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Operation: Daybreak (1975) movie poster

Timeline

Operation: Daybreak (1975) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
1975 · 118 mins · English
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Directed by
Lewis Gilbert
Starring
Timothy Bottoms, Kika Markham, Carl Duering, Anthony Andrews, Nigel Stock, Martin Shaw

In occupied Czechoslovakia in 1942, three courageous Czech patriots launch a daring hit-and-run mission to eliminate the ruthless SS-General Reinhard Heydrich. Their audacious raid seeks to free their nation from the Nazi tyrant's grip, risking everything in a swift, lethal strike.

Action War Cast, crew & box office
On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (13)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle
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13 events in order · contains spoilers

Operation: Daybreak Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Operation: Daybreak (1975) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Moravec plans and trains the operation

    In late 1941 General František Moravec orders three Czech partisans to undertake the mission to kill Heydrich. The group, trained by the British, begins staging the operation described as the war's most important. They prepare in occupied Czechoslovakia.

    When
    late 1941
    Where
    Occupied Czechoslovakia (Prague region)

  2. Parachute drop and mislanding

    The three operatives parachute into occupied Czechoslovakia to begin the mission. Gabčík injures his foot during the descent and Čurda lands miles away, forcing immediate regrouping. They must quickly link up with Čurda to continue the plan.

    When
    late 1941
    Where
    Czech lands near Prague

  3. Regrouping and refuge with Moravec family

    After reuniting with Čurda, the trio travels toward Prague and seeks refuge with the Moravec family. Aunt Marie, her son Ata and daughter Jindřiška shelter the men and help them plan the assassination. The group decides on how to target Heydrich directly rather than his train.

    When
    late 1941
    Where
    Prague, Czech lands

  4. First assassination attempt on Heydrich's departing train thwarted

    The first plan to ambush Heydrich on his departing train is thwarted when the operation is blocked by the train's routing. Gabčík hides in a control room while Kubiš awaits at the platform, but the train passes in a way that renders the shot impossible. The abortive attempt foreshadows the need for a new plan.

    When
    May 1942
    Where
    Heydrich's departing train route

  5. New plan to attack on the bend of the road

    The conspirators devise a new plan to shoot Heydrich as his car slows at a bend on the regular morning drive into Prague from his country residence. They position themselves along the route and wait for the moment. The risk is high, but it offers a clearer chance to strike.

    When
    May 1942
    Where
    Road between Heydrich's residence and Prague

  6. Gabčík's gun jams; grenade attack injures Heydrich

    As Heydrich's car approaches, Gabčík's pistol jams, forcing him to retreat. Kubiš, who has been waiting nearby, then throws a grenade at the car, causing an explosion that injures Heydrich. The driver and Heydrich survive the immediate attack but are wounded.

    When
    May 1942
    Where
    On the road near Prague

  7. Heydrich dies from his injuries

    Heydrich dies later in hospital from mortal wounds caused by shrapnel after the attack. The killing triggers a massive German manhunt throughout the region. Prague and the surrounding areas enter into heightened security.

    When
    May 1942
    Where
    Prague hospital

  8. The manhunt and betrayal begin

    A large manhunt is launched by the Gestapo as they offer money for information that could reveal the group’s whereabouts. The hunt strains the local population and draws the attention of the Czech resistance. Fear spreads as informants become a key asset for capture.

    When
    May–June 1942
    Where
    Prague and wider occupied Czech lands

  9. Čurda betrays the group

    Čurda, fearing for his family’s safety, surrenders to the Gestapo and betrays Gabčík, Kubiš, and their allies. The betrayal triggers arrests and intensifies the crackdown. The group loses their safe protector as the net closes in.

    When
    May–June 1942
    Where
    Prague

  10. The Moravec family arrested

    Following Čurda’s betrayal, the Moravec family is arrested by German authorities. Their shelter becomes a focal point of the crackdown and their eventual fate underscores the cost of aiding the resistance. The paratroopers lose their last civilian safe haven.

