The best posts of the week of October 18, 2020.
Subscribers to The Country Gentleman were treated to two elderly gentlemen listening to a candidate.
The Saturday Evening Post had a more lighthearted scene on its cover.
Readers of the Casper Daily Tribune were not presented anything lighthearted.
Indeed, they read about accidental transportation deaths of the old and new type. Dr. William Norwood, DDS, was dying from a fall from a horse that occurred near the Standard refinery, a symbol of the Oil Age. On the same page the victims of an automobile accident, one a fatality, were also featured.
Sinclair Lewis' most famous work, Main Street, was released on this day.
The book was an unflattering portrayal of a small town in Minnesota based on Lewis' home town. It was nominated and selected for the 1921 Pulitzer Prize but the choice was vetoed by a committee member One town in Minnesota banned it. It went on to win the 1930 Pulitzer Prize.
_________________________________________________________________________________Governor Gordon uses CARES Act funds to pay for higher education for unemployed and underemployed adults
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Adults who are unemployed or underemployed due to COVID-19 are now eligible for a grant to pay for education at one of the state’s community colleges or the University of Wyoming. This is possible due to funding Governor Mark Gordon provided to the new program.The Governor has allocated $7.5 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to the Adult Education Grant Program, which will provide scholarships to Wyoming adults between the ages of 25 and 64 who are unemployed or underemployed due to the impacts of COVID-19.“During this crisis these grants will help impacted workers obtain new skills and advance their careers,” Governor Gordon said. “They will also help Wyoming progress towards its goal of building a highly trained, well-equipped workforce.”“The Wyoming Community College Commission strongly supports the Governor’s announcement of the Adult Education Grant Program,” said Dr. Ben Moritz, Deputy Director of the Commission. “Working adults are facing both economic and pandemic-related challenges and need training and education to obtain the skills employers are looking for. This grant program opens up these training opportunities to working adults who need it.”The funds will be administered through an application process, with an opening date expected to be announced very soon. The Governor continues to work with the University and community colleges to develop a program to provide assistance to all students with financial need that have been impacted by COVID-19.It follows on the heels of the recent allocation of $26.5 million to help aid UW with its safe reopening plan and $32.5 million for community colleges for their plans. The Governor has also allocated nearly $51.5 million in CARES Act funding to support the operations of K-12 schools around the state. Those funds will support the reopening of schools and include $42.5 million for technology to support distance learning, $7.3 million for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and $1.7 million to bolster food security programs.These distributions are just a portion of the $1.25 billion Congress allocated Wyoming through the CARES Act. The State Legislature passed new laws during a May special session guiding how that money can be spent. To date, Governor Gordon has allocated approximately $710 million of those funds to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Governor Calls First 10% State Budget Cuts “Devastating but
Necessary”
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon has finalized the
first round of state budget cuts totaling more than $250 million, with an
additional $80 million in cuts to maintenance of state buildings and those at
the university and community colleges. The 10% cuts to state agencies, boards
and commissions will have significant effects on Wyoming communities and
citizens, as the cuts will impact important services that people depend on and
will reduce general fund dollars that enter the private sector.
The Department of Health, with the state’s largest budget, will
see a 9% cut totaling approximately $90 million. Department of Health programs
facing cuts and elimination include those that serve senior citizens, disabled
individuals and those with very low incomes. Among the cuts are the phased
elimination of the Wyoming Home Services program, an Aging Division program
which provides services to individuals who are at risk of premature institutionalization;
elimination of some immunization funding for children; and a reduction in
funding for early childhood developmental and educational programs.
The University of Wyoming and the state’s community colleges had
their budgets cut by 10% as well. As the Boards of Trustees implement those
cuts and address other revenue shortfalls, program cuts have already occurred
and more are likely. These cuts will mean reduced higher education options for
Wyoming students. One program cut was to Wyoming Works, an initiative the
Governor supported to help enhance the state’s workforce.
