Original subtitles

I hope you enjoy the hat, Mr. Stovall.

- And a pleasant voyage home to you. - Well, thank you.

I'd like to thank you for something else too.

Back home, I'd buy a hat in five minutes.

- Thank you for a most enjoyable hour and 40 minutes. - It was a pleasure.

- Come back soon, Mr. Stovall. - Good-bye, sir.

[No Audible Dialog]

- Where did you get this? - An auction at Archbury, sir.

- I'll take it. - That one's been knocked around a bit, sir.

- I have a fine Staffordshire here... - No, no, no. I'll take this one.

- How much? - Only ten shillings, sir.

- I'm afraid it's not much value... - Value? I want you to pack it carefully.

Very carefully.

As you say, sir.

[Train Whistle Blowing]

[Men Singing]

Anyone else but me Anyone else but me

No, no, no don't sit under the apple tree

With anyone else but me

Till I come marching home

Bless them all Bless them all

Bless the long and the short and the tall

Bless all the blondies and all the brunettes

For each lad is happy to take what he gets

[Continues, Indistinct]

The long the short and the tall

We're poor little lambs

Who have lost our way

Baa, baa, baa

We're little black sheep

Who have gone astray

Baa, baa, baa

[Engine Sputters]

[Engine Starting]

[Coughing]

We can't go back.

We mustn't go back.

- Easy with his right leg. It's broken. - I got it. I got it.

Easy now, easy now. You have to hold him.

I've been sitting on him.

We can't. We just can't.

I wouldn't believe it if I wasn't looking at it. You can see his brain.

It was a 20 millimeter that hit him.

Step on it, Doc.

- What do I do with an arm, sir? - An arm? Whose arm?

- Campbell's, the turret gunner's. - What happened to the rest of him?

He's in a French hospital... I hope. He couldn't have made it home.

It was blown off too close to put on a tourniquet so I bailed him out.

I put the ring in his good hand. The chute opened.

That's all right. I'll take care of it.

- Sergeant, get me a blanket out of that ambulance. - Yes, sir.

Come on. I'll give you boys a lift.

- Hospital, Mac. - Yes, sir.

Mac's had it.

Did you get the coordinates on a Fort and a Spitfire down in the Channel?

I've already passed them to Air Sea Rescue, sir.

That's it, gentlemen. Thanks a lot.

Next crew.

- Take this one. - Next crew.

Come on, Jesse.

- McKesson's crew. - Right.

- McKesson coming? - McKesson's dead.

Oh, I didn't know. I'm sorry. Well, we might as well get this out of the way.

Sit down.

Where did you first encounter enemy action?

- Bishop. - Leave him alone. He's had enough today.

Leave him alone, can't you?

What is it, Willie?

I don't know, sir.

Not all of it.

We got hit pretty bad the first pass the F.W. S made.

That was when Mac got it.

It took the back of his head right off.

Only he didn't pass out. It just made a crazy man out of him.

He was still shouting orders...

and trying to get the controls away from Jesse when I got up there two hours later.

The kid had been flying with one hand...

and trying to get the controls away from Mac with the other.

Wiping frozen blood off the windshield so he could see.

For two hours, sir.

He made a good bombing run too. We unloaded on the target.

Didn't you know he was in trouble? Why didn't somebody get Mac out of there?

The intercom was shot out and I thought it was violent evasive action.

For two hours?

Mac's foot was jammed in the controls and...

that's how we broke his leg trying to get it out of there.

That seemed to hurtJesse worst of all.

He started shaking and I... I sat on Mac and held him...

whileJesse brought us in.

Give me a copy of that, Fred, just the way he told it.

I'm sending it in with a recommendation for a Medal of Honor.

- Jesse will be okay. I'll drop by later and see him. - Thank you, sir.

- That's enough for this crew. - That's all, gentlemen. Thank you.

Next crew. Next crew.

[Men's Chorus On Radio]

Is he in there, Harvey?

No, he hasn't been in since right after interrogation. He looked like the devil.

Well, who wouldn't with today?

That's for you, Ben.

They're flying down three replacement aircraft.

Hmm. That's very, very nice of them.

Lose five, get three. That's a nice gain, not counting battle damage.

[Man On Radio] This is Germany calling.

Lord Haw-Haw, talking from Berlin.

Today I want to bring a special greeting from the fiighter pilots of the Luftwaffe...

to the first American pilots in England, the Eighth Air Force.

That's all we need. Our submarines checked you very carefully...

when you flew across from America... four groups in place so far.

Too bad about the ones who you lost on the way.

But we wanted to let you know...

that a U-boat picked up the crew and they're quite safe here.

We found them quite agreeably talkative too.

But what we want to know...

Whoever persuaded you to try this incredible idea of daylight bombing?

It must have been your friends, the English.

They know better than to try it themselves.

Losses are a little heavy, aren't they?

- Let's take the 918th group at Archbury, for instance. - That's us.

The hard-luck group. You lost fiive bombers today, didn't you?

Five out of the one group.

Let's see, 21 in a group?

At that rate, it won't take very long, will it?

Something pleasant to think about before your mission tomorrow.

Yes, Colonel Keith Davenport. You'll have another one tomorrow.

Pleasant dreams, my misguided friends.

I don't know why we listen to him.

It's always the same pitch... we've already lost the war.

On a day like this, I could find myself believing him.

What was today's count on crews?

Five crews didn't make it back.

Three killed, 11 wounded out of those who did.

A lot of letters to write.

I'm glad I don't have that one.

- Did you hear about Lord Haw-Haw? - Twice on the way over here.

That kind of news moves fast. Don't let a Kraut newshound throw you too much.

He was right about one thing. We're alerted for tomorrow. The warning just came down.

- Again tomorrow? You're kidding, Ben. - I wish I were, sir.

Fine, fine. Four days in a row.

Well, we'd better start getting things together.

- Alert the crews and I'll see you in the ops room. - Yes, sir.

- This will make you happy. Flak City again. - St. Nazaire?

It's either a feast or a famine. Chew your nails off for three weeks waiting on the weather...

and then cram a month's bombing into four days.

Must be an easier way to run a war.

Field order's snafued too. It says here 9,000 feet.

That's a mistake. I'm sure they mean 19,000. I'll check with Savage.

Another maximum effort.

What have you got in the way of weather? Give us some fog, can't you?

I wish I could, but the target area ought to be C.A.V.U.

About three tenths cloud cover over the Channel. Ideal almost.

- You're no good to me. Let me know if there's any change. - Yes, sir.

How many airplanes have we got left?

With the three new ones and working the crews all night, Nero thinks we can have 18.

- How many are the other groups putting up? - Twenty-one a piece, sir.

We'd better camp on Nero's tail.

No, if he says 18, he's giving us everything with wings on it.

What did the other groups lose today?

Two in the 916th, zero in the others.

Our stinking luck. Those flak gunners had the range good by the time we made our run.

- What about crews, Doc? - I could give you a couple of different answers, sir.

I'd better get started on routes and timings.

- No coffee, Ben? - Oh, not now, thanks.

That's getting to be your diet, isn't it? That and cigarettes?

How long since you've had your clothes off?

Never mind my pants, what about crews?

You're crew, when it comes to my certifying you for a mission.

There's the crew availability.

Colonel, about the route and timing of tomorrow's mission?

Start on the routes. But I wouldn't figure on that 9,000-foot altitude...

- until Colonel Davenport checks with Pinetree. - Yes, sir.

Thanks for worrying about me, Doc, only don't.

What about the rest of them?

That brings us to the two answers.

On that list are 28 men asking to be excused from tomorrow's mission,

three times more than normal.

They give a lot of reasons, colds mostly, and most of them haven't got colds.

