"The Temple" by H.P. Lovecraft, a first world war submarine story 

Great! Thanks for spoiling the story. Can't be undone. Maybe delete your comment. :/

My apologies. I was under the impression most people read the comments AFTER watching/hearing the videos.

You do realise this is a fictional story?

Of course I do. Been a Lovecraft reader since I was a teenager. That doesn't stop me for admiring the protagonist's courage under such horrible circumstances.@@peterj5106

Diving suits have been used for centuries, but using one to escape a sub would require unimaginable circumstances. I've locked in and out of a submerged sub, but it required scuba gear, not a diving suit and the depth was shallow. Torpedo tubes are airlocks and have been used to leave a sub, but not possible in the circumstances of the story. Yes, the rest is pure fancy considering the time and circumstances.

It may not have existed in the early 1920s when Lovecraft wrote the story, or during the war. Lovecraft wanted to serve but was rejected for medical reasons. But if you read the jules verne classic 20 000 leagues under the sea, you will see that they have these things in that story. So, I just think Lovecraft drew on these old scifi elements. But if you look at the silent movie version of jules verne, they use some of these things in that film, diving suits etc. But they were probably not part of a first world war submarine :) But this story is another study in madness. The outer world is in some ways a projection of a sort das boot like stress. The character also says "I am loosing my ´mind" etc. Which he does. I think the characters uses the top hatch as an escape. That is normal ,

That's why it's called "fiction".

I agree, they didn't have these things. Near impossible to whip a person while submerged as well.... not enough space.

Verne was likely his only source material on subs, but the inaccuracies don’t detract, only provided more amusement.

The active sonar pinging away in the background wasn't in service till after the war ;-)

I know, I discovered it after the upload. In the radio version I may replace that sound with hammering on pipes. I am sorry. @@camillitech1

@@Historyradio I wouldn't bother, once I'd got past all the other factual inaccuracy. Port holes, diving suit, blah, blah, blah. I actually started to enjoy it for what it was an enjoyable piece of drama written at a time when the horrors of WWI would have been fresh in peoples minds. Thanks for posting and sorry I was so keen on the keyboard ;-)

German submarine crews were known to be very egalitarian, the larger cruisers and battleships were more class orientated.

The social structure of your vivid imagination.

WW1 set in 1917.

I am not reader myself on this, but my own problem is that I sound too old. I discovered this raspyness a few years back, and since then I have limited my efforts to whimsical old geezers. What I like about this reading is the determination in his voice. I don't think I could have matched that. But someone else might, who knows.

They'd have sunk them even if they were full of babies they were bloody psychopaths.

No U-Boats didn't attack survivors.@@stephenhowlett6345

@@stephenhowlett6345No they didn’t.

@stephenhowlett6345. No, there were only a-few instances of u boats sinking lifeboats & that was due to individual commander's. It certainly wasn't widespread. What was widespread was u boats approaching lifeboats & giving them food, water, cigarettes & directions to nearest land. This was common right into ww2, until the Americans attacked several u boats towing lifeboats to safety.

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Tally ho chaps!

A little detail???

@@marktracy1721 right from the start the active sonar pinging. Didn't enter service until early WWII. The portholes in a submarine, the diving suit, whipping you couldn't swing a cat in a submarine. That'll be a 'cat o nine tails' and not a four legged animal ;-) I could go on but I won't cos when I actually thought about it these things didn't matter. Considering when it was written just after a horrific conflict it was quite good.