An American navy crew posing as Germans take over a Nazi sub to capture their deciphering machine. Lt. Tyler and a handful of men are forced to take over and steer a German sub after their own ship is annihilated. U-571 is a German sub that has been incapacitated. The Americans go on a mission to board the sub as Germans coming to assist the crew, with the agenda of stealing the German's Enigma machine, which is a decoding instrument used in the war. The Americans successfully get on the sub, and even retrieve the code machine, however, when another German vessel arrives, it blows up the American's ship, thus leaving the American men stranded on U-571. They have no choice but to commandeer the sub and figure out the complicated levers and machinery. Luckily, one of the crew knows German and they are able to figure out the firing mechanisms. They torpedo the German sub. Looking for survivors above water they scoop up a guy, who later turns out to be the sub's German captain. He is taken aboard and his identity remains secret from the Americans.
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Tyler steers the sub to English waters but Germans spot them, and come over to assist. Tyler fearing that they will be discovered, orders a target on the German destroyer above to disable their radio lines to prevent them from reporting their hoax. The destroyer starts dropping barrels of explosives around them, and the U-571 dives at a scary depth that is way past its limit. The German captain onboard has been secretly communicating to the Germans above and has been disclosing the sub's coordinates. As the charges go off around them, the ship is succumbing to extreme water pressure, and the crew pray to survive.
The shooting mechanism has lost pressure and Tyler orders a crewman to manually fix it, and he dies in the process, drowning when the sub starts to flood. However, the torpedo is restored and their final shot decimates the destroyer. The sub surfaces, and the crew abandon ship and ride a life raft. The U-571 is badly damaged and sinks into the ocean. The crew is later rescued by the US Navy.
Best part of story, including ending:
It's a mission that has a dangerous plot which makes it very exciting.
Best scene in story:
When the charges fell slowly and quietly and would detonate with immense power which was really scary for the crew who were deep underwater.
Opinion about the main character:
Tyler was brave and had his wits intact under tremendous pressure, he is a hero who led his crew to safety.