Sahara (1943) Movie Script
U.S. Tank detachment Unit 5.
Repeat message.
U.S. Tank detachment Unit 5. Repeat.
- Over to you, over.
- No code.
Retreat has been ordered
in all sectors.
Surviving units note that
points east, west and north...
...are under enemy control.
Over to you.
I dont understand. To the south?
All points east, west and north
under enemy control.
Okay, but what do we do?
Whats the order?
Good luck to you, Yank.
Over to you.
What?
Good luck to you, Yank.
In your own language, scram!
Okay. Why didnt you say so
in the first place?
Hey, sarge! Hey, sarge!
Sergeant Gunn!
Hurry up, sarge!
Orders came through. Hurry up!
Okay, keep your shirt on!
All right, Waco?
Lets go!
Hey, sarge!
We got to get out of here, and quick!
It just came over. East, west
and north under enemy control.
General retreat ordered.
East, west and north.
They got us boxed in.
Thats south, but theres
nothing there but sand and rock.
Any place is healthier than this.
Lets move!
Come down here and give us a hand!
Whatll we do if we cant get
this cement mixer rolling?
Lay off that cement mixer stuff.
Give me that gadget.
Get in there.
Hold that down while I bolt it.
Think shell pull us out?
It depends on the way we handle her.
Its like a dame.
But no dame ever said
anything as sweet...
...as this motor will sound
when she gets rolling.
Keep that up and
theyre liable to hit us.
There.
That ought to hold her.
All right, get around.
Start it up.
Hes got a touch like an elephant.
He dont feed her enough.
Its like a dame. Dont feed them,
they wont do nothing.
Thats no way to treat her.
Let me in there.
Okay, Joe.
Shes dead.
Five he starts it?
You got a bet.
Come on now, baby.
Get going and get us out of here.
Lll buy you the sweetest coat
of paint you ever had in your life.
Come on now, Lulubelle, lets go.
Hatch is up.
Sarge, two guys ahead.
- What do you make of them?
- They look British.
It might be a Nazi trick.
Remember that phony white flag
at Bir Hacheim?
I wouldnt bet they were British
if they waved a roast beef.
Keep them covered
till I find out who they are.
Master Sergeant Gunn,
U.S. Army Tank Detachment.
Captain Halliday,
Royal Army Medical Corps.
Nice to see you.
I had 42 wounded there.
When the Stukas finished with us,
I had 42 dead.
These men were kind enough
to help search the wreckage.
It was no use.
What are you looking at?
Oh, help yourself.
Merci bien. American cigarette,
I dont see for a long time.
Pass them around.
- Talks like a Yank.
- How else would I talk?
Weve been expecting
you a long time.
Ours was one of
the first tanks here.
How many men do you have, sergeant?
Two. Radioman and machine gunner.
I lost the rest of my crew.
I suppose youre trying
to rejoin your detachment?
Lts too late.
- Too late?
- What are you talking about?
Havent you heard?
A general retreats been ordered.
Thats not true!
Listen to that firing.
Our chaps are still at it
not far away.
Theyre mopping up
whats left of them.
If we cut south far enough
we can hook up with another outfit.
You dont know that part of the
desert. Its the worst in Libya.
You wont get anywhere in that scow.
Soon as its daylight, theyll
blast the gizzards out of her.
Lm sorry you feel that way about her.
A good tank with a full crew has
a better chance than men on foot.
- Thats a matter of opinion.
- Theyll get you.
- Well get them first.
- For what they did to the hospital.
Ld sooner stick it out
than run away in a tin hearse.
Theres three things
wrong with that statement.
First, were not running,
were obeying orders.
Second, shes not made of tin
and third, shes no hearse.
Shes an M3 that can cross
200 miles of desert...
...as easy youd walk around that
Piccadilly Circus of yours.
Lm not going to argue with you.
Stick around,
let the Nazis mop you up.
Spend the rest of the war
in a Berlin prison camp, but not me.
When I go into Berlin,
lll be riding that tank.
Same one thats standing there with
the name Lulubelle on her.
Sergeant!
Lll go with you.
What makes you want to go?
I like your cigarettes.
All right. Get inside.
Lm sorry I blew up just now, sir.
But that crack that guy made
about my tank kind of burned me.
Shes a good tank.
Lll tell you again.
We got it over the radio.
Were surrounded.
The only way out is south.
Thats the way were going.
Good luck, sir.
Wait a minute, sergeant!
Were coming with you!
Hurry up!
Here you are, sir.
Come on, fellas!
Lts a peculiar thing.
A sergeant is the same
in every army in the world.
What?!
A sergeants the same
in every army in the world!
You dont know Joe.
Hes a smart guy.
I dont think the sergeant
is a very tender man.
I dont think the sergeant
is a very tender man.
But he named his tank
after someone he loves.
- Yeah, a horse!
- A what?
A horse!
He loves a horse.
Sarge was in the cavalry way back.
- The what?
- The cavalry!
The cavalry.
Something wrong?
I think I cut the mixture a
little too thin, trying to save gas.
Hes making a mistake,
going this direction.
The sarge knows what hes doing.
Yes, the sergeants a genius!
Hes a miracle man.
When we run out of water, he strikes a
rock like Moses and water falls out.
He hits it twice and
the waters turned into wine.
Suppose we get stuck in this
graveyard without any water.
Waco, open that hatch, will you?
All right, come down for a while.
Whats the matter, Waco?
The motor.
Starving you to death, huh?
We got to save gas,
same as we save water.
Sarge, got to grease the wheels.
Make it quick,
we got to keep moving.
Try that radio again, Jimmy.
Well go in a minute.
Eat something,
and drink 1l3 cup of water.
Be sure to measure with the cup.
Get anything?
Nothing but static and Heil Hitler!
No contact, so we dont know
where the army will be.
At the worst, the line
will be anchored at Tobruk.
- We should circle like this.
- Will our petrol hold out?
I figure we got about enough
for 160 miles.
Water, lm worried about.
Lve got to find one of those wells.
They call them wells on the map.
But most of them are only
dried up mudholes full of sand.
Wish I could put my feet
in a nice big bucket of water.
Must be 1000 centigrade
in these boots.
My throat needs it
worse than my feet.
- I suffer from corns.
- Lm fed up with your feet.
So am I.
Been fed up with them for years.
- Did you finish, Waco?
- Not yet.
Why you call him Waco?
Lts a city in Texas.
We call it The City With a Soul.
Why?
Come to think of it,
I never figured why.
We got a sign on the biggest building:
City With a Soul.
How about another city
with a soul? Paris.
You from Paris, Frenchie?
No, but for every Frenchman,
Paris is the soul. La France.
All my life
lve wanted to go to Paris.
Sometime, maybe well go there.
Ld like to go home.
You fellas like to see
a photo of a beautiful girl?
- Shes pretty. Whats her name?
- Kathy.
Very nice.
Shes a corker.
I told you to measure
that water in a cup.
- I wasnt thinking.
- Lll do the thinking for you.
Frenchie, bring the canteens to me.
Weve got our own officer.
Lll take my orders from him.
Lm glad you brought
that up, Williams.
Lve something to say
to the men, sergeant.
Weve only one purpose.
To save ourselves
so that we can fight again.
Weve got to work together
and have discipline.
Sergeant Gunn was in command
when we joined him.
Hes an experienced soldier...
...and it seems proper to ask him
to continue in that capacity.
I shall confer with him on the safety
and conduct of the expedition...
...but immediate authority
will rest with him.
My canteen, sergeant.
Thank you, sir.
Here you are, Frenchie.
What do you make of them?
Thats what lm trying to figure out.
Hey, Waco.
Fire shots in front of them.
That ought to turn them back into us.
Thats a British Sudanese
with an Italian prisoner.
I think hes going to fight us.
Give me something white to wave.
Make it snappy.
It is true, Bimbashi.
I thought ld captured an enemy tank.
Whered you get this prisoner?
At Bir Hacheim.
A column of many tanks and
many machines attacked us there.
All my company died in battle.
I alone escaped.
It was then I captured...
...this man to carry my pack.
What is your name?
Sergeant Major Tambul.
Force Sudanese Battalion.
You know this desert?
Yes, sergeant.
Is it all like this?
Yes, all that way...
...worse for tank.
Deep sand?
And salt marshes.
Only one caravan trail. Very old.
- Hard to follow.
- Where does it lead?
To the well at Hassan Barrani.
You think you could find it again?
I think I can.
I will try.
Get your pack off and get on top.
Jimmy, throw down a ration.
The rest get back in place.
Waco, start her up.
Were moving on right now.
Look!
Those birds know
just when to show up.
They can smell death ahead of time.
Anybody know what hes babbling?
I speak English.
Speak very good.
Dont leave me here.
Take me with you.
Sorry, we got no room.
I learn English in school in Torino.
And I learn Americano
from reading the letters.
Its the cousin of
the uncle of mia moglie.
Thats my wife, signore.
She got an uncle
whose cousin live in America...
...and he write all the time.
He tell about the big mountain,
the big building, the big art.
Everything big in America!
Waco, wind her up.
Were moving on.
I show you letter.
I got a letter from my wife.
