Sink the Bismarck! Page #3

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I want to be out of here

in 15 minutes.

Signal Prinz Eugen.

Very well, sir.

[Whistles]

[Yelling In German]

Sir, it's a signal from

the Commander-in-Chief,

Home Fleet.

An aircraft from Hatston's

got through to Grimstad.

There's nothing there now, sir.

Well, they've sailed.

At least we know that much.

Now we can get moving.

Position of all convoys, sir.

Thank you.

All we can do now is wait

and see what happens.

That's the worst part

of our job...the waiting.

You have a son

in the service, haven't you?

Yes, sir. He's at Gibraltar.

He's an air gunner in the Ark Royal.

I bet you're glad...

he won't be mixed up

in this Bismarck show.

Why should I be glad?

If you were, you wouldn't admit it,

would you?

He must take his chance

like everybody else.

I see.

There's an air vice marshal

coming in later...

to help out on reconnaissance.

Give him a briefing, will you?

You wanted to speak to the crew,

Captain?

They've been alerted.

Achtung!

Captain Lindemann...

with your permission...

I would like to address

the ship's company.

As you wish, sir.

Thank you.

Officers and men of the Bismarck...

this is the fleet commander.

We are going out into the North Atlantic...

to attack the British convoy system.

We are going to sink their ships...

until they no longer dare

to let them sail.

It's true we are only two ships...

but the world has never seen such ships.

We are sailing in the largest...

the most powerful battleship afloat...

superior to anything

in the British navy.

We are faster...

we are unsinkable, and we are German!

You cadet officers...

you were selected by

the highest authority...

to make this voyage.

When you return to the fleet...

you will have many

inspiring stories to tell...

stories of German sea power...

stories of Nazi victory!

To all of you, I say this...

Never forget that you are Germans...

never forget that you are Nazis!

Heil Hitler!

Heil Hitler!

In the center, the main plot.

What's that?

Another convoy, sir.

Fine. Carry on.

Now, sir...

over here, we have the Hood

and the Prince of Wales.

They left Scapa Flow 40 hours ago.

Here we have the Repulse...

the aircraft carrier Victorious...

and the King George V.

They've been steaming

for approximately 18 hours.

In this area...

the cruisers Arethusa,

Manchester, Birmingham.

In the Denmark Strait...

the cruisers Suffolk and Norfolk.

As you can see, sir...

our cruiser screen is

spread out much too thinly.

Now, if your people

would get into the air...

can't fly reconnaissance missions

in weather like this.

We realize that, of course, sir.

We must assume that the Bismarck...

in company with the Prinz Eugen...

is going to attempt a breakthrough...

to the North Atlantic.

We don't know where...

and we don't know when.

If it's here...

or here...

then the Repulse and the Victorious...

and the K.G. V will have to do the job.

If it's here in the Denmark Strait...

then the Hood and the Prince of Wales...

will have to go after her.

I should think they'd handle it.

Hood's a great ship.

So is the Prince of Wales.

She's fresh from the builder's yard.

No training for her crew.

She put to sea with the contractor's

workmen onboard.

The Bismarck's a tough proposition

for any two ships.

Excuse me, gentlemen.

Excuse me, gentlemen.

The first sea lord can see you now.

Thank you very much, Shepard.

[Telephone Rings]

Yes, sir.

Right, sir.

Yes, I will.

Commander Richards, who's your relief?

Dexter, sir.

He's late, isn't he?

A little. I don't mind, sir.

I do. Tell him I'll require him for duty

the next three nights.

My dearest Tom...

Come in.

Thought you might like some tea, sir...

since you won't take any rest.

What are you doing here?

You're off duty.

Third Officer Simpson's down with flu.

I'm just filling in.

Oh, thank you. Would you file that

for me, please?

There's an air raid going on up top.

Bad one?

No, not very.

Won't your family be worried about you?

I have no family here.

My father lives in Canada now.

I thought that surely you must

be married or something.

No, sir. Nothing at all.

Doesn't that seem odd...

if you don't mind my saying so?

I was going to be married last year...

but...it didn't work out.

His fault or yours?

He was at Dunkirk...

and he was listed as missing in action.

It was just a year ago...

a year ago next week.

He was a rather wonderful man...

not brilliant or dashing

or anything like that...

but just rather wonderful.

I'm sorry.

I think it helps to

talk about these things...

don't you, sir?

No, I don't.

I don't think it helps at all.

Getting emotional about things...

is a peacetime luxury.

In wartime, it's much too painful.

You can't turn off your emotions...

just because there's a war on.

You can't do anything

about your feelings.

Yes, you can.

[Ring]

Director of operations.

Tell you why I called,Jonathan.

Dexter's here in my office...

and he has rather a special problem.

I understand you've given him

extra duty.

Correct. I'll require him for duty

the next three nights.

It seems that his girl is an army nurse.

She's got orders to sail tomorrow night.

I'm very sorry that Dexter's young lady

is going overseas...

but that's beside the point.

Couldn't you make an exception?

I won't make an exception

for this officer...

or any other...

certainly not for reasons

of personal convenience.

Well, it's very simple, sir...

either you have discipline

or you haven't.

Well, I'm sorry, Dexter.

Thank you, sir.

By the way, Jonathan...

there's a fleet commander

aboard the Bismarck.

Yes. Admiral Gunther Lutjens.

Lutjens.

You know this man?

Yes, sir, I do.

One of his cruisers sank my ship.

Oh. Then you'll have a special interest

in him.

Commander Richards,

have a bunk made up in my office.

Yes, sir.

I want the latest report

on all shipping...

in the North Atlantic...

enemy, friendly, neutral.

Any air reconnaissance over this area?

The weather's still too bad.

You show two cruisers

in the Denmark Strait.

Is Suffolk back on station?

We assume she is.

We don't know for certain.

She's quiet as a tomb.

Alter course to 1-9-0.

Starboard 15.

Starboard 15, sir.

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Very good, sir.

Bloody fool!

This blasted fog.

It's like looking into a cake of ice.

I can't see a thing.

You see something out there...

it will have 15-inch guns.

The Bismarck's

got a solid foot of armor plate.

Who said so?

The gunnery officer, that's who.

He said we might as well

throw crumpets at her.

I wish someone would

throw a crumpet at me.

Ship bearing green 4-5!

Two ships bearing green 4-5!

Hard aport! Full ahead both!

Hard aport. Full ahead both, sir.

Shall we follow them, sir?

Steady on 1-3-0.

Steady on 1-3-0!

Yeoman, make to admiralty.

Bismarck and cruiser sighted.

Course...south.

My position...

Give latitude and longitude.

Get that off immediately...

in case we run into trouble.

Aye aye, sir.

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