"This is Regimental Headquarters calling Corporal Steiner." "Can you pick me up, Steiner?" "Steiner, can you hear me?" "Steiner." " Good kill!" " Beautiful." "Look, my new weapon." "Get one for yourself." "Some ammunition." " Give him a hand." " Of course." "Look at that!" " Nothing we haven't seen before." " Steiner." "Look what I found running around in the back." "A little Russian fledgling." "Put it down." "Quickly!" "We go." "See if you can get Meyer." "Tell him we'll need transportation from checkpoint seven." "Right, sir." "Bring him with us." "Push, push, push, push, push!" "Come on, come on!" "Quickly!" "All right, stop." "This damned country!" "Once it was a new adventure, but I have a feeling that one of these days, this land will swallow us up." "Captain Stransky, sir." " Colonel Brandt." "You're welcome." " Thank you, sir." "This is my adjutant, Captain Kiesel." "Captain, how are you?" "Thank you for asking, Captain." "I feel terrible. I've got diarrhoea." "How are you?" "You should meet your own adjutant." "Lieutenant Triebig." "He's also a new arrival." "Won't you join us in a glass of wine?" "Oh, that's very kind of you, sir." "Take my coat, please." " Yes, sir." " Hmm." "My respects, Colonel." "A 1937 Mosel in the southernmost corner of Russia." "Remarkable!" "A bottle of Mosel is no more out of place in this region than we are ourselves." "Your health, gentlemen." "I'm not going to drink to my health." "It's not worth drinking to." "To the end of the war?" "Colonel, why does our presence here strike you as so absurd?" "Captain, why did you ask to be relieved from duty in France?" "I want to get the iron Cross." "We could give you one of mine." "No, no, I'm just joking." "Actually it's exactly what my commanding officer in France asked me." ""l can't stop you," he said." ""Since I'm convinced that without you the Eastern Front" ""would collapse in a matter of days." ""Go ahead, you heroic horse's ass."" ""Heroic horse's ass." His exact words." "I withdraw my toast to the end of the war." "To heroic horse's asses everywhere." "To the patient foolish." "Colonel, I would like to make something quite clear to Captain Kiesel." "I volunteered for this campaign because I feel that men of quality are needed here." "It is time to destroy the myth of Russian invincibility." "Just how do we do that?" "Bolstering morale, punishing those who are insubordinate and rebellious." "Instilling a new respect for ranking officers." "Low morale goes hand in hand with defeat after defeat followed by impending defeat." "Now you are new to our Russian front, so I don't blame you for talking like a horse's ass." "Of course, sir, I'm not familiar with the Russian front yet, but I firmly don't believe that the ideals of the German soldier even..." "The German soldier no longer has any ideals." "He's not fighting for the culture of the West, not for one form of government that he wants, and not for the stinking party." "He's fighting for his life." "God bless him." "Well, sir, I am a soldier, and as a soldier, I feel it is my duty to subordinate my own ideas to the principles of my country, right or wrong." "Colonel Brandt, Lieutenant Meyer, sir." "Ah." " Yes?" " Steiner's on his way back." " What sort of shape are they in?" " The usual!" "Very well, I see." "I want a briefing as soon as they're rested." " Yes, sir." " And, Meyer, Captain Stransky is here." "See that he is informed of our situation." "Yes, sir." " Steiner's back." " Of course." "Who's Steiner?" "To you, in some ways, he could be a problem." "But he's a first-rate soldier." "So, we look the other way." "Anything to add to that, Kiesel?" "Steiner is a myth." "But men like him are our last hope." "And in that sense, he's truly a very dangerous man." "Well, I will see." "Colonel, with your permission." "Well, what do you think of our new captain?" "I feel he thinks he is on some kind of special mission, that is, to achieve spiritual domination of his battalion, thereby symbolising the purity of the great German Wehrmacht itself." "Even when going down in defeat." "If they're the last of us, Stransky and Steiner, then God help us." "Medic!" "Medic!" "Medic!" "Captain Stransky, welcome to the second platoon." " Lieutenant." " Meyer, Captain." "I am to show you to your quarters, brief you on our current situation." " Where's my bunker?" " Down there, in front of the factory, sir." " The second platoon is guarding your post." " Where are they?" "They're just returning from reconnaissance, sir." " Who's in charge of it?" " Corporal Steiner, sir." "Oh." "What is so special about this Corporal Steiner?" "Early in the Novorossiysk attack, Corporal Steiner saved Colonel Brandt's life." " Ah!" " And mine, too." "Interesting." "Corporal Steiner!" "I'm Captain Stransky." "I'm