''The Silver Fleet'' is a 1943 British World War II 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 c ...

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. T ...

under the banner of "The Archers".

Plot

Early during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the

Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

overrun the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

and take control of a submarine shipyard where Jaap van Leyden is the 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 grade 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. However, he undertakes a covert campaign of

sabotage Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, government, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, demoralization (warfare), demoralization, destabilization, divide and rule, division, social disruption, disrupti ...

against the German occupation, leaving notes and graffiti signed under his ''nom de guerre'', "Piet Hein". He also discreetly 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 in the engine room, timed to go off the next morning. He returns home to host a dinner party, where he persuades several high-ranking Nazi 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 as a

Quisling ''Quisling'' (, ) is a term used in Scandinavian languages and in English to mean a citizen or politician of an occupied country who collaborates with an enemy occupying force; it may also be used more generally as a synonym for ''traitor'' or ...

. Van Leyden convinces Peters he is "Piet Hein". Peters diverts any suspicion from van Leyden by fatally shooting himself, then handing the pistol over to van Leyden, thus protecting his "Piet Hein" identity. The next morning during its underwater trial, the second submarine is disabled when Van Leyden's bomb explodes and floods the engine room, dooming all aboard.

Cast

:''In order of appearance, as per ending credits'' *

Ralph Richardson Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 – 10 October 1983) was an English actor who, with John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, was one of the trinity of male actors who dominated the British stage for much of the 20th century. He wo ...

as Jaap Van Leyden *

Googie Withers Georgette Lizette "Googie" Withers (12 March 191715 July 2011) was an English entertainer. She was a dancer and actress, with a lengthy career spanning some seventy-three years in theatre, film, and television. She was a well-known actress and ...

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 Beresford Egan (1905–1984) was a satirical draughtsman, painter, novelist, actor, costume designer and playwright. He was born in London but grew up in South Africa following a family move when he was five years old. He returned to London in J ...

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 Kathleen Elizabeth Fell in Manor Park (then part of Essex) to what she described as "stau ...

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 Lo ...

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. Biography Eustrel made guest appearances on television programs such as '' Perry Mason'', '' Maverick'', ''Peter Gunn'', '' 77 Sunset Strip'', ''My Favorite Martian'', ...

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 King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is north-east of Peterborough, north-north-east of Cambridg ...

. According to Vernon Sewell, Gordon Wellesley "wanted to be a director and I said "No, co-director out! I won't have it. Only one director." So anyway, he had his name put on with me as 'written and directed by' but he wrote the script, he had nothing to do with doing direction in the movie at all."

Reception

According to Vernon Sewell the film "made a fortune."

References

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 World War II films made in wartime World War II submarine films 1943 war films 1940s English-language films 1940s British films English-language war films