She told me she get a letter...
...from the cousin of the uncle.
He work now in Pittsburgh, USA.
In the steel factory.
Maybe he make the steel
for this tank in Pittsburgh, USA.
And, signore...
...I show you picture.
I got no time to look at pictures.
Hes right.
Its stupid to have pity in war.
You kill in a fight. Not like this.
I know better than you.
- Lve been fighting them since 1936.
- 36?
Spain.
Theres no pity.
My wife and bambina.
Thats my baby.
Its a nice picture.
You must be very proud of them.
Lll see what I can do.
I wish youd change your mind.
This man is a prisoner of war.
As such, hes entitled
to certain rights.
Weve got to take him.
We cant leave him to die.
If we asked the men, theyd agree.
Theyd agree now.
What about when theyre starving
and dying of thirst?
You put me in command to look ahead.
- This is a matter of a mans life!
- Youre wrong.
Its a matter of
the lives of 10 men.
We got a long ways to go.
We need every crumb of food
and drop of water.
Lm taking the Sudanese
because hes a British soldier.
But I wont take on
a load of spaghetti!
He walked this far, and
he can walk back.
Thats the end of it.
What are you waiting for?
Wind her up.
Okay, Joe.
You better get in, Doc.
Lm sorry.
Dont leave me here to die.
I swear, I work for you.
I dont drink your water...
...I dont eat your food.
Dont leave me here.
Stop!
Come on. Come on!
Hold your fire.
Let the blighter have it.
I could squash him like a fly.
No, let him think
were out of ammunition.
Blasted him out of the sky!
You men all right down there?
Yes, Bimbashi.
Tambul, follow me!
Doc, come along in case
that guy dont speak English.
- Lll come with you, Tambul.
- Heres your gun!
Drop that gun!
You heard me, drop it!
Whatd he say?
My Germans a little rusty,
but I think I got the sense of it.
He said we havent got a chance.
He wants us to be his prisoners.
Is he crazy?
Ask him if he speaks English.
He says no.
He didnt know Americans were here.
A surprise for you, Fritzie.
- We saved it for you, special.
- Search him.
- Whats eating him?
- He wants someone else to do it.
He does, does he? Why?
He doesnt want to be touched
by an inferior race.
Tell him not to worry
about his being black.
It wont come off on his uniform.
Search him.
A knife.
And this.
Thats what I thought.
What do you make of that, Doc?
It says an offer has been made
to the British Army.
Raise the white flag
and give up your arms.
We have proved the British are led
by incompetents and idiots.
- Whats that?
- The fall of...
...Tobruk!
Whats that about Tobruk?
Hes lying like his blasted Fhrer!
Lll teach him to lie!
Signore Sergeante!
Somebody is hurt.
The German, he shoot.
Bring him along
and pick up that chute.
Bring some water.
- Wheres Halliday?
- What happened?
Take it easy, fella.
We didnt know he was lying there.
Hes hurt so bad he couldnt speak.
Get the first-aid kit, please.
Move him into the shade.
Very gently.
Take it easy.
Thats it.
Did you get him?
Dont try to talk now.
Well fix you up, all right.
How is he, Doc?
Hes badly shot
but he may pull through.
We cant hang around here any longer.
- Is it safe to move him?
- Yes, if we take it easy.
We got to move quickly,
after what the German said.
Maybe hes right.
Doyle, get on that radio.
Yes, sarge.
What will we do with this prisoner?
There is no doubt
we have too many in this tank.
Here is another mouth
that asks for water.
I dont mean we can leave him here
in this desert to die.
My heart is very soft for this Nazi.
Let me have a little talk with him.
Lll march him behind the hill...
...there.
When youre ready to go,
lll come back alone.
Corporal, you got a lot to learn.
This is a Nazi.
Maybe you find out.
Its like a mad dog.
Maybe. But hes won a lot of prizes.
Ld like to turn him
over to headquarters.
If we can get there ourselves!
Well keep him
as long as we can, then see.
In the meantime...
...hes in your charge.
Thank you.
Did you get anything?
- The Germans got Tobruk.
- I know. Anything else?
Theyre attacking Sidi Barrani.
Were still falling back,
trying to reform our lines.
What are you smiling at?
You look like you understood
every word he said.
Doc, ask him what he was smiling at.
He thinks its funny...
...we want to fight
with this curious detachment.
Wipe that smile off your puss...
...or lll knock your teeth
through your head. Verstehen?
All right, boys, we move on.
Every minute were here,
our chance of getting through is less.
He may be lying about Germans in the
neighborhood, but we cant tell.
Weve got to go ahead
as if it was the truth.
- Tambul!
- Yes, sergeant.
How far are those wells?
About 60 to 70 miles.
It is there.
- How far?
- What, sergeant?
How far?
There, ahead!
You will see as we go down this hill.
- How is he?
- Hes pretty bad, sir.
Whats he saying?
Sounds like his girls name, sir.
- Give him some water.
- Cant, sir.
Not a drop left.
Bone dry.
It is so in the desert.
One season there is cool, clear
water, like lakes in the mountains.
Another time...
...nothing.
Just a lot of sand.
Whats funny?
Just thinking.
When we were kids,
the biggest treat...
...was to play on the beach
in the sand.
How far is it to the next well?
About 50 miles, sergeant.
At the ruins of Bir Acroma.
It is south.
Hello, Kathy.
I miss...
Captain Halliday, sir.
Captain Halliday!
He keeps talking to his girl, Kathy.
Hes gone.
Its tough.
He did it!
Let him alone, Stegman.
Battle order of the Army.
Do not retreat anotherinch.
Cairo and Alexandria
must be defended.
The Army will stand and fight...
...north ofEl Khattara
on the El Alamein line.
Scattered units are ordered...
...to report to
their commands immediately.
We need every man
and every machine.
Report to your commands.
Re-form yourlines.
Report to your commands.
Hurry.
Thats it ahead, sergeant.
Thats it ahead, sergeant.
Right!
Left.
You hear that, Joe?
Shes missing, aint she?
I wonder how much longer
shell keep going.
So do I.
Clarkson, back there.
Maybe he was lucky!
There, straight ahead!
Bir Acroma!
Come on down, guys.
Everybody take cover inside.
Come on, Jimmy. On your feet!
How is it, Jim?
Okay, Joe.
Wheres that well?
Somewhere near the building.
Inside the wall, sergeant.
All right, men.
Spread out and look for that well!
Stick along with me.
Sure took a beating,
didnt you, old girl?
Bimbashi!
The well! The well!
Around here.
You better go down and look.
Send down a bucket.
Theres still water dripping!
- Something to catch it!
- Its going to waste.
Bring up a couple of cans
and rope from the tank.
Heads up! Here it comes.
Pull it up slowly.
Careful!
What a beautiful sight.
Real water.
Easy now. Dont spill a drop.
Three swallows for everybody.
Three swallows. No more.
Here you are, Jimmy.
Stegman, take Frenchies place.
Three swallows.
Giuseppe!
- Three swallows.
- Three swallows.
For the German.
Everybody gets three swallows.
Yes, sergeant.
Were considering going
to this other well.
But we must be sure that
well find enough water there.
At Bir Acroma, there has been water
in sufficient quantities.
But it means going
130 kilometers out of our way.
These men need water badly,
HerrKapitn.
Your machines may get through
without more water...
...but you take a serious risk
with the men.
Go with Sergeant Krauses
advance party.
Show them the way to Bir Acroma.
The battalion will follow in an hour.
We must get water.
Hows it coming?
Very good, sergeant, very nice.
Any way to squeeze it out quicker?
It takes its own time.
You cannot milk it like a cow.
Well stay until we get
all the water we can carry.
We got to, but its tough
to waste all that time.
Bates, stand by here.
Waco, lets clean Lulubelle out.
The rest of you,
go over your equipment.
Stegman, on lookout.
That water helped, didnt it?
Couldnt have lasted much longer.
Keep a sharp lookout,
especially toward those hills.
If trouble comes,
itll come from there.
Watch for planes.
Signore.
I would like to help you.
You know about motors?
I was maestro mechanic in Torino.
You got a job.
Frenchie...
...let the Italian come around here.
Let me take your place.
No, it isnt necessary.
How is it coming?
Lm afraid it drops more slowly.
You never can tell about these wells.
Have a cigarette.
Thanks.
How long you been in the army?
Twenty years.
My father and his father
before him were soldiers.
All my family have been soldiers.
My folks were always farmers.
You know where Texas is?
It must be very far.
Yes, sir. Lm going back there
when this is finished.
- I got married just before I left.
- Good.
Good? Lts better than that.
But you fellas feel
differently about marrying.
The boys were telling me...
...you Mohammedans
have as many as 300 wives.
The Prophet tells us four wives
are sufficient for a true believer.
Why four?
The Prophet says one wife
makes a miserable life...
...because she gets bored.
And two wives make a mess
of your life also.
For they always quarrel and
you never know which one is right.
And three wives are bad too.
Two always take sides
against a third.
Now, four wives makes real happiness.
How?
Two and two are company
for each other.
And the man, he has his rest.
It sounds all right.
You got four?
