49th Parallel

I see a long, straight line athwart a continent.

No chain of ports or deep flowing river or mountain range,

but a line drawn by men upon a map nearly a century ago,

accepted with a handshake and kept ever since.

A boundary which divides two nations, yet marks their friendly meeting ground.

The 49th Parallel.

The only undefended frontier in the world.

Crew, get to your stations!

Fine work, Hirth.

Magnificent, Herr Kommandant.

So the curtain rises on Canada.

Stand by! Stand by!

Radio message from the Anticostilite. Reports attack by a German submarine,

latitude 40 degrees 15 minutes north,

longitude 58 degrees 25 minutes west.

Reports sinking rapidly and only one boat seaworthy.

Latitude 40 degrees 15 minutes north.

Longitude 58 degrees 25 minutes west.

Warn all coastal batteries in the area to be

on 24-hour watch until further notice.

All destroyer flotillas and anti-submarine units at Sydney and Canso,

operate Plan Z.

Turn every available patrol plane to locating

the raider... to locating the raider.

Stop motors!

Find the captain. Question him.

Kuhnecke!

- Yes, Herr Kommandant? - What are you doing? Where's your camera?

You there! Come alongside!

Man the gun.

Yes, you'll make it. Come along, all together.

Stop!

Where's your captain?

The old man's dead.

He went to the cabin to get the ship's papers.

He must have got caught when she rolled.

Your first officer?

- Jackie's dead too, isn't he? - Yes.

- Your second officer? - Here.

Come on deck.

- Your ship? - The Anticostilite.

- Your destination? - Montreal.

- Your cargo? - Crude oil.

How many tons?

3,000.

That's a lie. You were carrying a full cargo.

2,000 tons of crude oil and 5,000 tons of gasoline. Is that correct?

If you say so.

Action stations! Prepare to dive!

You dirty swine!

Full speed ahead.

- Flood five. - Flood five.

- Depth: Thirty metres. - Thirty.

Five, ten,

twenty...

- Here come the boys! - Give them a cheer!

Hooray! Hooray!

Only a fool would imagine we could raid enemy ships for supplies now.

Outgoing ships will be detained, incoming ships heavily convoyed,

at least for the next few days.

We must find a spot where the enemy is least likely to seek us out,

which is not being patrolled every day, where they'll never think of finding us.

Hudson Bay.

Too many damned icebergs about.

What's our position?

Three miles off Point Amour.

If we go up, we risk the patrols, but we'd make better time.

If we stay below, we risk the ship.

I'm going up. Action stations!

Where are we? The North Pole?

Belle Isle Straits. There's a lot of ice coming down.

50 degrees.

50 degrees, Herr Leutnant.

Good.

I can see the opening dead ahead.

Take a look, Hirth.

You're quite sure? This is a suitable indraught?

Yes, Herr Kommandant. Those are the cliffs he mentions in his notes.

Stand by! Message received via Resolution Island from Hudson Bay post at Fort Furlot.

Eskimo hunter reports two days ago seeing

object proceeding west through Hudson Straits.

Maybe German submarine U-37.

Warn Royal Canadian Air Force bases at Churchill

and Wakeham Bay to send out patrols.

- 95 degrees. - 95 degrees, Herr Kommandant.

According to Malotte, there should be a shelving

beach at the end of the fjord. Will you go in?

Yes.

Then you can pick a landing party. Clean ship. I'll give you 12 hours.

Canada.

Leutnant Hirth, you have your orders.

Leutnant Kuhnecke, you are second-in-command.

You are taking one day's rations with you, not more.

Your mission is to bring back food and fuel.

Over that hill,

you will find a Hudson's Bay trading post.

If the men there are armed, and are foolish enough to offer resistance,

you will destroy them.

Jahner!

Take this flag.

As soon as the post is captured, you will hoist it.

And I shall bring the ship in.

Do not forget.

