JAMES BOND - THE FACTS HIDDEN BEHIND THE FICTION

Welcome to part one of an occasional series where we look at the many fascinating - and true, incidents, gadgets and people that inspired both Ian Fleming's James Bond novels and the movie series we all know and love.

THUNDERBALL/THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN – THE OLTERRA

 

Greek for “Land of Beer”, Olterra was an Italian auxiliary tanker, scuttled by her crew in 1940 in the Bay of Gibraltar. When a series of mysterious sabotage missions were conducted against Allied shipping, it was discovered to be the work of a highly-secret team of ‘Human Torpedo’ operators, using early versions of Swimmer Delivery Vehicles. Under the pretext of ‘repairs’, the Italian Navy had secretly converted Olterra as a fully-functional support base for the elite combat divers of the Decima Flottiglia Motoscafi Armati Siluranti . Within the Decima MAS itself, a sub-unit named for the constellation Ursa Major was specially selected for the missions.

 

The Olterra with secret hatch exposed at waterline

Diagram showing the Decima MAS teams exiting the Olterra

Launched from an underwater hatch, the Ursa Major teams wreaked havoc on Allied shipping, though the unit’s first mission was foiled by an underwater bomb disposal unit led by the legendary British diver Lieutenant Lionel ‘Buster’ Crabbe. Crabbe’s men killed the Italian commander and his co-pilot in the action.

Decima MAS team in training, cutting anti-submarine netting.

Lieutenant Crabbe was to gain notoriety when he went missing on a 1956 mission for UK-SIS (Popularly known as MI6) to inspect the hull of the Soviet cruiser Ordzhonikidze which was on a public relations visit to Portsmouth Harbour. A headless, handless body was later recovered and said to be Crabbe’s, although speculation remains about his true fate; Soviet sailors allege he was murdered by ship’s diver, whilst others make the unlikely claim he defected to the Soviets. 

 

In this scene from Thunderball (1965) Bond shows Felix Leiter a covert photograph taken of the secret hatch in the hull of Largo's yacht, the Disco Volante.

The Crabbe incident inspired the scene in Thunderball where James Bond inspects the hull of Largo’s hydrofoil Disco Volante (Flying Saucer) whilst the Olterra undoubtedly inspired the MI6 base concealed in the wrecked Queen Elizabeth in the movie The Man With The Golden Gun.  

 

Photo of the Queen Elizabeth (renamed Seawise University before a mysterious fire) Copyright Barry Loigman M.D.

Co-incidentally, Ian Fleming used the ship for his novel Diamonds Are Forever , while his private letters show he was a passenger on Elizabeth to New York, during which voyage he was correcting drafts of Live And Let Die, the second Bond novel. 

 

Royal Navy diver team on a Chariot, Mark One - developed from a captured Italian 'Human Torpedo'.

From a captured example of the Italian Maiale (Literally ‘Pig’ as they were hard to maneuver) ‘Human Torpedo’, British Scientists developed the Chariot. Swimmer Delivery Vehicles are still in use with the US Navy SEALS and British SBS today, with an actual Italian SDV starring in Thunderball (a modified Cos.Mo.S Seahorse-II SDV with a cowling attached)

 

Modified Cos.Mo.S Seahorse-II SDV in Thunderball (1965)

 

The James Bond AI Challenge - Part Five

Yes, here we go for the fifth - and last part of our AI Bondy-Challengy thing. Y. We started at the beginning with 'Dr.No' and we'll end with the not at all controversial 'No Time To Die'. As we speak - or rather type, rumors are flying around of a new Actor to fill the role, so hopefully we won't have to wait too long before a fresh movie comes along we can all love/hate/both! 

And yes, we noticed the AI stuck a weird '70' on there. We would have edited out, but when we asked him, VC just blinked at us and went back to sleep... Ah well!

We made it! This was mainly an exercise to try our hand at AI - Microsoft's Bing/Co-Pilot was variously a joy and a nightmare to work with - literally refusing to produce images of Daniel Craig, yet input 'James Bond' and you get... Daniel Craig. Well, that's Microsoft all over - great ideas, often atrociously implemented. But! We'd still say their AI is one of the very best, along with Midjourney - and you get 15 free credits per day with an account, plus you get points which you can put towards gift cards etc (Though not, as yet towards getting extra images on Co-Pilot, which is Microsoft  being Microsoft) You aren't limited to 15 creds worth of images, but when you run out, generation is slower. So that's you told. Come back and see us soon, we have no clue what we'll have for you WONDERFUL people, but it WILL be worth it, we hope!

The James Bond AI Challenge - Part Four

Dan dan-dan-dan DANNN! Yes, off we go with Part Four of the Bond AI Challenge - we knew you were expecting us (But not to talk, so let's get on with it...)

Well, that brings us to the end of the Brosnan Bonds; The BMW Bond was a bit of a smoothie in a suit for some, but even the haters can't deny finding all the Easter Eggs in 'Die Another Day' (2002) was ENORMOUS fun! Stay Tuned - Or just come back soon as we end our journey with the Daniel Craig era. So no controversy there...

 
 

The James Bond AI Challenge - Part Three

Here we go again with Part Three - beginning with 'Moonraker'. Animated - as if you hadn't guessed, using AI. 

This brings us up to the Timothy Dalton Era - Sadly consisting of only two movies... We'll be back soon with Part Four, as soon as our Licence To Kill is renewed!

The James Bond AI Challenge - Part Two

Yes, it's Part Two; the bit between parts One and, well, never mind the technical stuff! Here we go with... On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Ok, we cheated a bit on this one; the text was added later, using 'Gimp'. Make of that what you will; again, these were the best of a variable bunch - If you think AI's easy, just try getting it to understand "a gun made from a pen, a cigarette lighter and a cigarette case..." Part Three will be with us with the inevitability of an unloved season. Which means 'soon'.