As this is a film about war, there are several scenes of bombing and gunfire. The wreckage of ships and submarines is seen in multiple scenes. Injured sailors are seen and referred to, but no closeups of injuries are shown

In keeping with the habits of the time, some characters smoke while at work or while socialising, so this is seen in several scenes.

Alcohol is seen being drunk with some meals and at parties. However, there is only one occasion where a character is depicted as drunk. This is after Captain Ericson (<a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0370144/?ref_=ttpg_gi">Jack Hawkins</a>) has made a difficult decision, with serious consequences, and questions whether it was the right one.

There is no illegal drug use in this film, but the Captain persuades the doctor to give him something to keep him awake in one scene

Captain Ericson (<a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0370144/?ref_=ttpg_gi">Jack Hawkins</a>) has to make a crucial decision. The crew has detected what they believe to be a U-boat. When they are in a position to bomb it, it's directly under the survivors of a shipwreck. To destroy the U-boat means killing those sailors too. There are intense conversations on whether or not to take this action. Later, the consequences are discussed. Young children may not understand the motivation behind the captain's actions.

As expected in a war film, there are deaths of some characters.

In one scene, survivors of a shipwreck are seen in lifeboats. After drifting for some time, one man begins to show the symptoms of insanity by talking nonsense