The Department of Family Services is eliminating vacant
positions in the state office and field offices across the state, including at
the Boys School in Worland and the Girls School in Sheridan. Additionally, this
means fewer people to work on foster care and child protection. DFS cuts also
mean the defunding of the Community Juvenile Services Boards, which are
county-based diversion programs to prevent juvenile incarceration, and the
burial program, which pays up to $500 to funeral homes for burial expenses for
the indigent.
The Department of Corrections will also see significant cuts to
programs that keep the public safe. Parole agents will now be required to
supervise additional offenders, and programs that help inmates re-enter Wyoming
communities and not reoffend will see reductions in funding.
“These cuts that we have made are devastating, but necessary
given the state’s fiscal picture,” Governor Gordon said. “A third of our
revenue has dried up since the beginning of the year. I am Constitutionally
required to balance the budget. Our state cannot deficit spend the way the
Federal Government can. Just to manage this crisis, difficult decisions had to
be made.”
“None of them are easy, nor are they designed to highlight
critical programs for political effect,” the Governor continued. “These are the
types of cuts we will continue to have to make to get our budget in balance.
These hurt, and what comes next hurts more. I recognize the impact these cuts
will have on Wyoming families and I am truly saddened that we had to make
them.”
The Department of Health, Corrections, Family Services, the
University of Wyoming and the community colleges make up two-thirds of the
state’s general fund budget.
The Governor continues to consider options for addressing the
remaining $500 million shortfall, an amount just slightly larger than the
entire contribution from the State to the University of Wyoming. State agencies
have already developed proposals on further cuts to services, and the Governor
is working with legislators on other options, all of which require legislative
action.
On top of these cuts the Governor has put in place furloughs for
higher paid state employees and is consolidating human resources across
government.
Additional details on each agency's budget cuts are now posted
on the Budget Division’s website here.
-END-
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) (NEA), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code,
I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, find that a strong America cannot be dependent on imports from foreign adversaries for the critical minerals that are increasingly necessary to maintain our economic and military strength in the 21st century. Because of the national importance of reliable access to critical minerals, I signed Executive Order 13817 of December 20, 2017 (A Federal Strategy To Ensure Secure and Reliable Supplies of Critical Minerals), which required the Secretary of the Interior to identify critical minerals and made it the policy of the Federal Government “to reduce the Nation’s vulnerability to disruptions in the supply of critical minerals.” Pursuant to my order, the Secretary of the Interior conducted a review with the assistance of other executive departments and agencies (agencies) that identified 35 minerals that (1) are “essential to the economic and national security of the United States,” (2) have supply chains that are “vulnerable to disruption,” and (3) serve “an essential function in the manufacturing of a product, the absence of which would have significant consequences for our economy or our national security.”
These critical minerals are necessary inputs for the products our military, national infrastructure, and economy depend on the most. Our country needs critical minerals to make airplanes, computers, cell phones, electricity generation and transmission systems, and advanced electronics. Though these minerals are indispensable to our country, we presently lack the capacity to produce them in processed form in the quantities we need. American producers depend on foreign countries to supply and process them. For 31 of the 35 critical minerals, the United States imports more than half of its annual consumption. The United States has no domestic production for 14 of the critical minerals and is completely dependent on imports to supply its demand. Whereas the United States recognizes the continued importance of cooperation on supply chain issues with international partners and allies, in many cases, the aggressive economic practices of certain non-market foreign producers of critical minerals have destroyed vital mining and manufacturing jobs in the United States.
Our dependence on one country, the People’s Republic of China (China), for multiple critical minerals is particularly concerning. The United States now imports 80 percent of its rare earth elements directly from China, with portions of the remainder indirectly sourced from China through other countries. In the 1980s, the United States produced more of these elements than any other country in the world, but China used aggressive economic practices to strategically flood the global market for rare earth elements and displace its competitors. Since gaining this advantage, China has exploited its position in the rare earth elements market by coercing industries that rely on these elements to locate their facilities, intellectual property, and technology in China. For instance, multiple companies were forced to add factory capacity in China after it suspended exports of processed rare earth elements to Japan in 2010, threatening that country’s industrial and defense sectors and disrupting rare earth elements prices worldwide.
