Watch Operation Daybreak

Operation Daybreak, also known as The Price of Freedom in the US, is an adventure war drama that was written by Ronald Harwood, based upon a novel by Alan Burgess. Directed by Lewis Gilbert, the film features Timothy Bottoms, Joss Ackland and Martin Shaw in the main cast. The story starts in London during the Czech resistance who are in exile. They decide to fight back by sending a commando team in to assassinate a leader of the German regime, Reinhard Heydrich (played by Anton Diffring). The plan is to arrange to gun him down in the middle of Prague.

Sgts. Jan Kubis (played by Timothy Bottoms), Karel Kurda (played by Martin Shaw) and Josef Gabcik (played by Anthony Andrews) parachute into Prague. They are assisted by sympathetic Czechs and obtain shelter with Marie Moracova (played by Diana Coupland) who is a passionate anti Nazi. She takes them in despite the danger to her family.

The two agents make an attempt to shoot at Heydrich as he passes by in train, but they fail. Subsequently, the men join several other new comrades to ambush Heydrich in his motorcade, shooting him in front of his guards.

The Germans obliterate the town of Lidice to avenge Heydrich’s murder. Gestapo Chief Fleischer (played by Rene Koldehoff) orchestrates an ambush of the Moracova family. Marie's husband (played by Ronald Radd) is unaware that Germans have broken into his home. Jan Kubis must leave girlfriend Anna (played by Nicola Pagett) in the street to hide in a church with fellow conspirators. Just then, hundreds of German troops descend upon the building.

Since they do not consider surrender to be an option, the offense guns down many of the Germans as they attempt to break in. Fleischer discovers that others are in the basement that has no drain. Firemen then pump water through the window of the thick stone, while Anna watches helplessly from afar.