Meanwhile this German movie based on the book by Lothar Buchheim already ranks among the classics. Being catchy and highly descriptive and expressive, this soundtrack can perfectly exist independently without the movie. Doldinger connects the theme music in quite a suggestive way to each "appearance" of the submarine. Thus the version for windband starts with the approaching and surfacing of U-96, in which special effects as for instance machinery noise and echo depth sounder are imitated by synthesiser. The "surface" of the submarine is followed by a musical appeal: fanfare-like and polyphonic signals musically assume the offensive; timpani as on galleys, blasts on the trumpet symbolising shots, and horn signals accelerate the boat. The following episodes, leaving the port and remembrance, are a retrospect. In the first one the theme is taken up again in a very calm way leading into the second one which is in the minor key and rather romantic. The arrangement of the soundtrack for symphonic wind band has -contrary to the movie- a happy end. "Homecoming" marks the end of an odyssey with an effusive end pulling out all the stops.