(Multicom Jingle)
(ship horn blaring)
(slow eerie music)
- You have a good day.
- All right now.
- Swedish!
(military drums music)
What are you doing?
- American, I need help, please.
- Here, no good this way, no.
Okay, you come.
(woman sings in French)
(crowd chattering)
(door knocking)
(speaking in foreign language)
- Is it that obvious?
- Unfortunately, yes.
When does your boat sail?
- In three days, sea days.
- It will be difficult.
All right, ask your captain to take care
of the ship's hostel, like it was the last one.
I must have a good Swedish name.
- Ya.
- What are we going to do with you?
(people chattering)
(laughs)
I meant to tell you, we are not alone.
- Not another one?
- Just another foolish French worker who wants
to see his wife and children.
You will help him.
- It's possible, I suppose.
Is the camera here?
- Yes.
- Smile, for God's sake.
You look an escape convict.
(speaking in foreign language)
Better.
I will develop it myself tomorrow.
There's a Swedish ship in the harbor, set for one.
(speaking in foreign language)
Can we, could we be alone?
- Of course (speaking in foreign language).
I've been dreaming of nothing else all day.
(speaking in foreign language)
(low chattering)
(pair speaking in foreign language)
(tinkly instrumental music)
- How did you sleep, hm?
But of course, you find the whole thing disgusting,
don't you?
Not at all what you understand is cool in Kansas.
Good girls don't do these things, no matter what.
Well, I find myself a little
disgusting sometimes too.
- I don't think that.
I, I'm just sad.
What I really am is jealous.
- Perhaps after the war we all have time for such emotions.
I'm going to wash.
I did not invite you here.
- Why, this room reserved for the enemy?
(face smacks)
(slow instrumental music)
- I always take it wherever I go.
It looks just like my little village in Elsis.
(door knocking)
- It's Hans.
I have the passes.
The Swedish ship leaves at midnight but you won't be on it.
- Hans.
- What a fool I've been, all this time you've been using me.
- No Hans, that isn't so.
This man was brought to me like the others.
What was I supposed to do?
Turn him over to the Gestapo?
- She was so clever and I, fool that I am, did it.
But not this.
I will not help a spy to escape.
- I'm no spy.
I'm a POW.
- It's true-- - Shut up!
Why should I believe a word you say?
It was all lies.
Everything was a lie.
- Put it down, Hans.
- You would shoot me?
- Put the gun down.
(clattering)
- Get up Hans.
You and I are going for a little walk.
- No, no, you can't, I won't let you!
- He knows about you.
When I'm gone he'll turn you in.
- I would never do that.
- Listen Hans, you turn me in they'll just
send me back to camp.
Her, they'll torture before they kill her.
- You think I don't know that?
- You have the papers?
- Goodbye Hans.
- Listen Hans, if anything does happen to her,
I promise I'll find you.
- You are a very bad judge of men are you not?
But if you can't believe that I would never to that to her,
consider it cynically, if I turned her in,
they would shoot me for collaborating with the enemy.
(low ominous music)
- Will they be here?
- Yeah, sure.
You have map in Strasbourg?
- Right here.
- You come to see me after the war?
- You can count on it. - I will.
(speaking in foreign language)
I have something for you.
(ship horn blows)
(man yells)
(men singing in foreign language)
- Halt, halt.
(speaking in foreign language)
(steps clattering)
- Welcome to Nelthro, Sweden, to freedom!
- Thank you.
- Welcome.
(ship horn blows)
(slow somber instrumental music)
(majestic instrumental music)
(crowd cheering)
- What does Minerva think of this expedition?
- She understands how I feel.
- The air raids are all gone.
She has had her husband at home with her for six months.
Perhaps she is getting accustomed.
- It isn't easy for either of us, Winnie.
- They are shadow men, living in a shadow world.
They vanish, vaporize.
You may never, never penetrate their foul dens, Johnny.
- You can't believe that they should to unpunished?
- Others can do it!
- They murdered the best men I've ever known.
That can't go unanswered.
(clock dings)
- You are not a policeman Johnny.
I'll get someone to help you.
I'll put Anthony Needin on to it.
He'll find a bloodhound for you.
Tony's as hot to hunt the buggers down as you are.
- It's three o'clock, sir.
- I'm summoned before the King.
Peace is not an easy business either.
- No sir.
- Better than the alternative.
Find them, Johnny, haunt them, haunt their waking
and their sleeping, give them no rest.
Keep at them till the debt has been paid.
- I will, Winnie, I will.
- Merry Christmas to ya, thank you my dear.
Peace at last, victory's ours!
Goodnight, goodnight.
- Wondered if I could take a look around.
- Called time mate, they'll have me license.
- Just a quick look around, please.
- Well, seein' as you're in uniform and all sir,
I'll make an exception just this one time.
- I had an appointment with some old war buddies.
I guess they couldn't make it.
- Perhaps tomorrow then.
- Thank you anyway.
- I thought you were dead.
- Corery.
Oh Mike, my God, it's good to see you.
- You too.
- Are you okay?
- I'm fine.
Sit.
What happened?
I thought the Gestapo took you.
- Long story.
I ended up being taken across the Swiss border
so I could carry a peace message to Churchill.
Where's Mack and Wings?