And that doesn't mean that they've suddenly gone yellow.

It just means that they're getting their bellies full.

Now, do I okay them physically and mark them "duty"?

How much can a man take? What's physical and what isn't?

The rules say a man ought to go right up to the point where he may endanger his crew.

I wish I knew what that meant. If I did, I'd tell you.

Well, can you tell me this... do I okay Bishop for tomorrow?

He had a tough deal. Jesse's a tough boy.

How tough? What happened today must have done something to him inside.

It had to have cost him something.

Somebody's got to give me a policy, some kind of yardstick.

I wish you'd tell me what a "maximum effort" means.

Doc, I wish I knew. I wish I could answer that one.

[Phone Rings]

Hello. Yes. Hello, Pinetree. All right.

Frank, Keith Davenport. Yeah. Yeah, I heard it.

Look, Frank, I didn't call up to talk about Lord Haw-Haw.

What about that cockeyed field order that came down that said 9,000?

What? Oh, you're kidding.

Yeah, but the strike photos don't show what the flak is like in there.

Listen, are you gonna be there a little while?

All right. I'll be right up.

They meant 9,000. Maybe when I get back I can give you an answer, Doc.

No, no mistake. It's 9,000.

Well, we've got to try it. We're not getting hits on those sub-pens.

Yeah, I know. Then twist it. Had the same request all day. So long, Curt.

The Wailing Wall is just around the corner, Keith.

Oh, I don't know. I guess this is it. Sit down.

If you're on the level about this 9,000 foot stuff,

the boys will drop their bombs here tomorrow instead of St. Nazaire.

- Look, Frank... - It won't work. It was tough at 19,000 it'll be suicide at nine.

The guy who dreamed this one up ought to have his brain in a glass jar at Harvard.

- Anything else? - You're kidding?

You've been a group commander. You didn't lead the first ten missions for nothing.

- Why couldn't you tell them what it'll be like? You... - Keith.

I signed the field order.

Why? That's what I want to know.

All right, I'll spell it for you.

We haven't been penetrating the concrete in those sub-pens, Keith.

We can't get concentration and accuracy from 19,000.

We've got to go in once down low to see if we can get the job done in one trip...

instead of fighting our way to the target five times and back for nothing.

Nine thousand feet.

Let's allow from here in that when the old man cuts a field order, he's thought about it.

There isn't time to take every one of them apart to see what makes it tick.

If I were you, when I got one, I'd just go ahead and fly it.

I was gonna bring these down to you tomorrow.

I had to steal them from the RAF.

Hope they're the kind you wanted.

Yeah.

Yeah, thanks, Frank.

I won't need them at 9,000 though. It'll be plenty hot.

Well, I better get on back and get the chores done.

Stay put a minute now you're here.

Thought I might run down tomorrow to see you. How many you expect to put out?

Eighteen.

- Pretty bad luck today? - Not good.

We had one break through the runway at takeoff.

That threw us late. We never made it up.

It cost us plenty.

I don't know how anybody outguesses that one.

No.

I'd like to help you locate where the trouble does lie, if I could.

What about your formation?

I can tell you where the real trouble is, Frank. And it isn't formation.

- Shoot. - It isn't down in the groups either.

It's up here, where a bunch of boys get to be nothing but a set of numbers.

That's what's the trouble.

Do they know up here what my boys have been taking for three days in a row?

That they'll be up all night to get 18 in the air for tomorrow?

How much do you think they can take? You know they're falling asleep at briefing?

- Are you gonna drive them till they crack? - Take it easy, Keith.

Take it easy? Bomber Command can take it easy. Those boys are flesh and blood.

They'll die for you, but they've got to have a chance and they know they haven't got one.

Frank, they can add. They know a man's chances run out in 15 missions.

Somebody's gotta give them a limit, a goal, some hope of living.

What do you think they're made of?

- Look, Keith. - [Buzzes]

- Yes, sir? - I just got the reports from the groups. Come on up, Frank.

I'll be there in a minute, sir.

Those things are coming, Keith.

Replacements, combat limits.

But right now the deal is to hang on.

And look, Keith, you've got to find a way to save yourself a little.

You can't carry all the load. It's too big.

Don't worry about me. If you want something to worry about, worry about the crews.

You and the old man.

You better go on up and see him.

- Give him my love. - If I do, he'll send you his.

He rates you pretty high.

Not according to Lord Haw-Haw. Good night, Frank.

Never mind the reasons. There it is and you can't make anything else out of it.

Five missing today and they'll only put up 18 tomorrow.

- It's getting worse instead of better. - Yes, sir.

I've just been talking to Keith. He's low enough about it.

What really happened today? Did he tell you?

No, I didn't dig into it. He had tomorrow ahead of him.

What do you make of it?

Hard luck, I guess. There's always some outfit that picks up a jinx.

You don't believe that.

Fill yourself a drink.

Thanks.

It might scare off that bug of yours.

I don't believe in hard luck. There's always a reason.

What have you got on your mind, Frank? Spill it.

I'd rather not.

Let's have it with the bark on.

You won't like it. I don't. It's the group commander.

Keith?

It's always the group commander. It's his job, isn't it?

A little funny, coming from you. He's your friend.

I didn't ask you to ask me.

- I didn't mean it to sound like that, Frank. - It's okay.

I don't believe it though. I don't think I do.

On paper, Keith looked to me like the best group commander we've had.

He's flown every mission. He gets more loyalty out of his men than anybody.

Courage, he works hard. I don't know where to fault him.

If a man like that can't cut it, we're in trouble.

- What happened downstairs to change the picture for you? - Nothing.

Added this to it though.

He's gonna bust wide open. And he's gonna do it to himself too.

Why? Because he's a first-rate guy.

Because those are his boys and he's thinking about them instead of missions.

Over-identification with his men.

I think that's what they call it.

And you aren't going to change it either.

I can't buy it, Frank. Not yet anyway.

Is Keith still here?

No, he had tomorrow to get ready for.

I'll give you that much, we'd better find out.

If it's true, we're in trouble.

Why should the other groups hold together if the 918th can't?

Call my car, will you, Frank, while I get my pants on.

You mean you want me to go down there with you?

You bet I do. It's your idea.

We were three minutes late on the target and got most of it here on our bombing run.

That was a deadly three minutes, Keith.

The idea was to get all the groups over the target simultaneously...

so that enemy flak couldn't concentrate on any one group.

We sure were sitting ducks out there alone. Maybe I shouldn't have tried the target.

But we were there and I figured the boys wouldn't want to bring their loads back home.

No man makes a perfect plan. You couldn't foresee a plane breaking through the runway.

Maybe the mistake lay in not going on to the secondary target once you were late.

But I figured we could make up the time, catch up with the other groups.

- We could have too if it hadn't been for our stinking luck. - Luck? What luck was that?

- It wasn't luck, sir. It was my fault. - It wasn't anybody's fault.

- I'd like to hear the lieutenant's version. - Yes, sir.

We had to alter the navigation in flight, sir, to cross the enemy coast here.

We picked up an error... wind change.

And I missed a checkpoint here at St. Lo.

By the time I had caught it, here at Rennes,

it had cost us three minutes and we never made it up.

If there's any fault, it's mine. I was in command. I ordered the change in flight plan.

- The weather was thick enough. Could have happened to anyone. - Well, I think that covers it.

Thank you, Lieutenant. Thank you, gentlemen.

- Zimmy. - Yes, sir.

It's okay. Don't worry about a thing.

Keith, I know you're tired, but let's talk a little.

Sit down.

Let's talk about luck.

A pretty critical three minutes, Keith.

- Five crews, 50 men. - Do you think I don't know?

