Original subtitles

The amazing drama you're about to see

is a matter of human record.

You may believe it or not,

but the real people who lived this story,

they believe it; they know.

They took that one step beyond.

This is one of the storerooms

of a salvage company in Connecticut.

It may seem a most unlikely place to begin

the incredible saga of German U-boat 147,

but there's a reason for my being here...

a fantastic reason which I'll explain later.

Actually, the story began some years ago

and a long way from Connecticut.

It was early spring 1945,

and Hitler's Third Reich was dying.

147 was one of the last U-boats to survive.

Now it waited off the coast of northern Germany

to begin its final voyage.

Ten-hut!

Heil Hitler.

Heil Hitler.

Be careful with those briefcases.

An honor to have you aboard, sir.

I shouldn't be onboard.

I should be with the F�hrer fighting until the end.

Put them in my cabin.

May I show you to your quarters?

The captain is generous.

My orders from the admiralty are quite specific.

So long as you are aboard this boat,

you are in command, Herr Bautmann.

My orders are not so specific. (airplane engine roaring)

We must somehow, somehow keep this dream alive.

Herr Captain, enemy aircraft!

(indistinct shout)

(machine gun firing)

Alarm!

(klaxon blaring)

(explosions)

Hatch secure.

(klaxon blaring) Dive to 40 meters.

40 meters, Captain!

Left rudder hard.

Steady, 120.

How long does it take?

We'll be underwater in 30 seconds.

(metallic pounding)

Oh, my God. What is it?

Somebody's trapped on top.

Surface at once.

Surface at once, Captain.

What are you doing?

I'm going up after him.

You can't; the plane will kill us all.

One of my men is drowning up there.

You cannot surface; I will not allow it.

That is an order.

(water rushing)

Resume diving position to 40 meters.

40 meters, Captain.

SAILOR: 40 meters, even keel, Captain!

All stations, this is the captain.

Check all personnel and report.

Oh, uh, I have never been on a U-boat.

Is smoking permitted?

No, Herr Bautmann.

No?

No, there is battery gas aboard.

It might explode.

What a bore.

What a beautiful cigarette case.

Yes, it is, isn't it?

The inscription on the inside might interest you.

The F�hrer.

It was given to me at Nuremberg in 1938.

A million voices singing "The Horst Wessel Song,"

the torches turning their faces red.

Those were days, my boy.

SAILOR (over radio): Engine room reporting, Captain.

All hands at station.

SAILOR #2: Aft torpedo room... all hands at station.

Radio room at station.

Forward torpedo room... all hands at station, Captain.

That leaves only the control room.

Captain, you must understand

that the life of every German is as dear to me as it is to you,

but on this voyage, my dear captain,

you're carrying something more precious than life.

And that is?

You are carrying the last hope of the Third Reich.

All that is left of Germany are

a few U-boats such as this one moving under the sea

with a half a dozen leaders like myself.

This is not vanity, this is a historical fact.

When did you see the F�hrer last?

I do not want to talk about that.

He has become an old man,

his vitality all gone.

His whole body trembles.

Imagine those wonderful eyes dead.

I wept.

I admit it, I wept.

SAILOR: Captain!

All hands at stations in control room!

Are you certain?

Certain, Captain.

No one missing.

How can that be?

Could it have been the bullets from the plane?

Or possibly some seaweed caught on the cables

when we crash-dived, Captain?

I suppose it's possible.

Well, then we're upset about nothing.

All is well.

That is a good omen.

I feel rather tired.

Would someone take me to my cabin, please?

Freidel.

Yes, Captain.

Show Herr Bautmann to my quarters.

Yes, Captain.

(metallic pounding)

What is it?

Check every valve, bolt and setting on this boat.

Nothing, absolutely nothing.

Keep looking.

I checked the engine room, the aft torpedo room,

and the forward torpedo room.

Everything is working perfectly.

Oh, I found a loose sprocket on one of the ventilator fans,

but that could not have caused the noise. (sailors singing in German)

Well, let's hope we are through with the sound.

What's that?

A little party.

I gave the men permission.

But they'll wake Herr Bautmann.

The poor man finally fell asleep.

I'll tell them to stop.

Lieutenant, didn't you hear me?

I gave them permission.

SAILORS: * Eins, zwei, drei... *

(sailors singing in German)

(singing continues)

Bravo.

No, no, no, no, don't get up for me.

