Original subtitles

Polish Television presents

PLAYlNG FOR HlGH STAKES

''O AK LEAF'' OPERATlON

written by

music by

as Captain Kloss

starring

Production Manager

photography by

directed by

General ... Captain Kloss and lieutenant Dehne have arrived.

Thank you.

For surrendering the vil lage of Kluadorf to Bolsheviks.. .

lieutenant Kahlert is to be court-martialled and executed.

Kahlert couldn't maintain his station there.

He took better defensive positions.

Better, you say?

Maybe. But that was counter the order.

Lieutenant Dehne, you came here from the SS, didn't you?

Yes, sir.

Then you know what disobedience means.

- Yes, sir. - You' ll arrest Kahlert.

Summoning the jury and executing the sentence shouldn't take long.

- Yes, sir. - Thank you. You are dismissed.

- Wel l, l'm listening. - Both bridge-heads have been mined.

All right. We' l l have it blown up at the last moment.

Do you think they may break through our defense line on the river?

l don't think anything. l take every possibility into consideration.

This river is our last chance of holding the offensive back.

l'd rather not think what would happen if we lost this bridge.

Go on.

ln obedience to the order receivrd the regiment of grenadiers got...

reinforced by two armoured brigades. The regiment of heavy tanks got moved.. .

into the vicinity of the Weipert wood as a mobile reserve of the division.

All right. We' l l have another batallion of grenadiers transferred. ..

into the area next to the Weipert wood.

- l guess there's enough space. - Do you mean ring- round defense.

Yes. .. if we receive such an order.

You are dismissed.

Captain. .. What will happen with lieutenant Kahlert?

Don't you want to talk to me? You disdain a French woman.

- What are you talking about? - l love him.

Can't you understand that?

l'm sorry, Simone. But l just can't help you.

He thought you were his friend.

But friendship is of no value to you.

Maybe Dehne?

He won't help you either.

Maybe he's better than you. More humane.

Wil l l get something to eat?

- Lieutenant. .. - Yes?

l have a great favour to ask of you?

- What is it? - lt's about Kahlert.

We may talk.

l'd like cognac and... do you have anything hot to eat?

l' ll certainly find something for you.

And as for Kahlert. ..

lf you are nice and kind...

Good afternoon.

Are you the man who visits aunt Eliza in Berlin?

Yes, l am. Aunt Eliza lives at Alexanderplatz.

Come in, please.

O. K. Come in.

l'm glad you've come. We need your help very much now.

We're starting the ''Oak leaf'' operation tomorrow.

What operation is it?

Why! Don't you know?

We got transferred here the day before yesterday.

l received the password from the courier at last moment.

The ''Oak leaf'' operation has been planned for a few weeks.

Tomorrow at 4 a.m. to the west of the Weipert wood. ..

a group of our paratroopers will land to take over the bridge..

and to maintain it until our units arrive.

The point is not to al low the Germans to destroy this bridge.

The paratroopers will reach the bridge through the Weipert wood.

The operation must be immediately called off.

There has been an armoured regiment in the Weipert wood since yesterday.

And in an hour's time there will be also a batal lion of grenadiers.

We must change the whole plan.

l was informed that the wood was clear.

lt was. Til l yesterday.

- l can't do anything now. - Do you want these people to die?

Our courier and the radiostation are in a town.. .

which is 1 5 kilometres from here and l don't even know where.

- But you' re in touch with him? - Yes, l am.

There's a man whose name is Weiss. He lives at 28 Bunzlaustrasse.

lt's only through him that we pass information to the courier.

We need to inform him.

lt's 1 5 kilometres from here. There is no train service.

How many and what kind of people do you have?

Al l new. l've worked here for a long time.

Do you know how many people have dropped out?

Hardly any of these have remained. They didn't live to see that.

l don't know if l' l l live.

Aren't you afraid to keep this picture out on the wall .

This is my last remembrance.

So what kind of people do you have?

lt's Janka, a Polish girl who used to work at my neighbours.

But the neighbours have run away. My grandson, Ervin.. .

There're a few more Poles but l won't manage to inform them so quickly.

Right after l leave, send Janka and your grandson with the message to Weiss.

Tell them to go separate ways. At least one of them should manage to get there.

Ervin !

Bring Janka here.

lt won't be so easy.

How shal l we know that the operation has been called off?

Every day at 8 p.m. our folks transmit, at 1 5 Mhz frequency band.. .

eight staves of Chopin's Poloinase A-dur.

- What does it mean? - The poloinase means the operation.

- No poloinase - no operation. - l see.

Grandpa!

See you.

Come inside.

- Get changed. - What for?

lt's necessary. Go to Mr. Weiss.. .

and tell him that the ''Oak leaf'' operation must be cal led off. Repeat!

The ''Oak leaf'' operation must be called off.

- l don't understand. - You don't have to.

- Remember, a lot depands on you. - Mr. Tomala, l can't.

My master has run away but he told me he would come back.

He' l l never come back. Neither him nor the others.

Go separate ways. ..

so that there's a greater chance that the message will be received.

- Al l right. - But be careful , kids.