No, I have only one.
Whats holding you back?
If you had this law in your Texas,
would you have four wives?
No, my wife wouldnt like that.
It is the same with me.
My wife, she would not like it.
You sure learn things in the army!
Yes, we both have much
to learn from each other.
I understand. That guy Mussolini
you got over there, he doesnt?
II Duce, hes a big man.
He speaks like a thunderstorm.
And you guys believe him?
He tells me he knows best.
Everywhere, he writes his mottos.
On the walls, on the street...
So we got him in the brain.
We must believe these mottos.
What does that mean?
Obey. Believe. Work.
Obey? Work for what?
Not so much now, Signore.
But Mussolini say, by and by,
everything is going to be all right.
He says its going to be all right.
He thinks hes God, dont he?
Yeah, he think.
But I think maybe...
...Hitler is God...
...and Mussolini is just his prophet.
Dont you worry. Someday
that guy will blow up and bust.
For some people, its all right
to laugh at il Duce.
But when you got a wife and baby,
its no good to laugh.
My little Giuseppina.
Such a small bambina.
Eyes, big like this.
Shes beautiful.
Everybody say she look just like me.
Well, dont tell her.
No, I dont.
Sure, lm going to tell her!
How do you spell oasis?
O-A-S-l-S.
Scientifically, this isnt an oasis.
My wife aint scientific.
Lm saying lm on green grass
with palm trees waving overhead.
You know you cant post
a letter here.
I promised her ld write home
every week, if I wasnt dead.
Well, I aint dead.
I should write to my mother.
What part of South Africa
do you come from?
A dorp near Kimberley.
Dorp? Whats that?
A village.
Its a fine country.
Theres always a soft breeze
blowing across the veldt.
Sounds good. But personally,
I think lll stick to Brooklyn.
I was born in Sussex,
but we moved to a little farm...
...in Yorkshire.
Lm from London.
Lm from Dublin.
What part of the States are you from?
No place.
Just the Army.
In my village, we had
the finest cheese.
- What kind of cheese?
- From my village. Moulin-Merillac.
What its like?
A sort of Brie or Camembert?
Theres no village like mine.
There is no cheese like we make.
You should have such a meal!
You take a knife.
Here, you have a little cheese,
a little bread.
Then you wash your throat with wine.
Then a little cheese.
And a little onion.
Good! A little onion.
A little bread, a little wine.
A little cheese, a little bread.
A little wine, a little onion.
A little cheese, a little bread.
Lay off! You had enough.
I feel better.
All this is no more.
Six months ago lm in my village,
but I dont know it.
There is no cheese!
How do you make cheese without milk?
How do you make milk without cows?
We had fine cows with the brown face
and the white neck.
The Nazis take these cows.
They cut the throat with a knife.
There is no more cheese
and milk for the children.
You were in occupied
France six months ago?
- Why were you there?
- He worked with the underground.
I learned from the channel.
I have seen 12 people executed.
Hostages. The mayor,
who has a white beard...
...Madame Michelet was
as big like a jelly...
...Monsieur Le Pecq,
who teaches the school...
...Rosalie, who has
hair like sunshine.
I can do nothing.
So lm no good for the underground.
Too much hate in my eyes!
So I come here.
I wish only to kill...
...to pay back for my village!
Theres something headed this way!
See the cloud of dust?
Moving fast.
German scout car.
Keep your eye on them.
Keep down so they cant see you.
Leroux, get the Italian inside!
Bates, bring those canteens
back to the tank.
The rest of you men take cover.
Come on, get in.
You speak English?
- Coming our way?
- Straight for us.
All right, watch them.
- Where are they?
- Behind that hill, coming right at us.
Waco and Jim,
get behind that ridge.
Hold your fire! I want prisoners.
The rest of you, keep down.
You understand what they say,
dont you?
You speak English.
Then you can speak with me.
Shut up!
When the time comes,
I will tell you what to do.
Sheik Ali, Hans, mirnach.
What happened?
There was shooting,
then there was nothing.
Be quiet!
Ask him what regiment.
Ask him where their outfit is.
This aint getting us nowhere.
Bates, bring me up some water.
Tell them to take their hands down.
- What do you make of that?
- Nothing.
All right, take him away.
Ask him again what his outfit is.
Ask him if hes thirsty.
Tell him he can have water
only if he talks.
Theyre lost, separated
from their company.
Tell him hes lying.
Only if you talk.
Keep asking him.
We got to break him.
Come on, talk!
Theyre an advance party...
...of a battalion cutting southeast
across the Egyptian border.
Light, motorized units,
no tanks, but about 500 men.
Theyve had no water in days.
Theyre told theyll get
all the water they want here.
Heres your water.
Go on, take it.
Sergeant Gunn!
Sergeant Gunn!
Just as I expected,
the well has gone dry.
How much have we got?
Nine and a quarter cans.
It dont matter,
because were leaving.
Itll be a good joke on the Jerries
when they get here.
Wouldnt have minded
seeing their faces.
Whatd you say?
I wouldnt mind seeing their faces
when they get here.
Thats right.
Maybe we ought to see their faces.
Any water within 100 miles?
Not from here, but the first well?
- Anything in sight?
- Nothing, sarge, not a thing.
Hey, Doc, Williams, Stegman!
I got a lot to say,
and not much time to say it.
We found out those Germans
are part of a battalion...
...stuck back at the first well,
badly in need of water.
Think of a battalion
so in need of water...
...they got to come 70 miles
off their line of march.
Suppose they got held up long enough
for us to send a message?
How?
Suppose we send
the two Germans to tell them...
...theres water here.
Suppose we hold them up
for two or three days...
...while they try to get it.
Theres just one thing wrong
with that plan. Here we are.
Here are the Germans
and heres what happens.
You hit it right on the nose.
Its 100-to-1 shot.
We could clear out of here quick.
With some luck, get through
German lines and back to ours.
If we did get back there,
they might even give us a medal.
If we stay here...
...maybe nobody will ever know
what happened here.
Or if it is worthwhile...
...or if it is all wasted.
I realize its not common sense,
9 men fighting off 500.
Still, its the duty of every man
in the Army to do everything he can.
Excuse me, sir.
Nine of us with peashooters
doesnt make any sense.
If its our duty to delay
this column, why all the talk?
Just give us our orders.
That brings us down to cases.
I look at it this way.
Because its 100-to-1 shot...
...because its much more
than line of duty...
...because theres so little chance
of us coming out of it...
...I felt I ought to put up to you.
Youve all got families at home.
Wives, mothers and sweethearts.
I aint got none,
so it doesnt matter about me.
I know how you feel about them.
Whatever you decide,
you better decide quick.
Lll speak for Waco and Jimmy myself.
Nobody minds giving his life,
but this is throwing it away. Why?
Why did your people go
about their business in London...
...when the Germans threw
everything at them?
Why did your boats take the men
off the beach at Dunkirk?
Why did the Russians
make a stand at Moscow?
Why did the Chinese move whole cities
thousands of miles inland...
...when the Japs attacked them?
Why Bataan?
Why Corregidor?
Maybe they were all nuts.
But theres one thing they did do:
They kept delaying the enemy...
...until we got strong enough
to hit them hard.
I aint no general...
...but it seems to me
thats one way to win.
If all I said...
...dont answer your question...
...then somebody tell me why.
Lm for staying.
- Lll stay.
- Me too, sarge.
It may surprise you, professor,
to know that youre the one man...
...I was absolutely counting on.
Mind you, its against
my better judgement.
Then I know lm right.
What about you, Frenchie?
I still like your cigarettes.
All right, on your feet.
Stand up.
Hey, Doc!
Tell him were sending him back.
The other fellow told us the truth.
Tell him were lost too.
We need food, they need water.
Its a fair exchange.
No use fighting about it.
Water for food.
Shut that man up!
He knows English.
He tried to warn them.
Youre playing a game?
You can call it that.
If he moves again, shoot him.
I shall be happy to, sergeant.
You know he talked English?
I just found out.
Why didnt you tell me?
I was afraid.
Lm like a man who fights his shadow.
You give me water, I eat your food.
I swear I will do nothing wrong.
I give you my parola.
Thats my word.
We got to work fast.
I want that tank dug in,
and slip trenches.
Thats William, Stegman and Bates.
Take the Italian along to help out.
All right, Doc, go ahead.
Waco, start them on their way
and then bring up the half-track.
Go on, beat it!
- How is it coming?
- Shes almost full.
- How many you got left?
- A little over five canteens.
And this is for you on the road.
Take it, Waco.
Okay, Tambul.
Got it filled?
Pretty sure of yourself.
I like to travel.
It broadens the mind.
I wish you wasnt so cocky about it.
You think I cant make it?
I aint saying.
Lll take a bet on it.
- Even money?
- Why not?
I got an even chance of getting there.
Lm eating British mess tomorrow.
Heres five says you wont.
Heres ten says I will.
Thats a sucker bet.
If I lose, I wont need the ten.
All right, Waco.
Joe will hold the money.
Okay, Waco, get going!
You got to make it.
Tell them we need help
if they can send it.
Dont worry, I can make it.
I can make this thing
stand up and howl.