I am not a worshipper of dignity like the good captain.

Some of my best memories are

of being with young people at party meetings.

They were like my own boys.

Well, now, whose birthday is it?

My wife's, sir.

Your wife's?

How charming.

Did they wake you up, Herr Bautmann?

No, it's all right; the sound has stopped.

Yes. It is more pleasant

to be awake now.

Uh, go to my cabin.

You will find a bottle of cognac there.

Bring it here. At once.

Your wife, huh?

Well, how old is she?

Elsa is 21... I hope.

You hope?

She has been reported missing.

Aw, come now, come now, let's cheer up.

I may have to send a message to Herr Goebbels

saying that we have discovered a defeatist among us.

Herr Goebbels will say, "Shoot him right away."

(laughter)

Herr Bautmann.

Ah, thank you.

Cognac, huh, huh?

It's better than beer, isn't it?

Here we go.

Little cognac for you, little cognac for you.

All right, here, my boy.

(metallic pounding)

(glass shattering)

(pounding continues)

(pounding loudly)

What kind of stupidity is this?

There must be some way of finding out

where this is coming from.

We have checked everything inside the hull.

Every piece of machinery

is working perfectly.

Then why is there this pounding?

When we surface to recharge batteries,

we'll check the superstructure.

Maybe it's up there.

And when will that be?

When it's possible.

Oh, it's bad enough to be sealed up in this coffin,

choking on the smell of oil and men,

but to endure this idiotic...

(pounding continues)

No, no, no!

It's coming from here, yes, but there is nothing wrong.

It's tight as a drum.

(pounding continues)

Captain, I want to ask you a question.

Well?

Is it possible that one of the men in your crew

is doing this deliberately?

Deliberately?

Why should anyone...?

Oh, come now, don't be that simpleminded.

I don't understand.

To shatter my nerves, of course,

to make it impossible for me to carry out my mission.

That's ridiculous.

I do not think so.

Even if anyone wanted to, how could they?

What do I know about U-boats?

I would make a very satisfactory victim

for their trick.

(gasps)

Is there no way to stop this pounding?

Will this pounding ever cease?!

Get the medical officer.

Yes, sir. What for?

What for?!

A sedative perhaps, Herr Bautmann.

I do not need a sedative.

I want the records of every man sent to my cabin.

All the records are kept in the admiralty in Berlin.

Oh, that's most unfortunate.

It might have been interesting

to look into the captain's records also.

(pounding continues)

(pounding stops)

(short pounding)

(rapid pounding reverberating)

The pounding's in my cabin right outside the wall.

Surface at once and find out what it is.

We can't.

It would be too dangerous.

Surface at once!

Surface at once.

SAILOR: Surface at once, Captain!

(pounding resumes)

Everything still all right?

No signs of anything so far, Captain.

Keep a sharp watch.

Yes, Captain.

(sighs)

Nothing.

Radio message, Captain.

Thank you.

Where was this picked up?

Shortwave from London.

Herr Bautmann,

we haven't found the trouble yet,

but I assure you that we are... Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

We will stay up here until we do find it.

(sighs)

I didn't know that fresh air

could taste so sweet.

For me?

It is a lie.

I doubt it, Herr Bautmann.

Who gave you this?

The radioman, of course.

It is another deliberate attempt to harass me.

Herr Bautmann, I assure you...

Who is this radioman?

What is his background?

Lieutenant Freidel is in charge of personnel.

I... I found him reliable.

"Admiral Doenitz announced today

"that Adolf Hitler died during the night of April 30.

"A Reuters dispatch reports that...

Hitler killed himself."

It's a lie.

It's a lie.

It's a lie.

It's a filthy lie!

The F�hrer would never do anything like that.

No, sir. I do not believe

in the reliability of your radioman.

But Herr Bautmann, I was...

Why do you insist on defending him?!

I'm not defending him, sir. I... It's a lie!

It's a lie, a filthy lie! Herr Bautmann!

Why are we fighting among ourselves?

We are all that is left.

Captain, I wish to speak to the men.

Attention.

This is the captain.

Attention!

This is Bautmann.

I bring you terrible news, my comrades.

The F�hrer is dead.

He died like a hero,

leading his troops into battle.

We are Germany now.

We must be worthy of the F�hrer's courage.

(buzzing)

Captain.

Attention.

This is the captain.

Everybody to dive stations.

What are you doing?

