The McKenzie Break

At Camp McKenzie in north Scotland, German officers refuse to appear for roll call. The British reprisal policy requires cuffing an equal number of German officers, a policy Major Perry is forced to uphold. When guards attempt to move the prisoners out of their barracks, the detainees ambush them, escalating tension inside the camp.

Captain Jack Connor, a crime reporter seconded from the Royal Ulster Rifles to British Army Intelligence, is bailed out by General Kerr for off-duty indiscretions. He is sent to Camp McKenzie to investigate the escalating tensions and effectively assumes operational control from Major Perry. His presence marks a shift toward an investigative and hands-on approach.

Schlüter, the Kriegsmarine commander, accuses the Luftwaffe prisoners of disloyalty as interest in insurrection wanes. The Luftwaffe officers challenge Schlüter's motives and tactics, emphasizing a growing divide within the German camp. A tunnel is nearing completion, raising the stakes for both sides.

During a confrontation between prisoners and guards, a group of German sailors savagely beat Lieutenant Neuchl of the Luftwaffe. Two Germans, dressed as British soldiers, exploit the chaos to slip away from the camp. The incident heightens fear of an organized escape attempt.

Neuchl is hospitalized, delirious and muttering about 'twenty-eight submariners' as the escape plan unfolds. To prevent him from divulging information, a staged fight distracts the guards, and Neuchl is murdered before he can be questioned. The incident eliminates a potential informant but intensifies the mystery surrounding the plan.

Connor claims Neuchl is alive in spirit and uses a cryptographer to decrypt the POW letters, gaining a rough understanding of the German escape plan. He concludes the best way to end the threat is to let the Germans escape and be captured by special patrols. His unconventional approach sets the stage for a calculated gamble.

Schlüter, fearing discovery of the tunnel, orders that the escape plan proceed immediately. He resolves to take decisive action before British intelligence can disrupt the operation. The risk is high, but the potential payoff could allow the submarine escape.

Heavy rain saturates the attic where the tunnel has been dug, and Schlüter triggers a cave-in atop a barrack of Luftwaffe prisoners. The collapse is designed to draw guards away from the imminent breakout. The ruse buys time for the escape operation to proceed.

Schlüter and a small group of submariners flee in a lorry toward the coast to rendezvous with a German submarine. The escape route relies on speed and secrecy as the camp security is momentarily distracted by the cave-in. The masterminds hope the coast will lead directly to the submarine.

To avoid aerial detection, an eager sailor drives the truck into a large hole, concealing it from air observation. The impact ruptures fuel storage, causing a gasoline fire that attracts attention from a spotter aircraft overhead. The escape party braces for a new hurdle just as contact with the coast becomes precarious.

A spotter aircraft detects the fire and alerts a Royal Navy motor torpedo boat (MTB) to intervene. Coast guards and naval units close in as the escape attempt reaches a critical point. The pursuit tightens around the escapees and Schlüter's group.

The liferafts reach the German submarine just as the MTB arrives, forcing the submarine to crash-dive and abandon Schlüter and the escapees. Schlüter glances at Connor from above as the effort collapses. Connor comments that both parties are now in the 'shithouse' due to their respective actions, signaling the outcome of the escape.