- I know you do. Whose fault was it, Keith? - Primarily it was mine.

- Were you flying? - Yes, sir.

- Do you fly and navigate or do you rely on your navigator? - You have to, but...

- It was the lieutenant's fault. - He missed the check point, but it could've happened to anyone.

I know and I'll allow he feels as rotten about it as any of us do, more so maybe.

But what happens now, Keith?

I don't understand you, sir.

We're talking about luck. I don't believe in it.

I believe that to some degree a man makes his own luck.

Yours has been pretty bad down here and it's getting worse, not better.

Maybe the navigator's in point. He blew it. What are you going to do about it?

General, I don't believe in chopping off heads because of one mistake.

Well, I just don't think that's any way to run a group.

I feel sorry for the boy, Keith.

But what are the men in your group going to be thinking about the next mission he navigates?

That he messed up the St. Nazaire mission.

It's just that much more load on them. And one day, if they fall apart, that won't be luck.

There isn't a man in the outfit who wouldn't stake his life on Zimmy.

General, if it was anyone but him. He's got two strikes against him to begin with.

You don't realize. That boy's got a persecution complex.

He wants to fly every mission trying to live down the fact...

that his parents were mixed up in the German-American Bund.

They screened Zimmy plenty before he ever got overseas. That's what's riding him now.

Keith, good navigators is the one thing we're not short of.

If you decide that you ought to relieve this boy, I'll give you a good replacement.

You might as well ask me to stand him up against the wall and shoot him in the back.

No, I won't do it, sir. I just can't do it to him. I won't.

Keith, I want you to get to bed.

Have the flight surgeon give you a shot that will make you sleep 24 hours.

I guess a man only has so much to give and I guess you've given it.

Effective now, you are relieved of this command...

and you will report to me for duty at Bomber Command.

I'll send someone down to take over here.

- Good night, Keith. - Good night, sir.

Major, the 918th will stand down until a new commanding officer arrives.

Yes, sir.

[Door Shuts]

- Want me to take it, sir? - No.

I want to talk, Frank.

There's a hole in the dike, Frank. I'm scared stiff.

Maybe you know how deep all this goes, and maybe you don't.

I've got to spill it anyhow.

We're fighting all over the world.

Every theater commander is screaming for crews and equipment.

Fifty thousand airplanes, that's what they say they're building.

I wish we had 500.

Our problem right now narrows down to one group.

If the 918th folds, it can spread to the other three groups.

It can fold the whole deal.

There's only one hope of shortening this war...

daylight precision bombing.

If we fold, daylight bombing is done with.

I don't know. Maybe it means the whole show.

We could lose the war if we don't knock out German industry.

You can smell what's coming, Frank.

I'm promising you nothing except a job no man should have to do who's had his share of combat.

I've gotta ask you to take nice kids and fly them until they can't take anymore.

And then put them back in and fly them some more.

We've got to find out what a maximum effort is.

How much a man can take and get it all.

[Sighs] I don't even know if any man can do it.

That's what cracked Keith.

What time do you think you can get down there tomorrow?

Early, I guess.

No squawks?

Pretty hard to have one, the way you put it.

Thanks, Frank.

- Smoke, Ernie? - Thank you, sir.

- All right, Sergeant. - Yes, sir.

- Do you know me, soldier? - No, sir.

- Then why are you admitting me to this station? - I saw it was a staff car, sir.

Goering could have been in it.

- Here's my A.G.O. Card. - The general may proceed, sir.

Soldier, this is a military post, not a zoo.

From now on, you'll check everyone who enters and without exception.

Take a good look at me.

If you or any man on this post passes me up without saluting even if I'm a block away,

you'll wonder what fell on you.

- You might pass that word around. - Yes, sir.

- Locate my quarters and drop my bags off. - Yes, sir.

- Good luck, sir. - Thanks, Ernie.

[Man Humming, Typing]

- [Whistling] - How do I address you?

I don't think I quite understand the general, sir.

What's your rank? How am I supposed to know?

Sergeant McIllhenny, sir, U.S. Army Air Forces.

It's Private McIllhenny now. Where's the air exec?

I... I don't think he's on the station, sir.

He left right after Lieutenant Zimmerman's funeral.

- Zimmerman? - Yes, sir. Navigator, sir.

- And what happened to him? - Suicide, sir.

- Where's the ground exec? - In the hospital, sir, mumps.

- And the adjutant? - I think maybe Major Stovall's at the officer's club, sir.

When you get your clothes on, find him and ask him to report to me here.

Yes, sir.

[Knock On Door]

[Knock On Door]

Major Stovall, sir, Group Adjutant.

- Yes, I remember you, Major. You the only one around? - Probably, sir.

- I presume you've come down to take over the group. - That's right.

- Have you been drinking, Major? - I have.

It's the first time I've been drunk in 20 years,

but it may not be the last.

- Where's the air exec? - I don't know, sir.

It's only an opinion, but I think it's possible he may be drunk too, sir.

- I'll take straight answers, Major. Is he off the station? - Yes, sir.

- Where? - I don't know that, sir.

Send the M.P. S out and find him and bring him to me under arrest.

- Does the general mean under actual arrest? - Exactly.

Two... cancel all leaves and passes...

and make sure that all squadron commanders are back here by tonight.

Three... bring me the personnel files,

the 66-1 's on Gately and the key staff...

- including yours. - Yes, sir.

Four... set up a meeting for all combat crews...

in the briefing room tomorrow morning at 0800.

- Is that all, sir? Yes, sir. - That's all.

- Colonel Gately is here, sir. - Send him in.

Yes, sir.

That's all, men.

- May I ask the general why I've been placed under arrest? - No.

Stand at attention.

You're the son of Lieutenant General Tom Gately, aren't you?

I believe that's my standard identification, sir.

- What do you think of him as an officer? - None better, sir.

That's right.

You're the son of one fine officer and the grandson of another.

You're a graduate of West Point with nine years service.

You're form five shows that you have more four engine time than any man in the group.

For those reasons, you could've done more than anybody to take the load off Colonel Davenport.

The record shows that you've flown only three missions since you've been here.

- Is that right? - If you don't count twice I turned back, sir.

I take it that you don't even care about the part you had...

in breaking one of the best men you'll ever know.

Add to it as air exec you were automatically in command here...

the moment Colonel Davenport left.

And you met that responsibility exactly as you met his need.

You ran out on it. You left the station to get drunk.

And Gately, as far as I'm concerned, you're yellow.

A traitor to yourself, to this group, to the uniform you wear.

It would be the easiest course for me to transfer you out,

to saddle some unsuspecting guy with a deadbeat.

Maybe you think that's what you're gonna get out of this, a free ride in some combat unit.

But I'm not gonna pass the buck.

I'm gonna keep you right here.

I hate a man like you so much that I'm gonna get your head down in the mud and tramp on it.

I'm gonna make you wish you'd never been born.

- If that's all, sir... - I'm just getting started.

You're gonna stay right here and get a bellyful of flying.

You're going to make every mission.

You're not air exec anymore. You're just an airplane commander.

And I want you to paint this name on the nose of your ship...

Leper Colony.

Because in it you're gonna get every deadbeat in the outfit.

Every man with a penchant for head colds.

If there's a bombardier who can't hit his plate with his fork, you get him.

If there's a navigator who can't find the men's room, you get him.

Because you rate him.

- Is that clear? - General Savage, I have a right to file charges against you...

for personal abuse and exceeding your lawful authority...

Hello, get me Pinetree. I want General Pritchard.

- The line's busy, sir. Will you wait? - Yeah, I'll wait.

Rights, Gately?

You've got a right to explain to General Pritchard cowardice,

desertion of your post, a yellow streak a mile wide.