Hurry up.

- Are you alone? - Yes, l am.

- Why aren't we moving? - Apparently a halt has been cal led.

l have to go on.

We don't have to hurry anywhere now.

Wait here. l' ll find out what's up.

Grandma!

- What's happened? - She's the Ginters' Pole.

A Pole! So that's why you didn't want to pul l the cart.

You' re waiting for your folks. Where's your letter ''P''?

There's a Pole running away. She may be a spy. Run after her.

Halt!

Come in.

l'd like to apologize to you for that incident in the mess. l was very upset.

- Never mind. - That's why l'm here.

Do help him, please.

You can't be so indifferent.

l've already told you, Simone, l can't do anything for him.

You don't want to get into trouble.

But Dehne promised that if l come to see him ...

Don't believe him. He can't help you either.

l know: you can't get anything for free.

But you've so often told me l'm pretty. ..

Talk to the general, Simone. And don't have much hope.

You' re going to regret it!

When the Russians come here you' l l ask me for help.

You've remembered you' re French, haven't you.

l've always remembered about that.

Hey, you! Come over here!

- What's your name? - Ervin Puschke.

- How old are you? - l'm 1 6.

Shame on you. Your parents are fighting for the country and you?

Get on the truck!

Faster!

Who is this girl, Mr. Weiss?

l don't know her.

My name is Knoch.

Remember. And what's your name?

Who sent you here?

Who sent you here?

Come in.

Captain, the general wants to sea you. There's a briefing.

All right. l'm coming right now.

The Fuhrer's order is: not a single step back.

Anyone who moves back will be shot dead.

The sentence in Kahlert's case proves, that l don't waste words.

He who talks about moving back is a defeatist.

Now, to the point.

Gentlemen : Walter and Koller are to inspect the regiment of grenadiers.

Whereas you, captain Kloss. ..

will inspect the area next to the Weipert wood.

Please remember that the bridge will be destroyed.. .

only in case of the direct contact with the enemy's tanks.

Yes, sir!

l don't think it' l l come to this, general .

Neither do l .

But during a war every possibility must be taken into consideration.

Yes, sir.

You, lieutenant Schram, wil l inform your sappers...

that the bridge will be destroyed only at my explicit order.

lf such an order proves to be necessary. ..

- l' ll give it at a proper time. - Yes, sir.

Gentlemen, you're dismissed now.

The results of the inspections are to be reported tomorrow morning.

They transmitted the signal .

The operation hasn't been cal led off.

- l know. l heard it. - Where are those two?

- Where are your couriers? - l'm worried about them.

lf they didn't get to Weiss. ..

l shouldn't have sent them there.

The operation absolutely has to be called off.

lt's already too late.

l wish l had gone there myself.

They' re landing at four.

You said you had some other people at your disposal . Where are they?

- Next door. They're waiting. - Bring them here.

Do you want to blow your cover?

lt doesn't matter any longer.

Come over here, boys!

Easy, boys.

Come in. lt no time for explanations.

- Do you have guns? - Yes, we have.

l won't manage to get any papers for you.

lf you get stopped shift for yourselves.

l need some white paint or some chalk. Do you have anything like that?

l' ll find something.

- ls it quiet here? - Yes, sir!

- Where is the commander of the guard? - ln the guardhouse.

Quickly!

- Take as many as you need. - Six uniforms wil l be do.

ln the meantime l' ll go and see what's up with your grandson.

28 Bunzlaustrasse. Two short rings and a long one. The name is Weiss.

O.K. l' ll see if it's stil l possible to call off the operation.

lf they don't land get rid of these uniforms.

- lf they land, you know the password. - l do.

Your lD !

O.K.

- 1 9th armoured division. - Just a moment.

- Where's Bunzlaustrasse? - Sraight on and to the right.

Quickly! After that motorcycle!

Have you seen a motorcyclist passing by?

- Yes, l have. He went this way. - Did you check his papers?

l don't remember his name. A captain. 1 9th armoured division.

And the registration number?

l guess it was WH, 6 at the beginning and 3 at the end.

Better than nothing.

Are we going to be waiting here long?

What about Janka? Why isn't she back yet?

Janka is doing herjob.

l thought they would do without us.

But apparently this war needs us too.

l want to fight but give me a gun. l'm sick of waiting.

Look, boys.

Listen carefully.

This is the Weipert wood. ln it there are German units.

The HQ are here in the castle.

The river.

The bridge.

Our paratroopers will land here on the outskirts of the wood.. .

to seize the bridge before the Germans blow it up.

But before they reach the bridge they' l l have to go through the wood.

- How many our folks will be there? - Not many, l think.

- They' ll shoot us all dead. - We' l l put on German uniforms. ..

and we' ll lead them through the wood as captives.

Maybe we wil l, maybe we won't.

Don't think l give in, Mr. Tomala.

l thought l would stay here after the war.

l've even found a house for myself.

l'd also like to stay here for another few years.

- Ervin? - There's a trap at Weiss's.

Then l'm alone now.

- Did you see him or Janka there? - Maybe they didn't get there.

