Das Boot

La Rochelle, autumn 1941.

The "Battle of the Atlantic" grows stronger.

Germany's U-Boats fleet, with which Hitler...

hoped to starve Britain, is beginning to suffer major setbacks.

The British escort freighters with destroyers, with increasing success.

Nevertheless, more U-boats are ordered...

into battle from their French Atlantic ports.

Of the 40,000 German U-boat sailors serving in World War II...

30,000 never returned.

The final night onshore.

We sail at 7 tomorrow morning.

My first assignment on a U-boat...

with no idea where they are sending us.

The central Atlantic, probably.

Only a few boats out there.

They reinforced their protection, it's a bad month.

The tommies learned their lesson.

The aces, there are not many left.

Prien, Schepke, Kretschmer, all lost during attacks.

They all drowned, except for Kretschmer.

Kelsch sank off of Gibraltar.

Endrass, with a nervous breakdown.

Our boatswain's mate.

He's on quite a bender.

The street is closed.

Who are those pigs?

The street's free.

Water on!

They call that "fireboat drill." They're all guys from our boat.

Captain.

Merkel's crew. They ship out tomorrow as well.

Come on, comrades, let's explode the whorehouse.

Just don't miss!

- Stick some greetings in with it! - See you soon, comrades.

They're chickenshit.

They need that like the grave warriors the schnapps.

What's going on here?

Okay, ready, fire!

Captain!

My second officer.

This is Lieutenant Werner, navy war correspondent.

He'll ship out with us.

He'll report on everything that catches his eye.

Welcome aboard, lieutenant.

Good evening.

Lieutenant, come along and have a drink with us.

- Good evening. - Good evening. Two beers, please.

Of course, captain. Right away.

Those are some meatballs.

It's nice here, isn't it? Come with me.

Where's Thomsen?

I thought he wanted to celebrate his Knight's Cross.

Any news from your wife?

They only connect private calls after 10:00.

Two beers.

It can't get worse than this.

Captain.

I'm reporting back from U-96.

Oil provisions on board and fully armed. The boat is clear for sea.

- Thank you, lieutenant. - One more thing, captain.

On the drive here, I was molested by some of the crew.

They...

An outrageous event.

They...

Say it already, they peed on you.

- Exactly, captain. - Me too.

Come, sweetheart. Let the boy live, the Führer still needs him.

Prosit, lieutenant. To the Freichor Tönitz.

- First time on a U-boat? - Yeah.

First time. It's gonna be exciting.

Do you have a will?

Excuse me?

Thirteen boats down last month. Sank with men and mice.

Exciting, huh?

One moment, please.

I'm asking for your attention.

To the newly appointed Knight's Cross carrier...

Captain Lieutenant Thomsen! Three big cheers!

There is Thomsen from the old gang.

Always drunk now.

Quiet in this whorehouse! Quiet!

To our wonderful...

abstaining...

and womanless Führer...

whose career rose gloriously...

from apprentice painter...

to the greatest battle strategist of all times.

- He better watch his mouth. - Why? Isn't it true?

He's a great naval expert...

who took it upon himself...

in his immeasurable wisdom...

How do I go on?

Who showed that English bed wetter...

that cigar-chomping asshole of Churchill...

where exactly to go and stick his stinking cigars!

Don't cry, Françoise, don't cry.

I want to have it.

You know the Resistance.

They make short work of collaborators.

I want to have it.

If you should not come back...

I'll come back.

I promise.

Oh, excuse me.

I'll see you tomorrow. I have to make a call.

Phillip, this isn't the old gang.

Now it's their turn.

All wet guys.

Bigmouths.

Ass cheeks together, squeeze the balls...

and the belief in the Führer in their eyes.

They, too, will quiet down.

Alarm!

Hello?

Shit.

Lousy eels.

Torpedo failures?

Many.

Sabotage, you can count on that.

Did you hear about Kelsch?

Went down off of Gibraltar. It was reported.

Not a good year for the old gang.

The tide is turning.

When are you going out?

Tomorrow morning.

Come on, boy.

Show the tommies.

I'll go pee and leave, then.

I still have plans.

Hey! You old pig, you!

Combat! Conquer or die!

Come on. Come on, Phillip, get up!

Come, give me a hand!

I wanted to really...

screw my brains out...

but I am not in the condition to fuck.

- That'll do. - Sieg Heil!

The Thomsen boat.

Is there a special report while still in dock?

- Starboard propeller blade was bent. - I see.

That explains that whining noise at low rpm.

New propeller. We've got a brand-new propeller, captain.

Chief engineer to the optical workshop.

Call from Germany.

Our boat.

Crew, stand by for inspection!

Attention!

Eyes, left.

Crew is present and accounted for, captain.

Lower and upper decks clear for sea.

Thank you, Number One.

At ease.

Well, men...

- All set? - All set, captain!

We have a guest on board.

Lieutenant Werner.

Navy war correspondent.

He's going to have a look around.

He wants to see good German heroes.

- So act appropriately. - Yes, captain!

To manoeuvre stations.

Bockstiegel, pull in the rope.

Don't let them overpower you!

All the best! Good luck!

- Do you have a sense for romance? - Excuse me?

There, the empty house next to the warehouse.

Is that for you?

Not that I would know.

Isn't that area out of bounds?

Oh, yes.

Françoise.

Goodbye!

Goodbye!

Victory! And good hunting!

The escorts left us at noon.

The dark plume of smoke from the pathmaker disappeared.

The patrol boat is gone as well.

The quartermaster's taken his final land measurement.

The lookouts feel the salty tang of the Atlantic on their lips.

The boat is alone now, on course.

Move those crates of lettuce back there! This isn't a vegetable garden!

Battle station, where we maintain and stow the torpedoes.

Heads up, boys! You're gonna be in the paper!

- Thank you, men. - Come along, follow me.

Here we have the can. One toilet for 50 men.

The other's full of provisions.

More space for eating, less to shit. That's some kind of logic, huh?

The chief petty officer's quarters. My home, if you will.

Here's the war room.

When I see you store your stuff, I could puke. That's way too much!

It's nice here, very cosy.

- Where are you, lieutenant? - Coming. Excuse me, please.

Careful!

This radio shack here.

- Here's the control room. - Could've lived without him.

So this is the control room.

- The boat's command post. - Thanks.

So this goes on to the U Room.

Let's move this out of the way.

- Morning, lieutenant. - Morning, lieutenant.