your new commander here." "Yes, sir." "Who's this?" "Corporal Schnurrbart, sir." "And the other one?" "That is a Russian prisoner, sir." "You know as well as I do that there are orders that no Russian prisoners are to be taken." "Get rid of him." "How, sir?" "Well, shoot him!" "You shoot him, sir." "I will." "On the spot." "And then I'll deal with you." "No need. I'll see that it's taken care of, sir." "I want to see you in my bunker." "One hour." "With your full report." " Clear?" " Of course, sir." " You already drank both the vodka." " l'm using it for the cooking." "Oh, shit." " Corporal Steiner?" " l'm Lily Marlene." "Come here, son." "Steiner!" "I want to show you what our new army looks like." " What's your name, son?" " Private Dietz, sir." "They're sending us babies now." "Hello, child." "Private Dietz." "How long have you been soldiering?" "Six weeks, sir. I volunteered, sir." "Don't volunteer for anything around here." "Just keep your eye on Krüger here, and myself." "Do exactly as we say or you'll be wearing boots up your ass for a long time." " Clear?" " Yes, sir!" " And don't call me sir." " Excuse me." "Go with this foul-smelling one over here." "Put him in Schiller's bunk." "Kern, see if you can find a jacket or a blanket, something for the boy." "Get Schiller's jacket." "He must have something over there." "Yes, sir!" "Oh, excuse me." "Stand at ease." "Thank you, sir." " My report." " Thank you." "I regret the incident this afternoon, Corporal." "But orders are orders." "We have enough trouble with the feeding of our own troops without taking prisoners." "Anyway, it's very bad for security." "I've read your preliminary report, and it gives me great pleasure to inform you that" "Colonel Brandt and I have agreed to recommend you for promotion to Senior Sergeant, effective at once." "Your promotion doesn't seem to have made much of an impression." "No, it doesn't." "All right." "I've read your report." "Anything to add to this?" "Russians, sir." "We should be hearing from them very soon, sir." " An offensive?" " Yes, I should think so, sir." " Starting when?" " Soon." " What about your platoon?" " Two killed, one missing." "Two killed, how?" "Bullets." "Mortar fire." "Artillery." "Heavy salvos." "Bad luck." "Terminal syphilis." "The usual things, Captain." "The missing man, did you look for him, Steiner?" " No, sir." " Why not?" "I felt that it would be irresponsible of me to risk the safety of the entire platoon for the sake of one man." "You felt what?" "A non-commissioned officer does not permit a missing man in such a case, in any case!" "I'll try to do better next time, sir." " l'd like to have that in writing." " lf you wish." "You know, Corporal..." "Sergeant, I have a feeling you somewhat overestimate your importance." "At the moment, I am free of any such illusions, sir." "Well, may I suggest to you that you do not underestimate your present company." "Everything you are and may become is dependent upon this present company." "No, I will not forget that, sir." "But I may add that a man is generally what he feels himself to be." "Of course." "You're dismissed." "I shall be back soon, sir." "is that a salute?" "Yes, sir." " Triebig." " Yes, sir." "You must be careful, Steiner." "He's taken a strong dislike to you." "I'll survive." "You're not dealing with just another Nazi Party type." "This one is pure Prussian military aristocracy and rich." "Hey, why are you bringing in the apples?" "To eat, you overgrown idiot." "You know the ruling classes?" "Come now, Lieutenant, what's left for them to rule?" "Don't be naive." "Stransky will survive this war one way or another." "And he'll still have his land, his wealth," "and his status." "But he'll be very dangerous in defeat." "Be careful with him." "He doesn't live in the same world we live in." "Ah, no, he's living in my world now." "Yeah, sure." " Lieutenant?" " Yeah?" "Please, would you come inside for a minute?" "There's something I'd like to show you." "Kern, don't just stand there drinking, help us!" "Thank you. I didn't realise that you knew." "Oh, you forget we are a reconnaissance platoon." "Happy birthday, Lieutenant Meyer." " Yes!" " Happy birthday!" "Explain everything to the Captain's orderly, so he doesn't make any mistakes, will you?" "And take care of your uniform." "He's rather strict about it." "Russian vodka, German wine, chickens." "Oh, Maag, I don't know how we have stayed alive so long!" "He's the best scavenger in the entire regiment." " Cheers to all of you." " Cheers!" "Here's to the last Russian bullet." "Yeah!" "Here's to survival." "Yeah, yeah." "Yeah, yeah!" "Here's to your wife, girlfriend, women!" "Yeah!" "Women!" "Here's to the women of the Folies-Bergère." "To the girls of the Reeperbahn!" "Ooh-la-la!" "Gently, gently." "Here's