The Hansa Way
OUTLINE
Spring of 1945: The German army, Scorched earth Northern Finland during its retreat to Norway, leaving a desolated land behind. Agnes, pregnant from German Navy sailor, is now an outcast in her home country. In hopes of finding her lost lover, she sets sail on a journey with her new born daughter, hopping from fishing trawlers to reallocated U-Boats and cargo ships along the Hansa route leading her from Helsinki to Danzig. She is finally evacuated to Lübeck along with thousands of ethic Germans expelled from Soviet controlled Poland.
Agnes is delivering her baby daughter as the radio announces that the German Army has retreated to Norway. Amidst the celebration that follows, she is being pressured by her family not to divulge the identity of the baby's father. Not wanting to bear such a burden on her daughter and yearning to find her lover upon hearing about Hitler's death a few days later, she talks to Red Cross personnel stationed at the hospital who assist her in tracking the father's family in Danzig. In the disarray that follows the German capitulation and with no way to communicate via mail or telegraph, she embarks on a fishing boat hoping to reach Soviet controlled Estonia.
Agnes heard about the massive evacuation of German troops and civilians from the Baltic countries. Only experiences fishermen can navigate the dangerous waters along the "mine net" laid between Helsinki and Tallinn. Agnes boards an Estonian fishing trawler at night.
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HOSPITAL ROOM, HELSINKI, 25 APRIL 1945
An assistant nurse gently pulls a baby girl from of her mother's womb. As no one else is around to cut the umbilical cord, she asks Agnes to hold her dripping newborn while she gets the scissors. Agnes weeps a mixture of joy and sadness as the assistant nurse cuts the cord then wipes the baby before exiting the the room.
HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM, HELSINKI, 25 APRIL 1945
A crowd of doctor's and nurses are gathered around the radio as the newsman announces that the last German soldier has just crossed the Norwegian border. The short war with Germany has left desolation throughout Northern Finland and the Finnish Army will now concentrate its resources on the Eastern front to block any Soviet invasion attempt.
The assistant nurse sees a middle aged couple quietly sitting behind the cheering crowd.
-Mr. and Mrs. Ahlström? asks the nurse.
-Yes, anxiously replies Agnes' mother.
-It's a girl!
-Is she healthy? asks the father.
-Yes, both the baby and the mother are fine. You can come in now, replies the assistant nurse with a smile.
The mother looks at the father who holds her back.
-No, thank you, we have to go now. Please give her this, replies the father as he hands an envelope to the assistant nurse.
HOSPITAL ROOM, HELSINKI, 25 APRIL 1945
The assistant nurse walks back into the room holding the envelope and a notepad.
-So? asks Agnes.
-They left...
Agnes holds her baby tight and stares out the window.
-Hypocrites!
The assistant nurse places the envelope on the night table. Agnes grabs it and peeks inside finding a stack of 1000 Markka notes.
-You are sure that you don't want to think about it some more?
-Yes, I'm sure, replies Agnes as she puts the envelope back on the table. Anna, Anna Grass. That's her name.
-You can stay here until tomorrow if you want... You should rest now, says the nurse as she writes down the baby's name on the birth certificate.
PUB, PORT OF SOMPASAARI, A WEEK LATER
-With the baby? asks the seamen.
-Yes, replies Agnes holding Anna tightly wrapped in a white cloth.
-I don't know. I was told one passenger. Didn't know you were a woman... And a baby.
-I'll pay double.
-Ok I guess... So meet us a the end of the dock at midnight. Be discreet. One luggage only... and the baby...
-Thank you... thank you so much.
ESTONIAN FISHING TRAWLER, BALTIC SEA, 20 NAUTICAL MILES FROM TALLINN, 4 MAY 1945, DAWN
The Baltic Sea is eerily quiet on this third day following the announcement of Hitler's death. A fisherman, alone on deck, scouts the foggy horizon. Hearing voices mixed to the sound of the diesel engine and of the water hitting the hull, he looks towards the cabin to make sure he isn't being called but the trawler's captain is sleeping at the helm and there are no other souls on deck. Hearing more calls, he is befuddled when a surfaced submarine appears through the fog, meters away from his slowly sailing trawler. On deck, several sailors call him in German, and in various Baltic languages.
Confused, the fisherman takes a few seconds to realize that the U-boat is not in a firing position, then replies to the German sailors telling them to hold on as he calls his captain twice before he could wake him up. Hearing the commotion, Agnes climbs on deck holding baby Anna in her arms. Two other fishermen are now on decks trowing ropes at the U-boat as more German seamen pop out through the submarine's fin.
The captain of the Estonian trawler is baffled when the very young captain of the U-boat jumps on his rusty fishing trawler.