The United States also disproportionately depends on foreign sources for barite. The United States imports over 75 percent of the barite it consumes, and over 50 percent of its barite imports come from China. Barite is of critical importance to the hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) industry, which is vital to the energy independence of the United States. The United States depends on foreign sources for 100 percent of its gallium, with China producing around 95 percent of the global supply. Gallium-based semiconductors are indispensable for cellphones, blue and violet light-emitting diodes (LEDs), diode lasers, and fifth-generation (5G) telecommunications. Like for gallium, the United States is 100 percent reliant on imports for graphite, which is used to make advanced batteries for cellphones, laptops, and hybrid and electric cars. China produces over 60 percent of the world’s graphite and almost all of the world’s production of high-purity graphite needed for rechargeable batteries.
For these and other critical minerals identified by the Secretary of the Interior, we must reduce our vulnerability to adverse foreign government action, natural disaster, or other supply disruptions. Our national security, foreign policy, and economy require a consistent supply of each of these minerals.
I therefore determine that our Nation’s undue reliance on critical minerals, in processed or unprocessed form, from foreign adversaries constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat, which has its source in substantial part outside the United States, to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. I hereby declare a national emergency to deal with that threat.
In addition, I find that the United States must broadly enhance its mining and processing capacity, including for minerals not identified as critical minerals and not included within the national emergency declared in this order. By expanding and strengthening domestic mining and processing capacity today, we guard against the possibility of supply chain disruptions and future attempts by our adversaries or strategic competitors to harm our economy and military readiness. Moreover, additional domestic capacity will reduce United States and global dependence on minerals produced in countries that do not endorse and pursue appropriate minerals supply chain standards, leading to human rights violations, forced and child labor, violent conflict, and health and environmental damage. Finally, a stronger domestic mining and processing industry fosters a healthier and faster-growing economy for the United States. Mining and mineral processing provide jobs to hundreds of thousands of Americans whose daily work allows our country and the world to “Buy American” for critical technology.
I hereby determine and order:
Section 1. (a) To address the national emergency declared by this order, and pursuant to subsection 203(a)(1)(B) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(a)(1)(B)), the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Commerce, and the heads of other agencies, as appropriate, shall investigate our Nation’s undue reliance on critical minerals, in processed or unprocessed form, from foreign adversaries. The Secretary of the Interior shall submit a report to the President, through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and the Assistant to the President for Trade and Manufacturing Policy, within 60 days of the date of this order. That report shall summarize any conclusions from this investigation and recommend executive action, which may include the imposition of tariffs or quotas, other import restrictions against China and other non-market foreign adversaries whose economic practices threaten to undermine the health, growth, and resiliency of the United States, or other appropriate action, consistent with applicable law.
(b) By January 1, 2021, and every 180 days thereafter, the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the heads of other agencies, as appropriate, shall inform the President of the state of the threat posed by our Nation’s reliance on critical minerals, in processed or unprocessed form, from foreign adversaries and recommend any additional actions necessary to address that threat.
(c) The Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the heads of other agencies, as appropriate, is hereby authorized to submit recurring and final reports to the Congress on the national emergency declared in this order, consistent with section 401(c) of the NEA (50 U.S.C. 1641(c)) and section 204(c) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1703(c)).
Sec. 2. (a) It is the policy of the United States that relevant agencies should, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, prioritize the expansion and protection of the domestic supply chain for minerals and the establishment of secure critical minerals supply chains, and should direct agency resources to this purpose, such that:
(i) the United States develops secure critical minerals supply chains that do not depend on resources or processing from foreign adversaries;
(ii) the United States establishes, expands, and strengthens commercially viable critical minerals mining and minerals processing capabilities; and
(iii) the United States develops globally competitive, substantial, and resilient domestic commercial supply chain capabilities for critical minerals mining and processing.
(b) Within 30 days of the date of this order, the heads of all relevant agencies shall each submit a report to the President, through the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, that identifies all legal authorities and appropriations that the agency can use to meet the goals identified in subsection (a) of this section.