to Dietz's virginity." "Play your cards right and we'll introduce you to Triebig." "All you have to do is just bend over." "Here comes the cake." "Oh, cake!" "Captain Stransky should see this." " Captain who?" " Here's to the cake." "Cake!" "Here's to the cake!" "Stop it!" "Stop it!" "What are we doing here?" "What do you think we are doing here?" "Playing birthday games?" "Right in the middle of all that shit!" " Come on..." " You shut up when I'm talking!" "If you want a party, okay, drink." "Get drunk." "Okay?" " Take it easy." " There's a bullet for you, too." " For all of you arseholes!" " Come on!" "You, arsehole." "You don't touch me." "You stink like a shithole." "Come on." "Let's not spoil everything." "This is Lieutenant Meyer's birthday." "Happy birthday, Lieutenant." "Have a good party." " l'll have some more vodka." " Here, fill it up." "Yeah, here's some vodka for everybody." " l'm sorry." " That's all right." "All right, now." "Lieutenant Meyer is to have a meeting with our illustrious new commandant, Captain Stransky, whom you'll all meet shortly." "This is not a funeral, gentlemen." "This is a birthday party." "Now let's drink." "We'll have a song, what the hell." "Thank you, sir." "Where were you stationed before you joined the battalion?" "In the South of France." "Biarritz." "I know it well." "Sit down." "Sit down." "Tell me about it." "It's such a beautiful country." "And being transferred must have come hard, hmm?" "I applied for it as you did, sir." "As I did?" "That's interesting." "And your orderly?" " We served together." " ln the South of France!" "Ah, those French girls!" "Those French girls, Triebig!" "I did not have much time to think about those French girls." "Really?" "And you, Keppler?" "Did you enjoy the French girls?" "On occasion." "Let me ask you a question, Triebig." "Do you like soldiering?" "Certainly, I like it, sir." "But it's strange at times." "It is indeed a very different world." "A world of danger, and a world of men." "A world without women, hmm, Keppler?" " Yes." " A world without women." "Thank you." "It's an old theory of mine." "Men can get along without women easily, easily, I tell you." "A man's true destiny is not just breeding children, all this childbirth, and chocolate, but to be free, to rule and to fight." "In other words, to lead a man's existence, women are no more than a nuisance." "Sometimes..." "Sometimes necessary." "I'm a soldier, sir." "If I have to, I can do without women." "Really?" "And you, Keppler?" "Can you do without women?" "I do as I am ordered, sir." "I like that!" "I like that answer." ""l do as I am ordered." l like that." "What is your first name?" "Josef." "Josef, Josef." "If it will help you, I'll put your thoughts into the right words." "You prefer the society of men to that of women at any and all situations." "Right?" "I don't understand, Captain." "Come on, Triebig." "You don't have to put up a front with me." "With me of all people." "What I said was right, wasn't it?" "You prefer the society of men to that of women." "Come on, we're all soldiers." "There's no harm in it." "Say yes, for heaven's sake, man, say yes!" "Possibly." "You said yes." "You said yes!" "He said yes, didn't he, Keppler?" "He said yes!" "You said yes." "Didn't he, Keppler?" "He said yes, didn't he, Keppler?" " Yes." " Louder!" "Didn't he, Keppler?" "Louder!" "Say yes, loud!" "Yes!" " Louder!" " Yes!" "I can assure you of this, if you get caught, you'll be hanged slowly," "both of you." "Together." "Now get out of here." "Ammunition supply's running low." "Sector three needs more nine millimetre." "Steiner's platoon all secure." "Perimeter taking light mortar shelling." "Section Z47, no casualties." "By the way, we didn't get the mail." "That's a big one..." "Thank you." "Oh, I see." " Ah!" " Take your hands off my lice." " Merde!" " Oh, not again!" "Belch before farting, that's the rule." "Sector seven, no activity." "Get him outside." "Kern, get yourself outside." "Come on, quick." "No, no, no, the Russians might think it's mustard gas." "The Geneva Convention forbids the use of mustard gas." "God damn it, Kern!" "What type of exhaust pipe do you have and when was it broken?" "I'm well-organised and without problems." "Are you equally guilty?" "Krüger, is that your natural smell?" "Listen, idiots, I stay dirty for a reason." "If you'd been in the field for as long as I have been, you'd know why." "Explain." "I learned after Stalingrad." "Natural body oils combined with dirt can keep you waterproof." "Waterproof?" "Sure." "How goes it?" "Quiet." "Too quiet." "Yes." "They'll wait till first light." "Rolf, what are we doing here?" "We are spreading the German culture throughout a desperate world." "Didn't someone say that war is the