-Are you the captain? asks the German to the Estonian.
-Euh... Yes, replies the fisherman in German with a thick Estonian accent.
-We need Diesel. We can pay you.
-Diesel? The Estonian fisherman looks at his Finnish crew which have gathered around him.
-Do you understand what they want, he asks his 3 men crew in Finnish.
They all reply that they don't as Agnes walks up to them still holding Anna.
-They want to buy Diesel... They're willing to pay, claims Agnes.
All men turn towards the mother and baby.
The Estonian then looks at the 75 meters Type XXI Elektroboote.
-Diesel! I don't know... How much do they need?
Agnes translate in German then Finnish from now on.
-Enough to reach passed the Soviet lines. Maybe 10 tons.
-10 tons! Our tank only holds two tons and we're probably half empty.
-You can buy some from the Soviets in Tallinn, not us.
The Estonian fisherman hesitates...
-From the Soviets... It's risky.
-We can pay you...
The German captain pulls a 1kg gold bar bearing an engraved swastika.
-This one now, for your reserve... and one more per ton you bring back.
DOCKS, TALLINN, NIGHT
The docks are bearably lit by a single lamp post on this chilly spring night. With its lights down, a Soviet Army truck slowly drives by the docked Estonian trawler. The captain and two of his Finnish crewmen apprehensively walk across the truck's path. The driver flashes the head beams twice and stops. The three fishermen walk up to the truck.
-Let's move, says the driver in Estonian.
-How many you got? asks the captain.
-20 barrels.
-Ok, that will do, replies the captain, figuring out the maths as he answers. Can you pull back directly by my boat.
-No, replies the driver nervously. Let's do it here right now. You have the money?
-Better, the captain pulls the gold bar and hands hit to the driver. That's three times the value.
The driver inspects the Swastika bullion as the two other fishermen roll up the tarp and start rolling down the drums.
NAVIGATION TABLE, INTERIOR U-3955, 5 MAY 1945, EARLY MORNING
The U-boat Captain, his Chief Engineer and Navigation Officer, all in their early 20s, are drawing radius with compasses on a map of the Baltic sea as the Estonian captain accompanied by Agnes and Anna stand by. Anna starts crying as heavy metallic noises emanate from the pressurized hull. Agnes sings a traditional Finnish ballad to soothe her.
-20 times 0.1341 ton, that's 2682 kg... With what's left in the tank, it's barely 3 tons, says the Chief Engineer.
-We won't make it passed Gotland, replies the Navigation Officer looking at the map.
The U-boat Captain looks at the Estonian, then at Agnes still singing to Anna's ear.
-You're sure he can't get more, asks the Captain?
Anna translates.
-No, he will already have to account for the missing 20. That's all we can do... Can you ask him to bring us back up now, says the Estonian to Agnes.
Before Agnes could even translate a message pops from the Enigma machine. All heads turns towards the Communication Officer.
-From OKW, Flensburg: ALL SHIPS ARE TO CEASE FIRE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY AND MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE NEAREST ALLIED FORCES PORT FLYING A BLACK FLAG.
-That means we can't even surrender to the Swedes. We've got to make our way to Fehmarn, says the Captain to his Officers.
-Captain! A 4 engine bomber is flying low at 11 o'clock, screams the watchman looking through the periscope.
-That's the third one this morning. They're is no way we can resurface before sunset, says the Captain.
-If the fishing boat stands still all day, it'll attract attention. Maybe they'll dispatch a Corvette, says the First Officer. We have to move on.
Agnes who understood the conversation, thus the implications for her, Anna and the Estonian captain, becomes the center of attention.
-What's going on, asks the Estonian.
-I don't mind trying to reach Germany with you, claims Agnes to the Germans ignoring the Estonian. That's where we are heading anyways...
-What about him, asks the Chief Engineer.
All heads turn towards the Estonian who looks confused.
BALTIC SEA, 20 NAUTICAL MILES FROM TALLINN
The Estonian Captain pops out of the water like a fishing quark followed by a tiny black inflatable raft which unfolds as it reaches the surface. He climbs onto the raft, sinks into it and stares at 3 gold bars which he pulled from his pocket before starting to row towards the fishing boat half a NM away.
COMMAND POST, INTERIOR U-3955, EARLY MORNING
-15 meters down, 220 degrees WSW, 90 percent speed, shouts the First Officer to the Crew as the Watchman pulls down the periscope.
-Welcome aboard ladies, says the captains as he looks at Agnes holding Anna bearing a smile.
-Thank you Captain.
SLEEPING QUARTERS, U-3955
The numbing sound of a transformer fills the U-boat. Agnes sits by Anna who's lying on a lower berth in the forward sleeping quarters. The Captain walks to them and kneels down.