So long, fellas.
I got to mail a letter.
Now right.
Turn it more to the right.
Now straight ahead.
Its a good thing the Jerries
had mines in this scout car.
Theyre coming over the hills.
Thats right.
Here are your belts.
Cover yourself, Frenchie,
and watch that German.
Around that corner,
back of the wall.
- Everything all set here?
- All set, Joe.
Hold your fire till they get
to the top of that ridge!
- Hey, Doc!
- Right!
Jimmy!
- Bates!
- Lm here!
All right, Frenchie?
- Tambul!
- Fine, sergeant.
Stegman!
I think I saw something
white out there.
Sarge, theyre showing a white flag!
We said wed make a deal with them.
It looks like our trick is working.
Lll see what they want. They can
do the translating themselves.
Watch yourself.
You cant tell with these blighters.
Dont trust them, Joe.
Its a trick.
Lll be all right. You just
stay there and keep me covered.
Major Hans Von Falken.
Gunn, United States Army.
You have come a long way to pull
British chestnuts out of the fire.
We dont mind. We like chestnuts.
Dont want them to burn.
Very good.
You didnt come to crack jokes.
What do you want?
Can you negotiate?
Wheres your captain?
Lts around 5:00. You know how
those Britishers are about their tea.
I understand you propose to
give us water in exchange for food.
We thought you only had about 30 men.
You knew there was a battalion.
The soldier who gave
the information confessed.
Hes been executed.
Isnt it still possible
to come to an agreement?
Whats the deal?
Surrender, and
youll be free to go...
...with as much water and food
as you can carry.
We like it here.
Were pretty well fixed.
Plenty of water and a lot more food
than we thought we had.
Lll make you an offer.
Water for guns.
For every rifle, lll give you a pint.
For the mortar, a quart.
For all your rifles, lll give you
water enough for all your men.
Lve heard you Americans
have a great sense of...
...humor.
Lll give you a last chance.
You can save your life,
and the lives of your men.
You heard my offer.
Water for guns.
Howd you make out?
- He spoke English pretty good.
- Whatd he say?
They think we got so much water
were swimming in it.
Theyre worse off
than we thought they were.
Theyll let us go
if we give them water.
Do you think Wacos reached
a British outpost yet?
- Its possible.
- Maybe theyre on the way.
I can see them crowding around,
clapping him on the back...
...giving him glasses
of ice cold water.
Theyre getting anxious.
Just got two of them.
Good, but take it easy, will you?
If we keep on, well be
on our last belt by tomorrow.
Isnt it enough to get two?
Got to get 10 with every shot
before lm satisfied.
Heres your water.
Time to strike the rock.
Whats that about a rock?
The other day,
I was making fun of you.
I said youll perform a miracle.
Strike a rock and water
will run out or maybe champagne.
The only miracle I know is the
one you get by working for it.
I wish a miracle would cure my corn.
Why? Gives you something
to think about.
Lve got plenty to think about.
Lve just been working on a problem.
What kind of a problem?
You might call it a project.
A project?
Lm planning on how
to irrigate this desert.
What, all of it?
Why not? Turn it into
a blooming garden.
Aint a bad idea.
Theres plenty of water,
only its not in the right places.
It just stands about,
waiting for people to drown in it.
You feeling all right?
As I remember,
you can irrigate one acre...
...with about 15,000
cubic feet of water.
Youre nuts.
- Whered you learn all that?
- Lm a typesetter by profession.
You learn by reading
while youre setting type?
Nothing like it for an education.
Lve set type for about 5000 books.
Prose and poetry.
You wouldnt believe it,
but lm very partial to poetry.
A book of verses underneath a bough,
a jug of wine and...
It was 100-to-1 shot, Williams.
Now is the time!
We must reach the German camp
to tell them there is no water here.
No, I cannot do this.
We have only to overpower one man.
Maybe we can take the machine gun
and kill them all!
I do not want to.
I got no hate for these men.
It is not for you to decide.
Lm not going.
This place will soon be taken.
If you refuse to help me now,
I will denounce you as a traitor.
Denounce me then.
Italians are not like Germans.
Only the body wears the uniform,
not the soul.
Mussolini is not so clever,
like Hitler.
He dresses Italians up only to look
like thieves, cheats, murderers.
He cannot, like Hitler,
make them feel like that.
He cannot, like Hitler,
scrape from their conscience...
...the knowledge of right and wrong...
...or plant in their heads
his own Ten Commandments.
Steal from thy neighbor.
Cheat and kill thy neighbor.
You dare to insult the Fhrer?
That would take an artist.
I am but a mechanic.
But are my eyes blind...
...that I must fall to my knees
to worship a maniac...
...who has made of my country
a concentration camp?
Who has made of my people, slaves?
Must I kiss the hand that beats me,
lick the boot that kicks me? No!
Ld rather spend my whole life
living in this dirty hole...
...than escape to fight again
for things I do not believe...
...against people I do not hate.
And for your Hitler...
...its because of a man
like him that God...
...my God, created hell.
German escaped.
Tell them, no water.
I lost him.
Lll get him, sergeant.
There he comes.
He hasnt got a chance.
Dirty!
He got the Heinie.
Bates, this is for you.
How are you, Leroux?
How are you feeling?
Fit as a fiddle.
The sergeant say this is
to last through next week.
Sergeant likes his little joke.
In all the world, theres nothing...
Free French Corporal Leroux,
parlementaire.
Major Von Falken.
I was the only one he could send.
The others are bathing.
Be careful, its all weve got.
Ld give plenty to see the expression
on that Heinies puss.
Very impressive.
And the rest?
All dead?
Well make no further attempt
to take the well, if we get water.
This is my last offer.
Report it to your commander.
You are very generous.
But my sergeant did not say
wed like to hear your terms.
He said maybe you would like
to hear his terms once again.
For every rifle you send,
he will send a pint of water.
One rifle, one pint.
Two rifles, two pints.
Three rifles...
Enough of this nonsense!
If you dont like these terms
and you still want the water...
...then you must come and get it.
Fire!
Frenchie was right.
We dont know the Nazis.
They did shoot him in the back.
Come on in, Doc.
Sorry I cant give you a tall one.
- Hows Jimmy doing?
- Running low on ammunition.
- Lf we run out, whatll we fight with?
- Bayonets, gun butts, fists.
How long can four of us
keep on that way?
I dont know, Doc.
I have to admit,
it sounds impossible...
...but we got to do it.
Somebody will have to work a miracle.
A miracle?
What kind of a miracle?
You got me there, Doc.
Four of us holding off
several hundred of them...
...is nothing short of a miracle.
You know why were able to do it?
Because were stronger than they are.
What do you mean?
I dont mean in numbers.
I mean something else.
Those men out there
have never known...
...the dignity of freedom.
Dignity?
Thats a funny way to put it.
Maybe you got something there.
Weve all got something.
Joe, lm hit!
- Can you make it inside, Jim?
- Lll try.
Youve got to. Come on.
Up!
Get down!
Youll be all right.
Its going to take a lot more
than this to kill me.
Thats the spirit.
Never say die.
Water!
Got to make it.
Somebodys lying there.
Is he dead?
Hes an American.
That was a close one.
They got the well.
Bulls-eye in the well.
Whats the difference?
No difference.
As the saying goes,
lt was fun while it lasted.
I wonder what it feels like.
- What?
- Cold steel.
They tell me its over pretty quick.
I never did tell you
what my first name was.
No, what is it?
Osmond.
Right, its a funny name.
Thats okay.
Hope somebody finds this.
Finds what?
- My tag.
- Why?
If they dont find it,
lm missing.
If they do find it, lm dead.
If lm missing,
nobody will know lm dead.
If lm dead,
nobody will know lm missing.
I might as well be dead.
Here they come.
It looks like theyre all
coming this time.
Okay, Osmond, this is it.
Why dont they finish it?
Come on and take us!
Were waiting for you.
Come on and get it over with!
Come on, we aint surrendering!
Water.
Youre giving guns for water.
Go ahead, there it is!
Drink all you can find.
Go on, take it!
There it is!
Roll in it, swim in it!
Drink till it rolls out
of your ears. Go ahead!
Drink till it splits your guts.
Its full of water.
The shells opened up the well.
Its a blooming miracle.
Thats just what it is.
Get down there and
take their guns away.
Let them drink, then line them up.
Lll cover you from here.
Its an American tank.
With some German prisoners.
Send some men to pick them up.
Its them! Theyre coming
to meet us. She made it!
Hi, sarge.
Its good to see you.
Hows Lulubelle?
Hello, boys!
Tell us about it.
We had a crummy old time of it.
- Hi, Waco.
- Hi, Joe.
You got a butt?
Crummy-looking bunch you got here.
Howd you get them?
They just walked in.
I see you whittled them down a bit.
They whittled us down too.
Jimmy?
How was it? Pretty rough?
Pretty rough.
Lve been out of this war
for a few days. Whats going on?
The limeys held the Jerries
at El Alamein.
Too bad they didnt know about it.
Theyd want to know.
Halliday.
Doyle.
Tambul.
Williams.
Stegman.
Frenchie.
Clarkson.
