Sink the Bismarck! Page #6

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Hold speed at 20 knots.

In exactly two hours...

we shall stop zigzagging...

and proceed at full speed...

in whatever direction

we're headed.

We will be out of radar range...

before they realize they have lost us.

This hit Victorious claims...

it hasn't slowed Bismarck down at all.

She's been zigzagging now...

for more than two hours.

That's odd.

She must know we haven't...

any submarines in the area.

I wonder if Victorious

can get off another strike.

I'm afraid not. It's too dark.

Signal from Norfolk, sir.

Yes? What is it?

Sir, they've lost contact with Bismarck.

This is London.

Over 24 hours have passed...

since the battleship Bismarck

destroyed HMS Hood.

Reportedly, the British

have attacked the Bismarck...

with aircraft from a carrier...

but Berlin says the attack

was beaten off successfully.

Berlin adds that Bismarck

was able subsequently...

to shake off the surface vessels

pursuing her.

The German battleship has survived...

the heaviest guns and ships

in the British navy...

and the gloomy speculation now is...

that the British navy

may have trouble finding her...

let alone destroying her.

Of one thing we can be sure...

The lights will burn late

in the admiralty tonight.

This is her last known position...

This is her last known position...

and this...

her farthest on.

That means she has to be

somewhere inside that circle.

In this sector, search aircraft

from Victorious.

To the south and west...

cruisers Suffolk and Norfolk.

That leaves two possibilities.

Either she's broken back to Germany...

or she's headed for

one of the French ports.

Now, Miss Davis...

if you were Bismarck, what would you do?

Well, I suppose I'm not very brave.

I'd head for home, sir.

And a very sensible thing to do, too.

Plenty of fuel, good repair facilities...

complete protection.

But not Lutjens...

or any other German fleet commander.

Why not?

Because in Nazi Germany, he'd lose face.

I've fought these people before.

They have to prove

their superiority every day.

That's their one tremendous weakness.

Sir.

Yes?

Signal from the Commander-in-Chief.

"King George V running short of fuel.

Can't maintain full speed much longer."

[Telephone Rings]

Supposing she is heading

for a French port.

Won't be long...

before she gets

friendly submarine support...

and complete air cover.

Too late to stop her then.

Scharnhorst and Gneisenau at Brest.

Supposing Bismarck joins up with them...

and all three of them

decide to come out together.

What then?

[Door Opens]

What's the trouble?

He just collapsed, sir.

Take him in the office.

Why is this man on duty if he's sick?

I don't know, sir.

He didn't report sick.

Get someone over here.

Aye aye, sir. Simms, take over.

All right. Leave him here.

Aye aye, sir.

Sorry, sir.

Why the devil

didn't you report sick?

I'm sorry, sir.

I didn't want to miss anything.

All right, Brown.

We'll get you along to the sick bay.

If anything happens, I'll let you know.

Thank you, sir.

What time is it, Miss Davis?

About 6:
30, sir.

Morning or evening?

It's a very fine morning.

I think you should take a short walk.

You haven't been outside

for five days.

Take down this message

for Commander-in-Chief,

Home Fleet...

Our interpretation

of best available information...

indicates Bismarck

heading for the coast of France.

Proceed accordingly.

Sir, must you stick your neck out

quite so far?

I'm afraid that goes with the job.

To admiral commanding Force H...

Proceed to intercept Bismarck...

on assumption she's headed for Brest.

Suggest search by aircraft

from Ark Royal.

Your son is in Ark Royal, isn't he, sir?

Yes. Yes, he is.

Get that off immediately,

will you?

Come in.

Come in, Miss Davis.

Signal for you, sir.

Thank you.

This is a report on the

Ark Royal's air search.

They haven't found a thing.

Better tell Captain Shepard.

Yes, sir.

Also, two of Ark Royal's aircraft...

failed to return to the carrier.

No need to tell him that,

I should think.

By the way, how would you like

a trip to America?

America, sir?

The admiralty's sending a mission over...

Two regular officers and a Wren officer.

The board picked you as first choice.

It sounds very exciting.

There will be no change, of course...

until this Bismarck thing is settled.

Aye aye, sir. Thank you very much.

Yes, it would have to be

long-range aircraft...

Catalinas, I should think.

Yes, that's right. Call me back.

Shepard.

Sir?

Seems our forces

are very heavily committed...

to a single course of action.

Is that based on the definite knowledge

that Bismarck...

is headed for a French port?

On definite knowledge?

No, sir.

It's based on my summing up...

of the general situation.

It was a decision that had to be made.

I hope you're right, Shepard.

I hope to God you're right.

A report from Ark Royal, sir.

They haven't found anything.

All right.

Are you off now, Miss Davis?

Yes, sir. My watch ends at 7:00.

I seem to have a lot of work

to do.

Could you stay and help me out?

Of course. I have a dinner date...

but that's not until 9:00.

Let me have the latest

information...

on available aircraft

in Force H.

Aye aye, sir.

"Coastal command will activate

two crossover air patrols.

"The northern-most will cover

possible enemy courses...

"from Brest to La Rochelle.

The southern-most

will cover La Rochelle

to Cape Finisterre."

If you'll coordinate that

with Coastal Command...

I'll get on with the business

of Force H...

and you can enjoy your dinner date.

At half-past one in the morning, sir?

Oh, I'm sorry.

I had no idea what time it was.

By the way, Miss Davis...

I'd like to make arrangements...

for you to work with me full-time...

if you can face it.

What I had in mind...

was to make you my assistant.

I appreciate you thinking of me, sir.

I need someone who's intelligent

and dependable...

Quite honestly, someone like yourself.

Well... what do you say?

I don't know quite what to say, sir.

I'd make an effort not to be so rude...

as I have been in the past...

if that's what's bothering you.

It isn't anything like that.

If you want to say no,

please say so.

Well, you see...

Well, you see...

[Telephone Rings]

Director of operations.

One moment, please, sir.

It's Captain Farnum... Casualty Section.

Hello, Richard. Yes?

What sort of bad news?

Is there no other information?

I see.

Yes. I appreciate your telling me.

Thank you, Richard.

My son's missing.

His plane ran out of fuel...

and failed to return.

I'm terribly sorry, sir.

There's a good chance...

he'll be picked up.

You were picked up.

When I got out of hospital...

all I could think about

was getting back to London.

I wanted to see my wife.

I took a taxi from Waterloo.

As I drove into Welbeck Place...

everything looked so familiar.

Every house was just as I remembered it.

Every house except mine.

There was a large

black hole in the ground...

where my house had been...

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