And maybe he can explain it to your father so they'll both be proud of you.

- Hello. Hello? - You can tell him right now.

Hello, I have your line, sir.

- General Savage, I withdraw my statement. - Hello? Hello?

- Hello, I have your line, sir. - Never mind.

That's all then.

- Cut an order relieving Colonel Gately as air exec. - Yes, sir.

Anybody else, sir?

I'll let you know, Major.

There's one file there, Cobb, Squadron Commander, shows a good record in the air.

What are his personal qualifications?

I'm sure the general will be pleased with any selection he makes in the group.

Thanks for the help, Major.

- I'll be around the station. - Yes, sir.

Sir.

- I've been assigned as the general's driver. - Fine.

- Aren't you the clerk that I saw... - Yes, sir. Private McIllhenny.

Well, general officers rate sergeants as drivers.

- Better put those stripes back on. - Yes, sir.

With anyone else but me

Anyone else but me Anyone else but me

- No, no, no don't sit under the apple tree - Beer.

- Yes, sir. - With anyone else but me

Till I come marching home

Don't go walking down lovers' lane with anyone else but me

Anyone else but me Anyone else but me

No, no, no don't go walking down lovers'lane

Remove your cap in the club, Major.

- That's regulations, huh? - It is.

Have another, Major Cobb.

Scotch.

- I've got it. - No regulation against buying my own, is there?

That's right.

- Corporal. - Yes, sir.

- This bar is closed for tonight and until further notice. - [Officers Murmuring]

[Men Chattering, Indistinct]

I'll probably see you tomorrow morning.

- Good night, Ben. - Good night. I'll keep a light in the doghouse window for you.

Come in.

Major Stovall, cut an order assigning Major Cobb as air exec.

Yes, sir.

- Good night. - Good night, sir.

[Chattering]

- [Footsteps Approaching] - Attention.

Rest.

There will be a briefing for a practice mission at 1100 this morning.

That's right, practice.

I've been sent here to take over what has come to be known as a hard luck group.

Well, I don't believe in hard luck. So we're going to find out what the trouble is.

Maybe part of it's your flying, so we're going back to fundamentals.

But I can tell you now one reason I think you've been having hard luck.

I saw it in your faces last night. I can see it there now.

You've been looking at a lot of air lately...

and you think you ought to have a rest.

In short, you're sorry for yourselves.

I don't have a lot of patience with this what are we fighting for stuff.

We're in a war, a shooting war. We've got to fight.

And some of us have got to die.

I'm not trying to tell you not to be afraid. Fear is normal.

But stop worrying about it and about yourselves.

Stop making plans. Forget about going home.

Consider yourselves already dead.

Once you accept that idea, it won't be so tough.

Now if any man here can't buy that,

if he rates himself as something special, with a special kind of hide to be saved,

he'd better make up his mind about it right now.

Because I don't want him in this group.

I'll be in my office in five minutes. You can see me there.

Attention!

- [Man #1] I'll take Colonel Davenport any day. - [Man #2] Me too.

I'd better get over to the office 'cause the traffic is gonna be pretty heavy.

[Door Closes]

The air exec and the group flight surgeon are here, sir.

- Tell them to come in. - Yes, sir.

They beat you to it, Major. I thought you'd be the first one in line to ask for a transfer.

- No, sir. - Well, it wouldn't have done you any good.

- Doesn't go for staff. You're stuck with me. - Yes, sir.

- You might tell them. - They thought you'd want to see them about the practice mission.

- Good. - Yes, sir.

For the general's information, I think you'll find Major Kaiser a top man.

Thorough, knows his job, honest.

I think Cobb's an excellent man too. It's just he's a little too frank.

- Thanks, Major. - Yes, sir.

- General, this is Major Kaiser. - I'm glad to see you, Doc.

- And I think you met Major Cobb. - Indeed I have.

General, I don't know if you still want me here after last night.

No need to tell you, I was stiff.

Well, stiff or not, you laid it on the line.

You got the job after I saw you at the club, not before.

You were in the briefing room. You still want it?

I think I can cut it for you, sir.

See you at takeoff.

Now, what about the crew availability, Major?

We have a very critical morale problem, General.

You gave them the shock treatment this morning, a bucket of cold water.

I take it that's the key in which you want me to approach the problem...

as to how much stress they can take.

If a man is physically capable of handling his airplane, he goes.

Well, that's definite enough.

But some things can't be accomplished just by issuing an order.

- Have you seen the sick reports? - Yeah, I've seen them.

Our sick reports indicate something else to me.

Besides the normal stress of a lot of flying,

these men have had the breaking up of a strong personal attachment.

They were devoted to Colonel Davenport.

- He was the main thing they had to hold on to. - You suggest a treatment?

Yes. Ease up.

Give them a chance to get used to you.

Give them a chance to get used to you.

No, Major.

For two reasons. First, there isn't time.

Second, I can't enter a popularity contest with Keith Davenport.

I'd lose that one.

And one more thing, I think they're better than that.

All right, sir. That's it.

Lieutenant Bishop to see you, sir.

- Bishop? Who's he? - A pilot, sir.

Yesterday a recommendation for the Medal of Honor was forwarded to you at Pinetree.

- Oh, yes. I'll see him in just a minute. - Yes, sir.

I think I know how deep the problem is here, Major.

And I'm convinced that the one thing that will solve it is pride,

pride in this group.

The kind of pride that will make it the last thing a man wants to be left on the ground.

And that's my job, not yours.

- Paint it with iodine and mark them "duty," Doc. - Yes, sir.

- Yes, sir. - Send Bishop in.

Yes, sir.

I better practice saluting you, Lieutenant. That goes with the medal.

- It was a privilege to add my name to that recommendation. - Thank you, sir.

- Sit down, Bishop. - Thank you, sir, but...

- Well, first, I better tell you why I'm here. - Go ahead.

The pilots asked me to be their spokesman, sir.

They want to transfer out.

- How many of them? - All of them, sir.

Well, I can see why they sent you, Bishop.

You make quite a spokesman.

Have you thought this out?

You're sure that's the way you feel?

I... I think so, sir.

All right, that's it. Tell them to put their requests through channels.

Meanwhile, they fly.

- That's all then? - Yes, sir.

[Intercom Buzzes]

- Yes? - I just made some coffee. I thought you might like some.

- Shall I bring it in? - Thanks, Major.

I'll come out there and get it.

What are you doing?

Personal effects of boys who got it to be sent to next of kin.

I'm a little behind. I always write a letter.

It always takes time to screen the stuff pretty well.

It might save somebody back home getting hurt unnecessarily.

That's a tough chore. I don't envy you.

How did you happen to get into paperwork?

They didn't give me any choice.

See, I'm... I'm a retread.

I had my shot at combat in the first war.

Of course I kind of wanted to get into this one,

but I guess they figured I was too old for anything but a desk.

Maybe they were right.

You, uh...

You liked Keith Davenport, didn't you? A lot, I mean.

Yes, sir.

I thought he was one of the finest men I ever knew.

The same way the boys felt, I'm sure.

Loyalty is a fine thing.

Well.

- Thanks for the coffee, Major. - General Savage.

I'd like to tell you something else, I think.

[Clears Throat]

I'm a lawyer by trade.

I think I'm a good one.

And when a good lawyer takes on a client, he does it because...

he believes in the client's case, and that's all that matters.

When I came over to England I took on my biggest client.

That client is the 918th Bomb Group.

I want to see my client win its case.

Does that answer what you had in mind?

- On the button. - What did you have in mind exactly?

I need time before those transfers go through.

- Mm-hmm. How much time? - As much as we can get.