We stopped them at El Alamein.
Repeat message.
U.S. Tank detachment Unit 5. Repeat.
- Over to you, over.
- No code.
Retreat has been ordered
in all sectors.
Surviving units note that
points east, west and north...
...are under enemy control.
Over to you.
I dont understand. To the south?
All points east, west and north
under enemy control.
Okay, but what do we do?
Whats the order?
Good luck to you, Yank.
Over to you.
What?
Good luck to you, Yank.
In your own language, scram!
Okay. Why didnt you say so
in the first place?
Hey, sarge! Hey, sarge!
Sergeant Gunn!
Hurry up, sarge!
Orders came through. Hurry up!
Okay, keep your shirt on!
All right, Waco?
Lets go!
Hey, sarge!
We got to get out of here, and quick!
It just came over. East, west
and north under enemy control.
General retreat ordered.
East, west and north.
They got us boxed in.
Thats south, but theres
nothing there but sand and rock.
Any place is healthier than this.
Lets move!
Come down here and give us a hand!
Whatll we do if we cant get
this cement mixer rolling?
Lay off that cement mixer stuff.
Give me that gadget.
Get in there.
Hold that down while I bolt it.
Think shell pull us out?
It depends on the way we handle her.
Its like a dame.
But no dame ever said
anything as sweet...
...as this motor will sound
when she gets rolling.
Keep that up and
theyre liable to hit us.
There.
That ought to hold her.
All right, get around.
Start it up.
Hes got a touch like an elephant.
He dont feed her enough.
Its like a dame. Dont feed them,
they wont do nothing.
Thats no way to treat her.
Let me in there.
Okay, Joe.
Shes dead.
Five he starts it?
You got a bet.
Come on now, baby.
Get going and get us out of here.
Lll buy you the sweetest coat
of paint you ever had in your life.
Come on now, Lulubelle, lets go.
Hatch is up.
Sarge, two guys ahead.
- What do you make of them?
- They look British.
It might be a Nazi trick.
Remember that phony white flag
at Bir Hacheim?
I wouldnt bet they were British
if they waved a roast beef.
Keep them covered
till I find out who they are.
Master Sergeant Gunn,
U.S. Army Tank Detachment.
Captain Halliday,
Royal Army Medical Corps.
Nice to see you.
I had 42 wounded there.
When the Stukas finished with us,
I had 42 dead.
These men were kind enough
to help search the wreckage.
It was no use.
What are you looking at?
Oh, help yourself.
Merci bien. American cigarette,
I dont see for a long time.
Pass them around.
- Talks like a Yank.
- How else would I talk?
Weve been expecting
you a long time.
Ours was one of
the first tanks here.
How many men do you have, sergeant?
Two. Radioman and machine gunner.
I lost the rest of my crew.
I suppose youre trying
to rejoin your detachment?
Lts too late.
- Too late?
- What are you talking about?
Havent you heard?
A general retreats been ordered.
Thats not true!
Listen to that firing.
Our chaps are still at it
not far away.
Theyre mopping up
whats left of them.
If we cut south far enough
we can hook up with another outfit.
You dont know that part of the
desert. Its the worst in Libya.
You wont get anywhere in that scow.
Soon as its daylight, theyll
blast the gizzards out of her.
Lm sorry you feel that way about her.
A good tank with a full crew has
a better chance than men on foot.
- Thats a matter of opinion.
- Theyll get you.
- Well get them first.
- For what they did to the hospital.
Ld sooner stick it out
than run away in a tin hearse.
Theres three things
wrong with that statement.
First, were not running,
were obeying orders.
Second, shes not made of tin
and third, shes no hearse.
Shes an M3 that can cross
200 miles of desert...
...as easy youd walk around that
Piccadilly Circus of yours.
Lm not going to argue with you.
Stick around,
let the Nazis mop you up.
Spend the rest of the war
in a Berlin prison camp, but not me.
When I go into Berlin,
lll be riding that tank.
Same one thats standing there with
the name Lulubelle on her.
Sergeant!
Lll go with you.
What makes you want to go?
I like your cigarettes.
All right. Get inside.
Lm sorry I blew up just now, sir.
But that crack that guy made
about my tank kind of burned me.
Shes a good tank.
Lll tell you again.
We got it over the radio.
Were surrounded.
The only way out is south.
Thats the way were going.
Good luck, sir.
Wait a minute, sergeant!
Were coming with you!
Hurry up!
Here you are, sir.
Come on, fellas!
Lts a peculiar thing.
A sergeant is the same
in every army in the world.
What?!
A sergeants the same
in every army in the world!
You dont know Joe.
Hes a smart guy.
I dont think the sergeant
is a very tender man.
I dont think the sergeant
is a very tender man.
But he named his tank
after someone he loves.
- Yeah, a horse!
- A what?
A horse!
He loves a horse.
Sarge was in the cavalry way back.
- The what?
- The cavalry!
The cavalry.
Something wrong?
I think I cut the mixture a
little too thin, trying to save gas.
Hes making a mistake,
going this direction.
The sarge knows what hes doing.
Yes, the sergeants a genius!
Hes a miracle man.
When we run out of water, he strikes a
rock like Moses and water falls out.
He hits it twice and
the waters turned into wine.
Suppose we get stuck in this
graveyard without any water.
Waco, open that hatch, will you?
All right, come down for a while.
Whats the matter, Waco?
The motor.
Starving you to death, huh?
We got to save gas,
same as we save water.
Sarge, got to grease the wheels.
Make it quick,
we got to keep moving.
Try that radio again, Jimmy.
Well go in a minute.
Eat something,
and drink 1l3 cup of water.
Be sure to measure with the cup.
Get anything?
Nothing but static and Heil Hitler!
No contact, so we dont know
where the army will be.
At the worst, the line
will be anchored at Tobruk.
- We should circle like this.
- Will our petrol hold out?
I figure we got about enough
for 160 miles.
Water, lm worried about.
Lve got to find one of those wells.
They call them wells on the map.
But most of them are only
dried up mudholes full of sand.
Wish I could put my feet
in a nice big bucket of water.
Must be 1000 centigrade
in these boots.
My throat needs it
worse than my feet.
- I suffer from corns.
- Lm fed up with your feet.
So am I.
Been fed up with them for years.
- Did you finish, Waco?
- Not yet.
Why you call him Waco?
Lts a city in Texas.
We call it The City With a Soul.
Why?
Come to think of it,
I never figured why.
We got a sign on the biggest building:
City With a Soul.
How about another city
with a soul? Paris.
You from Paris, Frenchie?
No, but for every Frenchman,
Paris is the soul. La France.
All my life
lve wanted to go to Paris.
Sometime, maybe well go there.
Ld like to go home.
You fellas like to see
a photo of a beautiful girl?
- Shes pretty. Whats her name?
- Kathy.
Very nice.
Shes a corker.
I told you to measure
that water in a cup.
- I wasnt thinking.
- Lll do the thinking for you.
Frenchie, bring the canteens to me.
Weve got our own officer.
Lll take my orders from him.
Lm glad you brought
that up, Williams.
Lve something to say
to the men, sergeant.
Weve only one purpose.
To save ourselves
so that we can fight again.
Weve got to work together
and have discipline.
Sergeant Gunn was in command
when we joined him.
Hes an experienced soldier...
...and it seems proper to ask him
to continue in that capacity.
I shall confer with him on the safety
and conduct of the expedition...
...but immediate authority
will rest with him.
My canteen, sergeant.
Thank you, sir.
Here you are, Frenchie.
What do you make of them?
Thats what lm trying to figure out.
Hey, Waco.
Fire shots in front of them.
That ought to turn them back into us.
Thats a British Sudanese
with an Italian prisoner.
I think hes going to fight us.
Give me something white to wave.
Make it snappy.
It is true, Bimbashi.
I thought ld captured an enemy tank.
Whered you get this prisoner?
At Bir Hacheim.
A column of many tanks and
many machines attacked us there.
All my company died in battle.
I alone escaped.
It was then I captured...
...this man to carry my pack.
What is your name?
Sergeant Major Tambul.
Force Sudanese Battalion.
You know this desert?
Yes, sergeant.
Is it all like this?
Yes, all that way...
...worse for tank.
Deep sand?
And salt marshes.
Only one caravan trail. Very old.
- Hard to follow.
- Where does it lead?
To the well at Hassan Barrani.
You think you could find it again?
I think I can.
I will try.
Get your pack off and get on top.
Jimmy, throw down a ration.
The rest get back in place.
Waco, start her up.
Were moving on right now.
Look!
Those birds know
just when to show up.
They can smell death ahead of time.
Anybody know what hes babbling?
I speak English.
Speak very good.
Dont leave me here.
Take me with you.
Sorry, we got no room.
I learn English in school in Torino.
And I learn Americano
from reading the letters.
Its the cousin of
the uncle of mia moglie.
Thats my wife, signore.
She got an uncle
whose cousin live in America...
...and he write all the time.
He tell about the big mountain,
the big building, the big art.
Everything big in America!
Waco, wind her up.
Were moving on.
I show you letter.
I got a letter from my wife.
She told me she get a letter...
