Where Eagles Dare

1

MAN:
All ready here, sir. Crew standing by

and awaiting your word. Over.

Right. Over and out.

[SIREN WAILlNG]

MAN :
Our man was brought down

at 2 a.m. this morning.

SHAEF, in their all-knowing wisdom,

didn't let us know until 10 a.m.

Damned idiots.

Damned idiots for not letting us know.

DoubIe damned idiots

for ignoring our advice in the first place.

Anyway, here he is...

...in a town called Werfen...

...at the Schloss AdIer,

the Castle ofthe Eagles.

And believe me, it's well-named,

because only an eagle can get to it.

Ourjob is to get inside there

and get him out as soon as possible...

...before they can

get the information from him.

How are you so sure that he's there, sir?

The Mosquito he was in

crash-landed only 10 miles away.

The Schloss Adler is the headquarters ofthe

German secret service in southern Bavaria.

Where eIse would they take him?

-How did the plane crash, sir?

-Through the most damnable ill luck.

We carried out a saturation raid

on Nuremberg last night.

There shouldn't have been a German fighter

within 100 miles ofthe Austrian border.

A wandering Messerschmitt patrol

got him.

Anyway, that's not important.

What is important is that

we get him out before he talks.

Or I should say, you get him out.

What about paratroops, sir?

The Schloss Adler

is inaccessible and impregnable.

It would require a battalion

of paratroops to take it.

We haven't got the time.

SteaIth and secrecy are our only hope...

...and you gentlemen are,

I trust, stealthy and secretive.

We realize of course that you've never

worked together before as a team...

...but you're familiarwith one another,

except for Lieutenant Schaffer here.

You probably noticed

that Lieutenant Schaffer...

...wears the shoulderflashes

ofthe American Ranger division.

I think that speaks for itself.

Major Smith wiIl lead the group in.

Now, you're alI expert

at survival behind enemy lines.

Smith, Lieutenant Schaffer...

...Sergeants Harrod and MacPherson

in their military capacities...

...the rest ofyou in other duties.

You all speak fluent German.

You've been trained

in different types of combat.

If anybody has a chance

of getting him out, you have.

There is, of course, another way, sir.

A way with a 100 percent guarantee

of success.

NeitherAdmiral Rolland or I

claim to be omniscient or infallible.

Is there an alternative that we've missed?

Whistle up a pathfinder squadron

of Lancasters with 10-ton bombs.

I don't think anybody in that castle

would ever talk again.

Nor do I think that you grasp

the realities ofthe situation.

The captured man, General Carnaby,

is an American.

Ifwe were to destroy him,

then l think General Eisenhower...

...might launch his second front against us

rather than against the Germans.

There are certain niceties to be observed

in our relationship with our allies.

Very well, then, gentlemen.

Ten o'clock tonight at the airfield.

-No more questions, I take it?

-Yes, sir.

Begging the colonel's pardon, sir.

What's aIl this about?

I mean, why is this man

so damned important?

-Why should--?

-That'll do, sergeant.

You have alI the information you require.

I think ifwe're sending a man

to what may be his death...

...he has a right to know why.

It's painfully simple, sergeant.

General Carnaby is one

ofthe overall coordinators...

...of planning for the second front.

He set out last night to meet

his opposite numbers in the Middle East...

...to finalize the plans

for the invasion of Europe.

The rendezvous with the Russians

was to have been in Crete.

Now, unfortunately, his plane

didn't get through.

Now, ifthe Germans can make him talk...

...it could mean no second front

this year.

-Do you understand, sergeant?

-Yes, sir.

-I'm sorry, sir.

TURNER:
That's aIl right, sergeant. Forget it.

Now, ifyou have any more questions,

Major Smith wiIl answer them.

That's all, gentlemen.

PILOT:
Get them ready.

We're approaching the drop area.

Stand by!

Green on! Go!

Where's Harrod?

Well, last time I saw him, he was drifting

towards those trees over here.

All right. Spread out.

Let's go and find him.

Major!

-His neck's broken.

-Damn it.

Well, what do we do now?

Do we bury him or do we leave him here?

We Ieave him here. The snow

will cover him in a coupIe of hours.

Get back and pick up the equipment.

I want to see ifthe radio's still working.

Well...

...the radio works aIl right. There's a barn

about a mile down the valley.

We'll use it to check our equipment.

-What about the people who live in it?

-There aren't any.

This is a high alpine pasture.

They bring the cattle up in May

and take them down in September.

The rest ofthe time,

the place is totally deserted.

Come on. Let's go.

Somehow, you know, thisjust isn't me.

It's not any of us, Jock.

You're the cook. Cook...

...some hot food and some hot coffee,

and then call London on the radio.

Damn it. I left that codebook

in Sergeant Harrod's tunic.

-I'lI go and get it for you.

-No, it's all right. It's my own stupid fauIt.

Sounds as if it's still blowing a bIizzard.

Yeah.

Well, if I'm not back in an hour...

...signal me with a flare pistol

four times every five minutes.

That should bring a blind man home.

Might aIso bring the best part

of a German regiment.

There's not a German within five miles.

Nobody leaves here until I come back.

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