(c) Within 60 days of the date of this order, the heads of all relevant agencies shall each submit a report as provided in subsection (b) of this section that details the agency’s strategy for using the legal authorities and appropriations identified pursuant to that subsection to meet the goals identified in subsection (a) of this section. The report shall explain how the agency’s activities will be organized and how it proposes to coordinate relevant activities with other agencies.
(d) Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall submit a report to the President, through the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and the Assistant to the President for Trade and Manufacturing Policy, that describes the current state of research and development activities undertaken by the Federal Government that relate to the mapping, extraction, processing, and use of minerals and that identifies future research and development needs and funding opportunities to strengthen domestic supply chains for minerals.
(e) Within 45 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the United States Trade Representative, shall submit a report to the President, through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and the Assistant to the President for Trade and Manufacturing Policy, that details existing and planned efforts and policy options to:
(i) reduce the vulnerability of the United States to the disruption of critical mineral supply chains through cooperation and coordination with partners and allies, including the private sector;
(ii) build resilient critical mineral supply chains, including through initiatives to help allies build reliable critical mineral supply chains within their own territories;
(iii) promote responsible minerals sourcing, labor, and business practices; and
(iv) reduce the dependence of the United States on minerals produced using methods that do not adhere to responsible mining standards.
Sec. 3. The Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall consider whether the authority delegated at section 306 of Executive Order 13603 of March 16, 2012 (National Defense Resources Preparedness) can be used to establish a program to provide grants to procure or install production equipment for the production and processing of critical minerals in the United States.
Sec. 4. (a) Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Energy shall develop and publish guidance (and, as appropriate, shall revoke, revise, or replace prior guidance, including loan solicitations) clarifying the extent to which projects that support domestic supply chains for minerals are eligible for loan guarantees pursuant to Title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, as amended (42 U.S.C. 16511 et seq.) (“Title XVII”), and for funding awards and loans pursuant to the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing incentive program established by section 136 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, as amended (42 U.S.C. 17013) (“the ATVM statute”). In developing such guidance, the Secretary:
(i) shall consider whether the relevant provisions of Title XVII can be interpreted in a manner that better promotes the expansion and protection of the domestic supply chain for minerals (including the development of new supply chains and the processing, remediation, and reuse of materials already in interstate commerce or otherwise available domestically);
(ii) shall examine the meaning of the terms “avoid, reduce, or sequester” and other key terms in section 16513(a) of title 42, United States Code, which provides that the Secretary “may make guarantees under this section only for projects that — (1) avoid, reduce, or sequester air pollutants or anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases; and (2) employ new or significantly improved technologies as compared to commercial technologies in service in the United States at the time the guarantee is issued”;
(iii) shall consider whether relevant provisions of the ATVM statute may be interpreted in a manner that better promotes the expansion and protection of the domestic supply chain for minerals (including the development of new supply chains and the processing, remediation, and reuse of materials already in interstate commerce or otherwise available domestically), including in such consideration the application of these provisions to minerals determined to be components installed for the purpose of meeting the performance requirements of advanced technology vehicles; and
(iv) shall examine the meaning of the terms “qualifying components” and other key terms in subsection 17013(a) of title 42, United States Code.
(b) Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Energy shall review the Department of Energy’s regulations (including any preambles thereto) interpreting Title XVII and the ATVM statute, including the regulations published at 81 Fed. Reg. 90,699 (Dec. 15, 2016) and 73 Fed. Reg. 66,721 (Nov. 12, 2008), and shall identify all such regulations that may warrant revision or reconsideration in order to expand and protect the domestic supply chain for minerals (including the development of new supply chains and the processing, remediation, and reuse of materials already in interstate commerce or otherwise available domestically). Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary shall propose for notice and comment a rule or rules to revise or reconsider any such regulations for this purpose, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law.
Sec. 5. The Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Secretary of the Army (acting through the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works), and the heads of all other relevant agencies shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, use all available authorities to accelerate the issuance of permits and the completion of projects in connection with expanding and protecting the domestic supply chain for minerals.