Ten days, anyway.

Well, it'll take those squadron adjutants...

at least two days to draw up all those requests.

And, let's see...

I believe in thorough, methodical work, everything in order.

I've got a good deal of stuff on my desk here.

So, it might be three days before I could get around to them.

- That's five. - Take a couple of days to check them.

That's seven.

And those squadron adjutants are pretty sloppy sometimes,

and I certainly don't want this group criticized for sloppy paperwork.

- Do you, General? - Couldn't permit it.

So my guess is every one of those requests...

may have to go back to the squadron adjutants to be done over.

By the time I recheck them,

it'll be ten days anyway before they can be ready for signature.

What a way to run an outfit.

- You red-tape adjutants are all alike. - That's right, sir.

But Harvey, there can be trouble in this.

I don't think so, sir. I never heard of a jury convicting the lawyer.

Let me have your attention.

Now, in case any of you aren't clear as to what this is all about,

I'm supposed to be a deadbeat.

And so are you. That's why you were assigned to me...

"The Leper Colony." How do you like it?

Well, you'll like it a lot less the first mistake you make.

We've got a blowtorch turned our way, and nobody's gonna shove me into it.

- Is that clear? - [Vehicle Approaching]

- Everything set? - Yes, sir.

You fly. I'll ride in the top turret where I can see.

- Radio, rig an extension to the top turret... - Yes, sir.

- So the general can talk on the command set. - Yes, sir.

All right. Let's go.

"Close it up. Close it up. Closer.

Shove that there wingtip right in his lap."

Sweet Savannah!

That wingtip of Baxter's been tickling me...

right in the ribs for three days now, man.

- I'm gettin' mighty tired of it. - That's a-tellin' 'em, Birdy.

Yeah, and another thing I noticed.

For folks that talks about other people's ability as a pilot,

that there general seems mighty willin' not to do any of it hisself.

Hmph. Looks like we just got ourselves a talking general.

"Stack it in there, now." [Continues, Indistinct]

- [Water Splashing] - We're alerted, sir!

Field orders coming in now.

Tell Cobb to wheel and deal. I'll be right over.

Operator. Operator. Keep this line clear.

I've got 24 fast calls for you. Get me the bomb dump and hurry.

[Men] Bless them all Bless them all

Oh, the long and the short and the tall

Let's bless all the blondies and all the brunettes

For each lad is happy to take what he gets

'Cause we're...

Two missions. Only one aircraft lost.

Very little battle damage.

That's because most of the time we flew good, tight formation.

Those enemy fighters took one look...

and didn't want any part of the 918th.

The bad side... the bombing.

Fair. Particularly, the Low Squadron.

That means we start dropping practice bombs every day that we haven't got a mission.

- Cobb? - Yes, sir.

- That's your baby. - Roger.

Anybody got any comment?

Well, I've got some more. Hanley!

- Here, sir. - Those strike photos show...

that you've been toggling late with your bombs the last two missions.

- What's your reason? - No excuse, sir.

Well, I'll say this for you, Hanley, you're honest.

But nine men risked their lives to ride with you...

in order to put bombs on a target!

Gately, here's a new bombardier for you.

- Pettinghill! - Yes, sir.

We're plenty lucky to have only one loss on this strike. Why did you break formation?

Well, sir, Ackerman was in trouble...

Two engines on fire, and we were getting enemy fighters. I...

I figured I'd better stay back and try to cover him...

going into the target, but he couldn't make it.

Ackerman a pretty good friend of yours?

My roommate, sir.

So for the sake of your roommate you violated group integrity.

Every gun on a B-17 is designed...

to give the group maximum defensive firepower.

That's what I mean by group integrity.

When you pull a B-17 out of a formation,

you reduce the defensive power of the group by ten guns.

A crippled airplane has to be expendable.

The one thing which is never expendable is your obligation to this group!

This group. This group.

That has to be your loyalty, your only reason for being.

- Stovall. - Yes, sir.

Have the billeting officer work out a reassignment of quarters...

- so that every man has a new roommate. - Very well, sir.

- Gately! - Yes, sir.

Baxter is promoted out of the Leper Colony.

Pettinghill's your new copilot.

Well, that's all I've got.

Anybody got anything else they want to bring up?

What about our transfers, sir?

- Okay, if that's all, dismissed. - Attention!

- [Knocking] - [Savage] Come in.

Keith! Come on in. Glad to see you.

How are you, Frank?

How's the adjutant business, Harvey?

Just went out of that line of work, sir. Ground exec now.

- Well, glad to hear it. You had it coming. - Thank you.

- Good to see you, sir. - Good to see you, Harvey.

- Piece of cake? - Thanks.

Uh, birthday. It's a little old.

Oh, many happy returns.

Well, seems to me I've seen this joint before.

It looks better with you in it, Keith.

Have a drink. Say, you're in time for chow.

- The boys'll be glad to see you. - I'm not so sure of that.

I saw Sergeant Keller at the gate.

- Had to show my A.G.O. Card to get in. - [Chuckles]

And I'll pass up the supper, I guess. I just dropped down for a minute.

I had something I wanted to talk to you about, Frank.

Well, I'll get on about my ground exec-ing.

- I'll see you before you go, Keith. - All right.

- Nice guy, Harvey. - First-rate.

Sit down.

Aah, tastes good. Gets the chill out of your bones.

- What a stinkin' climate. - It's pretty bad.

Only I guess you didn't come down to talk about the weather.

No... Or maybe I did at that.

- There's a storm coming, Frank. - The old man?

No. I don't know if he even knows about it.

There's been a lot of talk about requests for transfer, only none have come through.

- Have you been sittin' on 'em? - I have.

You've got what amounts to a mutiny on your hands.

There's a rumor that the inspector general's got hold of it.

If he investigates you, you're cooked.

Can you slow him down?

You know the Old Man can't interfere with the I.G.

I know what you're after... a little time, get a few good missions under your belt,

maybe the boys'll change their minds.

- But it won't work that way. - You got any ideas?

Well, to be perfectly frank about it, when you took command,

I was hoping you'd fail, fall flat on your face.

I'm that human.

So now, me, the guy who blew it...

- wants to tell you how to run this group. - Shoot.

All right. You're blowing it too.

You can't drive those boys. I told you once before...

they can't just be a set of numbers, and it still goes.

The fact that I blew it doesn't mean that idea was wrong.

I figured it was me. I wasn't good enough.

You've got to help them, Frank.

You've got to take the time to win something from them, or they will walk out on you.

And that'll be a worse failure than mine ever was.

Give them something to lean on, you mean.

Call it anything you like.

Well, Keith,

I don't believe it.

Here's where you and I part company.

I don't think they're boys, they're men.

Too bad they have to find out so young.

How old is Bishop? Twenty-one, maybe.

It's pretty tough to have to grow all the way up at 21.

But that's the only way we're gonna get the job done.

And I think they can do it too.

Lean on somebody? I think they're better than that.

And if that's not true then we're a dead duck,

and we'd better find out about it right now,

once and for all.

Well, that's that.

You called the turn for me once,

and I couldn't see it.

Now we're even.

- Good night, Frank. - Good night, Keith.

[Men] The stars at night are big and bright

- [Hand Claps] - Deep in the heart of Texas

- The prairie skies... - [Man] Not again.

[Teletypes Clattering]

No good, sir. Acknowledgement from the other groups, they've already turned back.

- But nothing from the 918th. - Forget code.

- Try to reach him in the clear. - Yes, sir.

Pinetree to Flashlight leader.

Pinetree to Flashlight leader.

This is a recall. Do you read me?

Pinetree to Flashlight leader. Pinetree to Flashlight leader.

This is a recall. Do you read me? Over.