A boat is approaching from the south. (klaxon blares)

But we haven't found out about the pounding.

We haven't found out about the pounding!

The ship is only ten miles away.

Oh, no... no, no! No! No!

(sonar pinging)

The propeller noises are stronger now.

One... two...

five revolutions.

Sounds like a destroyer.

How close?

Between 3,000 and 4,000 meters.

Lieutenant Schneider.

This is the captain.

What is our depth?

90 meters.

An enemy destroyer is approaching.

We will be under depth charge attack

in approximately four minutes.

You are to begin procedures for silent routine.

Yes, Captain.

This is Lieutenant Schneider.

All electrical equipment

except battery for lights will be shut off.

Shoes are to be removed.

There will be no unnecessary talking.

And what do we do if the pounding starts again?

Power room will turn off motors.

Chief engineer will disconnect ventilating system.

That is all.

(sonar pinging)

Give me further information.

2,500 meters.

Still closing.

Propeller: one, two, five revolutions.

(clattering)

If that is the only sound we make,

we will be all right, Captain.

How close?

2,200 meters.

Closing.

No, wait.

Bearing over to new course.

Approximately 228.

He may be losing us.

He's veering away.

Well? Well?

4,000 meters.

Still moving away.

Now on course 206.

He's all over the ocean.

He's lost us.

(panting)

Where am I?

(gasping)

I'm... I'm suffocating.

I'm suffocating.

I'm suffocating!

I'm suffocating.

I'm suff... I can't breathe!

Get out!

(metallic pounding)

What is it?

What is it?!

BAUTMANN: I can't breathe.

I can't... I can't breathe.

I must have air.

The destroyer will pick up

the pounding and come back!

Indeed it will, Lieutenant.

What is it? Where can it be?

Air, air, air!

Air! Get away from me!

He struck me.

He's doing the pounding.

Arrest him.

Arrest... arrest him.

He's doing it.

Can't you see?

(hyperventilating)

Tell him who I am.

Tell him to stop the pounding.

Tell him to stop the pounding!

Oh, oh... listen.

I'm Bautmann.

Remember... the F�hrer... he embraced me.

He said to me... he said...

(groaning)

Nuremberg...

a million voices...

voices... voices...

screaming.

Faces...

blood... blood.

I gave him Pentothal.

Faces...

It will make him unconscious in a minute.

(hyperventilating)

Voices...

(blasting)

(radar pinging)

All stations...

(explosion)

This is the captain...

This is the captain.

Rig for depth charges.

Are we going to try to run for it, Captain?

Run?

Where can we run?

We're sitting ducks.

(radar pinging)

It stopped.

He's unconscious now.

Will somebody give me a hand?

(explosions)

(explosions stop)

(radar pinging)

Dear God.

Only when he's conscious.

What?

We hear the pounding only when he's awake.

When he's asleep, it's gone.

It's gone now.

Don't you see?

Somehow, it comes from him.

That could not be.

It follows him from place to place.

No.

No, it's not possible.

It's-it's not possible.

All stations...

(blasting)

(explosion)

This is the captain.

Restore power...

and prepare to surface.

Air into forward tank.

Left rudder.

(explosions)

(water rushing)

We are going to surrender.

Surrender?

The war is over.

Do you want to die down here with Herr Bautmann?

What...

what could it have been?

Wonder about it

for the rest of your days...

just as I shall.

Who knows?

It might be good for our souls.

All hands...

this is the captain.

We are going to surrender.

Through the courtesy

of the Hornsby Salvage Company in Connecticut,

I offer this wrench

as one of the strangest mementos of World War II.

In 1946, the Hornsby people

bought U-boat 147 for scrap.

When the outside hull of the ship was cut away,

this wrench was found

in the hands of a skeleton.

During the frenzied war effort of the German U-boat yards,

sometimes, a workman died unnoticed inside the tank spaces

which then became his unmarked tomb.

Now, that explains the skeleton,

but it doesn't explain the pounding.

However, I have a theory.

It's my own, of course.

What about the man who held this wrench?

What was he?

Was he a slave laborer from the Balkans or France?

Poland?

Or was he a German whose hatred of the Nazis

did not end with his death?

What was he?

In a moment, something about next week.

Next week, we travel to the ch�teau country of France

and the scene of some very dark doings, indeed.

The villagers still whisper about the murdered wife

whose tortured image has a way of appearing

on the stone wall of the lovely ch�teau.

Try to be with us.