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Das Boot
"When the hunters become the hunted."
Overview
Based on an autobiographical novel by German World War II photographer Lothar-Guenther Buchheim, Das Boot follows the lives of a fearless U-Boat captain (Jurgen Prochnow) and his inexperienced crew as they patrol the Atlantic and Mediterranean in search of Allied vessels, taking turns as hunter and prey.
Status
Ended
Created By
Wolfgang Petersen
Network
Das Erste
Seasons & Episodes
Miniseries
Episodes
Operation Atlantic
Autumn 1941. The crew of the U 96 celebrates its last day on land in La Rochelle, France. The exuberance of the men is nothing more than the fear of the next mission, which could be the last. War correspondent Lieutenant Werner does not understand the apparent cheerfulness, as he does not yet know the pitiless harshness of the war in a cramped submarine.
On Search Course
The U 96 crew has been running on patrol south-west of Ireland for days. Monotony, inactivity, and boredom on board are transformed into aggression. A message about a convoy changes the mood of the crew. The "old man" risks a periscope attack. Surprisingly, a destroyer emerges, which hunts the submarine with depth charges.
The First Attack
For almost four weeks, the submarine is traveling south-west of Ireland and is held underwater by a destroyer during its first attack on an English convoy. Exploding depth charges hurl the crew and submarine into chaos. But the "old man" succeeds in maneuvering U 96 out of the danger zone. Subsequently, the submarine gets into a storm period lasting more than three weeks.
Suicide Squad
The U 96 encounters a convoy and sinks three cargo ships with its torpedoes. Then a 24-hour pursuit of the submarine begins with two destroyers dropping depth charges. The "old man" tries to escape in 230 meters of water depth. The end for U 96 seems to have come.
On Ground
The U 96 has been dispatched to the Mediterranean. After picking up supplies in the Spanish town of Vigo, the journey to Gibraltar begins. An aviation attack during the nightly crawl and cruising British ships force U 96 to a neck breaking dive - at 280 meters depth the submarine hits the bottom of the ocean.
In the Homeland
The submarine is heavily damaged, lying on the ocean floor in a depth of 280 meters. Despite the seemingly hopeless situation, the crew starts with repair work and dares an attempt to emerge. After tormented tension the U 96 finally breaks off from the ocean floor.
Top Cast
Jürgen Prochnow
Der Alte
Herbert Grönemeyer
Leutnant Werner
Klaus Wennemann
Leitender Ingenieur
Hubertus Bengsch
Erster Wachoffizier
Martin Semmelrogge
Zweiter Wachoffizier
Bernd Tauber
Obersteuermann
Erwin Leder
Obermaschinist Johann
Martin May
Fähnrich Ullmann
Uwe Ochsenknecht
Bootsmann Lamprecht
Claude-Oliver Rudolph
Dieselheizer Ario
Jan Fedder
Bootsmaat Pilgrim
Heinz Hoenig
Funkmaat Hinrich
