Haie and Kleine Fische were directed by Frank Wisbar in 1957. The film is based on the 1954 novel of the same name by Wolfgang Ott, which depicts the U-Boot War. Wolfgang Ott succeeded in 1956 with his first work. He processed his personal experiences as a soldier of the Kriegsmarine. The novel was realistically staged by Wisbar with the actors Hansjörg Felmy and Horst Frank, who were still unknown at the time. Other supporting roles include Sabine Bethmann, Wolfgang Preiss, Heinz Engelmann and Siegfried Lowitz.