Character Relationship Map: Submarine Attack

Characters

• Lili Donald (played by Lois Maxwell) — protagonist

  One of the survivors rescued by the Italian submarine after an enemy merchant ship is attacked. She is a member of the Canadian Women's Army Corps.

• comandante (played by Renato Baldini) — protagonist

  The Italian submarine captain who conducts attacks on enemy merchant shipping and rescues survivors. He takes 24 Danish seamen aboard, risking submersion, to sail them hundreds of miles to the Azores.

• nostromo (played by Folco Lulli) — supporting
• tenente (played by Aldo Bufi Landi) — supporting
• Ciccio (played by Carlo Delle Piane) — supporting
• marinaio cuoco (played by Paolo Panelli) — supporting
• ufficiale (played by Carlo Bellini) — supporting
• Johnny Brown (played by Earl Cameron) — supporting

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• comandante → marinaio cuoco (Professional Commander) — Submarine captain commands the cook sailor
• comandante → Ciccio (Professional Commander) — Submarine captain commands the young sailor
• comandante → ufficiale (Professional Commander) — Submarine captain commands the officer
• comandante → nostromo (Professional Commander) — Submarine captain commands the ship's boatswain
• comandante → tenente (Professional Commander) — Submarine captain commands the lieutenant

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• nostromo → marinaio cuoco (Alliance Teammate) — Submarine crew members work together
• nostromo → Ciccio (Alliance Teammate) — Submarine crew members work together
• nostromo → tenente (Alliance Teammate) — Submarine crew members work together
• comandante → Johnny Brown (Alliance Rescuer) — Captain rescues Johnny Brown from enemy ship
• comandante → Lili Donald (Alliance Rescuer) — Captain rescues Lili Donald from enemy ship
• Ciccio → marinaio cuoco (Social Friend) — Crew members develop friendship onboard
• nostromo → ufficiale (Alliance Teammate) — Submarine officers work as a team
• tenente → ufficiale (Alliance Teammate) — Officers collaborate on submarine operations
• tenente → nostromo (Alliance Teammate) — Officers work together on submarine

Story Analysis

A wartime submarine captain transforms attacks on enemy shipping into a dangerous mission to save the victims of those attacks.

Plot Progression

1. Attacks in the Eastern Atlantic — An Italian submarine conducts successful attacks on enemy merchant shipping during World War II. The consequences of these attacks leave survivors in need of help.
2. The Captain Chooses Rescue — The captain begins rescuing the people affected by his attacks. The rescued group includes a Canadian Women's Army Corps member and a dog, revealing the humanitarian direction of the mission.
3. A Growing Human Burden — The captain's compulsion to save victims intensifies as twenty-four Danish merchant seamen are taken aboard. The submarine's limited space becomes a serious practical problem.
4. Survivors Above the Hull — With no room below, the Danish seamen are placed under the outside walkway. Their position makes them vulnerable to drowning if the submarine must submerge.
5. The Surface Journey — The submarine remains on the surface and carries the survivors hundreds of miles across the open ocean. The voyage ends when the survivors are put ashore in the Azores.