Das Boot takes place in the midst of World War II, as the tide turns against the Axis, a German U-boat crew is sent out to patrol the Atlantic and attack Allied ships bringing supplies to England. The submarine also carries a press correspondent, there to report from the front lines of naval warfare. Meanwhile, the crew's captain is becoming disillusioned with the Nazi regime and with war in general. What starts out as a routine mission is soon enlivened beyond the crew's expectations when their boat's surprise attack on a convoy is thwarted by a fast-moving destroyer. Battered by depth charges, the crew must pull together to survive the attacks of their unseen enemy.