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''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 Creator/NicholasMonsarrat.

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 a single U-Boat in five years of nearly continuous combat.

The novel was adapted into an Creator/EalingStudios film in 1953, starring Jack Hawkins and Donald Sinden.

In 2003, ''The Cruel Sea'' was placed 113th in UsefulNotes/TheBBCBigReadsTop200Books.

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!! This novel and film provides examples of:
* AnyoneCanDie: There's a war on, so yes. This goes for civilians as well as sailors.
* 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 conning tower is a dead giveaway, as is the whole shape of the tower (British WWII subs are pretty unique in form).[[/note]]
* AttackPatternAlpha: In the film, the crew refer to "pattern [[MilitaryAlphabet Baker]]" when adjusting the settings for the depth-charges during attacks on U-boats.
* AuthorAvatar: Lockhart in the book. Like him, Montsarrat was a journalist-turned RNVR officer who ended up as a First Lieutenant.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: In the book, Sub-Lieutenant Baker is desperate to [[SexAsRiteOfPassage 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.
* DecoyProtagonist: Ferraby to an extent -- he joins at the same time and with the same rank as Lockhart, but he ends up being a relatively minor character.
* 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.
* EnsignNewbie: Ferraby and Lockhart (though their Royal Navy rank is sub-lieutenant). Lockhart gets better rather faster than Ferraby does.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: In the book, played straight by [[spoiler:Tallow, Wainwright and Wells]] and averted by [[spoiler:Watts, Gregg and Carslake]] when ''Compass Rose'' sinks.
* FictionalCounterpart: Unlike the real-life Flower-class corvettes, ''HMS Compass Rose'' is not named for an actual flower but for the pattern on naval compass. The author has stated that this was deliberately done so that no actual vessel would be implied or inferred.
* FluffyTheTerrible: The real Flower-class corvettes were all named for different flowers.[[note]]It is specifically mentioned that the Navy made sure "Pansy" was not on the list.[[/note]] The fictional ''HMS Compass Rose'' deviates from the pattern in that a "compass rose" is not a flower at all but the design appearing on the face of a compass.
* ForegoneConclusion: We are told on the first page that ''Compass Rose'' will sink and be replaced.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: Ericson and Lockhart, to the extent that Lockhart passes up the chance of commanding his own ship after the sinking of ''Compass Rose'', in order to remain as Ericson's second-in-command.
* MilesGloriosus: First Lieutenant Bennett in the book. After doing little more than bullying his subordinates, and shirking as many duties as he can, he is invalided off ''Compass Rose'' with a duodenal ulcer [[spoiler:(which is implied to be faked)]] A conversation with another Australian officer reveals that he went on a speaking tour of his home country where he claimed to have commanded the ship single handed after Ericson was injured in battle.
* NationalStereotypes: PlayedStraight 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.
* TheNeidermeyer: Bennett, a lazy bully. He bullies Ferraby in particular, because Bennett thinks it's fun.
* NumberTwo: The story covers a "Number One's" duties (on anti-submarine craft) in exhaustive detail, since the protagonist is one (and the writer WAS one).
* TrialByFriendlyFire: The ship finds men in the water after their ship has been sunk by a U-boat. If the ship rescues the men, the U-boat will get away, and sink more ships. If they start dropping depth charges NOW, then the survivors will die, but there is a chance of sinking the sub. They drop the charges.
* WackyAmericansHaveWackyNames: The book mentions the appearance (pre-American entry) of "strange-looking destroyers, with long names often beginning with 'Jacob' or 'Ephraim'". American Destroyers were and are named for Naval officers, heroic sailors, and Secretaries of the Navy; British Destroyers for abstract adjectives and nouns (usually with some sort of "theme", or in some classes simple alliteration) and of course the "Flower" class Corvettes were named for ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin.
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