First, the documents for the breakthrough.
And then...
...this cable came.
Chief. Lieutenant Werner.
We are going for a little fresh air.
- Well, Seewald, what's happening? - Bad news.
Headquarters say no. Our request has been denied, chief.
There's no replacement. You stay too, Werner.
I'm sorry.
I guess it's just as well.
Who knows what kind of idiot they'd have sent you.
One of those newfound warriors who's all wind and smoke.
Could be right.
I've never been to the Mediterranean.
They say the climate is supposed to be...
No heroic pretence, Mr. Werner. You don't know what that means.
I don't know.
Something doesn't feel right.
Three boats refurbished here recently.
Two of them sank as soon as they moved out of the sea.
Remarkable, huh?
Are you still interested to hear about depth-charge attacks?
Hey, steward, bring a punch bowl here.
- One glass, sir? - No, not a glass, just the bowl.
Come on, gentleman, if you don't mind, stand over here.
And you too, my friend. Here comes a spectacular phenomenon.
- This is the Atlantic, I presume. - Atlantic, sea, what you will.
Or the channel, by the looks of it. Pretty narrow crossing.
So now, then. Here, we're down here. That little lemon pit there.
And hang in there tight.
- Oh, yeah? - You got it, pal, because...
...the British ships are cruising here above us.
The British know very well we're down there.
Though they still don't know where exactly.
There are two possibilities.
- To wait, hoping you'll surface. - That's one.
- Or drop their depth charge. - Where he assumes us to be.
There we are waiting. Now, will he drop them or not?
Well, I do believe they missed us again.
Those cardboard soldiers.
Those strange guys from the naval attach?
I feel they can't be trusted, could talk too easily.
We'll push off from this place as quickly as we can.
Forget our schedule.
This is not my kind of place.
They should have stocked the sub with a few horny little senoritas.
Lucky they didn't, lover-boy. Spanish crabs, that's all we'd need.
Yesterday he was a virgin. Now he can't live without it.
Hurry up and get this mess out of here. Get that chart table cleared.
I can't navigate on bananas.
What are you doing? Get that fruit out of here. Move!
I want those depth controls completely free.
Is that a Christmas tree?
What do you think it is, camouflage for the bridge?
We're staying onboard. They won't replace us.
I'm sorry, Ullmann.
Our 68th day at sea.
We are nearing Gibraltar.
One question dominates our thoughts to the exclusion of all others:
Will we get through?
Seven miles from coast-to-coast.
Bit narrow, huh?
Here, the British dockyards.
The only ones the British have in the Western Mediterranean.
So they are very heavily defended.
The place will be crawling with patrol boats.
Anything that floats will be on the water.
And this is where we have to go.
That's the situation.
Gibraltar, where the mildness and beauty of the Mediterranean world...
...meet the force and expansion of the Atlantic realm.
So says the sea handbook.
We'll move in under darkness.
The surface.
We'll see if we can slip through their cordon.
As near to Gibraltar as we can get.
Then dive down...
...and let ourselves drift through.
In the Strait of Gibraltar, there are two different currents.
One flows on the surface from the Atlantic into the Mediterranean...
...and a deeper current, from the Mediterranean out.
That's a lot of pressure.
And so...
...dive...
...and allow the surface current to pull us through the strait.
Nice and quiet.
And we'll save fuel.
Well, Kriechbaum?
Clever trick, captain.
Arabian week. Must be our southerly course.
They're hoping to drink some courage.
- Time check, please. - 9:39, sir.
We're getting close now.
Be accurate. Keep checking the water control.
Don't worry, chief.
We've got enough here. Double-check the high valves.
I'll check them, sir.
Stupid bananas.
Goddamn it!
Be careful, you idiot!
Both engines stop.
Let's get going.
Both engines half-speed.
The navigator and I stay up here. Now clear the bridge.
I'm right. 0-7-9
Then, course 0-7-9, sir.
That's half the British fleet out there.
Come left 20 degrees and change to main motors.
Steering 0-5-9, sir.
Very kind of the enemy to show their navigation lights.
- Steer 0-5-0. - Course 0-5-0.
Destroyer on port bow. Range about 800.
Going which way?
Is she closing?
No, she's heading away.
That's good.
Breakthrough. Astern of her. Left full rudder.
- All full ahead. - Rudder is left full.
Both engines ahead.
Come right.