They could have been held up by something.

l shot a Gestapoman dead. l suppose they saw me.

- lf your cover is blown come with us. - l have to inspect the Weipert wood.

l' ll be at the HQ not earlier than in the morning. They won't find me.

And as for the bridge... The sappers are waiting for the general's order.

Therefore you have to get to the HQ.

- To the HQ? - That's right. To hinder this order.

lmagine how many of our folks could be kil led fighting for this bridge.

Their defense is strong there.

Whereas the HQ.. . A surprise attack is a chance for us.

- This is pure folly. - That's right.

But which division HQ anticipate an attack from the back.

Get to work! l' ll be waiting for you.

l know Paris and French women but you.. .

- Don't worry. You won't be alone. - What do you mean : ''alone''?

Your mind is on Kahlert, isn't it? Am l not good enough for you?

- Or maybe l' m worse than him. - You promised.. .

l didn't promise anything. And even if l had?

You're a mean wretch.

You' re going to regret it.

- Password? - ''Oak leaf''.

- Al l right. Report. - The situation has changed.

ln the Weipert wood there is a German armoured unit.

Get the people together. We have to decide what to do.

Risky like hell ! Couldn't we just pass round this wood?

- We have to be prepared for everything. - How many men do you need to disguise?

Three. And at least one of them should be able to speak German.

We have to hurry. We have to reach the bridge-head before our folks start.

Jedrzejak, Koziol, Kosowiak! Come over here!

- Oh, my God! Germans! - Do you speak German?

- Yes, my father lives in Katowice... - Enough. Get changed.

- And how about you, Jedrzejak? - l only know: ''gut'' and ''ja wohl''.

lf anything should happen keep your mouth shut.

Help them !

Corporal, form a column!

They look too good. Not like captives.

Take the belts off and hand in the guns. Let one of you limp. Understood?

- Ready? - Yes, sir!

- What's going on here? - We've captured Polish paratroopers.

Where? Here?

They landed on the western edge of the clearing.

- The commander? - l don't understand German.

His papers, maps?

- We are taking them to the division HQ. - Show them !

- Where are these papers? - Just a moment.

Do you have a cigarette?

A cigarette?!

Faster.

Oh, you have a Russian gun.

A Russian automatic is very good, sir.

Let's go.

Sergeant!

- Poles? - Poles. Paratroopers.

- Why are you dragging them? - l was ordered to get them to the HQ.

l wouldn't treat them with so much ceremony. But an order is an order.

lt's impossible. lt couldn't have happened in my division.

The motorcycle was from 1 9th armoured division.

- l will have the regiments checked up. - We are already checking them up.

- We are interested in staff officers. - Kurt!

That this is the front-line, general . But we also operate on the front-line.

Which officers used motorcycles at night?

Captain Keller, sir. ..

captain Kloss, lieutenant Walter, and lieutenant Dehne.

Lieutenant Dehne is of no interest to us.

We'd like you to call the remaining officers, sir.

ln our division, lieutenant Dehne. ..

is on equal terms with other officers, sturmbahnfuhrer Knoch.

Therefore, in 1 5 minutes time they will be al l here.

- Cognac? - Vodka will do.

We're having guests. The Gestapo.

They're looking for some officer who escaped them on a motorcycle.

- He's supposed to be a dangerous spy. - So what?

Do you think that if l helped them they would release Kahlert?

Why are you tel ling me that?

Because not so long ago l saw an officer.. .

rubbing off the reistration number of his motorcycle. The number was...

They're here again. Just right here.

Wel l-informed, aren't they.

lt was you!

Are you going to shoot me too?

- Did you leave last night? - Yes, l did.

- And you, captain? - l was in the Weipert wood.

- You were also away at night? - Yes, we were.

General , sturmbahnfuhrer Knoch has been murdered. He was found in the mess.

Follow me, gentlemen!

Don't touch the gun !

You've been in the mess al l the time.

- Yes, l have. - Do you know who did that?

l do.

Then show us the culprit.

Wil l you release lieutenant Kahlert?

Lieutenant Kahlert got executed.

Yesterday.

lt was him !

lt was Dehne.

She's lying! She killed Knoch.

She collaborated with Bolsheviks and Poles.

She's already dead. But before she died she managed to say much.

To me - even too much.

You don't believe l killed Knoch, do you.

- Which way to the HQ? - This way.

Gentlemen, take up your action stations. Kloss, follow me.

Can l talk to colonel Heinz. Kloss speaking.. .

Colonel Heinz is dead.

Yes, sir.

The enemy's tanks have broken through our defense line.

Hands up!

Please, call the bridge defence commander!

l won't do that.

There's no point in resistance. Be quick, general.

l'd like to speak to lieutenant Schram.

General Pfister speaking.

Come to the HQ, please.

Yes, immediately.

l've been terrorized in a manner which is not admissable...

during a war waged by civilized nations.

Captain. ..

Let's go.

Watch them. This is a precious trophy.

Let's run, general !

They are here already.

You've saved my life. But l just wonder. ..

...if l' ll keep silent? Certainly, general .

You had no choice.

Let's run !