- Nothing, sir. - I don't get it.

Weren't all commanders told to guard channel "B" because of possible weather change?

- It was in the field order, sir. - Well... something's happened.

They've gone on to the target alone.

I'm going down there, Keith. I can't just stand here and take it.

That's 21, sir. They're all back.

Well, that's something. I'm glad we still have miracles.

Well, we had a little weather, sir,

but the target area had cleared off just long enough...

- for the 918th to clobber it good. - That's fine, Frank.

- What about the recall? - Recall, sir? What recall?

Never heard it.

- Must have had radio malfunction. - I see.

- Let's get up to your office, Frank. - Yes, sir.

- The bar's open, Harvey. The boy's really earned it. - Yes, sir.

[Pritchard] And you think I'm going to buy a quick Persian rug...

about a radio malfunction?

And I suppose you'll tell me next the weather was just bad enough...

- You didn't see the other groups turn back. - Yes, sir.

You've got no right to gamble like that. Not with my money.

It isn't enough that I have to hold still while you graft...

an inspector general on my rump.

I've managed to live without inspector generals for 20-some years.

And don't think you can justify this by the fact that you got away with it, either!

No, sir. I didn't hear a thing.

It must have been radio malfunction.

- Do you mean you're going to stick to that fairy tale? - Yes, sir.

There's one more thing you might as well know, sir.

The 918th got through today, and bombed the target when nobody else did.

And if Providence ever drops into my lap,

another chance like that to give this group the pride it ought to have in itself,

I may have radio malfunction again, sir.

And there's one more thing.

I'm asking you for a commendation for this group,

for their aggressiveness, skill and courage...

in reaching and bombing a target under extremely adverse conditions.

And you don't need to mention their leadership, sir.

All right, Frank, you'll get it.

And maybe someday I'll send you one for leadership, I don't know.

- Got somebody around here that can take dictation? - Yes, sir!

- McIllhenny, bring a book and pencil in here. - Yes, sir.

Come on. Hurry up. Hurry up. Hurry up.

Relax, Harvey. Mission accomplished.

[Men] Poor little lambs

Who have lost our way

Baa, baa, baa

- What do you make of it, Harvey? - I don't know. I can't make it out quite.

They're pleased about the commendation, I think, but...

they're not celebrating the way kids ought to.

It's not normal.

- Baa, baa, baa - No cries for Savage for President then.

I don't know.

Get ahold ofJesse Bishop.

- Tell him I'd like to see him in my quarters. - [Engine Starting]

- Smoke, Bishop? - No, thank you, sir.

I wanted to talk with you, Bishop,

- because I know you'll level with me. - Yes, sir.

I wish you'd try to tell me what you're feeling.

- Right now. Right this minute. - About what, sir?

The transfers. The fact this group showed the rest of them how it's done today.

Whether you're proud of that.

Sir, I don't think I have any right to speak for the rest...

Then, don't speak for the rest of them, just you.

Well, sir, that's hard. I...

I don't know how I feel.

That's... That's kind of the trouble.

What is?

Well, the... the whole thing, sir.

Everything.

I can't see what good we're doing with our bombing,

and all the boys getting killed.

Just a handful of us. It's like we...

We're some kind of guinea pigs,

only we're not proving anything.

You've got to have confiidence in something.

And then, when you find something you've got confidence in...

then everything changes.

It just doesn't make any sense, I don't know.

I just want out.

Well, do you think it'll be any better in another group?

It isn't a question of that, sir. I don't want to fly anymore.

I want to transfer to another branch.

Doesn't it mean anything to you that we hit the target today with no losses?

Yes, sir.

I suppose so... in a way.

But I just want out.

Well... that's a...

pretty tough request...

from a Medal of Honor man.

Sure, we're guinea pigs, Jesse.

But there's a reason. If we can hang on here now...

one day soon...

somebody's gonna look up...

and see a solid overcast of American bombers...

on the way to Germany to hit the Third Reich where it lives.

Maybe we won't be the ones to see it. I can't promise you that.

But I can promise you that they'll be there...

if only we can manage to make the grade now!

I'd like to believe you, sir.

I just don't have confidence in anything anymore.

Well...

looks like I'm choppin' and no chips are flyin'.

It's easy to transfer out of a group, Jesse.

It's pretty hard for a man to transfer out of his obligation.

But then every man has to play it the way he sees it.

- Well, good night, Jesse. - Good night, sir.

- How is it going? - Beats me.

The inspector's got every pilot on the base in there. Gimme a cigarette.

- You want a light too? - I have only the habit, Lieutenant.

[Door Opening]

Well, they're still at it, sir.

You know, Harvey, you're gonna make a silly-looking second lieutenant.

Want some advice from your lawyer, sir?

Don't ever give up the case before the jury comes in.

Don't kid yourself. We've already had it.

Well, so what? What's so bad about the Pentagon building?

- Good food, cocktails every night. - [Door Opening]

Well, sir, that was short and sweet.

Yeah, I'll bet it was.

Well, you might as well unpack, General.

The I.G. Didn't even get to make a good opening speech.

Bishop started it, withdrawing his transfer. He really went to bat for you.

Wilson followed, and the rest of them just climbed aboard.

Left the I.G. With nothing to do but pack up his hatchet and go home.

[Chuckles] Well, what do you know?

Where's that briefcase of mine? I had it a minute ago.

I knew those jokers couldn't buck you forever.

They finally realized they had a chance to hit the target...

and get home when you were up front leading.

Well, they better not count on any one man.

Don't want to make that mistake again.

You know, General, it wouldn't be any mistake...

to cut loose with a few three-day passes to London.

Sort of, uh... a pat on the back.

I see what you mean. Kiss and make up, huh?

You kiss them, Joe, for shedding their diapers.

And while you're at it, tell 'em we're going to work now...

and try to build some leadership around here.

And when it comes to counting on me,

tell 'em that you're gonna lead the next one.

And it better be good. And tell Bishop he's gonna lead...

and find out what it feels like to carry the load.

I want this group combed for every man who shows signs...

of being able to lead a mule to water.

And I want every one of'em to have a crack at it.

You're out from under those second lieutenant bars, Harvey,

so don't just stand around with your thumb in your mouth.

Let's get back to work.

What did he have to burn three feet off my tail surface for?

- Tough man, isn't he? - There's such a thing...

as carrying this business of being iron-tailed too far.

Yeah, he's-he's pretty iron-tailed.

He'll never feel things about the group the way Keith Davenport did.

And nothing's going to start eating holes through him.

- He's too tough for that. - There's also such a thing as being human.

You know something, Joe? The only difference between Frank Savage...

and Keith Davenport is that...

Savage is about, uh, that much taller.

I don't get it.

- [Chattering] - Hey, Joe, how come you ain't leadin' this one?

You been a bad boy?

You know Joe, he only leads the milk runs. This one must be a doozy.

Come on, Joe, where we goin'? Pull back that curtain. Give us a peek.

You'll wish I was leadin' it. You're gonna love this one.

Attention!

Rest!

Gentlemen, this you'll be interested to know.

Intelligence informs us...

that the German aircraft industry has been converted...

almost entirely to the production of fighter planes for defense,

and that these fiighters are being withdrawn from the Russian front...

to beef up the defense on this front.

Looks like they must have heard about the 918th.

And this morning we have a mission of some importance.

- For the first time... - Germany!

You said it.

- Wilhelmshaven. - [Men Repeating] Wilhelmshaven.

For the first time we're going to be hitting a target on German soil.

I'll lead the group on this one.

Bishop, the High Squadron. Holloman, the Low Squadron.

- All right, Joe. - Stations: 0700.

Start engines: 0710.