- Wings, he made it to Italy.
He joined the partisans.
They took over a local Gestapo headquarters
and fought his way through to the American lines.
- What about Mack?
- Mack's dead, he was murdered.
- Didn't break a rule now and then,
nobody would know what they're for.
- Thanks.
Tell me about it, what happened?
- Gestapo, they shot him in cold blood.
I saw it all.
- It's okay, Mike.
Tell me about you, what happened to you?
- I had help, a girl.
A French singer in Hamburg in the resistance.
Now that the war's over I'm going back to look for her.
The fact is Johnny, I should never have left her.
- Listen Mike, I've been given permission by the Allied
command to hunt down the killers of Rog
and the rest of the men.
I'm gonna set up a base in Vienna.
They're giving me an assistant, a guy with a police
background and experience,
but I'm gonna need some more help.
You'll do it?
- Yeah, yeah, you know I will.
(car engine rumbling) (birds singing)
(dark music)
- Are you all right sir?
- Where the hell you come from?
- Well, the fact is, I followed you out here.
- I didn't see ya.
- You weren't supposed to.
They asked me to keep an eye on you.
They don't want anything to happen to you
after what you've been through.
This is a Russian zone, sir.
- You Captain Matthews?
- Right.
New York City police department, seven years.
Law school, assistant D.A. before I enlisted.
- John Dodge.
Tell me something Matthews, you make a habit of tailing
your fellow officers?
- I was just trying to protect you, sir.
- Trying to protect me or impress me?
- Perhaps a little of both.
- It's okay Mike.
Captain Matthews, Lieutenant Mike Corery.
- Sorry Captain.
- So, Captain Matthews now we know you can sneak around.
What else do you do?
- Well, I know the law, how to assemble evidence,
make a case that can stick.
They also say I'm pretty clever
interrogating difficult ones.
- They say you're clever, huh?
And what do you say?
- Well, clever people never say sir.
- Look Captain, I'm gonna need your help.
I've never been a policeman, so, you tell me,
how would you begin this investigation?
- Well, the first item of a good cop is to start
with what you got.
- What have we got?
- Well sir, the execution of one man takes some planning.
But the execution of 50 escaped prisoners
takes a lot of planning.
A lot of cooperation at the local level.
In my view therefore, this could and ever have been
a local operation.
This plan had to start at or near the top
in order for it to succeed.
- Where does that leave us?
Hitler is dead and Himmler killed himself.
- Well--
- And Lindiner was executed and the men who actually
pulled the trigger are completely unknown to anyone.
- It leaves us with Herman Goering.
He was in overall charge of the Luftwaffe camps, right?
We should have no trouble in getting permission
to interrogate him.
- Good, I'll arrange it right away with Allied command.
- All right.
- Welcome aboard Captain Matthews.
- Nice to be here.
(bell ringing)
- Please sit down, gentlemen.
So, you want to see Goering?
- Yes sir.
- You did receive a copy of our order sir?
- Yes, but I thought you were looking for Gestapo.
- Yes, we are.
We thought Herr Goering could help us out here.
- I would tend to doubt that.
- Oh, why so?
- It's pretty unlikely Himmler would have taken Goering
into his confidence on this thing.
Goering wouldn't have stood for it.
- Well sir, that's a possibility we'll know better
after we've spoken to Herr Goering.
- So when can we see him?
- I, I spoke with General McLaren,
he's given his permission.
- Excuse me? - What?
- He's given his permission?
Why shouldn't he?
- What are you talking about Lieutenant?
- Major, why shouldn't General McLaren
have given his permission?
I mean, we're all on the same side, aren't we?
- Tomorrow morning, 10 o'clock, Spandau prison.
- Lot of laughs, your boss.
Thanks Tony.
- I'm a soldier, like you.
I knew that it was a soldier's duty to escape.
This is what I told my fuhrer.
But his mind was poisoned by Himmler.
- Well, Himmler's dead, we can't talk to him.
- I'm giving you my word as an officer,
that I was not involved in the deaths of your comrades.
- Your word as an officer?
You stood by and let the Gestapo shoot Von Lindeiner,
your own officer.
- Von Lindeiner was your friend.
Did you give him your word of honor as well?
- Now, we know from captured records that there was
a meeting between Hitler, Himmler and yourself
two days after the escape.
- What makes you think we discussed the escaped airmen
at that meeting?
- The minutes of the meeting.
- There were no minutes. - Exactly.
- Why were there no minutes of that meeting, Herr Goering?
- I have no idea.
- All right, I'll tell you what I think.
I think it's because you were plotting a crime.
A crime contrary to all the rules of war
in the Geneva Convention.
- I would never be part of such a plan!
- But there was a plan and if there was a plan,
obviously you were a part of it, weren't you?
- I admit nothing.
Himmler was capable of anything.
He was a lunatic.
He had no respect for anything and no decency of any kind.
- So you're saying that Himmler ordered the execution
of the escapees?
- He's dead, what difference does it make?
- It makes a difference to me.
- Who else was involved?
- I told you, Gestapo.
- Who exactly in the Gestapo?
- You say you're innocent, but you're protecting the guilty.
- Well, there was a man, a protege of Himmler who was
in charge of the special measures.
