Battle of the River Plate, The Page #4

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- We know. We got the buzz from Zoonk.

- Pottinger. Ashlea.

- Hello, Stubbs.

Why, it's John Robinson.

Welcome to the Arab quarter.

- Remember me? Murphy.

- Caught you with your pants down, eh?

Sorry for this get-up. No time to get my gear.

It's a punishment for using my radio.

You had them on the run all afternoon.

- Did you get through, Sparks?

- No doubt about it.

- Did they board you, Captain?

- No, we scuttled her.

Another meatless day.

Very brave, but very foolish.

You are lucky you didn't get zoonk.

- Zoonk? Zoonk?

- Auf Wiedersehen.

We reserved table tops for captains.

Engine-room staff below.

Bring any soap, chiefy?

Soap? No soap. No time.

Some of us haven't seen a paper for a month.

- Where's it come from?

- BA.

Which half will you have, Stubbs?

- Do you read Spanish?

- It's the racing page.

- I'm not interested in horses.

- Neither am I.

Listen.

Pipe down.

# Tnt es laut von fern und nah. #

Old Zoonk-zink having a zing zong.

# Christ der Retter ist da. #

The Huddersfield Choral Society.

What's he got round his neck?

# Christ, der Retter ist da. #

- You're a bit early for Christmas, aren't Zoonk?

- What's all this about?

- # Stille Nacht. #

- What's he got there?

- # Heilige Nacht. #

- Here, Taffy, is it like this in Wales?

# Gottes Sohn, o, wie lacht. #

# Lieb' aus deinem gttlichen Mund. #

# Da uns schlgt die rettende Stund'. #

# Christ in deiner Geburt. #

# Christ in deiner Geburt. #

Kapitns und Officers,

today is St Nicholas' Day,

when we, in our country, hang up our stockings.

We have only one Christmas tree

and that is for our own men,

but we have plenty decorations.

A present from Kapitn Langsdorff.

Come. Enjoy yourselves.

- Give us a mask.

- Here you are.

Achtung! Achtung! Achtung!

Party's over, children.

It's a silent night for some poor beggar.

Did you hear that?

Another little ship for Uncle Adolf's stocking.

This is funny.

- Getting interested in racing, Stubbs?

- Very funny.

Funny? You mean the names they saddle

on those poor ruddy horses?

South America. You'd expect funny names.

That's what I mean.

All these horses racing in BA, Rio and Monte,

- and you find more British names than Spanish.

- They talk Portuguese in Rio.

Ajax? Achilles?

What's British about that?

They look more like Greek to me.

What names did you say?

Ajax, Achilles,

Salvador, Exeter, Punta Umbria, Cumberland.

- They're not horses. They're cruisers.

- I know the Achilles. It's a Kiwi cruiser.

It's the South American Squadron.

Commodore Harwood's squadron.

What a coincidence!

Coincidence, my Aunt Fanny!

That's how it's done.

- This is shipping news, not racing news?

- Intelligence.

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