The Desert Rats Page #5

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- Clear, everybody!

(whistle blowing)

Come on, come on! Let's go!

Get 'em out of here!

Get moving!

Get moving!

- Ready, Colonel.

- Get in the trucks.

Get in there.

Let her go!

Get 'em out of here!

Get 'em out of here! Oh!

Can't you ever obey an order? Get out!

Shut up and push the ruddy plunger!

Come on! We can still get out!

Carstairs! We can still get out!

We can still get out! Carstairs!

(in German) Take prisoners! Take prisoners!

Get me a prisoner, understand?

There!

Over there! There's one of them!

Wet down all canvas!

Leave him alone!

(in German) Put six men on that hose!

- You filthy butcher! Keep your hands off me!

- Colonel...

l am a lieutenant colonel!

l demand to be treated accordingly!

lf he touches me,

l'll break every bone in his body!

lf your wound...

Get a doctor! By the terms of

the Geneva Convention, l'm entitled to one!

Now get a doctor here,

you incompetent clown!

(in German) Call the doctor here.

- A doctor will come, Colonel.

- That's better.

(humming)

(in German) There is

a wounded English officer.

He wants a doctor, on grounds

of a... Geneva Convention?

lt's called the Geneva Convention!

- You're getting all the time more stupid.

- Yes, Doctor.

l must ask you questions...

When you get a doctor here, l'll be happy

to discuss them, Herr Leutnant, not until.

(in German) Couldn't do it without me?

- Are you a doctor or a faith healer?

- Huh?

A doctor. Are you a reputable doctor?

- (in German) What does he want?

- He wants to know if you're a good doctor.

l studied in Heidelberg

and with Tosten in Vienna.

- See, sir, the bullet...

- Quiet!

Not too fast.

(in German) Quiet. Stay still.

Jensen, a probe.

Passed right at the artery.

A difficult position.

A little higher and it would be a bone splinter.

(chuckles)

(groans)

l hope you roast in the flaming fires.

(in German) Just one more moment and...

Brandy, quick.

Drink.

That'll taste fine.

Ready. Good!

Very good, Herr Doktor. Obviously

you got your training before Hitler.

(in German) What does he want from Hitler?

(car door closes)

(in German) Here, Field Marshal.

Doctor!

- Doctor, quickly!

- One moment, one moment, please.

The field marshal is wounded.

Jensen, finish this.

- What happened?

- Damned Spitfire attacked.

- (in English) A Spitfire? Nothing trivial.

- Shut up, you!

(in German) Quiet.

You have the advantage of me.

- Colonel MacRoberts.

- A pleasure.

(in German) He was conducting an attack

on our ammunition store.

Really?

l have not inspected the damage, but from

what l hear you are to be complimented.

Thank you, sir.

My heavy artillery must have interested you.

lt was perhaps making life exciting in Tobruk.

Or are we confined to

name, rank and serial number?

- Only when you touch a tender spot, sir.

- Uh-huh.

Well, we will devote ourselves

to general subjects.

Your commanding general, for instance.

Tell me, MacRoberts,

since it is now long past,

was it he who organised the defence

against my panzer attack, or was it Cairo?

lt was the general.

lf l remember, he described your attack

as a highly limited tactical manoeuvre.

Yes, yes.

lt had worked well for us,

but l used it once too often.

- l underestimated your man, Colonel.

- Grave mistake, sir.

Yes.

But he is Australian, and you are English, no?

My intelligence has given me to understand

there was friction between the two.

- l suggest some changes in your staff, sir.

- (chuckles)

lt will be interesting to meet this man

the British think so highly of.

- And when will that be, sir?

- Mm?

l imagine whenever l decide

we've had enough of your Tobruk.

That might have been some weeks ago.

Colonel, l fully understand

your natural pride in holding a position.

Since it is the only position the British hold,

l can understand the extravagant claims for it.

Actually it plays very little part in our plans.

(in German) Please.

Uh-huh. l'm afraid

my general has other ideas.

l suppose he has,

but even you must be aware

that my forward elements are

within 200 kilometres of Alexandria,

and that within the month

we will have taken Cairo.

- Not until you take Tobruk.

- Now, MacRoberts,

l respect your pride in

this little rat hole you call Tobruk,

but don't insult my intelligence by telling me

that if it stood in my way

l couldn't crush it like that.

Sir.

Normally l would defer to your rank

and the fact that l'm your prisoner.

lf you can crush Tobruk, crush it.

But don't tell me it isn't

a constant threat to your supply line,

that it isn't an open sore in your side, or that

you can take Egypt without first smashing it.

(officer) Silence, you!

(in German) Quiet, Kramm. Let him talk.

This is what keeps you

in those flea-ridden caves?

- That's part of it.

- And the rest?

The rest is that by holding Tobruk

we prevent you from taking the Suez.

And if you don't take the Suez,

l suggest you start planning for the next war.

- Cognac for the field marshal.

- You British pig!

- (in German) Lieutenant!

- Stop!

Take it away.

Colonel, you are a brave man,

and, were you not so stubborn, l might

have enjoyed your conversation more.

When l have brought your country to

its knees, it is possible we may meet again.

This gentleman has other ideas.

You are a prisoner of war

and will be treated as such.

- (in German) Kramm, take care of this.

- Yes, Excellency.

Thank you, sir.

(aeroplanes overhead)

(man shouts in German)

(in German) Quicker, down.

Here, faster, before the planes are back.

Everybody out.

Smith! Good man.

(vehicle drives away)

What do you think, sir?

We can't move by daylight,

and we've got a long trip tonight.

l'm for some sleep.

Yeah.

(in German) Who's there?

- What is it now?

- l heard something over there.

Move away.

- Ah!

- l'm sure l heard something.

(sighs)

l'd give my stripe for a mouthful of water.

You'll have a bellyful

when you get to Tobruk...

if l don't take the wrong turning.

Well...

Somebody out there.

- Where?

- Down by the wire.

Put a burst over their heads.

lt may be our patrol.

Who goes there?

Break it down, you mugs! l had me

flamin' foot caught in the flamin' wire!

lt's Bluey!

Stone the crows. lt's the colonel, too.

What about Harry? l mean, the captain, sir?

He bought one.

l'm sorry.

lf you'd lowered your aim a bit,

you could've got me too.

(narrator) The heavy and desperate fist

of Rommel fell on Tobruk again and again,

through the Luftwaffe,

massed artillery and frontal attack.

The men of Tobruk had been

asked to hold for two months.

By July, they had held for four.

Through August they held.

September, October...

ln Egypt, an army was being rebuilt

during these precious months.

ln November...

Our relief column under General Auchinleck

has broken out of Egypt and is on the move.

The general will push

straight across here to us.

Our supply convoy, already at sea,

will arrive here tomorrow night.

l don't need to tell you yourjobs,

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