He organized a special unit within the Gestapo
and swore them all to secrecy with an oath.
- That's rich. - This is what I was told.
- This man who organized and planned the murders,
what was his name again?
- If I ever knew it, I'm afraid gentlemen,
I've forgotten it.
I've been rather preoccupied with other matters.
There is talk of war crimes trial.
It seems they want to hang me.
Me, a simple soldier.
- You were a soldier field marshal,
but you were never simple.
- Well gentlemen, if this great worry were lifted from me,
I might be able to think clearly again.
(clattering)
- No.
We don't negotiate.
- All things considered Herr Goering,
we'd rather see you hang.
- They have sworn an oath with me!
A German knows how to keep an oath.
You will never discover it!
You will have to come back to me.
- Gentlemen, good morning, welcome.
We have an extremely difficult task ahead of us
and unfortunately out time is limited.
Now, first we have to interview every soldier
who was stationed anywhere in the vicinity
of Sagan and the prison camp.
Next, we have to interrogate any captured Gestapo official.
Then we should be talking to anyone who was at all
concerned with the capture of our men.
I don't care if they were pushing papers around
or actually involved in the arrest themselves.
Yes, go ahead.
- Sir, what makes you so certain it was the Gestapo?
Can we rely on Goering's statement?
- Well, we're not.
We have witnesses who were actually alive and saw the boys
taken by Gestapo agents.
- Quite so, but is it safe to infer from that
that these same agents, assuming that they were Gestapo,
actually murdered our boys?
- Roger Beshel and Al Hake were taken from their cell
by three Gestapo agents.
I saw that.
Roger Beshel was my best friend
and I never saw him alive again.
So you infer anything you want,
but I know that he was murdered
and I know that the Gestapo did it!
If any of you have doubts about what we're doing here,
perhaps you better leave now.
- Yes, well,
gentlemen all of you are here because of your familiarity
with the law and with rules of evidence.
We will need proof and we will need names.
What we're gonna do is try to establish
a chain of command here, gentlemen.
At the bottom of this pyramid, we have 50 names,
the victims.
Above them, their killers, and above them,
the men who gave them their orders.
At the very top that man that organized
and originated and planned the murders.
We want them all.
Not just the trigger men, all of them.
Now our first task will be to try to find any
of the camp officers or guards from Sagan.
Check all of your sources.
Watch very closely for any connection to the Gestapo.
Understand? - Yes.
- I have your assignments.
- Guys, there's one more thing, unofficial.
I'm trying to find this girl, Marie Chantal Dubois.
(men chattering)
Hey come on guys, she saved my life.
Her home was in Strasbourg, before the war
but it was destroyed.
Any help you can give me on this I'd really appreciate it.
- That will be all gentlemen, thank you.
- Say, I'm really sorry, welcome aboard.
- Thank you sir.
- Good bunch of guys.
- I hope I'm not too close to this, Mike.
- Major Dodge, there's a Captain Voitek
returning your call.
- Hey Johnson!
Who's Captain Voitek?
- I'm not sure, but I think he's Czechoslovakian police.
- John's a very smart man.
- Why do you say that?
- What's the primary thing we have in common
with Czechoslovakia?
The Nazis.
We both hate the Gestapo.
The OSS may not try to help us, but the Czechs would love
to see those butchers hung.
- They're holding a guy named Kiowski in Pangratz prison
in Prague, they think he knows something.
- Who's Kiowski?
- He's Gestapo from Czechoslovakia.
See, half the escapees headed for Czechoslovakia.
The Czechs thinks that he knows something.
What are we waiting for?
Now!
- This is the official part.
No man who went through this door ever came out again.
Czech resistance fighters were tried here.
It rarely took very long.
Then they were marched in here.
The men we cut Kiowski, was very fond of that little toy.
He liked to make them lie face up.
After the excused were executed, their bodies slid along
the rail and then there were put into the cheap coffins.
Gentlemen.
- You said just now that you spoke to Zacharias
and the other men, but I thought there was only
you, Zacharias and the man from Brno.
- Yeah, I make mistake.
My English not good.
Three, we was three only.
- I don't believe you.
I think you're lying.
I think there was a fourth man.
Who was it, who was it?
I know he's lying.
He damn well knows I know.
- Listen, why don't we go back in there,
drag him from the cell and place him face up
under his own guillotine.
I betcha he'd be more cooperative then.
- You got something David?
- I might.
- You want to go one on one with him?
- No, I have an idea.
I'm gonna need your help, both of you.
I thought we might take a slightly different tack, okay?
(dishes clattering)
Now what's all this nonsense about our men being shot
while trying to escape?
- I do not understand.
(speaking in foreign language)
- Lieutenant, we're being very rude.
We haven't offered Mr. Kiowski anything to eat.
Go ahead, go on.
- You probably didn't see much fresh produce
at the end of things, did you?
Well, except for the Gestapo, they always had plenty
of everything right?
- No, that's not true.
We had to be careful.
Food, the gasoline, everything was...
- Rationed? - Yeah.
- Really, even the gasoline?
- Ya, gasoline.
Everyone knows
gasoline goes to the front.
That was after the winter.
We had to be careful.
Gestapo careful about everything.
- Yes, of course.
So that would explain why on the night in question
you didn't fill up the tank.
