''The Silver Fleet'' is a 1943 British war film written and directed by

Vernon Sewell Vernon Campbell Sewell (4 July 1903 – 21 June 2001) was a British film director, writer, producer and, briefly, an actor. Sewell was born in London, England, and was educated at Marlborough College. He directed more than 30 films during his ...

and Gordon Wellesley and produced by

Powell and Pressburger The British film-making partnership of Michael Powell (1905–1990) and Emeric Pressburger (1902–1988)—together often known as The Archers, the name of their production company—made a series of influential films in the 1940s and 1950s. ...

under the banner of "The Archers".

Plot

Early during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, the

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in N ...

overrun the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

and take a submarine shipyard where Jaap van Leyden is chief engineer. The German Gestapo "Protector" Von Schiffer asks van Leyden to cooperate with the new regime. While pondering his decision, van Leyden walks by a school and overhears a teacher telling her class of pupils about Piet Hein, a hero of Dutch lore who captured the Spanish silver fleet and inspired his compatriots to continue fighting for freedom. Van Leyden then decides to accede to Von Schiffer's request. In doing so, he undertakes a covert campaign of

sabotage Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identitie ...

against the German Occupation, leaving notes and graffiti signed under his ''nom de guerre'', "Piet Hein". Thus, van Leyden discretely enables 12 Dutch engineers to hijack a submarine during its trial run and sail it to England, along with its captured Nazi crew. Later, after construction of a second submarine is completed, Van Leyden plants a bomb inside the sub's engine room, timed to go off the next morning. He then returns home to host a dinner party where he persuades several high-ranking German officials to accompany him on the submarine's maiden (and fatal) sea trial. However, his plans almost go awry when Dutch resistance fighter, Bastiaan Peters, sneaks into Van Leyden's house undetected and threatens to shoot him. But Van Leyden convinces Peters that he is the patriot secretly operating under the persona of "Piet Hein". Peters then diverts any suspicion from van Leyden by fatally shooting himself. The next morning, the submarine is disabled during its underwater trial when the planted bomb explodes and floods the engine room, dooming all on board, including van Leyden.

Cast

:''In order of appearance, as per ending credits'' * Ralph Richardson as Jaap Van Leyden * Googie Withers as Helene Van Leyden *

Esmond Knight Esmond Penington Knight (4 May 1906 – 23 February 1987) was an English actor. He had a successful stage and film career before World War II. For much of his later career Knight was half-blind. He had been badly wounded in 1941 while on active ...

as von Schiffer * Beresford Egan as Krampf *

Frederick Burtwell Augustus Frederick Burtwell (23 December 1894 – 16 November 1948) was an English actor, on stage from 1914, who featured in supporting roles in over 40 British films of the 1930s and 1940s. Partial filmography * ''Other People's Sins'' ( ...

as Captain Muller *

Kathleen Byron Kathleen Elizabeth Fell (11 January 1921 – 18 January 2009), known professionally as Kathleen Byron, was an English actress. Early life Byron was born in Manor Park (then part of Essex) to what she described as "staunch working-class social ...

as Schoolmistress * Willem Akkerman as Willem Van Leyden * Dorothy Gordon as Janni Peters *

Charles Victor Charles Victor (10 February 1896 – 23 December 1965) was a British actor who appeared in many film and television roles between 1931 and 1965. He was born Charles Victor Harvey. Born in Southport, Lancashire, England, Victor was a fourth ...

as Bastiaan Peters *

Joss Ambler Joss Ambler (23 June 1900 – 1959) was an Australian-born British film and television actor. He usually played somewhat pompous and irascible figures of authority, particularly in comedy films. He was an effective foil to George Formby in both ...

as Cornelis Smit * Margaret Emden as Bertha * George Schelderup as Dirk * Neville Mapp as Joop *

Ivor Barnard Ivor Barnard (13 June 1887 – 30 June 1953) was an English stage, radio and film actor. He was an original member of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, where he was a notable Shylock and Caliban. He was the original Water Rat in the first L ...

as Admiral * John Carol as Johann * Lieut. Schouwenaar, R.N.N. as Captain of the U-boat * Lieut. van Dapperen, R.N.N. as Lieutenant of the U-boat * John Arold as Navigator of the U-boat * Philip Leaver as Chief of Police * Laurence O'Madden as Captain Schneider *

Anthony Eustrel Anthony Eustrel (12 October 1902 – 2 July 1979) was an English actor. Eustrel made guest appearances on television programs such as '' Perry Mason'', ''Maverick'', ''Peter Gunn'', '' 77 Sunset Strip'', ''My Favorite Martian'', ''Hogan's Heroes ...

as Lieutenant Wernicke * Charles Minor as Bohme *

Valentine Dyall Valentine Dyall (7 May 1908 – 24 June 1985) was an English character actor. He worked regularly as a voice actor, and was known for many years as "The Man in Black", the narrator of the BBC Radio horror series '' Appointment with Fear'' ...

as Markgraf

Production

Some scenes were filmed in the town of King's Lynn.

External links

* * Full synopsis and film stills (and clips viewable from UK libraries).
Reviews and articles
at th
Powell & Pressburger Pages
{{DEFAULTSORT:Silver Fleet, The 1943 films British black-and-white films British war films Films by Powell and Pressburger Films directed by Vernon Sewell Films set in the Netherlands Netherlands in fiction World War II films made in wartime World War II submarine films 1943 war films 1940s English-language films 1940s British films