Hell Boats

Jeffords is assigned to Valletta, Malta, to command a flotilla of Motor Torpedo Boats for a top secret mission. He is granted permission to bring his friend Yacov, a Jewish Palestinian, on the operation. The assignment forms the opening context of the mission in 1941.

Through scavenging spare parts from sunken craft, the battered flotilla manages to assemble three seaworthy MTBs. The crews repair and ready the boats for the dangerous mission ahead. The work occurs in the Malta vicinity during the ongoing campaign.

The mission is to destroy a former Italian submarine base in Augusta, Sicily, which now houses German Fritz X glide bombs that have been attacking British shipping. Since the bombs are stored in tunnels inside a mountain, an aerial strike is deemed unfeasible. Jeffords must devise a novel plan to strike the base.

Off duty, Jeffords meets Alison Ashurst, the wife of his commanding officer. During an air raid they share a kiss, surprised by the danger around them. The moment hints at a forbidden attraction developing in the tense setting.

Later, after returning with a captured E-boat, Jeffords finds Alison waiting for him in his bed. The scene implies that their affair continues despite the official relationships involved. The event underscores the personal tensions surrounding the mission.

Jeffords arranges a reconnaissance of the base by the Sicilian Resistance. The mission is successful, but the escort accompanying the Resistance is killed in the process. The reliability and sacrifice of local allies are highlighted in planning the assault.

Jeffords devises a plan to capture a German E-Boat by sending a false radio message that General Alexander's plane has gone missing. The German crew believes they are picking up survivors and are themselves captured. The ruse allows the Allies to gain a foothold for infiltration.

The captured E-Boat is used as a Trojan Horse to penetrate the harbour, with Jeffords' flotilla following once the Germans lift the boom gate. The operation relies on timing and the element of surprise to reach the tunnels. It marks a bold breakout from conventional attack routes.

Jeffords and two others don scuba gear to swim into the tunnels and plant explosive charges. The mission presses forward beneath the base, aiming to cripple its fortifications and bombing capacity. After planting charges, evacuation depends on the timing of extraction.

Contrary to Jeffords' instructions, the MTBs and the E-boat wait to pick him up, and are eventually lost. The operation leaves no immediate rescue, underscoring the peril of the mission. The decision to wait for extraction has fatal consequences for the supporting vessels.

After returning to Malta, Alison greets both her husband Andrew and Jeffords. Jeffords leaves quietly, and the scene implies that Andrew and Alison will attempt to salvage their marriage. The mission ends with a mix of personal tension and formal departure.

The film notes that the Allied invasion of Sicily took place in July 1943. This historical milestone provides the broader wartime backdrop for the mission and its aftermath. It situates the action within the larger Mediterranean campaign.