Hannibal Brooks

Lance Corporal Stephen 'Hannibal' Brooks is assigned to care for the elephant Lucy in Munich Zoo. The American bombing of the zoo forces the director to deem the facility unsafe for the elephant. Brooks, Lucy, and the staff survive the chaos as they face an uncertain future.

The group, including the hostile Kurt, friendly Willy, and Vronia the cook, is assembled to escort Lucy to Innsbruck. They intend to travel by train, but Colonel von Haller blocks the plan, forcing them to walk instead. The route becomes a dangerous journey across occupied territory.

In Austria, Kurt grows increasingly drunk and threatens to shoot Lucy. Brooks intervenes, and in the ensuing struggle Kurt is accidentally killed. The incident leaves the group more exposed as they press toward the border.

With Kurt dead, Brooks, Lucy, Willy, and Vronia push forward toward Switzerland, hoping to outrun German forces. American escapee Packy and his partisan group join their effort, offering protection and combat support. The border fight grows closer as the escape continues.

Lucy contracts mumps, slowing their progress and creating a new hurdle. Brooks finds an Austrian doctor to treat her, providing crucial medical care amid the danger. Meanwhile, Vronia and Willy flee toward Willy’s parents’ house for safety.

Vronia and Willy are captured by German forces, and Brooks is forced to regroup with the remaining travelers. The group clings to hope as they reassess their route to safety. Packy’s presence continues to offer a potential lifeline through the danger.

Packy leads a rescue operation that frees Brooks and Willy, reuniting them with Lucy. The trio continues toward Switzerland, bolstered by Packy’s partisan network. They press on despite fresh threats from the pursuing Nazis.

As the escape momentums, Willy is tragically shot by Nazi forces while aiding Brooks’ escape. His fall intensifies the urgency and grief within the group. Lucy remains the central objective as they press on toward safety.

Close to the border, von Haller confronts the group and urges them to walk into Switzerland together. Vronia has already shifted allegiance after her capture, adding tension and shifting loyalties to the escape. Von Haller contemplates defecting as Germany’s position deteriorates.

Packy and his partisan group meet Brooks, Lucy, and the others near a German border post. They formulate a bluffing plan that leverages von Haller’s presence to bluff their way through. The coalition of partisans strengthens their chances to reach Switzerland.

Von Haller betrays the group, undermining their bluff and jeopardizing their escape. Vronia attempts to warn the others but is shot in the back, highlighting the peril of shifting loyalties. The survivors must improvise under mounting pressure to reach safety.

After a long, brutal fight with remaining German forces, Brooks and Lucy reach Switzerland with Packy and his remaining partisans. The journey ends in sanctuary, though at the cost of friends lost and battles endured. The escape marks a grim but hopeful turn toward safety and freedom.