Decision Before Dawn

Decision Before Dawn is a 1951 American war film directed by Anatole Litvak, starring Richard Basehart, Oskar Werner, and Hans Christian Blech. It tells the story of the American Army using potentially unreliable German prisoners of war to gather intelligence in the closing days of World War II. The film was adapted by Jack Rollens uncredited and Peter Viertel from the novel Call It Treason by George Howe.

By late 1944, it is obvious that the Germans will lose the war. American Colonel Devlin Gary Merrill leads a military intelligence unit that recruits German prisoners of war to spy on their former comrades. Tiger Hans Christian Blech, a cynical older thief and excircus worker, is willing to work for whichever side is winning. On the other hand, Happy Oskar Werner is a young idealist who volunteers to spy after his friend has been killed by fanatical fellow prisoners for voicing doubts about the wars outcome. Monique Dominique Blanchar trains Happy and the others in espionage techniques she takes a liking to the young man, despite her hatred for Germans.One day, Devlin receives word that a German general is willing to negotiate the surrender of his entire corps. Naturally, this is given top priority because of the importance of the mission, an American officer has to go along. Devlin selects Lieutenant Rennick Richard Basehart, a newcomer who distrusts the German turncoats. Tiger is chosen because he is the only one who knows the area, but he is under suspicion after returning from his last mission without his teammate. Happy is assigned the related task of locating the 11th Panzer Corps, which might oppose the wholesale defection. They parachute out of the same plane into Germany, then split up. ........

Source: Wikipedia