highest expression in life for the truly cultured people?" "Yes, a foolish wise man named Friedrich von Bernhardi." " Right!" " Yeah!" " And Von Clausewitz said..." " Von Clausewitz?" "Ah, Von Clausewitz said, "War is a continuation of state policy."" ""By other means!"" "Yes, by other means." "Do you ever think about your children, Rolf?" " Always." " Where are they?" "I don't know." "Take off one uniform, there's always another one underneath." "Go!" "It's all an accident." "An accident of hands." "Mine, others." "All without mind." "One extreme to another, and neither works." "Nor will ever!" "Here we stand in the middle, in no-man's land, you and I." "Go home." "Go home!" "Steiner!" " Yes, sir?" " ls it a probe, Stransky?" "A probe, sir?" "It's an avalanche!" "No, sir!" "It's an attacking force!" "Sir, counter-fire is needed at once." "Otherwise, we'll be destroyed." "We're overrun!" "Move out!" "I need help!" "Be calm, Stransky." "You are not alone." "What do you mean I'm not alone, sir?" "I am alone!" "I am alone!" "Steiner is gone, Triebig is gone, I don't know where Lieutenant Meyer is." "I don't know!" "is he dead?" " Then go to your second platoon..." " ls he dead?" "...salient sector and find them!" "And stand by and prepare the counterattack as quickly as possible." "Yes, sir!" "I will be counterattacking, sir!" "Stay in your positions!" "Hello?" "I will be counterattacking." "Get some more ammunition!" " Where's my weapon?" " On the wall, sir." "Get that ammunition!" "Keep down, you fool!" "You, get over there!" "Get back to your post!" " Get that phone fixed." " Yes, sir." "Get back there, damn you!" "Keep your positions!" "Everybody, keep firing!" "Fall out, men!" "Fall out!" "I need air cover!" "Fire!" "We're winning." "We're winning!" "Where's my air cover?" "Where are my tanks?" "Shit!" "The phone is ringing!" "Where's the phone?" "Fire!" " Captain Stransky." " Where's your counterattack?" "We are attacking!" "We are defending!" "We're counterattacking!" "I'm wounded, sir." "But I continue." "I know my duty, sir." "Don't worry." "But I need ammunition!" "Lieutenant Meyer!" "Hollerbach!" "We must cover Steiner!" "Look at me." "Follow the light with your eyes." "Very good." "That's it." "Now look at me again." "Sergeant!" "All right." "Did you sleep well?" "Reasonably." "Smell?" "Nothing." "Any sense of taste?" "Improving." "Quite usual in concussion." "You've been like this for a week." "They should return soon." "Your records indicate multiple wounds over the last few years." "Any residual effects?" "Headaches." "Blurred vision." "I can't urinate out of my left ear any longer, but otherwise I feel rather well." "The doctors recommend that you stay with us for another three weeks until they've completed your tests." "Then they recommend home leave." "Home." "Schnurrbart?" "Schnurrbart?" "Attention!" "General Von Hessel!" "Hello, soldier?" "How are you?" "Tell me, how do you feel?" "This man has severe concussion, sir." "He's been highly decorated." "I want 65 % of these men returned to active duty in three days." "Ah, food!" "Delicious!" "Take the pig, the meat and the wine into the private dining room." "Come!" "Eat!" "Eat, eat, everybody!" "Everybody!" "Vegetables are good for you." "They're with the compliments of the High Command." "Everybody looks like someone else around here." "Did I have a bad spell?" "Yeah, you were very violent." "Violent?" "Violence should stop. lt must stop." "You say the violence must stop?" "Oh, no, I'm on duty." " Have a drink." " No, I couldn't." "They'll throw me out." "Do you dance?" "Hold my bottle. I'll hold your waist." "And we dance." "Listen, this is ridiculous." "It's nice." "Schnurrbart!" "Rolf?" "What the hell are you doing here?" "Lost?" "No such luck, Rolf." "I got it in the leg same time you got it in the head." "Schnurrbart!" "My vacation's over." "It's back to the bad side of old mother Russia." "They took us all from our hospital." "It looks like we're picking up some of your boys as well." "You want to come along or are you doing all right?" "Attention, men!" "Prepare to leave." "Corporal!" "Hold this truck." "What the hell are you talking about?" "That's an order, God damn it!" " Rolf?" " What?" " What is it?" " What?" "What's the matter?" "I'm going back." "I thought you were going back home." "I have no home." "My home." "Our home." "Do you love the war so much?" "is that..." "is that what's wrong with you, Steiner?" "Or are you afraid of what you will be without it?" "Long live Germany." "I said to hold it, right?" "Steiner, I didn't mean it." "You're crazy!" "Schnurrbart." "Rolf!" "Son of a bitch!" " Schnurrbart!" " Hello, Kern!" " Hello, Hartwig." " Hello, Sergeant." " Hartwig!" " Schnurrbart, how are you?" "Caught with your pants down