All full ahead, maximum power. Right full.
Come on. Quick.
Make it quick.
Both engines indicate maximum rpm. 1-0-0, still turning right.
Now he's in his element.
Course 0-7-9. All ahead half power.
Right full rudder! All full ahead! Be quick!
- Right full rudder. All full ahead. - Damn! Damn!
Kriechbaum.
Gibraltar.
We'll dive in 10 minutes.
Alarm!
Go.
The captain is still up. Don't dive.
Alarm!
Stand by, escape gear! Ready to abandon ship!
The medic! Right away!
- Where is the medic? - Medic!
Engines, maximum power! Hard, starboard!
All hands on escape gear!
Hold on. Hold on to this!
Faster! Faster!
Compress this! Compress this!
Out of the way! Out of the way!
Out of the way! Silence onboard!
Chief to captain, we have to stop port engine! Foundation is loose!
Maintain full power!
All the power you've got! All the power you've got!
What's his plan?
Due south. Heading directly for the African coastline.
Damn it! Damn it!
- Alarm! - Ready to dive!
All hands forward!
Move, move, move!
Ninety meters!
Close exhausts.
- Bow planes are in action! - Switch to manual!
The bow plane is jammed! It's on a dive!
Shit!
All engines stop!
- All men go aft! - All hands aft! All hands aft!
- What is going on? - Quiet.
Move! Move! All hands aft!
- Auxiliary pump, out of action! - With air.
- Tank's blowing. - We're still going down.
- We've got to shed some weight! - Pump out 1000 liters!
Damn it, shut him up!
Main ballast pump, out of action!
Permission to blow?
- Both engines hard to stern full! - Hard to stern full.
- No effect. - Blow.
- Blow! - Blow fore ballast.
Stay put. Now.
Now. Stay put now!
All that you've got! All you've got!
All that we've got!
Come on!
Oh, God!
We can't hold the boat.
200.
210.
220 meters.
230.
240 meters.
250 meters.
My God.
Oh, Lord, turn not away from me.
Dear Lord, take away all our sins.
A shovelful of sand.
The merciful God's left a shovelful of sand to keep us up.
280 meters.
And she's still in one piece.
Water. Goddamn it.
Torpedo hatch taking water!
The torpedo hatch taking water!
Torpedo hatch taking water!
Motor room's taking water now, right behind starboard.
Tank two taking water.
Get around.
- Tank two taking water! - Tank two taking water!
- What do you need? - Some timber for sawing.
It's in the bow compartment.
Exhaust valve okay?
I need some flooring, quick.
Shit.
Pass it to me.
Give me that flashlight!
- I need a wrench, damn it! - Give me damage report.
Water coming in around the after rail.
- Where are the tools?! - Quick, quick, quick.
The tools!
- Where is it? - Look.
Main motor switchboard's out of action.
- Engine room's completely wrecked. - I want some proper damage reports!
What's going on down there?
We can't stop the flooding!
If saltwater gets in the bearings, we've had it.
Together.
Where's the most damage?
The shaft's stuffing boxes, below the decoy.
Check damage to number two battery. Quickly!
Assess damage!
Tighten carefully.
- I can't see! - Push! Hard as you can!
I can't.
It's stuck tight! I can't wedge it.
Here, give me the hammer!
Need a little more men in aft torpedo room?
I'll ask the lieutenant.
This damn thing! Here, hold my light!
Father, forgive my sins.
Stupid son of a pig!
Idiot.
Toolbox from the engine room!
Hurry up!
Where is that damn wrench?
Bring another wrench!
Tighten those seals! Don't shear the bolts!
A leak in the cooling system!
Tighten those intake seals! Hurry up!
Someone give me that shoring.
- Here! - Good.
Here, take it quickly!
Plugs down here! Quick!
Hurry up! Get me the biggest one!
Higher! Still higher!
Higher!
Careful.
Captain.
Hurry! Hurry! Get on with it.
We're taking water very fast.
The two hull valves burst. Cooling water system blocked.
And on top of that, compressors are dislodged.
Shaft stuffing boxes began to leak, sir.
Damn it.
What about fuel leaks? Any tank's been punctured?
- Can't tell as yet. - What else, chief?
Lots of battery cells are cracked, can't take this kind of hit.
Look out for chlorine gas, men.
Get the bilge water. Use the litmus paper.
Over there with the sounding block.
We need each cell.
