Original subtitles

I love you.

We found this in the house.

- I just want to get home. - They'll lock us up.

- Can you hide her? - At the farm.

It's over.

In line with the atonement decree

100 citizens of La Rochelle have been chosen to be executed in retaliation.

Nothing's been entered in the logbook since Greenwood's exchange.

We could put what happened.

We need fuel. We have to board.

- How much fuel have you got? - Enough.

You want the crew to get home safely.

You can trust me.

The cowardly act of murdering a German officer

and kidnapping a senior officer of the Kriegsmarine have to be atoned.

Five hostages will be executed by firing squad at noon tomorrow.

Every hour from then on, five more hostages will be executed.

The executions won't stop until Fregattenkapitän Gluck is free.

That's madness.

No. It's very generous.

Berlin wanted to execute them straight away. All 100 hostages.

So that you keep your head?

Are you referring to the absurd demand of displaying my head at Town Square?

If Monroe thinks she can decapitate National Socialism, she is terribly mistaken.

Find that whore. Fast.

Or else there will be a bloodbath.

Monroe's men knew we were coming.

Although it was an operation entirely under the command of the Gestapo.

The house...

Almost all of the documents have been destroyed at the very last moment.

They were tipped off.

Therefore the mole has to be on the German side.

It's open.

- Will they come for me too? - I don't know.

I've come to get Anna. I'll take her with me.

- Where to? - Far away.

Where she'll be safe.

A sick Jewish baby in a country occupied by the Germans!

Anna stays until her father comes back.

Her father?

Her father is dead.

Just give me some of her things.

And I...

Thank you for everything.

Get out. Line up.

Over there. Faster.

Move!

Write to your families. Last words.

Write to your families. Last words.

Thank you.

Don't move.

It itches terribly.

I may not be able to help you any more.

The Krauts are looking for me.

But they won't get me.

Not alive anyway.

Have you got a gun for me?

I want to help you.

We are on course for our rendezvous.

The mood of the men is good.

Morale, not mood.

Hoffmann would have said "morale".

Morale on board is good. No, excellent.

Get on with it!

Morale on board is excellent.

Morale...

Just think of Tennstedt, the arsehole.

In the end he saved us all.

Or the mutiny...

Or the ghost ship.

All of that. No one would ever believe it.

There will be so many stories to tell when we're back home.

We all stood there while Frank went round with the matches

and we drew one, knowing that one of us would die

and then Tennstedt emerged...

Everyone is firmly convinced...

that our new mission will play a considerable role

in the Battle of the Atlantic.

Full stop.

Just like Hoffmann's handwriting.

Impressive.

I learnt it from a man I used to know,

a fisherman on the Azores.

That's Hoffmann's last entry, right?

What now?

Thanks, Cook.

You're writing from now on, sir.

We stick to the truth as best we can. The men will remember it best.

CO's log entry.

4 November 1942.

Captain Hoffmann was severely injured

while taking the American on board

during a cowardly air attack.

He handed command to me, Captain Ulrich Wrangel,

as the highest-ranking officer on board.

Hoffmann died of his injuries in his bunk 24 hours after the attack.

CO's log entry, 5 November 1942.

Mechanic Max Haber died after a depth charge attack

while U-612 was stranded at a great depth.

If our First Watch Officer, Lieutenant Tennstedt,

had not sacrificed his life in the battery room contaminated by chlorine gas

U-612 and the whole crew would have been lost.

Damage to saddle tanks, heavy loss of fuel,

discovery of a Russian freighter.

Order to board.

Petty Officer Josef Wolf sacrificed his life

in brave man-to-man combat.

Wounded in combat myself,

I will write a report to be enclosed in the logbook.

Return according to orders of Submarine Command.

ETA in La Rochelle in 24 hours.

At sea, 10 November 1942,

Wrangel, Captain and Commanding Officer.

That's our story.

Never tell anyone anything apart from what is the logbook.

No one.

Not a living soul.

Not your buddies, not your grandma on her deathbed.

And not to a girl who spreads her legs for the sake of a good story.

It's our pact. Do you understand?

Yes.

Do you understand? -Yes!

Dismissed.

- Inspector. - What's going on?

We came for Margot Bostal. She's on the list.

- I know. Where is she? - She's gone.

- Is Miss Strasser there? - The apartment is empty.

Look for Margot Bostal at the hospital.

Scum!

How long will it take to get to Marseille?

I don't know.

The bus stops in every village.

- I must find my uncle... -No.

It's best if I don't know.

It will work.

Yes, it will work.

Six people on the list are nowhere to be found.

- My men are... uncomfortable. - I am very sorry to hear that.

They don't like arresting teachers, bakers, ordinary French people.

They just want to live in peace.

We are the ones who grant peace.

We permit you to live everyday lives but can take it away any time we want.

That is the price of your defeat.

We must keep the pressure up.

Monroe is hiding. Someone knows where she is.

I can't help but noticing that Fräulein Strasser hasn't reported for duty yet.

Man the roadblocks out of town.

And get me six new names in case you can't find these.

TO THE POPULATION - OBEY AND SERVE

Do you know how all this started for me?

We were on our way home.

I was distracted briefly.

Dolphins.

They were leaping through the waves.

It was...

the grace,

the beauty of these animals so indifferent towards us.

I was moved by it.

That's why I didn't notice the plane.

43 men. All dead.

Comrades.

Friends.

My fault.

You will have to live with it.