In fact, you put in, just a moment,
I have it right here.
Your original testimony.
I went to draw a car from the motor pool and use the ration
tickets that I had been given to put in 20 liters of petrol.
20 liters.
- Ya, that's right.
- 20 liters, how much is that?
- Five gallons.
- Five gallons to drive all the way to Sagan?
- Only five gallons huh?
(David speaking in foreign language)
Five gallons to go all the from Zlin
to Sagan and back again.
A round trip of about 400 miles.
- No, that's not what I meant.
I was given the tickets by a man from, I don't know,
I did not think about it.
- But five gallons is just about right for a round trip
from Zlin to Ostrava.
Is that right?
- I not understand.
I was given the tickets, I put in 20 liter.
- You were the damned driver.
You had to know you didn't have enough gas to even
get to Sagan, much less come back again.
But that didn't bother you, did it?
'Cause you knew you weren't going there.
You knew you were only going as far as Ostrava, Ostrava!
To the crematorium at Ostrava!
(speaking in foreign language)
You're lying to me, you bastard!
You knew perfectly well that those men were being
driven to Ostrava to be murdered!
(clattering)
What the hell's the matter with him?
- I think he's fainted, Major.
- I was gonna kill him, Mike.
I was looking at him and all I could think about was Roger.
- You didn't do it John.
- Not because I didn't want to.
(water splashing)
- I want the truth, now!
- I was told driving the prisoners to Ostrava.
When I asked where in Ostrava, the men from Brul,
he laughed and said we were delivering them
to the crematorium.
The other man, he laughed too.
- So, there was a fourth man.
What was his name?
What's his name?
- Perhaps you would like to experience your own machine!
(machine thuds)
- His name.
His name, his name, his name.
- Now, we want the name of your boss, the man from Brno.
You took an oath, didn't you?
An oath of secrecy.
You've already broken that,
so why don't you give us his name?
- I can't, can't, he will kill me!
- Who, who, who, who!
- The man who gives the orders.
- The man from Brno?
- Not him, the other one, the one above him, right?
- What's his name?
His name!
- I can't he will kill me!
- He's still out there, isn't he?
He's still free?
- Schatz.
- What was that?
- The man's name is Schatz.
He's the man from Brno.
- All right, now we want the leader.
- Zacharias, he was my partner.
- No, not Zacharias, the other one, the fourth man,
the one who gave the orders!
- I've already given you the names of the other two.
It's not enough to say.
- No, if you don't give me the name I want
I don't see any point in talking to the other two.
- The name!
- I only knew what we called him.
I did not know his name.
- And what did you call him?
What did you call him!
- Die Peitsche.
- The whip.
- This Die Peitsche, what was his name?
- That is how we knew him.
I did not know his name.
That is all I know.
I will die for this.
- Major.
I don't have to tell you, but if we're gonna convict
these men of murder, we're gonna have to do it right.
We're gonna have to do it by the book.
You almost killed the only witness we have.
If this is gonna be a problem for you,
then I suggest you stay out of it.
You could jeopardize this entire investigation.
(low eerie music)
- Follow me, gentlemen.
(foreboding music)
- You okay, John?
You seem down in the dumps.
- I guess I'm just tired.
Tired of all of this.
- Ah, it's just frustration.
Things'll start shaping up.
- It's the memories, Mike.
Roger was my oldest friend.
I hate the men who killed him so much I can't think
about anything else now and I don't like
what it's doing to me.
I'm starting to think like them.
Starting to act like them too.
- Johnny, listen,
we got a chance to make it right for Roger and Mack
and all the other guys.
- I know, I know you're right Mike.
- I'm not Roger but I am a friend.
Now shape up Major.
(machine clacking)
Nothing on Schatz but get a load of this,
Zacharias is married.
- Frau Zacharias? - Ya.
- Frau Zacharias, we have some questions that only
your husband can answer and we'd be grateful
for any help you can give us in locating him.
- He's living in the American zone in Berlin
with another woman.
(door bell buzzes)
(speaking in foreign language)
- To the right.
- Come on, toots.
Way to go hot shot.
- Good work David.
- Thank you sir.
- You are American, you are fool!
Who let you come here?
- I'm Major John Dodge of the British Army.
You're a prisoner of the Allied command
and this is Captain Matthews,
U.S. Army Attorney General's office.
(thuds)
- Sorry sir, I was out of line.
- It's okay.
- Tony man in?
- No, he's not here right now, but he said to tell you
we got no record of any of these guys.
- None?
- Hey, I'm just the messenger.
- How can that be?
There are 40 or 50 names here.
These guys just don't vanish unknown, especially the OSS.
- Maybe they're all regular Army.
I mean, we pretty much specialize in SS and Gestapo.
- Yeah, maybe you're right.
Hey Tony,
can you do me a favor? - Yeah, sure.
- She's not Gestapo, but you think you could get a line
on her and the German guy at the bottom?
- Hans Gebhardt, naval reconnaissance, amber.
What's the connection?
- They knew each other.
- Yeah okay, I'll see what I can do.
- Thank a lot.
Doesn't make sense.
The OSS says they haven't processed a single guard
or officer from Sagan.
- How is that possible?
- That's what they told me, Johnny.
- Pieber, Franz, Hauptmann.