again, huh?" "Anselm." "Welcome back, Sergeant." " Hollerbach!" " Rolf, hello." "Good to have you back, Schnurrbart." "Krüger!" "You're back too soon." "I don't want to talk to you." "Leave me alone." "Get your ass out of there, you old pirate." "I missed you. I missed you!" "Yeah." "My, my, my!" "What is this?" " That's Zoll." " That's a Party member Zoll." "With compliments of Captain Stransky." "S.S. Special Action Squad." "You still a Party member, Hollerbach?" "Well, Rolf, I'd dance with the party if I could find one." "Hey, silence." "The Party's convinced we are winning the war." "Yeah, sure, we're winning the war." "I hope you've memorised our serial numbers, our mothers' maiden names correctly." "I wouldn't want the Gestapo to come and arrest the wrong man, woman or child." "I don't care what you believe, or what you've done." "Your duty is to us, the platoon and me." "Fulfil those responsibilities or you will have a bayonet up your ass." " Clear?" " Yes, sir." "I am playing nursemaid to the third squad, any volunteers?" " Not me." " No chance." " Go alone this time." " Enjoy yourself." "Thanks a lot." "What have we here, a hawk and a hare, eh?" "I'll take you." "Come on, have a drink." " That's your bottle." " Cheers, Rolf." "Ah, give me that thing." "Come on." "Gentlemen." "Cheers." "Some papers for you to sign, Captain." "I'll sign them later." "Stop that!" "Be careful with my J.J." "Yes, sir." "Have her treated correctly." " Sergeant Steiner reporting as ordered, sir." " Come in." "Thank you." "That will be all, gentlemen." " Welcome back, Sergeant Steiner." " Thank you, sir." "Please sit down." "Make yourself comfortable." "Well, now that you're back, and I'm glad you're back." "I think we should make a fresh start together." "But the main point is the regiment feels or believes" "that I deserve the iron Cross now." "And they've asked me to produce two witnesses to the fact that I led the counterattack and threw the Russians out of their positions." "I have named Lieutenant Triebig and you." "Especially you." "Lieutenant Triebig has already submitted his signature." "Am I to believe this is a private conversation?" "That would occur to you, wouldn't it?" "All right, have some wine, a '36 Mosel." "I'll have some." "Thank you, Sergeant." "But still remember that in civilian as well as in military life the distinction is made between people." "is that what you meant when you said, "All you are and may become" ""is dependent upon this present company?"" "Well, the difference is a matter of ethical" "and intellectual superiority which is caused, whether you like it or not, by blood and by class difference." "If I remember correctly Kant was the son of a saddle maker and Schubert's father was a poor schoolmaster." "Perhaps talent, sensitivity and character are no longer privileges of the so-called upper class." "But Kant and Schubert were exceptions." "We're talking about general concepts," " not individuals." " But I am one and so are you." "Didn't your führersay that all class distinctions were to be abolished?" "I'm an officer of the Wehrmacht." "I've never been a Party member." "I'm a Prussian aristocrat and I don't want to be put into the same category!" "So we agree for once." "Good." "But he is still our führer." "Unfortunately." "Oh..." "That is a different question, Sergeant." "That's not up to us to judge." "Why do you want it so badly?" "It's just a piece of worthless metal." "Look!" "It's not worthless to me." "Why is it so important to you?" "Tell me, Captain, why?" "Sergeant, if I go back" "without the iron Cross" "I couldn't face my family." "Personally, sir, I don't feel you deserve the iron Cross." "Incoming!" "Where are you going?" "I'm going to point 124." "Corporal Krüger's over there." "Are you crazy?" "No one could survive this kind of assault." "Get out of my way, God damn it." "I'm going after him." "Steiner!" "You get me some stretcher-bearers, damn it." "Steiner!" "Steiner!" "The others?" "Dead, all dead." "Oh, God." "Listen to me." "We are going to leave now." "Will you get up and follow me out of here?" "All right?" "Three hours." "Three hours I've been here by myself." "I don't ever want to be alone again." "You won't, you won't." "Come on." "Why the hell wasn't I told of Steiner's return to the battalion?" "My apologies for that, sir." "There were more important things to do." "I want him here at once." "...about a predicament of which I am sure you don't need to be reminded." " Clear, Stransky?" " Quite clear, sir." "Now we shall see." "I don't like the tone of his voice." "I'm fed up with the whole situation." "Well, it doesn't matter any more." "I know from reliable sources that headquarters have already written off the Kuban bridgehead." "And soon the whole Crimea will be