Decision Before Dawn Page #5

- Yes. I packed them this morning.

I see you've got all your medals on, Barth-

maybe even a couple of extras.

No, sir. They are all my own. Iron Cross

in Norway, Sturmabzeichen in France...

and winter campaign, '41 in the east.

- I wonder how many of our guys

he knocked off to get them.

- None, sir.

I got them all in my own special way.

At your orders, Herr Oberst.

- Don't fall in love with that.

You have to bury your gear once you land.

- Yes, sir.

- You can go draw your

personal supplies now. Martin.

- Yes, sir?

- Take him over to the prop shop.

- Yes, sir.

- What's the takeoff time?

- 0100 hours, sir. That's if the weather holds.

- Good. When they're through here,

bring 'em to the briefing room.

- Yes, sir.

- Got your check-off list?

- Yes.

Here, honey.

Check this guy out.

One compass, German cigarettes-

three packages...

Wehrmacht ration stamps,

Benzedrines- five tablets.

They're stimulants.

Don't take more than one a day.

German razor blades- six-

and one razor...

German maps-

Sheet Y3, Y4, Y5.

Let's see. That's all.

- Good luck to you.

- Thank you, Monique.

Okay, Happy. Here you are, Monique,

two more customers.

If there's anything else

you can think of, sir, just let me know.

If you're all through, Happy,

the colonel wants you in the briefing room.

Yes, sir.

These are his papers, sir.

His Soldbuch with his health record

inside and his orders.

Money and his Wehrmacht

travel certificates are in this envelope.

All right, Happy. Let's go over it once more.

What name are you traveling under?

Steiner, Karl, a Luftwaffe medic-

number L43587.

We took his age, place ofbirth,

etc., out ofhis own Soldbuch.

Well, at least you didn't have to

memorize that. What's your cover?

I'm on sick leave, returning

from Base Hospital 12 at Bad Reichenhall.

- What was the doctor's name

who signed your orders?

- Foerster. I had pneumonia.

- We marked it on the health record

with Code number 7.

- Good.

Now show me your pinpoint.

It's here, east of Mnchen,

near Fridolfing.

After I bury my chute and my gear, I go to

Mnchen by way of Wasserburg Highway.

- I am to make my way back

to my outfit near Mannheim.

- And your route?

It's Mnchen, Augsburg,

Stuttgart, and then Mannheim.

- And what's your objective?

- To locate the 11 th Panzer Corps.

Their headquarters are believed to be in

this area somewhere northwest of Mnchen.

- Suppose you change your route?

- For that I have an extra set of

travel orders and a date stamp.

Right. Here they are- extra set of orders,

date stamp, official Wehrmacht seal.

- Mark your map so that no one

except you can interpret it.

- I know, sir.

Pardon me, sir. Rennick and the Tiger

are ready for you. We haven't got much time.

Bring them in. Get back here, Happy.

Even if you haven't done it all...

- you've gotta be back here in five days.

- I will, sir.

Okay, Happy.

- Well, how does it feel

to be a civilian again?

- Fine.

Just tell the pilot

to drop me in Cleveland, Ohio.

If you want to get back to Cleveland,

better concentrate on this.

Where's your pinpoint?

It's a meadow about five kilometers

south of Beerfelden, sir.

- You know exactly where that is?

- I've only been starin' at it

on a map for three solid days.

In case you're separated on landing,

what's the address

of the safe house in Mannheim?

- Eighteen Neckarstrasse, second floor, rear.

- Eighteen? You're sure? Not 28?

- Eighteen.

- Knock off the kidding, Pete.

How about you, Barth?

Are you certain your people in Mannheim

will let the lieutenant in?

Yes. He must knock four times

with an interval after the first two.

- When they open, he has only to say,

"Greetings from the Tiger."

- Okay.

We told GeneralJaeger's people

where they can contact you.

Now is there anything else?

Yeah- one little thing.

While we're all talking

here together as friends...

I'd just like to say that what happened

to Freddy is not gonna happen to me.

If I get caught, it won't be my fault.

Is that clear?

- What do you mean?

- He means just what he said.

Lieutenant Rennick is not likely

to want to take a walk around

Mannheim just for the fun of it.

Furthermore, in any disagreement

that might come, no matter what,

Rennick will always be right.

Get that through your head, Barth.

Lieutenant Rennick will always be right.

- I don't know. Sometimes

I'd rather go than stay behind.

- Don't kid yourself, brother.

Get ready.

We're approaching the first target.

Action stations!

The address!

I forgot the address in Mannheim.

- What?

- I forgot the address!

- Eighteen Neckarstrasse. Eighteen!

- Target!

Eighteen Neckarstrasse. Eighteen.!

Eighteen Neckarstrasse. Eighteen.

Well, bud,

how does it feel to be going home?

Home?

Fine, I hope.

- Well, if you're hungry, Amigo

here'll give you a sandwich.

- No, thank you.

Well, hasta luego, muchachos. I'll let you

know a few minutes before we approach.

- Are you an American?

- Why? Don't I look like one?

- I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way.

- You didn't, huh?

I just hope that before this is over,

I can get a crack at a couple

of squareheads like you.

- You hate us, don't you?

- Call it anything you like.

I haven't yet felt sorry...

when I've seen a string of 100-pounders

leave that bomb rack.

- Here's some coffee.

- Thank you.

The pilot wants you to know you may

be a mile or two off the pinpoint. Come on.

Stand by.!

Target!

Next stop,

Mnchen, center of town.

All men proceeding further

than Mnchen will stamp their orders...

at the Frontleitstelle

in the main station.

Extra! Extra!

Mnchener Post.

Say, have you got 10 pfennigs?

Too bad, but I have no change. Just a-

- Here. Here's a mark.

- Thank you.

Here, Mutter.

Keep the change.

- What are you looking for?

- Uh, the Frontleitstelle, please.

- Right over there.

- Thank you.

I'm returning to my unit

from the hospital in Bad Reichenhall.

Who took this week's security list?

- Number nine hasn't come in yet.

Here's last week's list.

- Thank you.

Steiner, Steiner, Steiner-

Steiner. All right.

To Mannheim by the way

of Augsburg, Ulm, Stuttgart.

You get your train information

from the Wehrmacht Kontroller

outside on the platform. Next.

Uh, please, I have a friend

in the 11 th Panzer Corps.

- Do you know where their headquarters are?

- Eleventh Panzer Corps?

- I heard they were around here somewhere.

- Weren't they in Frth?

- Yes, it's just outside of Nuremberg.

- Thanks.

- To Freiburg.

- Please don't crowd.

One at a time.

- Anything wrong with my ticket?

- Wait a moment.

I'll just check with the Unteroffizier.

- Uh, when is the next train

to Nuremberg, Frulein?

- Your orders?

I don't know if the track to Nuremberg

is repaired. Wait a minute.

- Sure it is. There's a train at 9:30.

- Trudy, Nuremberg all right?

- Yes. They just finished

working on the track.

- Guess you were right.

I usually am, Frulein.

Come on. Track seven.

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