Remember a guard named Pieber?
- Pieber!
He was the head ferret at Sagan.
He was tame, what about him?
- He's being processed right now at the American
holding camp near Heidelberg.
- Where'd you get that?
- American eighth Army headquarters.
They have a complete list of everybody at Sagan.
- Wait a minute, the OSS boys couldn't get that information
for you, that doesn't make any sense.
- Well, the hell with them.
Let's go down and talk to Pieber ourselves.
- Pieber, Pieber, Pieber, Pieber.
Ah, here we are.
Pieber, Franz, Great Hauptmann, Luftstalag, Three Sagan.
- That's our man.
- That's funny, he's been released.
- Where'd he go?
- Doesn't say here, sorry.
- Well, you must have a record of it somewhere.
- No, these are the only files we have.
- Back to square one.
So long, Captain, thanks for everything.
- If you need anything else,
you know where to find me.
- Uh Captain? - Yes, Lieutenant.
- What's funny? - Beg your pardon.
- You said it was funny that Pieber was released.
What's funny about it?
- Pieber was a camp guard.
All prison camp personnel are routinely held
until they can be interviewed by Army Intelligence
investigating possible war crimes.
- So, wasn't Pieber interviewed?
- Yeah, yesterday
and then he was released
under Colonel Jenkins authorization.
Camp CO.
- I don't get it.
- Lieutenant we got dozens of bigger fish to fry
than a Hauptmann in a Luftwaffe camp.
It just strikes me as kind of funny that some OSS brass
would fly down from Vienna just to interview Pieber
then release him right away, that's all.
- Did you say Vienna?
- Yeah I did.
- I'm tellin' ya Mike, these guys are sick.
They're doing deals with anybody.
We got Nazis crawlin' all over this place.
- Did you get the information on Pieber?
- Yeah, here.
- So once Major Paul went to Heidelberg and ordered
Pieber's release?
- Look this is between us, right?
- Yeah sure Tony, don't worry.
- Nobody cares about the Nazis around here anymore
except how they can use them against the Russians.
I mean, 90% of what we do is about jockeying
with the Russians.
And war crimes is definitely not the highest priority.
- Yeah, well it wasn't their friends who were killed.
(car doors clacking)
- We're all set to take Zacharias down.
- He's gone.
- He's what? - Escaped.
Zacharias jumped out of a Jeep last night and disappeared.
- He was being guarded, I mean, you didn't just lend him
a Jeep and let him drive off, did you?
- No Lieutenant, of course not.
- Well then how the hell did he escape?
- I really don't know!
He was being transferred to Hamburg.
- Being transferred?
Under whose order was that?
He's our prisoner. - The OSS.
That's the order right there.
- Signed by Major Paul.
- What the hell they trying to do?
- They think their Cold War is more important
than our investigation.
- You understand what's going on here?
Do you know what Zacharias is wanted for?
- Well, I just got on this assignment.
- He is wanted for the murder of two British officers
and complicity in the murder of 48 others.
- Look, I feel pretty bad about this,
but there's nothing I can do.
- I've heard that before.
- Now what Johnny?
- I gotta tell you boys something.
Whatever's going on here has gotta be happening
at a very high level.
I'd be right careful about bucking up against it
if I were you.
- Does your phone work? - Sure.
Who do you want to call?
- Winston Churchill.
Okay, I'll be right back.
- I can appreciate your point of view gentlemen,
but I can't agree with it.
The Nazis are defeated.
They're not the threat.
- We're talking about justice here General McLaren,
not politics.
- Czechoslovakia is in danger of falling
into the Russian camp, Major.
The United States will go to extraordinary lengths
to prevent that, even if it means using scum
like Zacharias as sources of information.
It's a very delicate operation, but believe me,
it's very important.
We can't afford to let your investigation muck it up.
- Zacharias has already given us two
or three valuable leads.
No one knows more about the Communist infrastructure
in Czechoslovakia than he does.
The Gestapo have been building up their dossiers
on them for years.
Look, it leaves a bad tastes in our mouths too okay,
but these Gestapo guys have been around,
they know the lay of the land,
they know where the bodies are buried.
So to speak.
- Yeah, I'm sure they do.
- I understand that you, Major Dodge, saw fit to call
Mr. Churchill about this.
Is my information correct?
- I can't afford to waste any more time, General.
- Don't you think we might be overreacting a little here?
Calling up the former Prime Minister of England
about one lousy Nazi underling?
- I'm kinda surprised you'd try going over our heads
like this, Major Dodge.
Even in that uniform, you're still an American.
Besides, it certainly does nothing to improve
Anglo-American relations.
In any case, he's out of office and a civilian right now,
so my guess is it won't get you very far anyway.
- Okay, let me spell it out for you boys.
We're using Zacharias
and we want you to keep your hands off.
Is that clear enough for you or do you need that in writing?
- Yes sir, I think we would like that in writing.
(phone rings)
- General McLaren's office, yes?
- Major, I don't know why the RAF thinks it can get off
telling the U.S. Army how to run its sector.
I don't go for that old boy crap of yours,
calling your cousin, the Prime Minister.
I think it stinks, so why don't you two just give me
a real snappy salute and get the hell out of here.
- General McLaren-- - What is it Major?
