The Silver Fleet (1943) was written and directed by British filmmakers Vernon Sewell and Gordon Wellesley and produced by Powell & Pressburger under the banner of The Archers.
In the early years of World War II, the Nazis have overrun The Netherlands and have taken over the shipyard co-owned and run by Jaap van Leyden (Ralph Richardson). The yard was making submarines for the Dutch Navy. The German 'Protector' Von Schiffer (Esmond Knight) demands...
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The Silver Fleet (1943) was written and directed by British filmmakers Vernon Sewell and Gordon Wellesley and produced by Powell & Pressburger under the banner of The Archers.
In the early years of World War II, the Nazis have overrun The Netherlands and have taken over the shipyard co-owned and run by Jaap van Leyden (Ralph Richardson). The yard was making submarines for the Dutch Navy. The German 'Protector' Von Schiffer (Esmond Knight) demands that they resume making submarines, but for the Nazis. By lowering food rations to starvation point, they induce some of the skilled workers to return to the yard.
This leads to many problems for van Leyden and his wife (Googie Withers) when everyone sees them as collaborators. But van Leyden works out a way to appear to do what the Nazis want but to keep his conscience clear as well. He undertakes a covert campaign of sabotage of his own work, leaving notes and graffiti signed under his nom de guerre Piet Hein (a reference to the Dutch naval...
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