Taxi: 0720.

[Teletype Clattering]

Got a cigarette?

They're heading in, Major. We just got a reading.

- How many? - I don't know, sir.

Here they come. They're approaching the field.

[Engines Droning Overhead]

Nine.

- Fourteen. - Fifteen. Sixteen.

- How was it, sir? - It was rough.

- They were waiting for us. What's the count? - Two missing, sir.

It looked like four, but O'Neill made it to the RAF field at Lincolnshire.

Gately ditched in the Channel. Air-Sea Rescue picked 'em up.

- Two wounded but not bad. - Well, that helps some.

- Let's get up to interrogation. - Yes, sir.

McIllhenny!

Yes, sir!

- Were you in my ship? - No, sir.

That is... Yes, sir.

- Who authorized it? - No one, sir, but I been checked out as a gunner,

and I just had to make the big ones.

I won't have ground personnel jeopardizing the safety of the aircraft.

Maybe it'll help you keep your feet on the ground...

if you take those stripes off again.

And this time you'll stay a private.

- Get up to interrogation. - Yes, sir.

I want a critique of the mission first thing in the morning, Joe.

Looks like we might stand down a few days with the weather.

Maybe we're ready to give 'em a breather.

- Peel out some passes for London. - Yes, sir.

General, I got to talk to you about Sergeant McIllhenny.

- What about him? - You're busting him. That kind of makes things complicated.

- What's complicated about that? - It's the precedent, sir.

I mean, we'd have to bust Captain Twombley too.

The Padre? What's he got to do with it?

He stowed away, too, with Bishop.

They were over Wilhelmshaven before Bishop found out.

He heard the parson praying on the interphone...

while he was firing the left waist gun.

[Sighs] Well, now I've heard everything.

I'm afraid you haven't, sir.

I, uh, might as well give it to you in one slug.

No thank you, sir.

Harvey Stovall and Doc Kaiser flew as waist gunners with Klein.

I guess the whole ground echelon was someplace on this one.

- Any of'em hurt? - Don't think so, sir.

There's one more thing about McIllhenny... kind of awkward.

He's just been credited with two F.W. S destroyed and one probable.

A born gunner, I guess.

- Did you know about this, Joe? - No, sir, I didn't.

- I hope you don't think I... - All right. All right.

[Savage] Twombley! Stovall!

Come over here.

Well, you're pretty proud of yourselves, I suppose.

- Well, let me tell you... - I was hoping the general wouldn't go into this right now.

I think I'm suffering from combat fatigue.

Harvey, I'm gonna weaken just this once,

and I'll probably live to regret it.

But you got the bulge on me. I can't bust everybody.

But it's with the clear understanding that your combat days are over.

An old fud like you ought to know better.

I won't be put in the spot of having to write that letter to your wife.

You, Padre. Your business is sin.

Hereafter, you'll confine your activities to that theater of operations.

Is that clear?

Yes, sir.

Did you hit anything up there, Harvey?

Well, sir, my glasses were frosted over some,

but I think I got a piece of one.

Ours or theirs?

McIllhenny, I heard about those two F.W.s.

- Put the chevrons back on, Sergeant. - Yes, sir.

And if we're gonna keep having these ups and downs,

- I suggest you get 'em with zippers. - Yes, sir!

- [Man] When are they due back? - [Man #2] Any time now.

[Engines Droning Overhead]

Call the tower. Get a count.

- Tower. - Tower.

- What's the count? - Twenty back. One missing... 3-9-7.

We lost one... 3-9-7.

Lieutenant Bishop, sir.

All right. Thanks, Sergeant.

Junker 88s, and FW-190.

- Uh, what direction were they comin'in? - Oh, they... Mostly head on.

See any chutes open?

No. Jesse caught a direct burst right over the target.

They... They didn't have a chance.

He was a swell kid, and one of the best pilots in the group.

- He would have to get it. - One crew...

It could've been much worse, Joe.

- What about battle damage? - Everybody caught plenty.

- More coffee, General? - General... - Coffee, Captain?

No, thank you. I tired to reach you on the phone to tell you about Gately.

Well, what about him? Did he get hit today?

No, sir. But right after he landed, he folded up... passed out cold.

I guess I should have made an examination before,

but he didn't report any injury when he ditched in the Channel the other day.

I've seen his X-rays. He has a crack in the lip of the vertebrate body.

- Painful? - Incredibly.

And he's flown three missions with it.

- A fractured spine? - That's about what it amounts to.

I've put him in traction.

Gately...

Okay, Doc.

Thanks for letting me know.

- Now, I'll have that coffee. - Fine.

Anybody in particular you'd like to see, sir?

Oh, no thanks, Lieutenant, just looking around.

You go right on with what you were doing.

Yes, sir.

Well, looks like that's gonna cut in on your crap shooting, Dwight.

Yes, sir. It's costing me money.

- How long they gonna keep you in here? - Doc said ten days.

- Well, you let me know if I can do anything. - Thanks, General.

What do you say, Birdwell?

- They got all that flak out of you yet? - Just about, sir.

Doc didn't need no mine detector to find it, neither.

You getting enough chow?

Oh, just livin' in the tall cotton, sir.

- Well, how you feeling, Ben? - I'm okay, General.

I was sorry to hear about your bad luck.

Thank you, sir.

Well, I see Doc didn't waste much time...

Oh, excuse me, Ben.

That's pretty sensitive, huh?

That's okay, General.

Go ahead and sit down.

Oh, I'd rather stand. [Chuckles]

I've been piling up more sitting time than flying time, anyway.

Hey, what kind of a gadget is this...

part of the Wright Brothers' first airplane?

Looks uncomfortable enough.

Uh, help the back any?

Relieves the pressure quite a bit, sir.

How long, uh, Doc say you're gonna be laid up?

A few weeks, sir.

- Is it pretty painful? - Not much, sir.

All right. I guess you don't feel much like talking...

That's okay, General. Go right ahead.

Um... Ben...

Yes, sir?

I-I was just gonna say, uh...

Anything you want? Something I can send you?

Not a thing, General. I've got everything I need.

You just let us know if you do need anything.

Thank you, sir.

I, uh... I'm gonna drop in across the hall.

I'll be seeing you, Ben.

Looks like I'll have to rate you a "class-A" customer, Colonel.

I just learned you're something extra special.

Gentlemen,

this mission has been handed us by the Combined Chiefs of Staff.

It is a target of critical importance,

which will require a deeper penetration than any we have made...

far beyond possible fighter support.

If we can attack and destroy it,

we will have proved daylight precision bombing.

This is the one we have been waiting for.

With the limited equipment we have,

it will probably take three trips to carry enough bombs...

to the target to destroy it.

I needn't tell you you'll have to help plan these strikes...

down to the last pint of gas,

the last pound of load,

the last second of time.

All right, Colonel Davenport.

There it is, what we're after...

ball bearings.

We've found that almost the entire German production of ball bearings...

is concentrated here.

Without ball bearings, the entire German armament industry...

will slow to a halt.

Wish I had something stronger for you, Frank, but I haven't.

If we bring this one off, things are likely to pick up fast.

I think we may get three or four whole new groups thrown at us.

Growing up, huh?

How soon can you turn loose down there and come back up here and help me?

- Well, that's, uh, kind of hard to say, sir. - Why?

On paper, the group looks fine now.

The leadership's the problem, always has been.

Haven't you got the personnel? Want me to transfer you somebody?

There's nothing wrong with our personnel.

I-I lost Bishop and Holloman.

Cobb's okay, so is Gately, but he's just out of the hospital.

Takes time to know.

- How long before you figure you will know? - I don't know that one, either.

How can you be sure? How do you know what you're pushing Gately into?