Look, it's red. Acid in the bilge.
Piece of line, quickly.
See how many cells are cracked.
Battery straps over here. Move it, you.
Battery straps.
Easy, Kriechbaum. Quiet. Quiet.
Quiet.
Lieutenant.
Have we a chance?
We'll never do it by hand. Takes block and tackling.
The chief needs battery straps. Make it quick.
Find some battery straps, damn it.
They still need it.
Logs and a hammer.
Here. Here.
Thanks, lieutenant.
Got it.
Get me more light here.
We're winning, sir.
And again, turn it.
Shit.
Pull it round.
The other side, or it will tear the gasket.
Check the valves.
They came straight at us.
It's quite incredible in that light.
They say that the British are using a new detection system...
...high frequency.
Could be true what they say.
They tried it out on us.
If they can find us in the dark...
...we can only pray.
Another bilge pipe in the water cooling system.
- Bilge pipe in the water cooling system. - Bilge pipe in the water cooling system.
Tell the chief water is out of the bilge in the torpedo hatch...
...rising faster.
I can't see.
Lieutenant, hold the light.
We've gotta close the leaks, or it's all over for us.
To the right. More to the right. Down.
Careful.
Twenty-four battery cells cracked.
God almighty, what a hell of a mess.
Let's hope these are enough.
He's gotta bridge the live cells. It's our only chance.
Without batteries, we've had it.
Starboard... Down, lieutenant.
We're drowning.
Wire. Get me wire to bridge them.
Wire! Come on, hurry up!
Wire! The chief needs wire.
Get moving! Look for wires! Did you hear me?
- Wire. - What kind of wire?
Any kind of thick wire, man. There's gotta be some wire around.
In the bilge, under the torpedo tubes.
We have got plenty of fancy torpedoes, right?
Each one is 25,000 marks.
But no damn wire.
All they forgot is 50 pennies' worth of old wire.
Now what?
Captain, the draining pump's jammed.
- It won't even extend manually. - That's great.
Captain!
- Here. - He's got some wire!
- Terrific. Better than nothing. - Pliers!
- Here. - Captain?
All the leaks have been stopped, sir.
Good, Johann.
That's good.
Now change your wet things, man.
We must get rid of the water.
The water has to go out.
Into the control-room bilge...
...and then outside.
All right, give it to me!
Come on. Move it.
- Careful, you jerk! - Hoist the bucket.
Get a move on, boys!
Keep coming and going!
Come on, put your backs into it!
Keep those buckets moving.
Step on it, Dufte, Hermann. Don't fall asleep. Keep going!
Hurry up!
Faster, goddamn it!
Come on. Don't slow down.
Pull. Pull.
Almost finished. Three cells to go, sir.
How is it going?
Almost ready. Three more cells.
- Want some? - No, thanks.
See, it works.
That's good.
It's all good.
Mom. Mom.
Stop, boy. Take a rest.
Fucking shit.
Make some room down there. Chief's coming through.
- Are you guys okay? - Yes.
Keep going. Keep going.
- Motor didn't get wet, did it, Johann? - It looks like it, lieutenant.
Here, pass your empty buckets.
Hey, guys, switch.
Captain?
All of our compasses are out of action.
We may have lost speed indicator and sonar too.
And radio contact seems dead.
Pretty bad damage.
Can we get up again?
Do you think we have a chance, sir?
Good question.
Bit of air must still be in the ballast tanks...
...from the blowing.
It should help us.
If we use every ounce of high-pressure air that's left.
Maybe.
We have to reduce our weight.
We've got to get the water out.
We must.
Eliminate and scoop.
Commander, engine-room bilge now almost clear of water.
It could work. It could work.
It could just work. By hand, into the trimming tanks.
Then with ballast pump and high-pressure air...
...we could force the water out.
The ballast pump?
We can do it.
We have to risk it.
Blow.
We can only try once.
When?
When all repairs are completed.
In about six to eight hours.
- CO2 content? - 1.8 percent.
Do we have enough oxygen?
No.
Emergency cartridges. For all guys who are not working.
The others go to the bunks.
Aye, aye, captain.
Emergency cartridges. Guys not working, go to bunks.
- How is he doing? - Difficult to say just yet, sir.
Doesn't look too good.
Well, Pilgrim...
...everything okay? - Yes, captain.
Everything's okay.
What about aft?
It's getting better, sir.