a cul-de-sac." "Report to Brandt." "If you have the choice, Triebig, between Biarritz and Siberia, what would you choose?" " Steiner." " Colonel." "Sit down please, Steiner." "How was hospital?" "Oh, interesting." "I recommend it." "Did Captain Stransky lead the counterattack the day Lieutenant Meyer was killed?" "Lieutenant Meyer led the attack." "Captain Stransky was nowhere in sight." "You're sure of that." "I saw Lieutenant Meyer die." "Fetch Triebig." "Stay, I want you to listen." "Sir?" "You signed your Captain's report." "Were you present when Captain Stransky led the counterattack?" "I accompanied Captain Stransky to the field and saw him calling several men around him." "Then he sent me back to the command post." "Then how do you know that Captain Stransky led the counterattack?" "You've signed a statement to that effect, Triebig." "I wasn't there. I learned of it from wounded men who were returning." "Can you give me the name of one of these wounded men?" "They were not staff men, just company men." "I knew them only by sight." "Besides, the smoke, the battle." "We had been under fire, sir." "I want you to know, Triebig, that I have had your statement checked." "Captain Kiesel will inform you of the results of our investigation." "Our investigation so far has disclosed that the men in the second company who took part in the action declared unanimously" "that the action was led by Lieutenant Meyer." "None of them saw Captain Stransky or Lieutenant Triebig." "To my mind there is nothing more contemptible than stealing the laurels which properly belong to a man who was killed in action." "If Sergeant Steiner stands by his last testimony, I should be compelled to institute disciplinary proceedings against the Captain and you." "Yes, sir." "Do you stand by your statement that Captain Stransky was not with the company?" "Would it be possible for me to give my answer in three or four days, sir?" "Did you see Stransky or not?" "You may go, Triebig." "You're no longer needed." "What in God's name has got into you?" "This is your chance!" "You are the only person that stands between Stransky and his iron Cross." "And you could be called as a primary witness against him in a court of honour." "My differences with Captain Stransky are a personal matter." "Now listen to me." "You know that I've always shown a great deal of understanding for you, but I'm becoming tired of battling with your superiors." "I never ask you to." "Didn't ask me to!" "You never asked me to?" "Are you out of your mind?" "Steiner, why are you so ungrateful?" "What do I have to be grateful for, Captain?" "Your tolerance?" "Do you think that just because you and Colonel Brandt are more enlightened than most officers that I hate you any less?" "I hate all officers, all the Stranskys, all the Triebigs, all the iron Cross scavengers in the whole German army." "Have you any idea what you're saying?" "Do you know how much I hate this uniform and everything it stands for?" "God!" "Get out." "Please, just get out." "Regimental headquarters." "Division headquarters, sir." "General Von Kellinshofe." "Colonel Brandt." "Yes, General." "Yes, sir. I didn't know it was as bad as that." "I am very sorry to hear it." "Well?" "We're pulling back to the bridgehead at Kuban." "No rear guard." "Not even Steiner's platoon." "We're not retreating." "We're running." "Captain Stransky." "Yes, Captain Kiesel." "I was just about to leave." "Don't leave just yet." "Now listen to me." "Regiment feels that it is unwise and also suicidal to leave behind any rear guard platoons including Steiner's." "I want them to join the evacuation immediately." "You understand that?" "Yes, Captain." "Triebig?" "All real guard platoons to join the evacuation immediately." "Shall I notify Steiner's platoon?" "Yes." "Give me Steiner." "Calling Regiment." "Regimental headquarters." "Come in, please!" "Regimental headquarters!" "Come in, please!" "Regimental headquarters." "Come in, please!" "B Company, can you hear me?" "Anybody come in, please!" "Tanks!" "Captain Stransky, can you hear me?" "Krüger!" "All the lines are out." "Better get 'em out!" "Down the tunnel!" "Out!" "Go into the factory." "Get everything?" "Fire!" "Zoll, grab some mines." "Bring them up." "Quick!" "On the tracks, Zoll." "Put them on the tracks." "Hurry!" "Move!" "Heads down." "into the factory." "Over to the factory!" "Move, damn it!" "Maag, they're coming in from both sides." "Kern, up above!" "Krüger, get up on the gangwalk!" "Hurry." "Quick!" "Down the tunnel!" "Anselm!" "The grenade!" "Come here!" "Throw it!" "Shit!" "Jesus Christ!" "Steiner, let's go!" "It's clear." "Dietz." "Cover for us." "Hurry!" "Move!" " Captain Pucher reporting, sir." " Ah, yes, Captain." "You have your orders?" "And a letter for you to