Historical Accuracy
The book which the film is based on is only vaguely based on real events, and takes significant artistic licence with historical facts. The main story is loosely based on events concerning the light cruiser SMS Königsberg which was sunk after taking refuge in Rufiji Delta in 1915. However the German ship is renamed the Blücher, a vessel which did not serve in Africa. The film implies that Portugal became a co-belligerent with Britain against Germany when the First World War broke-out in August 1914. In fact, Portugal remained neutral until 1916 (see Portugal in World War I). Portugal's status as an ally seems to be confirmed in the film when the Portuguese supply O'Flynn and Oldsmith with a marked Portuguese plane with a Portuguese pilot to conduct surveillance in German territory. In reality, the Portuguese would not have allowed this as it would have violated their neutrality.
Although the motives for killing Fleischer are personal, Sebastian Oldsmith is in fact the only one of the major characters among the protagonists who is a citizen of a nation actually at war with Germany.
Read more about this topic: Shout At The Devil (film)
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“The child who has been taught to make an accurate elevation, plan, and section of a pint pot has had an admirable training in accuracy of eye and hand.”
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95)