Into the White

Into the White (also known as Comrade, Lost in the Snow and Cross of Honour in the United Kingdom) is a 2012 film set during the Second World War and directed by Petter Næss.

The film stars David Kross, Stig Henrik Hoff, Florian Lukas, Rupert Grint and Lachlan Nieboer.

On 27 April 1940, a Luftwaffe Heinkel He 111 bomber (1H+CT) is pursued near Grotli by a Fleet Air Arm Blackburn Skua (L2940) fighter.

Three of the four German crew survive the crash: pilot Leutnant Horst Schopis (Florian Lukas), Feldwebel Wolfgang Strunk (Stig Henrik Hoff) and Obergefreiter Josef Schwartz (David Kross).

Charles P. Davenport (Lachlan Nieboer) and his air gunner Robert Smith (Rupert Grint), are heard approaching the cabin.

This is aided greatly by Strunk accidentally uncovering a box under the floorboards with supplies, including dried meat and several bottles of alcohol.

[3] Filming began 28 March 2011 with three weeks of shooting in Grotli, Norway, near where the actual events occurred, with some scenes being shot in Trollhättan and Brålanda, Sweden.

The German aircraft crashed 1,000 meters above sea level in a remote mountain area, miles from any major road.

He had seen a small hut nearby and he and his radio operator, Lieutenant Bostock, hiked through heavy snow to the deserted reindeer hunters' cabin.

In Luftkampfgegner wurden Freunde ("Air combat opponents became friends"), Horst Schopis wrote in his memoirs:[6]As it was getting dark Captain Partridge suggested that the Germans stay in the hut.

The two British officers left and found a small chalet, which turned out to be the Grotli Hotel, which was closed for the winter.

The Norwegian patrol fired a warning shot at which Partridge fell to the ground and Strunk placed his hands on his head.

Lieutenant Bostock emerged from the hotel, suspecting that the German had shot Partridge, but instead saw Strunk apparently reaching for his pistol.

The two freed British airmen hiked into Ålesund, which was being defended by Royal Marines under heavy Luftwaffe bombing.

As the destroyer scheduled to evacuate the British force failed to arrive, they commandeered a car and drove to the port of Åndalsnes, where they were eventually returned to the United Kingdom by the cruiser HMS Manchester.

Captain Partridge and Lieutenant Bostock took part in the attempt to sink the German battleship Scharnhorst on 13 June 1940.

[9] In 1974, the original L2940 was recovered from Breidalsvatnet lake near Grotli in Skjåk municipality[10] and the wreck is on display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton.

The original Heinkel wreck remains in the mountains at Grotli around 1,000 metres above sea level, left untouched in the snow.

[15] Årets lyddesign, Nikolai Linck and Andreas Kongsgaard were nominated for an Amanda Award for Best Sound Design for their work on Into the White.

Blackburn Skua L2940 wreck on display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum