Sahara

Sahara

Year: 1943

Runtime: 97 mins

Language: English

Director: Zoltan Korda

AdventureWarWar and historical adventureMilitary combat and heroic soldiersBravery in War

Set amid the harsh Libyan desert during the Western Desert Campaign of World II, an American tank commander and a small group of Allied soldiers are tasked with defending an isolated well that holds a scarce water supply. They must hold the well against a determined German Afrika Korps battalion, fighting under extreme conditions to keep the vital resource from falling into enemy hands.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Sahara (1943)

Trace every key event in Sahara (1943) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Separation from the unit and desert retreat

After Tobruk falls, Gunn and his crew are separated from their regiment during the general retreat. They are forced to press south across the Libyan Desert with dwindling supplies and mounting uncertainty. The long, grueling trek tests their resolve from the outset.

1942 Libyan Desert
2

Rescuing survivors from a bombed field hospital

The crew discovers a bombed-out field hospital and decides to pull survivors aboard. They rescue Captain Halliday, four Commonwealth soldiers, and Free French Corporal Leroux, expanding their improvised convoy. Halliday becomes the de facto officer, though Gunn’s experience remains the guiding force.

1942 Bombed-out field hospital
3

Captain Halliday yields command to Gunn

Captain Halliday relinquishes command to Master Sergeant Joe Gunn, recognizing Gunn's greater battlefield experience. The transfer consolidates Gunn’s leadership over the growing group. The team continues onward under Gunn’s direction.

1942 Field hospital vicinity
4

Meeting Tambul and the prisoner Giuseppe

Riding atop the tank, the group encounters Sudan Defence Force Sergeant Major Tambul and his Italian prisoner, Giuseppe. Tambul volunteers to guide them to a desert well at Hassan Barani, offering a potential lifeline. Gunn agrees to the detour in hopes of finding water and safety.

1942 Near Hassan Barani
5

Giuseppe joins after initial reluctance

Gunn initially resists taking the Italian prisoner, but ultimately allows Giuseppe to accompany the group. His presence adds strain but also a measure of solidarity to the fragile march. The squad presses forward toward the scarce resources ahead.

1942 On the march toward Hassan Barani
6

Luftwaffe attack and casualties

A Luftwaffe strafing run wounds Commonwealth soldier Clarkson. Captain von Schletow is shot down and captured, removing an immediate threat at that moment. The attack underscores the constant danger closing in from the air and on the ground.

1942 Desert road near Hassan Barani
7

Hassan Barani well proves dry

At Hassan Barani the group discovers the well is dry, increasing the group's desperation for water. Clarkson dies from his wounds, highlighting the toll the journey is taking. The threat of dehydration now looms as a defining pressure.

1942 Hassan Barani
8

Bir Acroma well and the German pursuit tightens

Tambul leads them to another desert well at Bir Acroma, but water remains scarce. While gathering what little they can, German scouts appear in a half-track, signaling a mechanized battalion closing in. The group steels itself for a difficult stand.

1942 Bir Acroma
9

Gunn delays the Germans with a deceptive stall

Gunn tries to slow the German advance by suggesting there is more water than there is and by offering food in exchange for water. He sends Waco on a run for reinforcements by taking the half-track. The ruse buys time but deepens the peril the group faces.

1942 Bir Acroma area
10

Parley, betrayal, and the deaths of Leroux and von Falken

During a tense parley, Leroux and Major von Falken reach a fragile agreement, but Leroux is shot in the back as he returns to his side. Gunn and Bates respond with return fire, killing von Falken and shifting the balance of the standoff. The betrayal shifts the conflict toward the defenders.

1942 Near the well
11

Tambul pursues von Schletow and is killed

Tambul chases Captain von Schletow and kills him in a bid to prevent a German breakthrough. He is shot dead in the pursuit, a costly sacrifice that underscores the price of leadership. Giuseppe had already fallen earlier, leaving the group more exposed.

1942 Near German lines
12

Final assault gives way to an unlikely resurgence of water

What appears to be a final German assault dissolves into a surrender as a shell near the well taps into a hidden water source, refilling the well. The surviving Allied crew disarms the surrendering Germans, and the group sustains themselves through this unexpected moisture lifeline. The moment reverses the odds just as relief seems distant.

1942 Near the well
13

Allied relief arrives and the path to El Alamein opens

As they march the German prisoners east, Allied troops arrive with Waco guiding the way. News of the Allied victory at the First Battle of El Alamein reaches the group, turning the tide in their favor and signaling a broader strategic shift. The survivors prepare for the next phase of the campaign.

1942 Desert, en route to Allied lines
14

The desert frontline shifts: victory at El Alamein

The news of a major Allied victory at El Alamein marks a turning point for Rommel's Afrika Korps. Gunn, Bates, and their companions are finally drawn into the wider fight alongside freed Allied forces. The trial by fire in the Libyan Desert culminates in a pivot toward the war’s next chapters.

1942 El Alamein vicinity

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 12:38

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Sahara Summary

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Sahara Summary

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Sahara

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