I guess I'll go over there.
You should be careful.
- Can you make it? - We'll make it, captain.
- How's it going? - All right. It's okay.
How does it look?
Don't worry, captain, we'll make it.
How's it going?
Two bearings which have to be changed and fixed.
Then it should run smoothly.
Well, Benjamin, is everything okay?
Yes, captain.
What a mess.
Going well.
It's working out fine.
Yes, captain, we'll make it.
Laps of honor.
They're doing laps of honor.
Believe they made it.
They think we drowned.
Not yet.
I still have some glucose.
They were crazy...
...ordering us through the strait.
It was bound to go wrong.
He knew it.
The bastard, he knew it.
From the moment that radio signal had come through...
...the captain knew it.
That's the reason he ordered us ashore at Vigo.
He knew there was very little hope.
He tried to fool us. "Quite simple," he said.
"An easy trick."
"Dive and drift with the current, and..."
Quite a clever trick.
But it has to work.
Will we ever get up?
I don't know.
I'm sorry.
You think it's hopeless now?
It's been 15 hours.
He's not going to make it.
I'm sorry.
I wanted this to happen.
To face the relentless truth.
Where no one's mother looks around at night.
No woman crossing our way.
Where only reality reigns, ferocious and great.
I was intoxicated by it.
That is reality now.
Situation report, sir.
Motors in order.
The ballast pump is clear.
Accumulated water can now be pumped into trimming tanks.
Then blown outboard with high-pressure air.
Compass is in order.
Sonar clear.
Good.
Good, good.
Go and take a break.
We still have a few little problems.
All you need is a good crew.
A good crew.
And what about above?
Dusk was two hours ago.
We'll surface in 20 minutes.
Wake up. Come on, wake up.
Wake up!
- What's the matter? - We'll surface in 10 minutes.
We're going to surface.
Wake the crew.
All hands prepare to surface.
We're coming up!
Everybody listen up.
We're going to blow...
...and see if we can get our rear up.
If so...
...it could get ugly again.
Traffic is heavy up there.
There's only one thing we can do:
Pray that the engines will start...
...so we can get out of this mess.
And let's go home.
If it works...
...everybody gets half a bottle of beer.
There's one thing on our side.
They won't be expecting us.
So, guys...
...everything okay?
Aye, aye, captain.
Surface contacts?
Nothing near.
Get ready to surface. Stand by, escape gear.
Switch to red light.
Let her blow.
- She's rising. - Yeah!
- Easy, guys. - Starboard planes down 15.
270 meters!
First watch, stand by.
260 meters.
250 meters.
240 meters.
230 meters.
220.
The air lock's open.
Start up engines?
Both main engines.
Well, let's see.
So?
I think they're running.
I never heard such sweet music in all my life.
- They're running. - They're running.
Yes, they're running.
They won't catch us this time.
Not this time.
Just you keep on going, damn it.
Just you keep on going!
Right full rudder. Come to 3-2-0.
This goddamn bastard!
They haven't spotted us.
They are snoring in their bunks.
You know what?
They are drinking in the bar, celebrating our sinking.
Not yet, my friends!
Not yet!
Tuesday, December 23, 1941.
Course: La Rochelle.
Drink up, boys!
- Here's to home! - Here's to home!
Just imagine those sexy nurses.
The newspaper girls.
And Dufte and his broad can get screwed.
How about you, Brückenwilli?
A nice, slow...
...afternoon fuck.
Tomorrow's Christmas Eve, Hinrich.
Easy to forget.
The holiday of love.
Christmas on a bombed-out hulk.
Something different.
Any bright ideas, Henri, for the celebration?
Have our own celebration?
Sing a few carols...
...read from the Bible.
I guess we're not in the right mood.
Just postpone it, I'd say.
It'll be Christmas for us when we're back on land.
Good idea.
Postpone.
That's good.
That's really good.
Let's pray the engines hold out.
With a bit of luck, Hinrich...
...we'll make it back home.
The 3rd Submarine Flotilla welcomes its comrades with three cheers!
Both engines stop.
- Stern line out! - Stern line out! Watch those cables!
Roll that tighter!
We Build for Victory!
- Thank you, Hinrich. - It's okay.
The sun is shining out there.
Up with him!
All right. We got you.
Gunboat number three, guard your position.
Gunboat number three, guard your position at once.
Hurry up.
Bring a medic.
Over here.