Assault on a Queen

Mark Brittain, Frank Sinatra, a determined diver, discovers a World War II-era German submarine that vanished for twenty years and drifts into the Bahamas. The submarine becomes the focal point for Rosa Lucchesi, Virna Lisi, a wealthy and resourceful collector, and her partner Vic Rossiter, Anthony Franciosa, who have spent years chasing sunken Spanish galleons. They decide to hire the submarine, seeing in its battered hull a path to a spectacular payday.

Eric Lauffnauer, Alf Kjellin, an officer who once served on U-boats, conceives an audacious plan: stage a million-dollar heist aboard the grand British liner RMS Queen Mary while it roams the Atlantic. To turn the scheme into reality, Brittain returns the submarine to service with the help of his partner Linc Langley, Errol John, and a new ally, Tony Moreno, Richard Conte, a war hero famed for his engine expertise.

Disguised as officers from a British submarine on a top-secret mission, the trio—Brittain, Rossiter, and Lauffnauer—bluff their way aboard the Queen Mary and threaten the captain with a torpedo attack if the crew refuses to grant access to the ship’s safe. They locate the cash, filling large bags with their loot, and even attempt to wrest a valuable ring from a guest, an action that triggers violence when Rossiter is shot and killed by a member of the ship’s crew.

The surviving pair flee the liner and return to the submarine, but Brittain must abandon the stolen money when Lauffnauer plans to dive without him. As a U.S. Coast Guard cutter arrives in support of the distressed vessel, Lauffnauer contemplates firing the sub’s torpedoes at the rescue craft, yet Brittain strongly objects. In the ensuing struggle, Lauffnauer pulls a gun and accidentally shoots his ally Moreno.

Despite the tension, Lauffnauer manages to discharge the torpedoes, but the Coast Guard crews intercept and destroy them before they can reach the cutter. In the dramatic climax, Brittain, Rosa Lucchesi, and Linc Langley jump from the submarine just as the cutter rams into it, killing Lauffnauer. The three remaining conspirators survive by escaping in a raft, light on loot and determined to reach South America.

Last Updated: October 05, 2025 at 12:04