...from the cousin of the uncle.
He work now in Pittsburgh, USA.
In the steel factory.
Maybe he make the steel
for this tank in Pittsburgh, USA.
And, signore...
...I show you picture.
I got no time to look at pictures.
Hes right.
Its stupid to have pity in war.
You kill in a fight. Not like this.
I know better than you.
- Lve been fighting them since 1936.
- 36?
Spain.
Theres no pity.
My wife and bambina.
Thats my baby.
Its a nice picture.
You must be very proud of them.
Lll see what I can do.
I wish youd change your mind.
This man is a prisoner of war.
As such, hes entitled
to certain rights.
Weve got to take him.
We cant leave him to die.
If we asked the men, theyd agree.
Theyd agree now.
What about when theyre starving
and dying of thirst?
You put me in command to look ahead.
- This is a matter of a mans life!
- Youre wrong.
Its a matter of
the lives of 10 men.
We got a long ways to go.
We need every crumb of food
and drop of water.
Lm taking the Sudanese
because hes a British soldier.
But I wont take on
a load of spaghetti!
He walked this far, and
he can walk back.
Thats the end of it.
What are you waiting for?
Wind her up.
Okay, Joe.
You better get in, Doc.
Lm sorry.
Dont leave me here to die.
I swear, I work for you.
I dont drink your water...
...I dont eat your food.
Dont leave me here.
Stop!
Come on. Come on!
Hold your fire.
Let the blighter have it.
I could squash him like a fly.
No, let him think
were out of ammunition.
Blasted him out of the sky!
You men all right down there?
Yes, Bimbashi.
Tambul, follow me!
Doc, come along in case
that guy dont speak English.
- Lll come with you, Tambul.
- Heres your gun!
Drop that gun!
You heard me, drop it!
Whatd he say?
My Germans a little rusty,
but I think I got the sense of it.
He said we havent got a chance.
He wants us to be his prisoners.
Is he crazy?
Ask him if he speaks English.
He says no.
He didnt know Americans were here.
A surprise for you, Fritzie.
- We saved it for you, special.
- Search him.
- Whats eating him?
- He wants someone else to do it.
He does, does he? Why?
He doesnt want to be touched
by an inferior race.
Tell him not to worry
about his being black.
It wont come off on his uniform.
Search him.
A knife.
And this.
Thats what I thought.
What do you make of that, Doc?
It says an offer has been made
to the British Army.
Raise the white flag
and give up your arms.
We have proved the British are led
by incompetents and idiots.
- Whats that?
- The fall of...
...Tobruk!
Whats that about Tobruk?
Hes lying like his blasted Fhrer!
Lll teach him to lie!
Signore Sergeante!
Somebody is hurt.
The German, he shoot.
Bring him along
and pick up that chute.
Bring some water.
- Wheres Halliday?
- What happened?
Take it easy, fella.
We didnt know he was lying there.
Hes hurt so bad he couldnt speak.
Get the first-aid kit, please.
Move him into the shade.
Very gently.
Take it easy.
Thats it.
Did you get him?
Dont try to talk now.
Well fix you up, all right.
How is he, Doc?
Hes badly shot
but he may pull through.
We cant hang around here any longer.
- Is it safe to move him?
- Yes, if we take it easy.
We got to move quickly,
after what the German said.
Maybe hes right.
Doyle, get on that radio.
Yes, sarge.
What will we do with this prisoner?
There is no doubt
we have too many in this tank.
Here is another mouth
that asks for water.
I dont mean we can leave him here
in this desert to die.
My heart is very soft for this Nazi.
Let me have a little talk with him.
Lll march him behind the hill...
...there.
When youre ready to go,
lll come back alone.
Corporal, you got a lot to learn.
This is a Nazi.
Maybe you find out.
Its like a mad dog.
Maybe. But hes won a lot of prizes.
Ld like to turn him
over to headquarters.
If we can get there ourselves!
Well keep him
as long as we can, then see.
In the meantime...
...hes in your charge.
Thank you.
Did you get anything?
- The Germans got Tobruk.
- I know. Anything else?
Theyre attacking Sidi Barrani.
Were still falling back,
trying to reform our lines.
What are you smiling at?
You look like you understood
every word he said.
Doc, ask him what he was smiling at.
He thinks its funny...
...we want to fight
with this curious detachment.
Wipe that smile off your puss...
...or lll knock your teeth
through your head. Verstehen?
All right, boys, we move on.
Every minute were here,
our chance of getting through is less.
He may be lying about Germans in the
neighborhood, but we cant tell.
Weve got to go ahead
as if it was the truth.
- Tambul!
- Yes, sergeant.
How far are those wells?
About 60 to 70 miles.
It is there.
- How far?
- What, sergeant?
How far?
There, ahead!
You will see as we go down this hill.
- How is he?
- Hes pretty bad, sir.
Whats he saying?
Sounds like his girls name, sir.
- Give him some water.
- Cant, sir.
Not a drop left.
Bone dry.
It is so in the desert.
One season there is cool, clear
water, like lakes in the mountains.
Another time...
...nothing.
Just a lot of sand.
Whats funny?
Just thinking.
When we were kids,
the biggest treat...
...was to play on the beach
in the sand.
How far is it to the next well?
About 50 miles, sergeant.
At the ruins of Bir Acroma.
It is south.
Hello, Kathy.
I miss...
Captain Halliday, sir.
Captain Halliday!
He keeps talking to his girl, Kathy.
Hes gone.
Its tough.
He did it!
Let him alone, Stegman.
Battle order of the Army.
Do not retreat anotherinch.
Cairo and Alexandria
must be defended.
The Army will stand and fight...
...north ofEl Khattara
on the El Alamein line.
Scattered units are ordered...
...to report to
their commands immediately.
We need every man
and every machine.
Report to your commands.
Re-form yourlines.
Report to your commands.
Hurry.
Thats it ahead, sergeant.
Thats it ahead, sergeant.
Right!
Left.
You hear that, Joe?
Shes missing, aint she?
I wonder how much longer
shell keep going.
So do I.
Clarkson, back there.
Maybe he was lucky!
There, straight ahead!
Bir Acroma!
Come on down, guys.
Everybody take cover inside.
Come on, Jimmy. On your feet!
How is it, Jim?
Okay, Joe.
Wheres that well?
Somewhere near the building.
Inside the wall, sergeant.
All right, men.
Spread out and look for that well!
Stick along with me.
Sure took a beating,
didnt you, old girl?
Bimbashi!
The well! The well!
Around here.
You better go down and look.
Send down a bucket.
Theres still water dripping!
- Something to catch it!
- Its going to waste.
Bring up a couple of cans
and rope from the tank.
Heads up! Here it comes.
Pull it up slowly.
Careful!
What a beautiful sight.
Real water.
Easy now. Dont spill a drop.
Three swallows for everybody.
Three swallows. No more.
Here you are, Jimmy.
Stegman, take Frenchies place.
Three swallows.
Giuseppe!
- Three swallows.
- Three swallows.
For the German.
Everybody gets three swallows.
Yes, sergeant.
Were considering going
to this other well.
But we must be sure that
well find enough water there.
At Bir Acroma, there has been water
in sufficient quantities.
But it means going
130 kilometers out of our way.
These men need water badly,
HerrKapitn.
Your machines may get through
without more water...
...but you take a serious risk
with the men.
Go with Sergeant Krauses
advance party.
Show them the way to Bir Acroma.
The battalion will follow in an hour.
We must get water.
Hows it coming?
Very good, sergeant, very nice.
Any way to squeeze it out quicker?
It takes its own time.
You cannot milk it like a cow.
Well stay until we get
all the water we can carry.
We got to, but its tough
to waste all that time.
Bates, stand by here.
Waco, lets clean Lulubelle out.
The rest of you,
go over your equipment.
Stegman, on lookout.
That water helped, didnt it?
Couldnt have lasted much longer.
Keep a sharp lookout,
especially toward those hills.
If trouble comes,
itll come from there.
Watch for planes.
Signore.
I would like to help you.
You know about motors?
I was maestro mechanic in Torino.
You got a job.
Frenchie...
...let the Italian come around here.
Let me take your place.
No, it isnt necessary.
How is it coming?
Lm afraid it drops more slowly.
You never can tell about these wells.
Have a cigarette.
Thanks.
How long you been in the army?
Twenty years.
My father and his father
before him were soldiers.
All my family have been soldiers.
My folks were always farmers.
You know where Texas is?
It must be very far.
Yes, sir. Lm going back there
when this is finished.
- I got married just before I left.
- Good.
Good? Lts better than that.
But you fellas feel
differently about marrying.
The boys were telling me...
...you Mohammedans
have as many as 300 wives.
The Prophet tells us four wives
are sufficient for a true believer.
Why four?
The Prophet says one wife
makes a miserable life...
...because she gets bored.
And two wives make a mess
of your life also.
For they always quarrel and
you never know which one is right.
And three wives are bad too.
Two always take sides
against a third.
Now, four wives makes real happiness.
How?
Two and two are company
for each other.
And the man, he has his rest.
It sounds all right.
You got four?
No, I have only one.
Whats holding you back?