-So what's her name?
-Anna.
The Captain caresses Anna's forehead.
-Hopefully, she'll get to grow up in peace.
-Yes, replies Agnes not too sure on how to react to the Captain's proximity.
-How old are you?
-17...
-That's how old I was when I got on my first patrol, 5 years ago. When I leave this ship, hopefully we all will, I'll be 17 again... All these years underwater... It's like time stopped.
-You're only 22? and a Captain.
-This is my first patrol as a captain. We've been playing hide and seek with the Russians for over two months.
CAPTAIN'S QUARTER, AJKESVIK BAY, FARO ISLAND, SWEDEN
One by one, the Captain pulls a dozen of compact wooden boxes from his safe and hands them to the Navigation Officer who places them side by side on the Captain's berth. All are sealed and bear an engraved Deutsche Reichsbank eagle on their top.
-You are sure about the position? asks the captain.
The Navigator is stunned by the number of boxes.
-Yea... How much is that? I thought you meant 20-30 kg...
-One hundred kg per box. If we secure 10, that's a ton... We can't risk them seizing it all from us. Not the Russians nor the Swedes.
-Hell no!
-So that's why we have to make absolutely sure that we have the right coordinates...
-I double checked with the sextant and triple checked with the lighthouse... We're spot on...
SEABED, AJKESVIK BAY
Standing on the seabed by merely 15m depth, the Navigator is scanning the horizon with a battery lantern, trying to count the boxes. His stiff diving suit prevents him from looking up at a wooden box which is plummeting down along his breathing tube. The box hits the side of his helmet and knock's him down on the murky seabed creating a cloud of dust.
U-3955 DECK, AJKESVIK BAY, NIGHT
A seaman holds the umbilical breathing tube/cord as the Captain dumps the remaining boxes one by one aiming at the fading light below.
-It's getting tighter. Like if he got deeper... warns the seaman.
-The light hasn't moved... His he responding?
The seaman hits the cord twice and waits for a response as the Captain's focus shifts from the bottom of the sea to the rotating beam of the lighthouse.
Suddenly, the cord is pulled 3 times meaning that the diver requests to be pulled back up...
SOUTH OF GOTLAND, U-3955 DECK, 25 MAY 1945, NIGHT
Agnes climbs down the fin's ladder and walks towards the Captain who's staring at the near full moon at the ship's stern.
-Can I join you Captain? asks Agnes.
The Captain turns around and smiles at Agnes.
-Sure... You want to sit down? replies the Captain as he lays his life vest on the steel deck as a cushion. You smoke?
-Ok...
The Captain pulls a couple of Ernte 23 and blows a long flames out of his tube lighter to light Agnes' cigarette.
-That's good... We have to save the petrol! says Agnes as she gently pulls the Captain's hand away.
The Captain lights his own.
-You should go back home Agnes... The war is over now and Germany is not the place to be, says the Captain as he looks at the Swedish coast.
-I'm sure I'll find him... -Even if he made it, which is more than unlikely, he's gonna be held prisoner in Russia for years before coming back.
Agnes looks at the moon.
-Then I'll wait... I'm not going back to them. I want my daughter to be wanted... proud. Proud of her mother and proud of her father. I don't want her to grow up ashamed... hiding the fact that her father is the enemy and that her mother was a loose girl...
-Maybe you're right... But a loose girl... That much? replies the Captain teasing Agnes.
-You know what I mean... You have a wife?
-No... Never even had a real girlfriend.
-What do you mean Real?
-Well like a girl I go out with... Write to... That kind of things.
-But you've been with women before?
-Of course... I'm a seamen.
-You mean prostitutes...
-Yes... Kind of.
-And did you love them.
-I liked one... She was a polish girl in Danzig. I think she liked me too.
-And?
-Don't know. When my patrol came back, the brothel had been destroyed during an air raid.
-Sorry...
-I don't think she died. Neighbours said all the girl went to the shelter... But no one know where they went after...
Agnes kisses the Captain of the cheek.
TALLINN
U-boat seized and reallocated to Baltic Fleet to Danzig.
U-3955 is seized by the Soviet Navy and sailed back to Danzig by its captured German crew under Soviet command and escort to be refitted and reallocated to the Baltic Fleet. Agnes and Anna remain clandestine passengers.
DANZIG
Following its liberation by the Red Army, the city is in disarray and prone to "ethnic cleansing". Agnes finds her lover's family home repossessed by displaced Poles. Claiming the German citizenship of her daughter, she takes part in a massive exodus of Ethnic Germans towards the west.
Agnes talks to a rat...
LUBECK
Agnes and Anna take shelter in a house bordering the British and Soviet zones where Anna was raised.
Anna is raised on the Inner German Border by her single mom mother.