We all will.

Emile Charpentier has Gluck

Your papers.

Give us the letters.

I'm sorry, Maurice.

Let's say the Hail Mary.

Hail Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now.

Emile Charpentier has Gluck

On the road to Verdoux?

The farm belongs to Georges Charpentier

but the French say that his son Emile lives there too.

Assemble all available men.

Miss Strasser, back on duty?

Stay in the office until I'm back.

Who did this?

Who did this?

My God, what has become of us?

I want to know who was responsible for this abomination.

Me.

I assumed command and it imposes obligations.

He would have betrayed us.

One life for many. That's the calculation in times of war.

And if a man

can't keep our secret

what awaits these men on their return?

They will be put against a wall and shot.

We truly have the commander we deserve.

Well?

What are you going to write in the logbook, sir?

A weak constitution.

He went overboard. See to his sea burial.

Aye, sir.

Play some music. Something cheerful.

For morale.

That's an order... Senior Radio Operator.

Aye, sir.

- Coffee, Dad? - Yes, thanks.

Dad!

Ruchaud.

Monot.

Lebrun.

Bergis.

Anglade.

Come with us.

We've got Gluck. He's alive.

Really? What about the hostages?

They're being executed.

Ready!

Aim!

Fire!

I ordered it.

Five hostages as atonement for the support Monroe had from the people.

All further executions have been suspended.

Come with me. We need to talk.

Come in.

Come in!

Adjutant Meinhardt, reporting for duty, sir.

Yes.

A U-boat has come in.

- Are we expecting anyone? - No, sir.

What number?

It's U-612.

Hoffmann's boat.

Put me through to Lorient at once.

Yes, sir.

She was betrayed.

Just like me.

Definitely not by the people we shot at the farm.

There must be someone on the outside.

I assume that this person has recognised their mistake

and is now back on the right side.

My men are looking for Margot Bostal, your landlady.

Perhaps she was involved.

Take your time. I'll wait for you in my office.

Captain Wrangel reporting the return of U-612, sir.

Wrangel? Where's Hoffmann?

A secret mission.

A passenger exchange.

A solo engagement with a huge convoy.

That's quite a story.

This secret mission has cost many lives.

You were the object of this mission?

I feel honoured that the Reich places such value on me.

Believe me, it was not my idea.

We thought you were all dead.

We couldn't make contact. Our radio was destroyed.

Depth charges. A major hit.

As recorded in the logbook.

Whatever the truth...

The truth is in front of you.

Would you prefer a tale of betrayal, death and pain?

Has the Reich so many heroes that you can afford to doubt our logbook?

The truth

is exactly what we decide

the truth should be.

Do you really think they'll buy the story?

I don't know.

If they do, I'm going to get a skinful tonight.

I used to know this fellow...

He was desperate to join the navy.

He did well during his training.

He was set to become chief engineer in five years.

But the older guys he looked up to

taught him a few tricks.

A few shortcuts in the maintenance.

He knew these things weren't right

but he did them because he wanted to belong.

And then one day

before a drill

he forgot to check the pressure of the diesel engine.

And it exploded.

Three men died in the blast.

What about the man? Is he dead?

No.

You're looking at him.

If we make it out of here, go your own way.

Or you'll end as a cook telling war stories.

No.

They're coming back.

Form two columns!

Attention!

Report to the CO. Eyes left.

Sir, crew lined up for inspection.

Fall in.

Gentlemen...

Admiral Dönitz thanks you for your loyal service.

And he urges you to enjoy your well-deserved shore leave.

Eyes front.

Dismissed.

I thought as much.

So?

What's your plan?

You want to make a getaway?

You and Monroe!

Tell me.

I loved her.

And when you forced yourself on me

I was thinking of her.

And her kisses. And her body.

And how she tasted.

Does that disgust you?

You won't pull the trigger.

If you do, 200 people will be rounded up and executed.

You filthy French whore.

When I'm done with you I'll court-martial your brother.

They're back. U-612 is back.

Every five minutes

loosen the belt and then tighten it again.

And if you survive

you'd better have a good story.

The truth will destroy even you.

TO THE POPULATION - OBEY AND SERVE

It's open.

- Home leave? -Yes.

- To see my wife and children. - Sounds good.

- Goodbye, Chief. - Have a nice evening.

All the best, Chief.

We got away with it, fucking hell.

We did it! We take the secret to our graves.

The funny thing is that I almost ended up in jail beforehand.

That Frenchman had me by the balls.

But I'd heard a rumour

about a few lads who wanted to do a runner.

With the help of a doctor and some fake passports.

The policeman was very interested.

It was enough to get me off.

After that I sailed with you boys.

Frank!

You are lucky to have survived.

However it might have happened.

Fräulein Strasser has not come to visit yet?

She is the sister of a war hero now.

Hailed by Dönitz himself.

And Berlin celebrates your brave dismantling of the Resistance.

So many heroic stories...

Congratulations.

The enemy is in here.

It's the weakness.

Our desire to trust people, to be loved.

But if you get rid of that desire and just act rationally and be patient,

then... then you can overcome this weakness.

What about Margot Bostal?

Did you catch her?

No. She got away.

You want us to keep looking?

No. The hostages can be released.

So... it's over.

No.

The Resistance cell was just a nuisance.

Undermining military morale, that's the real problem.

Subtitles: Rosamund Ziegert Peter Templeton

Subtitles © SBS Australia 2018