be delivered personally." "Thank you." "You can guess what this is, can't you?" " A transfer." " Exactly." "Our Stransky is to report to Paris within a week." "Captain Pucher, my orderly will see to your billeting." "But don't unpack everything." "We might be going away." "Captain." "Stransky." "Without Steiner to contradict him, he'll get his iron Cross and strut all around Paris." "The arrogant, unbloodied bastard." "Stransky in Paris and Steiner..." "God knows where he'll be." "It seems there's..." "What, 22, 23 kilometres between here and Anapa." "Marshland." "Wilderness." "It's the same trap behind the Russian lines." "Again shit, again shit, again shit..." "Here take your gun." "Again shit, again shit, again shit..." "We'll try the road." "Hey, we'll never get over this road." "Shh!" "What's your hurry, kid?" "We'll get out of this mess in time for the next one." "Steiner!" "Steiner, it's clear now." "Let's go." "Move it, move it!" "Anselm, move your ass!" "The cattle cars or whatever they're sending are due to arrive at 1200 hours, provided, of course, that the Russian sappers have not blown up the track." " Any questions?" " No, sir." "Dismissed." "Carry on probing and aggressive actions all along the front." "They're not listening." "You, too." "I beg your pardon?" "Who needs a railroad track?" "When we break out of here, we'll push on with a blitzkrieg through Stalingrad and up to the outskirts of Moscow." "What will we do when we lose the war?" "Prepare for the next one." "Do you think he'll get through?" "Steiner?" "I don't see how he can." "Anselm, go bring Zoll in." " What is it?" " Bridge." "Just bring what you need to kill with." " lt's a game." " A game?" "It's a kid's game." "It's bad luck to step on sunlight." "I thought perhaps if I miss the beams we would all come through this all right." "Come on." "Come on, come on." "Over there, get in the corner." "Jesus Christ!" "Get these weapons out of here!" "Krüger, upstairs!" "Schnurrbart, perimeter." "Check the other buildings." "Come here." "Get in that corner." "Get in that room." "Come on, pretty rabbit." "Don't hide from me." "Check the radio, and get that body out of here." "Anselm." " Stay there!" " Get your hands off." "Anselm, stop it, damn it!" " Anselm!" "Anselm!" " Leave me, Steiner." "Wait." "Stop it!" "Stop your fucking silly game!" "This isn't a brothel!" "This is a war!" "Rolf, look what I found." "I said get that body out of here." "Everything clear out here." "What is this?" "It shows their basic positions in front ofAnapa." "Good." "Means we're halfway home." "Thank the ladies and tell them to take their clothes off." "And what shall we do with the bodies?" "Who's gonna keep them warm?" " Tell them we want their tunics and trousers." " We are going to die anyway." " Do it!" "Do it!" " We are going to die anyway." "Let me..." "Let me keep one." "Major." "Major!" "She's dead." " Dietz, Zoll, watch them." " Yeah." "The rest of you, put these uniforms on." "Come on, get over there with the rest of them." "Pick up your weapons." "Up, up, out!" "Get that uniform and take it inside." "Oh, shit." "Ah, go over there." "Come on, pick it up." "You want to play?" "All right." "That's a nice little girl." "That's it." "Come on." "I'll give you something to play with." "I'm gonna be busy for a while." "Come on." "How would you like it, huh?" "That's nice." "Ah." "Steiner!" "Oh, Dietz." "Jesus Christ." "Dietz." "Oh, God." "God." "Don't hurt the girl." "Do you believe in God, Sergeant?" "I believe God is a sadist" "but probably doesn't even know it." "Zoll!" "Stupid man!" "Steiner!" "God!" "Take the women outside." "With me." "Come on." "Go!" "Move out!" "Come on!" "All of you get inside. inside!" "Steiner!" "Now we're even." "And there's one other thing you could do for me." "There's a man here that I would like to get out quickly." "I spoke to you about him before." "If there is a chance that he could leave with your headquarter staff, I will be most grateful." "Thank you, sir." "They're rolling up both flanks." "It's chaos." "That need no longer concern you." "You're to report at once to General Headquarters." "You're being evacuated." "I can't leave the Command, sir." "While I'm still in a condition to issue orders, those orders will be obeyed." "I'm prepared to disobey that order, sir." "You've been around Steiner too long." "Come, listen to me for a moment." "For many of us Germans, the exterminator is long overdue." "But I have decided that you are worth saving." "But I'm part of all this." "There are better people than me." "Most of them are being killed out there." "There's nothing wrong with you except that you smoke too much." "You're a brave man." "Braver than you think you are." "One of these days there will be a need for brave