinds of flowers. It is specifically mentioned that the Navy had made sure "Pansy" was not on the list. TruthInTelevision, as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Heartsease_(K15) HMS ''Heartsease'']] was originally intended to be called HMS ''Pansy'' but had its name changed before being launched.

* FaceDeathWithDignity: In the book, played straight by [[spoiler:Tallow, Tonbridge, Wainwright and Wells]]; averted by [[spoiler:Watts, Gregg, and Carslake.]]
* FluffyTheTerrible: As the name says, the "Flower" class Corvettes were all named for kinds of flowers. It is specifically mentioned that the Navy had made sure "Pansy" was not on the list.
** HMS Pansy (K15), a Flower-class corvette renamed Heartsease before completion. Transferred in 1942 to USN as USS Courage. Returned to RN in 1945 and sold in 1946. Lost in 1958.
** Averted, in that a “compass rose” is not a flower at all; it’s the design appearing on the face of a compass. [[WordOfGod The author]] stated in a later interview that this was deliberately done so that no actual vessel would be implied or inferred.

''The Cruel Sea'' is a novel about life on a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flower_class_corvette Flower-class corvette]] in the Royal Navy in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, written by Nicholas Monsarrat.

* NationalStereotypes: played straight in various forms. The only German character is a fanatical Nazi U-boat Captain in his twenties. The Dutch and Norwegians are dour and occasionally, belligerent; some Swedish officers appear as comic drunks. The French are distrusted and reckoned to lack backbone. The Irish get a very bad press.

* TrialByFriendlyFire: See the spoilered content under DrowningMySorrows, above.

** Averted, in that a “compass rose” is not a flower at all; it’s the design appearing on the face of a compass. WordOfGod is that this was deliberately done so that no actual vessel would be implied or inferred.

* ArtisticLicenseShips: Averted in the book, but [[ZigZaggedTrope zig-zagged]] in the film. The ''Compass Rose'' is portrayed by the RealLife Flower-class corvette HMS ''Coreopsis'',[[note]]Slightly off because it's a later "long-forecastle" model from late in the war (we see a short-forecastle Flower briefly in the stock footage).[[/note]] and the River-class ''Saltash'' is changed to the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_class_corvette Castle-class]] ''Saltash Castle'', as the film-makers couldn't get a hold of an actual River-class frigate. The German U-boats encountered in the film, however are played by a Royal Navy [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_S_class_submarine_%281931%29 S-class submarine]].[[note]]This is VERY noticeable, the deck gun being on the "sail" is a dead giveaway, as is the whole shape of the sail (British WWII subs are pretty unique in form).[[/note]]

** Averted, in that a “compass rose” is not a flower at all; it’s the design appearing on the face of a compass.

** averted, in that a “compass rose” is not a flower at all; it’s the design appearing on the face of a compass.

* ArtisticLicenseShips: Averted in the book, but [[ZigZaggedTrope zig-zagged]] in the film. The ''Compass Rose'' is portrayed by the RealLife Flower-class corvette HMS ''Coreopsis'',[[note]]Slightly off because it's a later "long-forecastle" model from late in the war (we see a short-forecastle Flower briefly in the stock footage).[[/note]] and the River-class ''Saltash'' is changed to the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_class_corvette Castle-class]] ''Saltash Castle'', as the film-makers couldn't get a hold of an actual River-class frigate. The German U-boats encountered in the film, however are played by a Royal Navy [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_S_class_submarine_%281931%29 S-class submarine]].[[note]]This is VERY noticeable, the deck gun being on the "sail" is a dead giveaway, as is the whole shape of the sail (British WWII subs are pretty unique in form).[[/note]]

* DrowningMySorrows: Ericson does this to cope with the guilt of [[spoiler: attacking a U-boat that appeared to be positioned under British sailors in the water, increased by the inconclusive nature of the engagement, ending with the sonar contact being lost but no debris seen.]]
** also Lockhart, after the death of his [[spoiler:pregnant]] love interest Julie Hallam, lost at sea - about the worst death Lockhart can picture, although no details are given

* DrowningMySorrows: Ericson does this to cope with the guilt of [[spoiler: attacking a U-boat that was hiding under shipwrecked British sailors, increased by the inconclusive nature of the engagement, ending with the sonar contact being lost but no debris seen.]]

The main plot focuses on two [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Navy_Volunteer_Reserve Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve]] Sub-Lieutenants, Lockhart and Ferraby, although the novel portrays point of view of a number of other crew members, including Commander Ericson, Lieutenant Morell, Chief Engine Room Artificer Watts and Petty Officer Tallow. The crew of the corvette HMS ''Compass Rose'' are subjected to all of the discomfort, boredom, and occasional horror of the Battle of the Atlantic. The plot comes to a head when ''Compass Rose'' is torpedoed by a German U-boat, and the survivors are reassigned to the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_class_frigate River-class frigate]] ''Saltash''. They survive the war having sunk three U-boats in five years of nearly continuous combat.

* DrowningMySorrows: Ericson does this to cope with the guilt of [[spoiler: attacking a U-boat that was hiding under shipwrecked British sailors, further subverted by the inconclusive nature of the engagement, ending with the sonar contact being lost but no debris seen.]]

* DrowningMySorrows: Ericson does this to cope with the guilt of [[spoiler: attacking a U-boat that was hiding under shipwrecked British sailors.]]

* BritsWithBattleships: Brits in corvettes, for the most part.

''The Cruel Sea'' is a novel about life on a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flower_class_corvette Flower-class corvette]] in the Royal Navy in WorldWarII, written by Nicholas Monsarrat.

The novel was adapted into a film in 1953, starring Jack Hawkins and Donald Sinden.