    When
    May–June 1942
    Where
    Moravec home, Prague

  11. The paratroopers seek refuge in the crypt

    With nowhere else to go, the three paratroopers seek refuge in the crypt of Saints Cyril and Methodius Cathedral. They prepare for a doomed standoff, maintaining the resolve not to surrender. The crypt becomes their last stronghold in Prague.

    When
    May 1942
    Where
    Crypt under Saints Cyril and Methodius Cathedral, Prague

  12. German discovery and assault on the crypt

    The Germans locate the hidden group and mount a long, brutal battle to force them out of the crypt. They attempt to gas and flood the space to overwhelm the defenders. The defenders refuse to surrender and fight back until their resources are exhausted.

    When
    May 1942
    Where
    Crypt, Prague

  13. Final act: the three paratroopers die

    Facing capture and certain death, the three assassins shoot each other in a coordinated, fatal end. They choose to die rather than surrender, and their deaths mark a dramatic culmination of the mission. The crypt floods, sealing their fate.

    When
    May 1942
    Where
    Crypt, Prague

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 09:26

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Timeline questions answered

Operation: Daybreak Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Operation: Daybreak (1975): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why was Heydrich considered a top target for the Czech resistance?

Heydrich was the Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia (occupied Czechoslovakia) and was seen as a potential successor to Hitler. His ruthless enforcement of Nazi policies and his high position made eliminating him a strategic priority for the Czech resistance, as his death could destabilize the Nazi occupation and send a powerful message to the Allies.

  • hey drich
  • reich protector
  • hitler successor
  • assassination target
  • czech resistance
Q2

What went wrong with the first assassination attempt on Heydrich's train?

The first plan involved Gabčík hiding in a control room while Kubiš waited on the platform to shoot Heydrich as his train departed. However, when the train passed, it blocked Gabčík's line of sight from the control room, making the shot impossible. The operation was aborted before any attempt could be made.

  • first attempt
  • train
  • hey drich
  • ambush failed
  • operation aborted
Q3

Why did Gabčík's gun jam during the attack on Heydrich?

Gabčík's pistol jammed at the critical moment when Heydrich's car approached the bend in the road. This was a mechanical failure, his weapon malfunctioned and would not fire. He was forced to flee as Heydrich's driver pursued him, leaving Kubiš to act alone.

  • gabcik
  • gun jam
  • hey drich attack
  • weapon malfunction
  • sten gun
Q4

What motivated Čurda to betray his fellow partisans?

Čurda betrayed the group out of fear for his wife and child's safety. After the Gestapo launched a massive manhunt and offered a large sum of money for information, Čurda surrendered to the Germans and provided details about Gabčík, Kubiš, and their allies, leading to their exposure.

  • curda
  • betrayal
  • gestapo
  • manhunt
  • family safety
  • cowardice
Q5

How did the Germans locate the paratroopers hidden in the cathedral?

Čurda's betrayal provided the Germans with information about the group's whereabouts. Combined with the intensive manhunt and rewards offered for information, the Gestapo was able to trace the paratroopers to the crypt of Saints Cyril and Methodius Cathedral in Prague.

  • cathedral crypt
  • germans discovered
  • gestapo search
  • cyril methodius
Q6

Why did the paratroopers choose to kill themselves in the crypt?

After the Germans discovered them in the crypt and began flooding and gassing the space to force them out, the paratroopers realized they could not escape alive. Rather than be captured and tortured, they chose to shoot each other in a coordinated act, refusing to surrender to the Nazis.

  • suicide
  • crypt
  • flood
  • gassing
  • nazis
  • surrender
  • capture
Q7

What happened to the Moravec family after Čurda's betrayal?

After Čurda surrendered to the Gestapo and revealed the safe house, the Moravec family, 包括 aunt Marie, her son Ata, and daughter Jindřiška, were arrested by German authorities. Their sheltering of the resistance fighters made them targets for retaliation.

  • moravec family
  • arrested
  • czech
  • hey drich
  • retaliation
  • civilians
Q8

How did Heydrich actually die from the attack?

Heydrich was not killed immediately. When Kubiš threw the grenade at his car, the explosion sent shrapnel into his body. He was taken to a Prague hospital where he succumbed to his injuries several days later. The delayed death was due to shrapnel wounds rather than immediate trauma from the blast.