- It's General Eisenhower sir, he wants to speak with you.
- This is General McLaren.
Yes sir I...
Well, we thought that he...
I understand sir, I'll see to it personally, sir.
You have my word on that.
Yes sir, our fullest cooperation.
Goodbye sir.
(door clattering)
- Leaving without saying goodbye?
(glass clattering)
- Morgan, Herr Zacharias. (thuds)
Go ahead, I can blow your brains out now
or you can hang later.
Take your pick Zach.
- Kiowski leads to Zacharias and Zacharias leads nowhere.
- I'd like another shot at him Major, if you don't mind.
- He's terrified, just like Kiowski.
Did you get anything out of Kiowski's other partner, Schatz?
- No, nothing.
When the OSS brass found out that my friend Tony
was giving us information so they shipped him
back to the states.
We're at a dead end.
- Great, right back where we started from.
- Well, I'm gonna see Zacharias.
Care to join me? - Yeah, sure why not.
Hey John, see ya later. - Okay.
- Yes, hello, can I help you?
- Yes, I was told I could find Major John Dodge here.
- Franz!
- Lieutenant Corery, how are you?
- I'm fine!
- Franz, my God I never thought we'd see you again.
- Hauptmann Pieber?
- Yes. - Captain Matthews.
- How are you Franz, we've been looking for you.
Where you been?
We've been looking for months.
- In Stuttgart.
The officer said he will tell you.
So I waited, but now I can't wait.
Perhaps I don't have a good soldier's discipline anymore.
- How bout a drink, Franz?
- How long have you been waiting Franz?
- Four, five months it is now.
- Four or five months.
- My wife is dead.
My children, gone, I don't know.
But I'm home. - I'm sorry.
Franz, we need to know what happened after the escape.
Can you tell us all about it just the way you remember it?
- The Commandant Von Lindeiner was very upset,
very agitated, but he was not a bad man.
I remember it was he who had gotten
the (speaking in foreign language) from the Gestapo
the first time.
He told him what would happen to him if he got out again.
So, that's when he was very worried after the escape.
Then, a man from Breslau came, Gestapo,
named Absalon, Dr. Absalon.
It was from him that Von Lindeiner first heard
that special measures would be taken by the Gestapo.
- Special measures?
What did that mean?
- We could only guess, but we suspected something terrible.
- We need proof, Franz.
Solid evidence linking the Gestapo
with the murder of our friends.
- It was after Von Lindeiner had been arrested.
And the list of those executed had been given
to the British Captain Macy.
The truck with the (speaking in foreign language) arrived.
Until then, I didn't believe that
even the Gestapo could kill 50 men in cold blood.
How stupidly naive I was.
I promised, on the ashes of your friends Major,
that I would help avenge them one day,
if I lived through the war.
(foreboding music)
I will now keep this promise.
- Now, this is a transport order that a truck driver
gave Hauptmann Pieber when he delivered to the camp,
the ashes of all the men who were executed.
On it, is a list of every city where the driver made
a stop and the names on the urns of each of those stops.
Now, Lieutenant Corery is putting that information
on the board here.
This order is signed by a Dr. Absalon.
Gentlemen, I think we may have found Die Peitsche.
(men cheering)
We're gonna pull out all the stops.
We're going to arrest and interrogate every Gestapo
agent we know about, anyone who might be in a position
to know who this Dr. Absalon is and where he might be today.
Let's go!
(dramatic music)
- What have you got there?
- Just looking at this picture of Zacharias
and his girlfriend again.
- Let me see that.
Still looks the same to me.
- It's the only one that shows some kind of a landmark
though, something we can identify that place with.
- Oh yeah, of course, you mean the smoke stacks
and the river?
Well, that's not much to go on.
Could be any place.
- Can I see that?
- We've got something of a break here .
You see the painted sign?
Turns out that the word means "electricity" in Czech.
That narrowed it down a bit.
So, we went through our files on Czechoslovakian cities,
looking for a match on the two stacks and the river.
And found one.
It's Brno.
(ominous music)
- Englishmen or Americans maybe.
- Why would you think that?
- It's impossible for you to be another nation.
So, you come
Gestapo hunting huh?
- And how did you know that?
- Everybody knows this is where Gestapo pigs come.
If you have people know, was also headquarters
for resistance fighters.
Gestapo get drunk.
We all around, we listen, we watch.
When they are here, we know where they are, simple.
So, what do you want to know?
- Who was the head of the partisans around here?
We'd like to talk to him.
(laughs)
- Natalie! (speaking in foreign language)
The English wants to know who was the head
of the partisan!
(men laughing)
You are talking to him, but don't tell to no one.
It's big secret. (laughs)
(speaking in foreign language)
- Sir we'd...
We're trying to find two men, both Gestapo agents.
One's name is Dr. Absalon, the other ones' called Schatz.
- Dr. Absalon?
I don't know him.
Schatz, he's here, just over there.
No, no, no!
It's a big joke.
Wait, you see.
Jan?
This is the best artist in Brno.
- Hello. - Hello.
- Worked also for partisans.
Made sketch of every Nazi and Gestapo pig.
That's how we know who to shoot.
(speaking in foreign language)
Many nights Gestapo bring Czech girls here.
See them naked, Jan painted these things here.