You are the first of the German forces to set foot on Canadian soil,

the first of many thousands. Be worthy of that high honour.

Acquit yourselves like men and Germans.

Each of you in the fulfillment of his duty

is helping to bring about the completion of our Führer's great plan.

Today, Europe.

Tomorrow, the whole world.

Heil Hitler!

At ease.

Follow me.

Submarine ahead, off Wolstenholme.

Calling number two and three.

Calling number two and three. Peter calling.

Peter calling. Just spotted submarine.

Going to have a look-see. Maybe a Jerry, boys.

Enemy attacking! Action stations!

It's her, all right. U-37.

It's the Jerry, boys. Carry out attack, number two leading.

And, Dickie, make it hot.

OK, kid!

Down!

Get below! Prepare to dive!

And now let Papa try.

We're hit!

Five...

Six...

Seven...

Eight...

Swine! Filthy swine! Devils...

Jahner!

Looks like a trapper's just got in.

- Hello, Johnnie! - What's going on here? Who are you?

This one, boss, and this one. Just come in, Johnnie.

Somebody's fond of potatoes round here.

Hey, there's a year's supply in that pot.

This one, boss, he no eat potatoes. One year, Johnnie.

Stop calling me Johnnie! Hey, my hot water.

Who's been using my hot water?

This one, boss, very dirty boy. He no take bath for one whole year.

I know that voice.

Albert! Comment ça va, mon vieux?

You old walrus. By golly, it's dandy to see you!

- When did you get in? - One half-hour ago.

I find the water on the stove and dinner cooking. I say, "Johnnie, you're in luck."

Your friend Albert is expect you!"

What do you think of my whiskers? She is dandy?

- Man, they're grand! - Give me a scissor and your razor quick.

Sure. I'm hoping you're going to stay for a while this time.

Sure thing! I stay till the boat comes. And wait till you see my skins.

The best year I never had.

And now, I'm going to get so busy doing nothing.

Yes, sir! I'm going to do nothing like she's never been done before.

Hello, Winnipeg! Hello, Winnipeg!

This is Wolstenholme calling, Wolstenholme calling.

This message to be sent on to Three Rivers - Trois Rivières - Quebec.

Trapper Johnnie Barras is anxious to send a message to his father, Napoleon Barras,

of... Hold on a minute! Wait a minute! Wait a minute!

Here you are. Of...

32 Rue Crevisse.

And his mother and his eight sisters and six brothers.

Tell them that he has arrived safely this evening at Wolstenholme post

after a successful 11 months hunting and trapping.

He says thanks for sending on last year's mail.

And the rosary. And the cake,

that kept very well in its airtight tin.

And he says send on another one.

Go on, Winnipeg.

Hudson Bay House, Winnipeg speaking. Nice work, Johnnie!

- This is Ed speaking. - Hiya!

Good night, Wolstenholme. Good night.

Good night, Winnipeg. Good night.

Ship time at Kangiqsujuaq.

Say, where's the ship?

I've been answering that question till I'm sick and tired of it.

Everyone who comes here asks it.

- Where's the ship, boss? Where's the ship? - Bien. Where is she?

Behind the hill.

Oui, bien sûr.

Come on and sit down.

Well, what's the news from home?

Some good, some bad.

Everyone is well, that is good.

Business is slow, that is bad.

My father say it is because of them war rumours.

But he tell me no worry, this Hitler is only bluffing.

And he said they all say there will be no war this year or next year.

Qu'as-tu, alors? You look at me as I go mad.

Of course, I was forgetting.

You can't have seen a paper in over a year.

- What do you mean? Has it happened, then? - Sure it's happened. Bigger than the last.

Nom de Dieu.

- Who fighting? - Mostly everybody.

Who starting first?

The Germans, of course. They marched in on the Poles in September 1939.

The Poles?

Ma foi! I thought all the Poles was in Canada.

No, no, Johnnie.