If you had this law in your Texas,
would you have four wives?
No, my wife wouldnt like that.
It is the same with me.
My wife, she would not like it.
You sure learn things in the army!
Yes, we both have much
to learn from each other.
I understand. That guy Mussolini
you got over there, he doesnt?
II Duce, hes a big man.
He speaks like a thunderstorm.
And you guys believe him?
He tells me he knows best.
Everywhere, he writes his mottos.
On the walls, on the street...
So we got him in the brain.
We must believe these mottos.
What does that mean?
Obey. Believe. Work.
Obey? Work for what?
Not so much now, Signore.
But Mussolini say, by and by,
everything is going to be all right.
He says its going to be all right.
He thinks hes God, dont he?
Yeah, he think.
But I think maybe...
...Hitler is God...
...and Mussolini is just his prophet.
Dont you worry. Someday
that guy will blow up and bust.
For some people, its all right
to laugh at il Duce.
But when you got a wife and baby,
its no good to laugh.
My little Giuseppina.
Such a small bambina.
Eyes, big like this.
Shes beautiful.
Everybody say she look just like me.
Well, dont tell her.
No, I dont.
Sure, lm going to tell her!
How do you spell oasis?
O-A-S-l-S.
Scientifically, this isnt an oasis.
My wife aint scientific.
Lm saying lm on green grass
with palm trees waving overhead.
You know you cant post
a letter here.
I promised her ld write home
every week, if I wasnt dead.
Well, I aint dead.
I should write to my mother.
What part of South Africa
do you come from?
A dorp near Kimberley.
Dorp? Whats that?
A village.
Its a fine country.
Theres always a soft breeze
blowing across the veldt.
Sounds good. But personally,
I think lll stick to Brooklyn.
I was born in Sussex,
but we moved to a little farm...
...in Yorkshire.
Lm from London.
Lm from Dublin.
What part of the States are you from?
No place.
Just the Army.
In my village, we had
the finest cheese.
- What kind of cheese?
- From my village. Moulin-Merillac.
What its like?
A sort of Brie or Camembert?
Theres no village like mine.
There is no cheese like we make.
You should have such a meal!
You take a knife.
Here, you have a little cheese,
a little bread.
Then you wash your throat with wine.
Then a little cheese.
And a little onion.
Good! A little onion.
A little bread, a little wine.
A little cheese, a little bread.
A little wine, a little onion.
A little cheese, a little bread.
Lay off! You had enough.
I feel better.
All this is no more.
Six months ago lm in my village,
but I dont know it.
There is no cheese!
How do you make cheese without milk?
How do you make milk without cows?
We had fine cows with the brown face
and the white neck.
The Nazis take these cows.
They cut the throat with a knife.
There is no more cheese
and milk for the children.
You were in occupied
France six months ago?
- Why were you there?
- He worked with the underground.
I learned from the channel.
I have seen 12 people executed.
Hostages. The mayor,
who has a white beard...
...Madame Michelet was
as big like a jelly...
...Monsieur Le Pecq,
who teaches the school...
...Rosalie, who has
hair like sunshine.
I can do nothing.
So lm no good for the underground.
Too much hate in my eyes!
So I come here.
I wish only to kill...
...to pay back for my village!
Theres something headed this way!
See the cloud of dust?
Moving fast.
German scout car.
Keep your eye on them.
Keep down so they cant see you.
Leroux, get the Italian inside!
Bates, bring those canteens
back to the tank.
The rest of you men take cover.
Come on, get in.
You speak English?
- Coming our way?
- Straight for us.
All right, watch them.
- Where are they?
- Behind that hill, coming right at us.
Waco and Jim,
get behind that ridge.
Hold your fire! I want prisoners.
The rest of you, keep down.
You understand what they say,
dont you?
You speak English.
Then you can speak with me.
Shut up!
When the time comes,
I will tell you what to do.
Sheik Ali, Hans, mirnach.
What happened?
There was shooting,
then there was nothing.
Be quiet!
Ask him what regiment.
Ask him where their outfit is.
This aint getting us nowhere.
Bates, bring me up some water.
Tell them to take their hands down.
- What do you make of that?
- Nothing.
All right, take him away.
Ask him again what his outfit is.
Ask him if hes thirsty.
Tell him he can have water
only if he talks.
Theyre lost, separated
from their company.
Tell him hes lying.
Only if you talk.
Keep asking him.
We got to break him.
Come on, talk!
Theyre an advance party...
...of a battalion cutting southeast
across the Egyptian border.
Light, motorized units,
no tanks, but about 500 men.
Theyve had no water in days.
Theyre told theyll get
all the water they want here.
Heres your water.
Go on, take it.
Sergeant Gunn!
Sergeant Gunn!
Just as I expected,
the well has gone dry.
How much have we got?
Nine and a quarter cans.
It dont matter,
because were leaving.
Itll be a good joke on the Jerries
when they get here.
Wouldnt have minded
seeing their faces.
Whatd you say?
I wouldnt mind seeing their faces
when they get here.
Thats right.
Maybe we ought to see their faces.
Any water within 100 miles?
Not from here, but the first well?
- Anything in sight?
- Nothing, sarge, not a thing.
Hey, Doc, Williams, Stegman!
I got a lot to say,
and not much time to say it.
We found out those Germans
are part of a battalion...
...stuck back at the first well,
badly in need of water.
Think of a battalion
so in need of water...
...they got to come 70 miles
off their line of march.
Suppose they got held up long enough
for us to send a message?
How?
Suppose we send
the two Germans to tell them...
...theres water here.
Suppose we hold them up
for two or three days...
...while they try to get it.
Theres just one thing wrong
with that plan. Here we are.
Here are the Germans
and heres what happens.
You hit it right on the nose.
Its 100-to-1 shot.
We could clear out of here quick.
With some luck, get through
German lines and back to ours.
If we did get back there,
they might even give us a medal.
If we stay here...
...maybe nobody will ever know
what happened here.
Or if it is worthwhile...
...or if it is all wasted.
I realize its not common sense,
9 men fighting off 500.
Still, its the duty of every man
in the Army to do everything he can.
Excuse me, sir.
Nine of us with peashooters
doesnt make any sense.
If its our duty to delay
this column, why all the talk?
Just give us our orders.
That brings us down to cases.
I look at it this way.
Because its 100-to-1 shot...
...because its much more
than line of duty...
...because theres so little chance
of us coming out of it...
...I felt I ought to put up to you.
Youve all got families at home.
Wives, mothers and sweethearts.
I aint got none,
so it doesnt matter about me.
I know how you feel about them.
Whatever you decide,
you better decide quick.
Lll speak for Waco and Jimmy myself.
Nobody minds giving his life,
but this is throwing it away. Why?
Why did your people go
about their business in London...
...when the Germans threw
everything at them?
Why did your boats take the men
off the beach at Dunkirk?
Why did the Russians
make a stand at Moscow?
Why did the Chinese move whole cities
thousands of miles inland...
...when the Japs attacked them?
Why Bataan?
Why Corregidor?
Maybe they were all nuts.
But theres one thing they did do:
They kept delaying the enemy...
...until we got strong enough
to hit them hard.
I aint no general...
...but it seems to me
thats one way to win.
If all I said...
...dont answer your question...
...then somebody tell me why.
Lm for staying.
- Lll stay.
- Me too, sarge.
It may surprise you, professor,
to know that youre the one man...
...I was absolutely counting on.
Mind you, its against
my better judgement.
Then I know lm right.
What about you, Frenchie?
I still like your cigarettes.
All right, on your feet.
Stand up.
Hey, Doc!
Tell him were sending him back.
The other fellow told us the truth.
Tell him were lost too.
We need food, they need water.
Its a fair exchange.
No use fighting about it.
Water for food.
Shut that man up!
He knows English.
He tried to warn them.
Youre playing a game?
You can call it that.
If he moves again, shoot him.
I shall be happy to, sergeant.
You know he talked English?
I just found out.
Why didnt you tell me?
I was afraid.
Lm like a man who fights his shadow.
You give me water, I eat your food.
I swear I will do nothing wrong.
I give you my parola.
Thats my word.
We got to work fast.
I want that tank dug in,
and slip trenches.
Thats William, Stegman and Bates.
Take the Italian along to help out.
All right, Doc, go ahead.
Waco, start them on their way
and then bring up the half-track.
Go on, beat it!
- How is it coming?
- Shes almost full.
- How many you got left?
- A little over five canteens.
And this is for you on the road.
Take it, Waco.
Okay, Tambul.
Got it filled?
Pretty sure of yourself.
I like to travel.
It broadens the mind.
I wish you wasnt so cocky about it.
You think I cant make it?
I aint saying.
Lll take a bet on it.
- Even money?
- Why not?
I got an even chance of getting there.
Lm eating British mess tomorrow.
Heres five says you wont.
Heres ten says I will.
Thats a sucker bet.
If I lose, I wont need the ten.
All right, Waco.
Joe will hold the money.
Okay, Waco, get going!
You got to make it.
Tell them we need help
if they can send it.
Dont worry, I can make it.
I can make this thing
stand up and howl.
So long, fellas.