Sec. 6. The Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Energy, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall examine all available authorities of their respective agencies and identify any such authorities that could be used to accelerate and encourage the development and reuse of historic coal waste areas, material on historic mining sites, and abandoned mining sites for the recovery of critical minerals.
Sec. 7. Amendment. Executive Order 13817 is hereby amended to add the following sentence to the end of section 2(b): “This list shall be updated periodically, following the same process, to reflect current data on supply, demand, and concentration of production, as well as current policy priorities.”
Sec. 8. Definitions. As used in this order:
(a) the term “critical minerals” means the minerals and materials identified by the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to section 2(b) of Executive Order 13817, as amended by this order; and
(b) the term “supply chain,” when used with reference to minerals, includes the exploration, mining, concentration, separation, alloying, recycling, and reprocessing of minerals.
Sec. 9. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
September 30, 2020.
This recent movie by Tom Hanks was intended for a theater release this past year but that was disrupted by the COVID 19 pandemic. It was therefore instead released on Apple TV. It can't be claimed that the movie hasn't suffered in some fashion for this, but all in all the film is sort of freakishly suited for the medium in which it has been released.
Greyhound is based upon a novel by C. S. Forester entitled The Good Shepherd. I haven't read the novel, but according to those who have the movie is close to it. Forester was famous for his Admiral Hornblower series of novels set during the Napoleonic Wars, none of which I've read, but which have had a substantial following. According to those who have read them, this foray into World War Two, written by Forester in 1955, was a considerable departure in numerous ways, all of which seem to have found reflection in the film.
The plot line follows the convoy command of a U.S. Navy officer, Captain Krause, early after the official start of World War Two in the Atlantic. The officer, we learn early on, is older for his command, and this film, like Saving Private Ryan, cast Hanks, age 65, in a role for which he'd be very much too old in real life. However, like that film, and the recently reviewed The Big Red One, this film isn't hindered by that fact for the reason that generally individuals during the Second World War often appeared significantly older than their contemporaries of the same vintage would today.
The age is a significant factor in the story and apparently in the book as well, as it suggests that the ship's captain has had a stalled career. Indeed, early on it is hinted at that he's had a stalled life as the scene, which is nearly only a cameo, that introduces the film is before his departure for his new assignment in which he meets a love interest, Evelyn, played by Elisabeth Shue (age 57).
Shue is a long standing actress who makes only a brief appearance in this film. Associated most strongly with films from early in career, in which she played upper middle class girls next door, she's well cast in her role as well. At age 57, Shue can easily pass for a woman in the 1940s in her 40s, just as Hanks can pass for a man in his 40s at age 64.
That really leads us to another topic, which is relative age in eras. As we've earlier noted in other threads, the common suggestion that people "live longer" now than they previously did is erroneous, but an argument can be made that people aged more quickly in prior eras. People in their 50s common looked much older in the mid 20th Century than they do now, and women in particular, even though they have always lived longer than men, often looked quite old by the time they were in their late 50s.
All that's a topic for some other thread, but what we'd note here is that the relative appearance of the subjects isn't incorrect.
Before moving on with the film, on a final note with age, we should note that lots of military career officers were at much lower ranks, indeed, nearly all of them were, prior the start of World War Two. Stalled careers is a common subject for movies set in World War Two, with The Caine Mutiny and The Thin Red Line providing examples of the same. Indeed, the inevitable temptation to compare the captain and crew of the ship in The Caine Mutiny with the same in this film is pretty strong, although it doesn't go too far given the much different portrayals. Anyhow, there were in fact a lot of older officers in the service at fairly junior ranks when the war started. Eisenhower, for example, was a Lieutenant Colonel at the start of the war. The problem, however is that the military made a pretty pronounced effort to weed officers over 50 years of age out of the service, although it was an informal process and not universally applied. And also, I know much less about this in the Navy than I do in the Army. Still, its interesting to note that Chester Nimitz was 55 years old when World War Two started (and by contemporary standards, he looked much older).
