Mystery Submarine (1950) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Madeline was charged because she technically assisted a Nazi operation - she disabled the yacht's radio and helped facilitate Dr. Gurnitz's kidnapping. However, the US Attorney ultimately dropped the charges after learning she acted under duress and later fired a flare to expose the U-64's location, risking her life to help the Navy capture the submarine.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes establish that von Molter manipulated Madeline by claiming her husband was still alive, using her emotional vulnerability against her.

• treason charges
• Madeline Brenner
• US Attorney
• courtroom
• exoneration

Von Molter approached Madeline on Cape Cod and claimed her husband, whom she believed died in 1945 when the U-64 was sunk, was actually still alive. He promised her a reunion with him if she helped kidnap Dr. Gurnitz, a German scientist visiting Mrs. Weber. Madeline only learned the truth once aboard the submarine - her husband was dead, and von Molter had used her as a pawn to secure the scientist.

Foreshadowing: The beach scene establishes von Molter's deceptive nature through his smooth approach and too-good-to-be-true promises.

• von Molter
• manipulation
• kidnapping
• Gurnitz
• deception

Madeline's husband died in 1945 when his U-boat, the U-64, was supposedly sunk. However, the submarine itself survived, and von Molter took command of it. When Madeline discovered the truth aboard the U-64, she learned her husband was dead all along - von Molter had used the rumor of his survival to manipulate her.

Foreshadowing: Madeline's initial belief that her husband died in 1945 sets up the devastating revelation that he was truly dead.

• husband death
• U-64
• Madeline
• war casualty

Young was captured while searching the coast near Belgrana, but von Molter believed his cover story and kept him alive as the submarine's medic for Dr. Gurnitz. Young used his position to secretly communicate with the Navy, ultimately passing coordinates via a lifejacket and coaching Madeline to fire the flare that exposed the submarine's location.

Foreshadowing: Young's medical skills made him valuable to von Molter, providing the opportunity to remain aboard undetected.

• Doctor Young
• medic
• U-64
• captured
• spy

Von Molter killed the nurse to eliminate a witness to Young's note. Young had slipped a message to the nurse requesting help, which could have alerted the Navy to the operation's location. By shooting the nurse and retrieving the note, von Molter prevented any outside assistance from reaching the trapped Americans.

Foreshadowing: The clinic scene demonstrates von Molter's ruthlessness in covering his tracks.

• nurse killing
• Belgrana clinic
• witness elimination
• note

The Navy tracked the U-64 to a secret base near Belgrana through investigation of the wreckage. Madeline provided the crucial breakthrough by firing a flare to reveal the submarine's position during the naval chase. Additionally, Young had written coordinates on a lifejacket that was ejected during von Molter's deception attempt, which the Navy used to set a trap for the exchange.

Foreshadowing: The Navy's earlier investigation of the wreckage near Belgrana laid the groundwork for the final pursuit.

• U-64 location
• naval pursuit
• flare signal
• coordinates

Madeline fired the flare following Young's guidance to expose the U-64's exact location to the pursuing US Navy ships. This was a dangerous calculated risk - it revealed her as a traitor to von Molter but signaled the submarine's position for the Navy to launch depth charges and eventually air strikes that destroyed the vessel.

Foreshadowing: Young had been coaching Madeline throughout the mission on how to signal for help.

• flare
• signal
• Madeline
• U-64 exposure
• trap

Von Molter attempted to complete the exchange of Dr. Gurnitz at sea while the Navy pursued. When US Navy planes arrived and bombed the U-64, the submarine was destroyed. The summary doesn't explicitly state whether von Molter died in the attack, but the submarine was "dealt a crushing setback" and he was unable to complete the hand-off.

Foreshadowing: Von Molter's insistence on completing the deal within ten minutes despite the Navy's refusal sets up his downfall.

• von Molter
• destroyed
• U-64
• bombing
• defeat

Von Molter sank the yacht to eliminate all witnesses to the kidnapping. Mrs. Weber and the other passengers were killed when the yacht was deliberately sunk, ensuring no one could report the abduction of Dr. Gurnitz or reveal von Molter's operation.

Foreshadowing: The yacht cruise was arranged specifically to make Gurnitz vulnerable to capture.

• yacht sinking
• witnesses
• killing
• Mrs. Weber
• cover-up

Von Molter orchestrated a handover at sea where Dr. Gurnitz would be traded to another party. Madeline and Young were to be killed once the exchange was complete. The meeting point was coordinates that Young secretly embedded on a lifejacket, allowing the Navy to set a trap for the exchange.

Foreshadowing: The lifejacket coordinates were deliberately placed by Young to mislead von Molter's operation.

• exchange
• Gurnitz
• coordinates
• meeting point
• trap