Object

Wurrfler's Torpedoes

Torpedoes loaded in the tubes of the German U-boat Wurrfler target the Bantu Wind during a tense standoff on the conning tower. The Wurrfler's captain halts their launch despite Shliemann's pressure, his command averting an unprovoked strike. Indy scrambles aboard amid the sub's dive, the weapons underscoring restrained firepower against ruthless intent.

2 appearances

Purpose

Sink enemy vessels like the Bantu Wind

Significance

Captain's refusal defuses massacre, contrasts honor with Nazi aggression, and enables Indy's covert boarding amid rising water

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

Hold Fire — Shliemann's Restraint & Indy's Periscope Lifeline

Torpedoes are explicitly present and loaded—mentioned as the lethal capability that Shliemann urges to use and the Captain refuses—establishing the stakes and the moral choice at the heart of the beat.

Before: Loaded in tubes, armed and ready per the Captain's report.

After: Remain loaded but unaired as the Captain declines to fire and orders withdrawal; thus the immediate lethal threat is deferred.

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S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

Tethered to the Periscope

The torpedoes are present as a latent threat: loaded in tubes and verbally noted by the Captain earlier, their presence frames the stakes and justifies the Captain's restraint; they are not fired but inform the scene's tension.

Before: Loaded in torpedo tubes and ready as reported by the captain.

After: Remain loaded and unused as the Captain declines to fire; still a potential danger aboard the sub.

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