Original subtitles

London calling... with Frenchmen speaking to their countrymen.

Take a look at that! What a handsome sight...

...the pride of the Third Reich!

The brave sergeant taking coffee to the beachgunners.

So that's a sample of the master race! In a pig's eye!

In this darkest hour, in the gloom of night...

...we must not despair.

For each of us...

...deliverance is coming!

We need mines and obstacles along the whole coast.

How many have been installed?

Four million, Herr Field Marshal.

The work has completely exhausted our troops.

Which would your troops rather be...

...exhausted or dead?

Just look at it, gentlemen.

How calm... how peaceful it is.

A strip of water between England and the Continent...

...between the Allies and us.

But beyond that peaceful horizon... a monster waits!

A coiled spring of men, ships and planes...

...straining to be released against us.

But not a single Allied soldier shall reach the shore.

Whenever or wherever this invasion may come, gentlemen...

...I shall destroy the enemy there... at the water's edge!

The first 24 hours of the invasion will be decisive.

For the Allies as well as the Germans, it will be the longest day...

...the longest day!

The poem by Verlaine?

Play it back!

Frenchmen speaking to their countrymen.

Here are some personal messages.

"The long sobs of the violins of autumn."

"The long sobs of the violins of autumn."

Have you notified all commands?

If Berlin is right, when we intercept the second verse...

...it will mean the invasion will come within 24 hours.

Give me the text of the second verse.

"Wounds my heart with a monotonous languor."

We've intercepted hundreds of messages in the last year... hundreds!

Why should this poem mean more than other messages?

Does it give us any clue as to where they will land and when?

Of course it doesn't.

How can I maintain discipline if I keep my troops on the alert...

...just because a pair of nitwits in Berlin intercept a poem?

No, Blumentritt... no alert!

And especially not in this weather!

Fighter bombers hit the Pas-de- Calais yesterday afternoon.

Nothing much happened last night... the storm.

That's all I'm interested in this morning... the storm.

It came from nowhere... blew my roses to bits.

There are five-foot waves in the Channel...

...and winds of 30 to 40 miles per hour.

For the month of June...

...it's the worst Channel storm in 20 years.

My appointment at Berchtesgaden?

General Jodl will see the F�hrer today...

...and confirm the appointment for you.

Will you still go to Germany as planned?

Can you think of a better time?

The weather is expected to continue like this for another week.

One moment, Colonel Priller.

Why wasn't he court-martialed?

He shot down 132 planes.

Don't call me "Pips, old boy."

You were a rotten pilot when we flew in Russia.

You're flying a desk now, but you're still a rotten pilot!

I'm squatting here on this God-forsaken airfield...

...with only two planes... two stinking crates!

Oh, sure, sure... your orders were followed!

Now my squadrons are God-knows-where!

My supplies are all gone. What am I supposed to do now?

But Pips, we had to disperse our fighter squadrons... we had to!

Look what happened to our airstrips around the Pas-de-Calais!

The whole idea is absolutely idiotic!

You move us back instead of forward!

Sure, I know the weather's lousy and they probably won't invade...

...but what would happen if they did?

I tell you, you're all crazy!

Priller has always been a hothead...

...but let's not underestimate him.

What he says is not entirely illogical.

What's the weather report?

Slightly better over the Channel.

Keep me posted on the weather.

You made my dinner reservations?

Cancel everything.

Shoes for my wife, I had them specially made in Paris...

...for her birthday... tomorrow, the sixth of June.

Why didn't they attack in May? The weather was perfect...

An attack now would be embarrassing.

But I don't think we need worry.

Is the plan ready, sir?

Yes, yes, quite finished.

War games...

...theoretical invasions.

Rush to Rennes just to push little flags around a table.

Playing at war!

Do you win or lose, sir?

Have I ever lost?

But General, this time you play the role of Eisenhower.

I win because I go against the rules.

We expect them to cross at the narrowest part of the Channel...

...and in good weather. But that's too simple... too obvious.

I choose the widest part, in the worst weather... and attack here.

And in bad weather!

Like now...

...bad weather!

A brilliant plan, General. Unorthodox, but brilliant.

Fortunately, it's only a game.

I don't think we have much to worry about.

Eisenhower would never take the gamble.

London calling with messages for our friends.