- These murals?
- Yes, and for faces, he used Gestapo.
Gestapo think it big joke, very funny.
They want Jan to make many drawings.
Now, they are immortal.
- Schatz.
- Is this a good likeness?
- He's the best artist in Brno.
- Can I get some more light here?
(dramatic music)
(man speaking in foreign language)
(dramatic music)
(speaking in foreign language)
- It's him.
This other one.
That's they guy who killed Mack.
- What's this man's name?
- We only have his nickname.
- Yes, Die Peitsche.
(dramatic music)
You got anything?
- I'll tell you in a minute.
Mr. Schatz seems to have tidied up after himself.
There's a record here he's apparently forgotten.
His name appears on a list
of those requesting retirement benefits.
Ah!
Greed, gets 'em every time.
Herr Schatz is Austrian.
That's his home address.
(claps)
- Zacharias and Kiowski have already implicated you
in the deaths of airmen Kirby Green and Kidder.
- It has come to that, huh?
There is no more honor.
- Tell us about Die Peitsche.
- You have him too?
Yes, I never understood how Herr Himmler,
who was usually so reasonable, could trust the man.
- You knew him well, of course.
- As well as a superior could know a subordinate.
But that was before Herr Himmler discovered
his special talents and promoted him.
Before he began to entrust him with delicate missions.
So foolish!
Burchardt was never never controllable!
- So it's your opinion that Burchardt was the wrong man
for such a special assignment?
- I always felt that the man was mad and as Himmler
found out, was inept as well. (laughs)
- Yes, other people have told us that Burchardt
had displeased Himmler,
but we were never entirely clear as to why.
- You would not believe the stupidity!
All the Gestapo records concerning
the (speaking in foreign language) were identical.
All stated that the prisoners attempted to escape
by being allowed to release themselves
by the side of the road.
All were shot while fleeing. (laughs)
Himmler called him back to Berlin and told him
he'd have to do a better job than that!
It was certainly no way to run a delicate operation.
- Burchardt told you that?
- As a matter of fact, he did.
You have him here or in Hamburg?
- As a matter of fact Herr Schatz,
he claims you ran the special assignment.
- I warned you that the man is mad.
You shouldn't listen to a word he says, all lies!
Why, he planned the whole operation from the very first day.
My God, he even bragged to me
about how he personally had selected the--
- The victims.
He says the same thing about you.
Who are we to believe?
- I give you my solemn oath.
- Why the whip?
- You see, he hasn't told you everything.
You don't know, then?
- I think we know just about everything we need to know.
- No you don't.
He was unspeakably savage.
He loved killing.
His favorite method of interrogation was to take
a suspect to his room and then flog him to death
with a special rhinoceros hide grip.
He, he's a terrifying man, cold.
You've seen him.
He once,
he once took a woman's head right off
her body with the whip.
- Well, it's just your word against Burchardt's,
unless you can think of someone
who could corroborate your story.
- Yes, maybe Dr. Absalon.
- Ah, Dr. Absalon!
Ah of course!
He would verify everything that I have said.
- Yes, well but we thought that Dr. Absalon
was really very small potatoes.
- Not at all.
Bleslow being nearest to him.
Dr. Absalon coordinated the entire recapture
and relocation of the prisoners.
- Why is that?
- Because he was the best Gestapo chief, of course.
- He's still in Resow, is he?
- No, no, no, no, no.
He was captured by the Russians.
I thought you knew that.
You've tricked me.
You didn't know.
You don't have Burchardt!
- Take it easy.
- Calm down, he can't get to you now.
- You don't think so?
That's because you don't know who he is!
You don't know how powerful he is!
He can have me killed, here in prison!
- How can he possibly do that, Herr Schatz?
- Not another word, not another word.
- Corery, call the Russians and check on Absalon, okay?
And then get back to Brno and check the records
for this Burchardt.
- You got it, where you going?
- Moscow, I hope.
(military music)
- As much as I despise waging war,
I think I prefer it to death.
- What do you mean, I don't follow.
- Dealing with men like this Dr. Absalon.
- I thought you were just holding him here for trial?
- Do not insult my intelligence, Major.
Both sides are using this swine.
Rocket experts.
Intelligence experts.
They are all only experts on making death more unpleasant.
Both sides has a shopping list of former Gestapo
and Nazi scientists.
We have Dr. Absalon.
You undoubtedly have others.
Come.
Hopefully, his information will lead you to what
you are looking for.
But he will not be available to testify
at your war crimes trial.
Consider him a resource, not a redundance, I'm sorry.
- What exactly were the order you received on or about
April 26th of last year?
What steps did you take to implement those orders?
What were your orders and what steps did you take
to carry them out?
- I have the reputation as a very meticulous man, Major.
I have here a copy of the original teletype,
which was read out in Velan's office
on the night in question.
This list was sent to Berlin
and yes, yes, your name is on it.
- Who carried out these executions?
Which of these prisoners did you
or your subordinates actually execute?
- Fortunately, I had very good men in Presau.
I had men I felt I could trust.
But then there was Burchardt.
- He was there?
- I had the impression he wouldn't have
missed it for the world.
Rare, isn't it, a superior who isn't afraid to roll up
his sleeves and get his hands dirty. (laughs)
Don't you agree, Major?