civilians." "Had you thought of that?" "In the new Germany, if such a thing is allowed to exist, there will be a need for builders, for thinkers..." "For poets." "I begin to see now what yourjob is to be." "I will make this my final order to you." "You will search out and contact all of these, um better people, you call them?" "And together you'll take on the responsibility that goes with survival." "Now you must leave." "Please leave." "Braun, take Captain Kiesel to the railhead!" "Go." "Steiner, how do we get through the Russian trenches?" "It's only a matter of time." "They'll be building them for a thousand years." " lf not here, somewhere else." " Not Germany." "Germany." "Do you think they'll ever forgive us for what we've done?" "Or forget us?" "We'll make it." "We will make it with your help." "To tell you the truth I'm... I'm beginning to enjoy it." "Well, you want, uh... to be sitting in some mud hole some place, waiting for the top of your head to be blown off?" "At least here we're free." "Steiner." "Steiner?" "Sing it!" "Go!" "Go!" "Here, Sergeant." "Here's your weapon." "Then all we have to do is hope our own artillery doesn't get us." "Or the landmines." "Two hundred metres to go." "Anselm." " Yes?" " Try to raise somebody on that radio." "Tell them we're coming in at dawn." "We need a password." "What's, uh..." "What's the password?" "Uh..." "Reconnaissance Patrol with several Russian prisoners and no shooting." "Password, Krüger, God damn it!" ""Demarcation."" "Why not? "Demarcation."" ""Demarcation." Sign it Steiner." "Captain, special password "Demarcation." Signed Steiner." "Coming in with prisoners." "Looks like a trap." "My thoughts exactly, sir." "He may have been captured." " Wolf." " Sir?" "Did you recognise the voice?" "No, sir, it was in code." "Good code, "Demarcation."" "Triebig... lf in the dark," "you saw half a dozen men, some in Russian uniforms, advancing on you." "Could anyone blame you if you opened fire?" "No." "Will you check the situation for me and, uh, take care of it?" "You do like Biarritz, don't you?" "You do like the South of France, don't you?" "Come on." "Oh, shit!" " Kern." " Yeah." "You and I will carry the weapons." "The rest of you make sure your hands are clearly placed behind your heads." "I'll go first, Sergeant." "No, Goddamit, Schnurrbart." "There might be some asshole who didn't know what the message is." "No, I go." "Rolf!" "You've been responsible for all of us." "This time I'm responsible for you." "Take us in." "Sir, look here." "Welcome, Sergeant Steiner." "My passage home." "Steiner!" "Demarcation!" "Steiner!" "Steiner, we're coming out!" " Demarcation!" " Demarcation!" "Steiner's coming in!" "Demarcation!" "Demarcation!" "Barrage!" "Russians right in front." "Schnurrbart, move out!" "Stand by to fire." "Go, go!" "Fire!" "Demarcation!" "It's Steiner!" "It's a trap." "Fire!" "No!" "God damn it!" "Sir, they look like prisoners." "Steiner!" "There are German soldiers with them." " Stop it!" " Stop it!" "The fucking idiots." "We're German soldiers..." "Fire!" "Stop it!" "Stop it!" "No!" " Keep firing!" " Stop, God damn it!" "Fire!" "Oh, my God!" "It's Steiner!" "You, stop!" "Go get my men, go!" " Stop it!" " Stretcher-bearers." "Bloody Nazi swine!" "Swine!" "It's all Stransky's orders!" "I had no part in it." "We're sorry." "He's dead." "I had no part in it!" "I'm Private Dietz, sir." "You're on your own." "If I don't find you, join up with another outfit, another platoon." "A deserter. I don't care." "It doesn't matter any more." "Where are you going?" "To pay my debts." "You are our platoon leader!" "This thing isn't over yet." "You're the new platoon leader." "And Anselm is your platoon." "That should make you happy, you old pirate." "Steiner!" "Steiner!" "Steiner!" "Yes, Colonel Brandt?" "Situation is worsening here." "You're needed." "If my orders are here..." "And they are here, sir, then my replacement is already with the Company." "You may leave, Stransky." "Your Triebig is dead." "It didn't work, Captain." "I live." "You are dead." "Lieutenant Triebig has not been under my command for several hours." " He has been transferred." " You aristocratic pile of Prussian pig shit!" "Leaving without your iron Cross, Captain?" "Just a matter of time." "Where's the rest of your platoon?" "I said, "Where's the rest of your platoon," Sergeant Steiner!" "You are..." "Captain Stransky." "You are the rest of my platoon." " Know how to use it?" " Yes, of course." "Fine, I accept." "I'll show you how a Prussian officer can fight." "And I'll show you where the iron Crosses grow." "Now!" "Hey, get out!" "Get out of the way!" "Stop there!" "Advance with me." "Get up." "Stransky, God damn it!" "Get off your ass!" "I have to reload." "How do I reload, Sergeant Steiner?"