Editing Das Boot (section)

==Plot==
Lieutenant Werner, a [[war correspondent]] on the {{GS|U-96|1940|6}} in October 1941, is driven by his captain and chief engineer to a French bordello, where he meets some of the crew. Thomsen, another captain, gives a drunken speech to celebrate his [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross|''Ritterkreuz'' award]] and mocks [[Adolf Hitler]].

The next morning, ''U-96'' sails out of the harbour of [[La Rochelle]], and Werner is given a tour of the boat. He observes ideological differences between the new crew members and the hardened veterans, particularly the captain, who is cynical about the war. The new men, including Werner, are mocked by the rest, who share a tight bond. The first watch officer is particularly disliked due to his pro-Nazi beliefs and meticulous grooming habits, which tie up the only bathroom. After days of boredom, the crew is excited by another U-boat's spotting of an enemy convoy, but they are soon spotted by a British [[destroyer]] and attacked with [[depth charge]]s. They escape with light damage.

The next three weeks are spent enduring relentless North Atlantic gales.  Morale drops after various misfortunes, but the crew is cheered by a chance encounter with Thomsen's boat. After the storm ends, the boat encounters an Allied [[convoy]] and launches three torpedoes, sinking two ships. The convoy's escorts counterattack, and they are forced to dive below test depth, the [[Submarine depth ratings|submarine's rated limit]]. As depth charges explode around them, the chief machinist, Johann, has a [[panic attack]] and has to be restrained. The boat sustains heavy damage but manages to surface when night falls. A British tanker they torpedoed is still afloat and on fire, so they torpedo it again, only to learn that sailors are still aboard. The crew watches as the sailors leap overboard and swim towards them. Neither able nor willing to accommodate prisoners, the captain orders the boat to back away.

The exhausted crew looks forward to returning home to La Rochelle for [[Christmas]], but the boat is ordered to [[La Spezia]], Italy, which means passing through the [[Strait of Gibraltar]]—an area defended by the [[Royal Navy]]. The U-boat makes a secret night rendezvous at the harbour of [[Vigo]], in [[Neutral country|neutral]] but [[Francoist Spain|Axis-friendly Spain]], with the SS ''Weser'', an [[interned]] German [[merchant ship]] that clandestinely provides U-boats with fuel, torpedoes, and other supplies. The filthy submariners appear at the opulent dinner prepared for them and are warmly greeted by the ship's clean-cut officers. The captain learns from an envoy of the German consulate that his request for Werner and the chief engineer to be sent back to Germany has been denied.

The crew finishes resupplying and depart for Italy. As they approach the Strait of Gibraltar and are about to dive, they are attacked and badly damaged by a British fighter plane, wounding the navigator, Kriechbaum. The captain orders the boat south towards the North African coast at full speed, determined to save his crew even if he loses the boat. British warships begin shelling, and they are forced to dive. When attempting to level off, the boat does not respond and continues to sink until, just prior to exceeding its crush depth, it lands on a sea shelf at a depth of 280 metres. The crew works to make repairs before running out of oxygen. After over 16 hours, they manage to surface by blowing their [[ballast tank]]s, and limp back towards La Rochelle under cover of darkness.

The crew reach La Rochelle on Christmas Eve. After Kriechbaum is taken ashore to an ambulance, [[Royal Air Force]] planes bomb and strafe the facilities. Ullmann, Johann, the second watch officer, and the {{lang|de|Bibelforscher}} are killed; Frenssen, {{lang|de|Bootsmann}} Lamprecht, and Hinrich are wounded. After the raid, Werner leaves the [[submarine pen|U-boat bunker]] in which he had taken shelter, and finds the captain badly injured by shrapnel, watching his U-boat sink. After the boat disappears, the captain collapses and dies. Werner rushes to his body and surveys the scene with tears in his eyes.