Battle of the River Plate, The Page #2

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Oh. Jane.

Yes, Jane. A very useful publication.

- That is our new silhouette.

- An American heavy cruiser.

So that's why you've got a number

painted on your bows.

- Do you think you'll get away with it?

- Enough to avoid recognition.

Five minutes at 28 knots makes all the

difference between in range and out of range.

There are only two things to remember

in a modern naval battle.

Good intelligence from shore, so that you know

what to expect when you see it.

Good spotting on your own ship, so that

you know what you see when you expect it.

Talking of silhouettes,

I must congratulate you on your tailor.

- That's not bad.

- Thanks.

I want you to look your best, Captain.

I'm transferring to the ship

all the officers who are prisoners on the Altmark.

Oh? May I ask why, sir?

Yes. The Graf Spee is being relieved by...

...another vessel.

We've finished our turn of duty.

Three months, Captain.

We're going home for a bit of leave.

I must take my prisoners with me.

You'll have company tonight.

Weg da, Papa.

Aber nur immer mit der Ruhe.

- Die Jungen haben es immer eilig.

- Heraus.

Zu Befehl.

Die Koffer da.

- Ach, das is schwer.

- Das kannst du mal wieder sagen.

I really ought to be in my own uniform

to meet the boys.

Hier. Hier.

Liverpool.

Hull.

Cardiff.

Hier! This way.

Newcastle.

I say. They had more time to pack than I had.

- Come on. Stop shoving.

- Newton Beech first. Come on, lads.

- Quick. Grab one of the corners.

- Come on. Corners are cosy.

Come on. Newton Beech over here.

Trevanion, over here.

- Huntsman. Where's the Huntsman?

- We're right here.

- Where's Trevanion? Trevanion?

- Over here.

- Captain.

- All Tairoa around this table.

Good evening, Captain.

- Why, you're one of us.

- I thought you were a Jerry.

No, I'm Dove, Africa Shell.

- Glory be. A new face.

- When were you sunk?

November 15th.

Indian Ocean.

- Any others with you?

- I was the last they sunk. They only took me.

Not a kill for nearly three weeks.

She must be getting hungry.

- How have they treated you?

- Quite all right.

- How's the captain?

- What's the old man like?

Fine. Fine. He's a gentleman.

Not like our fellow Dau on the Altmark.

- He was a proper swine, a real...

- It was a ficating ruddy hell.

Our men like cattle in the hold.

Just four walls and a stinking bucket.

- Yeah.

- Auf Wiedersehen.

Auf Wiedersehen.

Raus.

This is going to be no pleasure cruise, either.

Hello?

Well, that's a bit of luck.

The chippy's left the screw holes unstopped.

Very thoughtful of him.

You know, when I was all alone,

I fancied company.

Now, I'm not so sure!

She's moving, boys!

Yes, yes. She's under way.

- Well, who are you all?

- Let's have a muster.

- Huntsman.

- Newton Beech.

- Ashlea.

- Tairoa.

Trevanion.

All present and correct.

Africa Shell.

Who's next?

If only we could get out of here!

- Shut up!

- Yes, shut your great big mouth.

Rats in a trap. That's what we are. Rats in a trap!

- Some rat!

- Hey, now. Don't start any trouble.

Shut up, everybody.

- Here comes old Zoonk.

- Now we'll know who's been bumped this time.

Gentlemen, the fight is finished.

Fight? What fight?

- We have zoonk her.

- Sunk her.

Nicht, nicht, nicht. Doric Star kaputt.

- That's old Stubbs.

- The Doric Star's a perishing mid boat.

We might get a good feed out of this.

- She only had a four-inch mounted aft.

- Poor old Stubbs.

- Wait till the Navy finds you.

- We wait.

- I hope you picked up the crew.

- You shelled her long enough.

- Soon you have lots more friends here.

- Where will they put them?

Oh, plenty room here.

Ja, ja. Plenty room here.

Weggehen!

Herein! Kommen Sie. This way, please.

Welcome aboard, Captain.

I'm Dove, Africa Shell.

- I'm Stubbs. Doric Star.

- We know. We got the buzz from Zoonk.

- Pottinger. Ashlea.

- Hello, Stubbs.

Why, it's John Robinson.

Welcome to the Arab quarter.

- Remember me? Murphy.

- Caught you with your pants down, eh?

Sorry for this get-up. No time to get my gear.

It's a punishment for using my radio.

You had them on the run all afternoon.

- Did you get through, Sparks?

- No doubt about it.

- Did they board you, Captain?

- No, we scuttled her.

Another meatless day.

Very brave, but very foolish.

You are lucky you didn't get zoonk.

- Zoonk? Zoonk?

- Auf Wiedersehen.

We reserved table tops for captains.

Engine-room staff below.

Bring any soap, chiefy?

Soap? No soap. No time.

Some of us haven't seen a paper for a month.

- Where's it come from?

- BA.

Which half will you have, Stubbs?

- Do you read Spanish?

- It's the racing page.

- I'm not interested in horses.

- Neither am I.

Listen.

Pipe down.

# Tnt es laut von fern und nah. #

Old Zoonk-zink having a zing zong.

# Christ der Retter ist da. #

The Huddersfield Choral Society.

What's he got round his neck?

# Christ, der Retter ist da. #

- You're a bit early for Christmas, aren't Zoonk?

- What's all this about?

- # Stille Nacht. #

- What's he got there?

- # Heilige Nacht. #

- Here, Taffy, is it like this in Wales?

# Gottes Sohn, o, wie lacht. #

# Lieb' aus deinem gttlichen Mund. #

# Da uns schlgt die rettende Stund'. #

# Christ in deiner Geburt. #

# Christ in deiner Geburt. #

Kapitns und Officers,

today is St Nicholas' Day,

when we, in our country, hang up our stockings.

We have only one Christmas tree

and that is for our own men,

but we have plenty decorations.

A present from Kapitn Langsdorff.

Come. Enjoy yourselves.

- Give us a mask.

- Here you are.

Achtung! Achtung! Achtung!

Party's over, children.

It's a silent night for some poor beggar.

Did you hear that?

Another little ship for Uncle Adolf's stocking.

This is funny.

- Getting interested in racing, Stubbs?

- Very funny.

Funny? You mean the names they saddle

on those poor ruddy horses?

South America. You'd expect funny names.

That's what I mean.

All these horses racing in BA, Rio and Monte,

- and you find more British names than Spanish.

- They talk Portuguese in Rio.

Ajax? Achilles?

What's British about that?

They look more like Greek to me.

What names did you say?

Ajax, Achilles,

Salvador, Exeter, Punta Umbria, Cumberland.

- They're not horses. They're cruisers.

- I know the Achilles. It's a Kiwi cruiser.

It's the South American Squadron.

Commodore Harwood's squadron.

What a coincidence!

Coincidence, my Aunt Fanny!

That's how it's done.

- This is shipping news, not racing news?

- Intelligence.

- They've got spies everywhere.

- So have we.

- They get their news in the papers.

- Their people read it.

- They pass it on to the Graf Spee.

- Langsdorff alters course.

What can we do

with our six and eight-inch cruisers

against a big beggar like the Graf Spee?

Yeah, with 11-inch flippin' guns.

One of these days, you may find out.

Ajax, Achilles, Exeter. We've no more chance

of finding them than a needle in a haystack.

Cheer up, Stubbs.

Three needles in a haystack.

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