I got to mail a letter.
Now right.
Turn it more to the right.
Now straight ahead.
Its a good thing the Jerries
had mines in this scout car.
Theyre coming over the hills.
Thats right.
Here are your belts.
Cover yourself, Frenchie,
and watch that German.
Around that corner,
back of the wall.
- Everything all set here?
- All set, Joe.
Hold your fire till they get
to the top of that ridge!
- Hey, Doc!
- Right!
Jimmy!
- Bates!
- Lm here!
All right, Frenchie?
- Tambul!
- Fine, sergeant.
Stegman!
I think I saw something
white out there.
Sarge, theyre showing a white flag!
We said wed make a deal with them.
It looks like our trick is working.
Lll see what they want. They can
do the translating themselves.
Watch yourself.
You cant tell with these blighters.
Dont trust them, Joe.
Its a trick.
Lll be all right. You just
stay there and keep me covered.
Major Hans Von Falken.
Gunn, United States Army.
You have come a long way to pull
British chestnuts out of the fire.
We dont mind. We like chestnuts.
Dont want them to burn.
Very good.
You didnt come to crack jokes.
What do you want?
Can you negotiate?
Wheres your captain?
Lts around 5:00. You know how
those Britishers are about their tea.
I understand you propose to
give us water in exchange for food.
We thought you only had about 30 men.
You knew there was a battalion.
The soldier who gave
the information confessed.
Hes been executed.
Isnt it still possible
to come to an agreement?
Whats the deal?
Surrender, and
youll be free to go...
...with as much water and food
as you can carry.
We like it here.
Were pretty well fixed.
Plenty of water and a lot more food
than we thought we had.
Lll make you an offer.
Water for guns.
For every rifle, lll give you a pint.
For the mortar, a quart.
For all your rifles, lll give you
water enough for all your men.
Lve heard you Americans
have a great sense of...
...humor.
Lll give you a last chance.
You can save your life,
and the lives of your men.
You heard my offer.
Water for guns.
Howd you make out?
- He spoke English pretty good.
- Whatd he say?
They think we got so much water
were swimming in it.
Theyre worse off
than we thought they were.
Theyll let us go
if we give them water.
Do you think Wacos reached
a British outpost yet?
- Its possible.
- Maybe theyre on the way.
I can see them crowding around,
clapping him on the back...
...giving him glasses
of ice cold water.
Theyre getting anxious.
Just got two of them.
Good, but take it easy, will you?
If we keep on, well be
on our last belt by tomorrow.
Isnt it enough to get two?
Got to get 10 with every shot
before lm satisfied.
Heres your water.
Time to strike the rock.
Whats that about a rock?
The other day,
I was making fun of you.
I said youll perform a miracle.
Strike a rock and water
will run out or maybe champagne.
The only miracle I know is the
one you get by working for it.
I wish a miracle would cure my corn.
Why? Gives you something
to think about.
Lve got plenty to think about.
Lve just been working on a problem.
What kind of a problem?
You might call it a project.
A project?
Lm planning on how
to irrigate this desert.
What, all of it?
Why not? Turn it into
a blooming garden.
Aint a bad idea.
Theres plenty of water,
only its not in the right places.
It just stands about,
waiting for people to drown in it.
You feeling all right?
As I remember,
you can irrigate one acre...
...with about 15,000
cubic feet of water.
Youre nuts.
- Whered you learn all that?
- Lm a typesetter by profession.
You learn by reading
while youre setting type?
Nothing like it for an education.
Lve set type for about 5000 books.
Prose and poetry.
You wouldnt believe it,
but lm very partial to poetry.
A book of verses underneath a bough,
a jug of wine and...
It was 100-to-1 shot, Williams.
Now is the time!
We must reach the German camp
to tell them there is no water here.
No, I cannot do this.
We have only to overpower one man.
Maybe we can take the machine gun
and kill them all!
I do not want to.
I got no hate for these men.
It is not for you to decide.
Lm not going.
This place will soon be taken.
If you refuse to help me now,
I will denounce you as a traitor.
Denounce me then.
Italians are not like Germans.
Only the body wears the uniform,
not the soul.
Mussolini is not so clever,
like Hitler.
He dresses Italians up only to look
like thieves, cheats, murderers.
He cannot, like Hitler,
make them feel like that.
He cannot, like Hitler,
scrape from their conscience...
...the knowledge of right and wrong...
...or plant in their heads
his own Ten Commandments.
Steal from thy neighbor.
Cheat and kill thy neighbor.
You dare to insult the Fhrer?
That would take an artist.
I am but a mechanic.
But are my eyes blind...
...that I must fall to my knees
to worship a maniac...
...who has made of my country
a concentration camp?
Who has made of my people, slaves?
Must I kiss the hand that beats me,
lick the boot that kicks me? No!
Ld rather spend my whole life
living in this dirty hole...
...than escape to fight again
for things I do not believe...
...against people I do not hate.
And for your Hitler...
...its because of a man
like him that God...
...my God, created hell.
German escaped.
Tell them, no water.
I lost him.
Lll get him, sergeant.
There he comes.
He hasnt got a chance.
Dirty!
He got the Heinie.
Bates, this is for you.
How are you, Leroux?
How are you feeling?
Fit as a fiddle.
The sergeant say this is
to last through next week.
Sergeant likes his little joke.
In all the world, theres nothing...
Free French Corporal Leroux,
parlementaire.
Major Von Falken.
I was the only one he could send.
The others are bathing.
Be careful, its all weve got.
Ld give plenty to see the expression
on that Heinies puss.
Very impressive.
And the rest?
All dead?
Well make no further attempt
to take the well, if we get water.
This is my last offer.
Report it to your commander.
You are very generous.
But my sergeant did not say
wed like to hear your terms.
He said maybe you would like
to hear his terms once again.
For every rifle you send,
he will send a pint of water.
One rifle, one pint.
Two rifles, two pints.
Three rifles...
Enough of this nonsense!
If you dont like these terms
and you still want the water...
...then you must come and get it.
Fire!
Frenchie was right.
We dont know the Nazis.
They did shoot him in the back.
Come on in, Doc.
Sorry I cant give you a tall one.
- Hows Jimmy doing?
- Running low on ammunition.
- Lf we run out, whatll we fight with?
- Bayonets, gun butts, fists.
How long can four of us
keep on that way?
I dont know, Doc.
I have to admit,
it sounds impossible...
...but we got to do it.
Somebody will have to work a miracle.
A miracle?
What kind of a miracle?
You got me there, Doc.
Four of us holding off
several hundred of them...
...is nothing short of a miracle.
You know why were able to do it?
Because were stronger than they are.
What do you mean?
I dont mean in numbers.
I mean something else.
Those men out there
have never known...
...the dignity of freedom.
Dignity?
Thats a funny way to put it.
Maybe you got something there.
Weve all got something.
Joe, lm hit!
- Can you make it inside, Jim?
- Lll try.
Youve got to. Come on.
Up!
Get down!
Youll be all right.
Its going to take a lot more
than this to kill me.
Thats the spirit.
Never say die.
Water!
Got to make it.
Somebodys lying there.
Is he dead?
Hes an American.
That was a close one.
They got the well.
Bulls-eye in the well.
Whats the difference?
No difference.
As the saying goes,
lt was fun while it lasted.
I wonder what it feels like.
- What?
- Cold steel.
They tell me its over pretty quick.
I never did tell you
what my first name was.
No, what is it?
Osmond.
Right, its a funny name.
Thats okay.
Hope somebody finds this.
Finds what?
- My tag.
- Why?
If they dont find it,
lm missing.
If they do find it, lm dead.
If lm missing,
nobody will know lm dead.
If lm dead,
nobody will know lm missing.
I might as well be dead.
Here they come.
It looks like theyre all
coming this time.
Okay, Osmond, this is it.
Why dont they finish it?
Come on and take us!
Were waiting for you.
Come on and get it over with!
Come on, we aint surrendering!
Water.
Youre giving guns for water.
Go ahead, there it is!
Drink all you can find.
Go on, take it!
There it is!
Roll in it, swim in it!
Drink till it rolls out
of your ears. Go ahead!
Drink till it splits your guts.
Its full of water.
The shells opened up the well.
Its a blooming miracle.
Thats just what it is.
Get down there and
take their guns away.
Let them drink, then line them up.
Lll cover you from here.
Its an American tank.
With some German prisoners.
Send some men to pick them up.
Its them! Theyre coming
to meet us. She made it!
Hi, sarge.
Its good to see you.
Hows Lulubelle?
Hello, boys!
Tell us about it.
We had a crummy old time of it.
- Hi, Waco.
- Hi, Joe.
You got a butt?
Crummy-looking bunch you got here.
Howd you get them?
They just walked in.
I see you whittled them down a bit.
They whittled us down too.
Jimmy?
How was it? Pretty rough?
Pretty rough.
Lve been out of this war
for a few days. Whats going on?
The limeys held the Jerries
at El Alamein.
Too bad they didnt know about it.
Theyd want to know.
Halliday.
Doyle.
Tambul.
Williams.
Stegman.
Frenchie.
Clarkson.
We stopped them at El Alamein.