Task: Story Composition
Input (English): Fact1: Battle of Atlantic was fought between Royal Navy and Germany 's U-boats conditions, Fact2: viewpoint of British naval officers and seamen served in convoy escorts, Fact3: sub-lieutenants are both and without experience at sea newly commissioned, Fact4: German submarines lack range to attack shipping far into Atlantic, Fact5: French ports With Fall of become available to Germans France
Output (English): The film portrays the conditions in which the Battle of the Atlantic was fought between the Royal Navy and Germanys Uboats. It is seen from the viewpoint of the British naval officers and seamen who served in convoy escorts. The film begins with a voiceover by Ericson Jack Hawkins: Opening in the autumn of 1939, just as war breaks out, LieutenantCommander George Ericson, a British Merchant Navy officer in the Royal Naval Reserve, is recalled to the Royal Navy and given command of HMS Compass Rose, a newly built Flowerclass corvette intended for convoy escort duties. His sublieutenants, Lockhart and Ferraby, are both newly commissioned and without experience at sea. The new first lieutenant, James Bennett Stanley Baker, is an abusive martinet. Despite these initial disadvantages, the ships company gains hard experience and becomes an effective fighting unit. At first their worst enemy is the weather, since German submarines lack the range to attack shipping far into the Atlantic. With the Fall of France, French ports become available to the Germans and Uboats can attack convoys anywhere in the Atlantic – ironically making bad weather the convoys greatest advantage. The first lieutenant is put ashore, the junior officers mature and the ship crosses the Atlantic many times escorting convoys, often in brutal weather. They witness the sinking of many merchant vessels they are charged with protecting and the tragic deaths of merchant navy crewmen. A key scene involves Ericsons decision to carry out a depth charge attack even though the blast will kill merchant seamen floating in the water. After close to three years of service, including one Uboat sunk, Compass Rose is herself torpedoed and her crew forced to abandon ship. Most of the crew are lost. Taking to a couple of liferafts, Ericson survives this ordeal along with his first lieutenant, Lockhart Donald Sinden, and with the few crew left including Ferraby are picked up the next day. Ericson is promoted commander, and together with Lockhart, his nowpromoted Number One, takes command of a new Castleclass frigate, HMS Saltash Castle portrayed by HMS Portchester Castle. With Ericson leading an antisubmarine escort group they continue the monotonous but vital duty of convoy escort. Late in the war, while serving with the Arctic convoys, they doggedly pursue and sink another Uboat, marked as U53, Saltash Castles only kill. As the war ends the ship is shown returning to port, as guard to a number of German submarines that have surrendered.