Anyhow, having dealt with that topic, that comes up in discussions on this film, we can take Hanks role here as a Naval officer receiving his first ship command in his 40s as not unrealistic.
That long introduction sets the stage. The U.S. is early in the war and Hanks is a long serving Navy officer whom its hinted has had a disappointing career. He receives, however, command of a Fletcher class destroyer and, moreover, command of a convoy that's set to cross the Atlantic in the thick of the U Boot war. How does the film do historically, and otherwise.
Well, fairly good, but not without quite a bit of dramatic license.
Starting off, the film does an excellent job of portraying the absolute nightmare of crossing the Atlantic before the U Boot wolf packs were broken up and small aircraft carriers became part of convoys. The movie accurately portrays the convoy becoming vulnerable as soon as the convoy passes out of air cover. The film also accurately portrays the horrific attrition that convoys were subject to in that part of the war. Indeed, for much of the war being a merchant seaman in the Atlantic was the most dangerous occupation in the war. The film is also accurate in showing the convoy being multinational, with British and Canadian escorts as part of it.
Naval weaponry is accurate in the film as well, including the fact that defense weaponry such as depth charges were limited in number. Technology that was a feature of ships of the period, including the period sonar, is also correct and shown being correctly used, including showing its limitations.
Historically, however the movie becomes less accurate when depicts U Boot vs surface ship combat. Stealth was the only real advantage that U boots had and they rarely made daylight surface attacks for that reason. U boot speed was enormously hampered when they operated submerged but attacking on the surface made them incredibly vulnerable to destruction. Even small arms fire was sufficient to sink a submarine of the era. Therefore, while surface runs would make sense for a nighttime attack, and indeed were often done, or were done in bad weather when U boots could take advantage of that and their surface speed, they generally attacked submerged during daylight hours. The film takes, therefore, an enormous liberty in showing them in daylight surface attacks.
It also shows them to be much more immune to damage than they really were. As noted, a surfaced U boot was quite easy to sink.
German submarines also didn't make use of their radios to taunt surface ships, as shown in this film. In reality they observed strict radio silence as using their radios made them vulnerable to radio detection, which they feared.
On another note, before moving on to material details, it should be noted that the film does a really good job of showing the relationships between officer and men on a period Navy vessel. Hanks is obviously respected, even though he is green, but he's highly formal, but paternal, to his men. The cooks on board the ship are shows as being all black sailors, which is completely correct. The relationship between the older commander and the older, senior, member of the mess staff is one of the most interesting aspect of the film and very well done. The very small nature of the ship, with the interior scenes being filmed on board the USS Kidd, an actual Fletcher class destroyer, is very well portrayed. The spartan nature of the conditions on board the ship are also well portrayed, which for some reason they only rarely are. Most of the interior spaces of this ship look like a janitors closet compared to the same depictions in earlier films such as The Caine Mutiny or Mister Roberts.
Some of this of course fits into the topic of material details, but there's more to consider. As noted, ship details are excellently portrayed, including destroyer weaponry. Uniforms are correct and the movie does a good job of showing how formal officers uniforms remained even in combat at the time. U boots are less well done including the wolf portrayal on the conning tower of the U boot. Paintings on conning towers were normal for German U boots but this one simply does not look right. As earlier noted, a German wolf pack commander would not have taunted Allied ships at any point.
As a final note, one of the really interesting things about this film is the outward religiosity of it. It's frankly striking. Hank's ship commander prays throughout the film, both by himself at private moments and at meals, something he shares in common with the senior mess enlisted man. The title of the book from which the movie was made has a distinct religious reference from the New Testament, taken from the parable in which the Good Shepherd does everything so as to not lose a single sheep.
Indeed, even the Shue character and her relationship with Captain Krause is remarkable. Krause wishes to marry her, as its made plain. We don't know why she's single in her 40s, or why he is, and its not going to be explained. It is plain, however, that their relationship is one of deep affection, but its not portrayed as physical.
Hanks has delivered a series of great depictions of World War Two. This is one of them.
