A fictional character created for the film. His journey and command challenges drive the plot but are not based on a specific real person.

A fictional commanding officer, played by Bill Paxton. His role sets up Lt. Tyler's arc.

A fictional Chief Petty Officer, played by Harvey Keitel, representing experienced enlisted leadership.

A fictional intelligence officer involved in the Enigma mission planning.

A fictional officer responsible for understanding and operating the captured Enigma machine.

A fictional Marine officer leading the capture team; represents the involvement of Marines in such potential (though fictionalized here) operations.

This central plot is fictional and historically inaccurate. Key Enigma captures enabling codebreaking were achieved primarily by the British Royal Navy (e.g., from U-110 in May 1941) long before the US entered the war or the film's setting (1942). No Enigma was captured from the real U-571.

The mission premise of disguising an American S-class submarine to resemble a German supply U-boat for a covert operation is fictional.

The specific event of Americans boarding the disabled U-571 is fictional, tied to the inaccurate Enigma capture plotline.

The destruction of the American submarine S-33 during the mission is part of the fictional narrative.

The plot point of the surviving American crew operating the captured German U-boat is fictional.

The specific battles and encounters the crew faces while operating U-571 (e.g., with the German destroyer) are fictional dramatic elements.

While the plot is fictional, the film portrays the cramped, dangerous, and tense conditions of WWII submarine warfare (depth charges, sonar pings, underwater tension) with a degree of technical realism.

The film correctly implies the vital importance of capturing Enigma machines and codebooks for Allied intelligence (ULTRA) in winning the Battle of the Atlantic, although it misattributes the capture itself.

Represents the real threat posed by German U-boat wolfpacks to Allied shipping in the Atlantic during WWII.

The film correctly reflects the extreme secrecy surrounding Allied codebreaking efforts. Revealing the Enigma compromise would have prompted the Germans to change their codes.

Accurately sets the action within the Battle of the Atlantic, the crucial naval campaign of WWII depicted.

The film is set during WWII, implicitly around 1942 when the Battle of the Atlantic was fiercely contested, although the specific mission is fictional.

The film used a real non-GUPPY Balao-class submarine (USS Pampanito) for exterior shots representing the older S-33, and detailed sets for the interior, providing a realistic visual representation.

Detailed sets and models were used to represent the interior and exterior of a German Type IX U-boat, capturing the look and feel of the vessel type accurately.

Captures the cramped, complex, and claustrophobic environment inside WWII submarines, including depictions of diving procedures, engine rooms, torpedo rooms, and sonar operations.

Realistically portrays the dangers faced by submarines, including depth charge attacks from surface vessels like destroyers, and the tension of underwater evasion.

Uniforms worn by the American submariners and German U-boat crews generally appear accurate for the WWII period.

Effectively conveys the tension, fear, claustrophobia, and camaraderie associated with service aboard submarines during wartime.