  • hey drich death
  • shrapnel
  • hospital
  • wounds
  • delayed
  • grenade
Q9

Why was this operation considered so important during WWII?

The mission, codenamed Anthropoid, was described by General Moravec as the war's most important operation. Eliminating Heydrich, the ruthless acting Reich Protector and potential Hitler successor, was seen as a major strategic blow to the Nazi leadership and a significant morale boost for the Allied cause and occupied peoples.

  • operation anthropoid
  • importance
  • world war 2
  • strategic
  • allies
  • hey drich
Q10

How did the grenade attack on Heydrich happen when the gun failed?

When Gabčík's pistol jammed, he fled on foot and was pursued by Heydrich's driver. Kubiš, who had been waiting nearby with a rifle, saw the car slow down at the bend and threw a grenade at the vehicle. The explosion caught Heydrich and his driver, critically injuring them both.

  • grenade
  • kubis
  • hey drich car
  • attack
  • bomb
  • explosion

Movie threads

More Movies Like Operation: Daybreak, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Operation: Daybreak tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Desperate resistance and assassination movies like Operation: Daybreak

High-stakes stories of clandestine operations and patriotic sacrifice under oppressive regimes. If you liked the tense, high-stakes operation in Operation: Daybreak, this list features movies with similar desperate resistance missions and assassination plots. These stories capture the anxiety of working under an oppressive regime, the precision of planning, and the heavy cost of defiance.

  • tense
  • desperate
  • oppressive
  • gripping
  • patriotic
  • clandestine
  • Tone: tense, bleak, desperate
  • Pacing: steady, mission-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives in this thread typically follow a linear, mission-oriented structure: recruitment and planning, initial attempts often fraught with unexpected failure, a final decisive act, and a consequential aftermath. The focus is on the practical and emotional toll of the operation, rather than complex political maneuvering.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on a singular, high-risk objective against overwhelming odds. They create a gripping, anxious mood through life-or-death stakes, an oppressive setting, and a tone that balances patriotic duty with the bleak reality of sacrifice.

Operation: Daybreak movie poster

Operation: Daybreak

1975
Reign of Terror movie poster

Reign of Terror

1949
Hangmen Also Die! movie poster

Hangmen Also Die!

1943
Female Agents movie poster

Female Agents

2008
Age of Heroes movie poster

Age of Heroes

2011
The Conspirators movie poster

The Conspirators

1944
Secret Mission movie poster

Secret Mission

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Against the Wind movie poster

Against the Wind

1948

Bleak and tragic historical thrillers similar to Operation: Daybreak

Gripping stories based on true events that build towards an inescapably tragic conclusion. For viewers seeking the grim historical realism and tragic ending of Operation: Daybreak, this collection features similarly bleak historical thrillers. These movies are gripping and tense but are defined by their sobering conclusions and heavy emotional weight, often based on true stories of sacrifice.

  • bleak
  • tragic
  • gripping
  • tense
  • somber
  • historical
  • Tone: tense, bleak, tragic
  • Pacing: steady, building suspense
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative journey is one of rising action and suspense that culminates not in victory, but in tragedy. The forward momentum makes the inevitable downfall more impactful, serving as a poignant reminder of the harsh realities of history. The story's power comes from its unflinching commitment to a bleak truth.

Why they belong together: These films are connected by their combination of a thrilling, steady-paced narrative with a profoundly bleak and historically grounded conclusion. They share a heavy emotional weight, a tense and oppressive atmosphere, and a focus on sacrifice, making the viewing experience both gripping and emotionally devastating.

Operation: Daybreak movie poster

Operation: Daybreak

1975
Endless Desire movie poster

Endless Desire

1958
On Distant Shores movie poster

On Distant Shores

1958
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold movie poster

The Spy Who Came In from the Cold

1965
13 Minutes movie poster

13 Minutes

2017
’38 - Vienna Before the Fall movie poster

’38 - Vienna Before the Fall

1986
The Disappearance movie poster

The Disappearance

1977
The Lost Patrol movie poster

The Lost Patrol

1934

Every angle

Operation: Daybreak (1975) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Operation: Daybreak in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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