During the next few days, we took out 27 prisoners
from Gerlitz and Hershberg.
Always in small groups
and shot them.
I was always surprised how calmly they took it.
We had their remains cremated at Langitz.
I made a list.
I have a copy for you.
- Doctor, the names of over 40 executed prisoners
on this list together with the places of execution.
Which probably means that you know the names of every
Gestapo official involved in the murders,
isn't that correct?
- My strange quirk of memory, I think I recall every agent
still to be found in the British,
American or French sectors.
- What were those names?
- That information Major, will cost you.
It will cost you a small piece of your Anglo-Saxon pride.
(laughs)
One American cigarette.
- The objective is a destroyed hotel,
straight down the hill there.
Apparently, the Gestapo are running a black market
operation out of it.
According to Absalon, Burchardt's involved.
If he's there, we're gonna take him.
(foreboding music)
(dramatic music)
(gun fires)
(speaking in foreign language)
(gun fires)
- He nailed the guy in the window.
We'll go on a count of 10. - Okay.
(speaking in foreign language)
(gun fires)
(dramatic music)
(gun fires)
- Damn!
- Well, it's been a very long road, gentlemen, very long.
But I'm afraid it's not over yet.
We still haven't been able to locate Burchardt,
the man who personally selected all the victims
and was probably responsible for the killing
of the other 18.
Especially the two we know about.
- Squadron leader Beshel and gunnery sergeant McKenzie.
- Do you have any leads on Burchardt, anything at all?
- No, nothing.
- Well, we do have one good piece of news, though.
- Oh yes, well, it's really very simple.
We, Major Dodge and I, have decided that
you need a vacation Lieutenant.
- What, what are you talking about?
- Well, there's this girl you see,
a very attractive young lady, French I believe.
Old friend of yours.
- Where is she?
- Strasbourg.
- Thanks guys!
(laughs)
(sweet instrumental music)
- It's you, it's really you!
- I was afraid you were dead.
I looked everywhere.
Nobody knew what happened.
- Things happened.
There were bad times.
But you come anyway.
That is wonderful.
- This is a beautiful area.
I can see why you love it so much.
What's wrong?
Please.
- It is starting to grow back.
- What happened?
- They have quaint custom in this country.
They shave the heads of women who have slept with Germans.
To them I was a (speaking in foreign language).
- Don't they know?
- How?
Who is going to tell them?
Everybody's dead.
(speaking in foreign language)
- Hey!
(thuds) (screams)
(thuds)
This woman saved my life!
Understand?
She works for the resistance!
In Hamburg!
She saved the lives of many pilots!
Doesn't anyone understand?
- Yes, I do.
He's telling us the truth.
(speaking in foreign language)
- Hey guys.
David Matthews, John Dodge.
I'd like to you meet Marie Chantal Dubois.
- Dubers. - Dubers.
(speaking in foreign language)
- We're honored to meet you and thanks very much
for saving the life of our reckless friend.
- Exactly.
- You're most welcome.
- Come in.
- That's the list.
- Say Mike, why don't you two take off?
We can man the fort for a while.
- Okay thanks, John.
- Is this your elusive monster, Burchardt?
- Yes, Die Peitsche.
- I know of him. - You do?
- Yes. - From where?
- He lives in Hamburg.
- He does?
- In the undercurrent.
Everyone knew he was involved in a black market.
The whip, Die Peitsche, I know of this Burchardt.
- Beautiful girl!
- You sure you don't want to work for me?
Now with English and Americans here,
there's more money than ever!
- But the big money is in the black market,
(speaking in foreign language)?
I'll give you 5% for the connection.
- 10%.
(speaking in foreign language)
- He was frightened, but he couldn't resist the money.
- She's got it.
She's got Burchardt's address.
- Good, we go now.
- We should notify the German police.
- No, too much change of a leak.
We'll handle it, let 'em know later.
- Burchardt shot and killed 18 men.
- They couldn't do anything about it.
They couldn't shoot back.
(engine rumbling)
(orchestral music)
- You take the guard and we'll go around back.
Let's go.
(orchestral music)
(grunting)
(orchestral music)
(creaking)
(gun fires)
(speaking in foreign language)
- Turn around.
Turn around.
- You. - Put the gun down slow.
(speaking in foreign language)
(screams)
- You should have killed me when you had the chance,
Major Dodge.
(whip cracking)
(gun fires)
(grunting)
(gun fires)
- John. - Mike you okay?
- Yeah.
Burchardt? - In hell.
- Oh no.
David.
(somber instrumental music)
(steps clattering)
(gavel bangs)
- Let the record show that this court
has been established by the Allied command to determine
what, if any, war crimes have been committed
by the accused here present.
We're operating in accordance with the conventions,
as outlined in the treaty
and signed in Geneva in 1929.
And I may add,
in the interest of humanity everlasting.
(somber music)
(blocks clacking)
(slow instrumental music)
- 16 hangings, a grim end to a grim lot.
The deaths of your friends shall not have been in vain.
Their murderers have been brought to account
for all the world to see and remember
that they should never, never happen again.
To Mike McKenzie.
To Roger Bushel.
To David Matthews.
To the 50.
- To the 50.
(upbeat instrumental music)