The other reviews cover the pros and cons. I should say that this is not a "propaganda film". Speaking from the perspective of the second world war, the praise for the other branches of the navy and the war effort should not be seen as propaganda in the 21st century sense but as a bit of cheerleading.
In 1943 the US was only 16 months into the war. They'd had a major defeat early in the Africa campaign and Patton's victory at El Guettar did not take place until the same month this movie was released. And five months before the film's release, the US forces in the Philippines were forced to surrender. Beyond this, the British defeats, including Singapore, worked together to make a very gloomy picture.
Fighting in the Pacific was fierce and progress had been slow. The bloody months-long battle of Guadalcanal had just recently ended. Other victories, such as the battle of Midway, were often won through miscalculations on the part of the Japanese. Plus, the invasion of Europe was still 15 months away.
In other words, the axis was running rampant and were still in control of most of what they had seized and the end of the war was nowhere in sight. In fact, had it not been for the atomic bombs (dropped two years and four months after the film's release) the war in the Pacific could have lasted another full year with the loss of an additional quarter million lives or more. And no one knew of any atomic bomb in April of 1943.
In other words, this is not a propaganda film. The cheerleading at the end was patriotic, not political. Besides, the studio knew that this film would be shown to navy personnel from all branches and it was important that the servicemen and women have something to cheer for of their own, and not just the squadrons of submarines and PT boats.
Someone who did not serve in WWII or have an immediate family member who did - especially those two generations or more separated from the war - might see this as "propaganda" but their seniors would not.
Review of Crash Dive
