Now Where Did the Seventh Company Get to? (1973) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The 7th Company was discovered when Chaudard, Pithiviers, and Tassin made a critical mistake while scouting. One soldier dug up the wrong tree for camouflage, pulling up the buried radio cable that connected them to their unit. German infantry saw the exposed cable, severed it, surrounded the woods, and demanded the company's surrender. The three scouts witnessed the capture from hiding and fled rather than surrender themselves.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, the soldiers buried the radio cable beneath a sandy road to maintain contact with their unit, establishing the cable as their lifeline.

• capture
• radio cable
• German infantry
• Machecoul woods
• surrender

The three soldiers survived through a combination of hiding, improvisation, and luck. They concealed themselves in the woods near Machecoul, taking turns keeping watch. When Pithiviers grew too comfortable at a lake, the group moved on. They obtained food by capturing a rabbit, and when needed, they masqueraded as German soldiers using captured uniforms and a German tow truck, which allowed them to move freely through enemy territory.

Foreshadowing: The trio were described as 'clever yet indolent,' suggesting they would use wit to survive rather than direct combat.

• survival
• woods
• hiding
• disguise
• German uniforms
• tow truck

Duvauchel was a French pilot whose plane was shot down by German fighters while flying over the lake where Chaudard and his men were swimming. He made an emergency landing and escaped before his aircraft exploded. The soldiers discovered him, and after a tense moment, he revealed himself to Chaudard when Chaudard visited a farm seeking supplies. Duvauchel then took command of the group, replacing Chaudard's leadership.

Foreshadowing: Two German fighter planes appeared overhead during the soldiers' swim at the lake, hinting at aerial combat occurring nearby.

• Lieutenant Duvauchel
• pilot
• plane crash
• lake
• leadership
• French ally

After killing the two German drivers, the soldiers initially planned to abandon the truck and leave the dead Germans behind. However, they realized the armored tow truck could serve as a perfect disguise. By wearing captured German uniforms and driving the German vehicle, they could travel through enemy territory undetected and reach the captured 7th Company to rescue them.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, the group needed to find a way to reach their captured comrades without being detected.

• German tow truck
• disguise
• rescue
• uniforms
• stealth
• captured company

In June 1944, during the Allied invasion of Normandy, Chaudard, Pithiviers, and Tassin were parachuted back into France aboard a plane piloted by Lieutenant Duvauchel. This appears to be a new mission, possibly as part of the French Resistance or Allied forces working to liberate France from German occupation. The film ends ambiguously, with their final outcome unresolved.

Foreshadowing: The earlier rescue of the 7th Company ended with the soldiers successfully escaping, setting up their return to active duty.

• June 1944
• parachute drop
• Duvauchel
• Allied invasion
• France
• resistance mission

The trio used their German disguise to approach the guards escorting the captured 7th Company toward Germany. Under the cover of their apparent German identity, they spooked the guards by firing the tow truck's cannon, causing the guards to run in front of the truck for safety. This created an opening that allowed the entire 7th Company to slip away and escape while the guards were distracted.

Foreshadowing: The tow truck's cannon had already been used to destroy a German tank earlier, demonstrating its destructive power.

• rescue
• guards
• escape
• tow truck cannon
• disguise
• German command

During the June 1944 parachute mission, the trio jumped from the aircraft prematurely. As they descended, Pithiviers slipped from the hold and became separated from Chaudard and Tassin. This was not the first time Pithiviers had trouble with jumps or separations, as he had previously wandered off to swim in the lake despite potential danger.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Pithiviers demonstrated a tendency to separate from the group, notably when he waded into the lake and persuaded others to join him.

• Pithiviers
• parachute jump
• separation
• June 1944
• plane
• descent

The colonel misdirected the trio away from the actual location of the captured 7th Company, sending them toward Paris while the company was being taken in a different direction toward Germany. This error forced the soldiers to figure out the correct route themselves, eventually locating the 7th Company being escorted by guards heading east.

Foreshadowing: The film's comedic tone includes moments of military incompetence and confusion, which this misdirection exemplifies.

• colonel
• Paris
• misdirection
• guards
• Germany
• wrong direction