"Molasses tomorrow will bring forth cognac. "

"John has a long mustache."

"John has a long mustache."

"John has a long mustache!"

"There is a fire at the travel agency."

"Wounds my heart with a monotonous languor. "

The bridge... in forty-five minutes.

Pardon me, General... it's come!

It's the second part of the message.

"Wounds my heart with a monotonous languor."

We can expect the invasion within 24 hours!

Put the Fifteenth Army on full alert.

You know, I'm too old a bunny to get very excited about all this.

Now... where was I...? Oh yes, two spades!

Happy birthday, General... from your staff!

Will you cut the cake, sir?

I trust you don't expect me to eat it, too!

Did you get the list?

Gen. Schlieben of the 709th has already left for the war games.

The Commander of the 243rd left for Rennes at 18:00 hours.

Also, Zimmermann of the 352nd... twelve officers in all.

The weather is bad, so everyone enjoys an extra night in Rennes.

I don't like it.

So many key officers are away at the same time.

I don't know why, but I don't like it.

But the war games have been scheduled for a week...

Yes, for tomorrow... not tonight.

Advise all officers who have not yet left for Rennes...

...to postpone their departure until tomorrow.

May I remind you, General...

...that the Allies have always landed in perfect weather conditions.

North Africa... Sicily... Italy...

Yes, and always at dawn!

I understand. And when will the Field Marshal return?

We are getting reports of strong radar interference...

...and radio reception is jammed.

I realize this has happened before, but never this effectively!

Give my respects to the Field Marshal when he returns.

Call for reinforcements! We're under attack!

...we must hurry!

I'll go.

What are you doing here?

I live in that farm.

Nobody lives in that farm.

Who is with you? I want to know!

Good luck at the war games, General.

Communications reports difficulty in contacting our forward posts.

The Underground again!

Some sort of rubber dummies have been dropped by parachute.

Rubber dummies!

Connect me with General Richter!

We can expect commando raids and other diversionary tactics...

...but I don't like this idea of dummy parachutists.

Are you certain?

How many?

What do you think of it?

Paratroopers...

This is what they dropped, they explode on contact with the earth.

In the dark, they look like soldiers.

Perhaps these are what General Richter saw, not real paratroopers.

When you create a diversion, it's for a reason.

Connect me with General Pemsel!

Dummies...?!

I agree with you, General. I'll call you back.

What about my call to von Rundstedt?

We haven't been able to reach him. The main lines seem to be cut.

They wouldn't drop dummies...

...unless it was to divert our attention from something else.

In this weather?

In any kind of weather!

Where have you come from?

Hello, Pluskat! Do you hear me?

Nothing that I've heard...

The usual bombing, but quite distant.

Flares... but a long way up the coast.

There's probably nothing to it...

...but we have had reports of paratrooper landings.

I'll go to my bunker and take a look.

Louis, open your store. We need more buckets!

Mayor Renaud, you must come with me immediately.

I was on my way to the little house outside...

Suddenly, I saw a man fall from the sky.

He looked like a big white bird!

The parachutist... was he a friend or an enemy?

Anything new?

Heavy bombing over Cherbourg as usual, sir...

...and now near Caen.

The lines to Stations 6 and 8 have been cut...

...but the direct line is open.

I'll stay for a while.

Hundreds of planes have been flying to my left and right.

Now over the Cherbourg peninsula... something must be happening!

But what, Pluskat, what? I haven't the faintest idea.

Has anything been observed on the beaches?

No... nothing.

From the latest reports, this is how I see it:

American paratroopers have landed...

British paratroopers...

The invasion...

General Pemsel is convinced that this is the invasion!

I do not agree with him. This is my conclusion:

Normandy is the objective of a diversionary attack.

It's not the main attack. That will come at the Pas-de-Calais...

...where it was always expected.

Where we always expected it!

But we can't take any chances.

I want the reserve panzers moved up at once!

We need approval from the F�hrer's headquarters.

They wouldn't dare refuse me!

Call the F�hrer's headquarters and insist.

Insist that the panzers be released to me immediately!

An invasion of Normandy would be against all military logic.

It would really be against all logic...

The street...

...the bridge...

...the hotel...

...the casino.

You have been fighting everywhere for four years...

...in Abyssinia, Libya, Egypt, Crete...

But this time you are going to fight on French soil...

