How unfamiliar technology might have doomed these two women,

I do that all the time. It parks. It's not like luck or anything, it's programmed to do so, the owner's manual says it does, and it does.

I had that feature in my '72 Dodge Colt (a Mitsubishi Galant by any other name...), only it didn't come with guys. I would try to scout out sort of raised places in a parking lot, so I could get it going easier.

There was one really hot day where I had parked in a little dip. In a gravel lot. Did eventually get it started, then had to wring out my shirt.

 

You never saw "The Enemy Below"? Great movie. That's where I learned "Torpedos - LOS!".

Curt Jurgens, Theodore Bikel, Robert Mitchum.

The Star Trek (Original Series) episode where they chased the Romulans to the neutral zone was a direct ripoff of that movie.

 

New technology can be better.
In the Tesla, if you do not put it into "park" but you open the door or just remove your seat belt and lean to grab something (slightly unweighting the seat sensor) the car automatically goes into park with the parking brake applied. It does this with a beep and an on-screen error message.

Also, although you can explicitly apply the parking brake, it always is applied when you go into park and disengaged when you go to drive or reverse.
If you have one pedal driving enabled (which is the most efficient) you always must press the accelerator in order to make the car go when in gear even for low speed...i.e. there is no creep which could cause a flustered driver to try and step on the brake but accidentally step on the accelerator.

Mike

 

…no, but I think the best submariner film of all time, has to be "Das Boot" (…IMNSHO the best war-film ever made!)

 

…or even "Hals- und Beinbruch!"

 

Balance of Terror - Wikipedia
Roddenberry was a WWII Army pilot, and Star Trek was filmed during the hottest parts of the Cold War. It's not at all surprising that he based this episode off of that excellent movie.
BOTH are well worth your time, even if you're not a fan of either genre.

"Most famous submarine action?"
I respectfully disagree.
In the US it would probably be the H. L. Hunley getting wartime tonnage down in Charleston.
Fun Fact:
Hunley killed more rebs in that action (8) than U.S. Navy sailors (5)....and 13 rebels died inside the sub before the famous attack in Charleston Harbor.

I would presume also that the RMS Lusitania getting knocked off by U-20 is also a more well known submarine/U-boat action.
(Recommended reading: Dead Wake, by Erik Larson)
Otherwise, most Americans are dimly aware that there were two World Wars, and that convoys and submarine attacks were somewhat featured in both.

I can report that this was a favorite among US Navy Submariners, where we unreservedly rooted for the wrong side.
There's a 6-hour version of Das Boot from the full-length TV series available available on Amazon (as is everything else in the world....)
if you wanna take a......'deeper dive' into the work.

---------------------------------
@ the original subject.....

"Knobology" is important.
Sometimes: Vital.

Engineers go to great lengths to make cars somewhat intuitive, but even in carbureted engine, manual-shift, crank window horseless buggies......people fail to read manuals, mash the wrong pedal, drive drunk or distracted......etc.

 

...and Europe has been struggling to remain relevant at sea and in marine warfare......ever since.
H.L. Hunley, Germany's K9, XXI types and IJN's I-400 all used ground-breaking tech...and all served on the losing side.....

 

An honorable mention goes to the Turtle. (they tried).
Turtle (submersible) - Wikipedia

 

Concur.

Unfortunately....arms treaties are usually very flawed instruments....something we never seem to stop learning.

We also lost a lot of sailors aboard "treaty cruisers" in WWII...but it turned out OK in the end.


Our own Lady Lex (CV-2) and Sister Sara (CV-3) were similarly built from "battlecruiser" hulls....and even though Sara survived the war, most of the early CVs were lost in action, since they were (and are) easy mission kills......thick hide notwithstanding.
....IF you can get TO them.

The most important contribution these hulls made to both the IJN and the USN are the thousands of sailors who were exquisitely trained (or...not so much...) in the years that led up to the shooting part of the war.

One of the very best books I've ever read about life on a WWII bird-farm (from the IJN's point of view) is Shattered Sword....by Jonathan Parshall.
Phenomenal work!!

 

How did this thread morph into a discussion about warfare and historical submarine technology?

 

Cars on a ferry trying to mimic the capabilities of a submarine by operator error.

Mike

 

Submarines came up when a photo of an old one's controls was posted as an example for most confusing.

 

Reminds me.
Get rat traps.

 

Most confusing? Try this one...