...in our fields...

...in our villages...

...under the eyes of our own people.

The F�hrer took a sedative, I won't wake him for these reports.

First we hear that the paratroopers are shot down plane crews.

Next they are identified as mechanical dummies.

If paratroopers have landed...

...it can only be a commando raid.

Is that a sufficient reason to send the panzers to the coast?

I will submit all reports to the F�hrer as soon as he awakens.

Jodl has turned us down.

He will not release the panzers without the F�hrer's approval...

...and the F�hrer is still asleep!

Will you tell von Rundstedt?

No, not now...

This is history!

We are living an historical moment.

We are going to lose the war...

...because the glorious F�hrer has taken a sleeping pill...

...and is not to be awakened.

Think of it, Kurt.

We are witnessing something...

...which historians will always say is completely improbable...

...and yet it is true.

The F�hrer is not to be awakened!

I sometimes wonder whose side God is on.

In my room there is a bottle of excellent cognac...

...Napoleon, unopened.

I was even saving it for a fitting occasion.

This isn't exactly the right occasion, but get it anyway.

Daylight at last.

A whole night wasted again!

Where's my dog?

Let's have one last look.

Not even a seagull...

It's the invasion! There must be five thousand ships out there!

Get hold of yourself, Pluskat.

The enemy doesn't have even half that many.

Well dammit! Come and see for yourself, you fool!

My dear Pluskat, where are these ships heading?

Straight for me!

Soon we shall be engaged in battle.

To drive the enemy out, we must fire on our homeland.

This is the price of liberty.

There he goes, right on time... as usual.

Do you hear me? What's the matter with you? What's going on?

You must be deaf! Can't you...?

Dammit can't you hear it for yourself?

Those five thousand ships you say the Allies haven't got...

...well, they've got them!

The invasion has started! Put yourself on alert at once!

What the hell can I do with only two planes?

Where are the others, you idiots?!

Priller, that's an order! Get ready at once! Understand?

If it isn't too much trouble...

...would you tell me where the invasion is?

Normandy! How delightful!

Thanks my faithful Hans. That's the end for us! So long!

It's getting very difficult to get any sleep around here.

Your prospects for a long sleep are excellent. The invasion has begun.

We're flying there, the two of us.

Nobody else is left.

I don't think we're coming back.

The shelling has stopped.

Landing craft approaching.

Return to headquarters. Direct your troops from there!

Landing craft approaching the coast!

Send this to headquarters by courier.

No! Take it yourself. Tell them our lines are cut!

Follow me. Do everything I do!

Head for home!

The Luftwaffe has had its great moment!

Thank you, dear, they're lovely!

Better try them on first.

Have they a foothold already?

They must be thrown back!

What about the panzer reserves?

Did von Rundstedt obtain their release from the F�hrer?

Normandy!

How stupid of me!

This is madness... madness... sheer madness!

I just talked to General Jodl... the F�hrer is awake.

I don't care if he's awake or not! What about the reserve panzers?

The F�hrer went into one of his tantrums...

...and no one dared bring up the subject.

They're still held in reserve!

Sir, if you would call the F�hrer yourself...

...I am convinced he would respect your views.

Call that Bohemian corporal?!

Crawl on my knees to him?!

No! It is out of the question!

"Wounds my heart with a monotonous languor."

Nothing... nothing of importance.

Tank support! We must have tank support!

I can't get them!

Keep trying! We must have support!

Hold your positions... I'm going for a tank!

Give us as much cover as you can!

Try for the cannon!

You can't stay here!

I am Mother Superior of the convent.

The sisters are qualified nurses.

But Madame... I mean, Mother, we're in the middle of a battle!

Take care of the wounded.

But where is the Luftwaffe?!

I'm trying...

The British troops have a beachhead here. They are moving inland.

The Americans hold Ste-M�re-Eglise and have cut the highway.

We control this center section.

The Americans have landed but their attack has bogged down.

Rommel is right...

If we can hold them on the beaches...

...the invasion will collapse.

No, no! We must regroup according to Plan Six!

I said we must regroup according to Plan Six.

If the panzers arrive, we still have time to use them.

We'll drive to the coast!

Shall we remove the files?

I don't care! I want to get to the front at once... to Normandy!

We must leave. The main highway is under aerial attack.