How do you know we didn't send Bishop just that once too often?

- I'm the one that's down there and... - Frank!

You're swinging after the bell.

Tell me something, will you?

What was the name of the man you relieved?

Who, Keith?

What was his trouble? Do you remember?

You're not propping them up too, are you?

Take a good look, Frank.

Do you think that?

It would be natural enough,

the things you go through with a bunch of those boys,

working your way out of the hole with them.

It's hard not to let them get under your hide.

And the one thing I've noticed on the record lately...

you've been flying more missions rather than less.

Look, General, I'm the one that's got to shove them up there.

And until I know they're ready, I'm not about to turn 'em loose.

All right, Frank. Make it as soon as you can, will you?

- You bet I will, sir. - You tell me when?

- Yes, sir. - Good luck, Frank.

Bring me back a ball bearing.

And as a personal favor, try to keep yourself in one piece, will you?

Well, that seems like a reasonable request.

- Good night, sir. - Good night.

- Keith. - Yes, sir.

I want the files on the air execs and the operations officers...

in all the groups with recommendations on those...

who might be qualified to take over a group in an emergency.

- Anything special? - No. Nothing special...

- just checking, but keep it to yourself. - Yes, sir.

Thanks.

- Tail wheel. - Locked. Light off, sir.

Brakes.

Over Splasher Beacon nine, navigator.

- Set course for combat wing assembly line. - Roger.

Tail-gunner, let me know...

- when the other groups tack on to me. - Roger.

Uh, Savage to crew.

10,000 feet. Go on oxygen.

From now on, we're registering on the enemy radar screen.

The Luftwaffe's already warming up for us so watch your chatter.

Let's not tell 'em any more than we have to.

Navigator to Commander.

Departing English coast on course, on time, sir.

Savage to gunners. Okay to test your guns.

- Uh-huh. - [Teletype Clattering]

Yeah. Again.

- Pick them up yet? - He's got the Air Ministry on the scrambler now.

Yeah, say it again.

All right. Thanks very much. I'll ring you again.

"Your aircraft are approaching the enemy coast at 24,000 feet.

"D-D-I-4-B, our intercept station, reports...

"the largest enemy fighter reaction we've recorded.

"The enemy control is ordering down units from as far north as Denmark...

and as far south as Jafue Five."

Mm, here's the new wrinkle.

"The Hun ground controllers are instructing their pilots...

to ram your aircraft if necessary."

Navigator, do you estimate we've crossed the enemy coast?

- Yes, sir. We sure have. - [Flak Bursting]

Change course... 15 degrees left.

Heads up, everybody. The flak's quit.

Look out for fighters.

Four F. W. S, 10 o'clock level, climbing.

Clock 'em. Coming up on the other side.

Don't yell on the interphone. Be specific.

- How many? Where? - Eleven F. W. S, three o'clock.

[Savage] On your toes, High Squadron. Low Squadron, here they come 12 o'clock high!

Watch it, Cobb. They're heading for the High Squadron.

[Machine Guns Firing]

Birdwell got a direct hit, sir. He's going down.

Two squadrons of M.E. S climbing at 12 o'clock, General.

I see 'em. There's six more, nine o'clock level, about a mile.

Gately, move that Low Squadron forward still more.

Able to Baker and Charlie Force Leaders.

They may fake a side attack to cover the real attack out of the sun.

Watch out for mass attacks, eight to ten abreast.

More comin'around from one. Watch 'em, Eddie. Watch 'em!

I got one! He's bailing out.

Confiirm that, right-waist.

B-17 droppin'out of Low Squadron in trouble.

Keep an eye on him, left-waist.

Two men bailing out.

Three more. They're on fiire.

Save your ammunition. We got a long way to go.

Shorten bursts. Don't waste rounds.

B-17 out of control, three o'clock.

There goes another Charlie. He's spinning in, sir.

Navigator, did we make up that two and half minutes yet?

Yes, sir, we... Watch that F.W., Vince!

...doesn't shift any more, we'll be okay at control point seven.

Here come three more. Close it up tight.

[Explosion Rumbles]

- Savage to crew. How bad are we hit? - Right-waist to Commander.

We're hit bad, sir, in radio compartment. On fire.

Well, get in there and see what you can do about it.

Rest of crew, hold your stations. Let's settle down.

Bombardier to Commander. Flak at 12 o'clock level.

Well, we can forget about fighters for a while.

Able to Baker and Charlie Force.

Change of plans. Start your bomb run from Halstuben. Acknowledge.

Charlie Leader. Wilco.

Baker Leader to Able Leader.

We'll be bombing in a bad crosswind. Secondary target looks clear.

Able to Baker. No dice. We'll hit the primary.

Repeat. Your new I.P. Is Halstuben.

Roger.

- Halstuben dead ahead, sir. - Pilot to bombardier. Center the P.D.I.

- P.D.I. Centered, sir. - Pilot to bombardier.

You're flying the airplane now. It's all yours.

- [Whirring] - Bomb bay doors open.

[Bombs Whistling]

We clobbered 'em good. Right on the button! We're headin' for home.

Tail-gunner, how's that formation back there?

Baker Force reassembling okay. Charlie Force is strung out bad.

F.W. S attacking the stragglers.

Able and Charlie, we'll give you a slow turn to the left.

Cut across and get back in formation.

Cobb to Commander. We'll be turning over a heavy flak belt, sir.

Can't help it, Joe. Better than leaving those stragglers to the fighters.

- That is roger. - [Explosion]

Direct burst, sir!

Bail out, Joe! Bail out!

Jump, you guys! Jump!

[Sighs]

Well, Keith, welcome to Operation Stovall.

Glad to see you, Frank. How does it look for tomorrow?

Can't tell yet. Lots of damage.

- I'm sorry aboutJoe. - Well, that's the way it goes.

- Any more on the weather, Ben? - Looks okay, sir.

Good. Looks like all we got left to do is go get it done.

The old man was mighty pleased with the results, Frank.

Well, he ought to be. From the strike photos,

it looks as though tomorrow might wash it up if we're any good.

Did you know he went on the mission today?

- No! - He slipped into Curt May's plane.

I don't think Curt knew till he crossed the enemy coast.

[Laughs]

So the old man's stowing away these days, huh?

I wish I'd have known it. I'd a crowded 'em...

- a little closer to that flak at Frankfurt. - [Chuckles]

- How'd the other boys make out? - A little rough.

But they'll put up the maximum for tomorrow or close to it.

- Good. - "The maximum."

Maximum effort.

Are you drunk, Colonel Stovall?

I am a little. I...

believe I warned the general that it might happen again sometime.

Well, what do you know.

Keep it going till tomorrow night, and I'll join you.

I believe I shall, sir.

Sometime I think Harvey drew the worst end of the racket.

Just sit here. Watch 'em come and go.

Fill out all those stinkin' papers.

[Stovall] That is not why I am drunk tonight.

I got drunk because I am confused.

I was thinking, which is a thing a man should not do,

and all at once I couldn't remember...

what any of them looked like.

I... I couldn't see their faces.

Bishop, Cobb. Wilson, Zimmy...

all of them.

All of you. They all looked alike. Just...

one face and...

It was very young, and it confused me.

I think I shall stay drunk...

until I'm not confused anymore.

Stay with it, Harvey.

But if you guys want to carouse some more, you're going to have to go someplace else.

- Good night, sir. - Good night, Ben.

Good night, Keith. Boy, am I gonna sleep tonight.

- Good night, sir. - Good night, Colonel.

Guess it's about that time.

Good luck, Frank.

[Gately] Good luck, Frank.

Good luck, sir.

What's the matter, sir?

I don't know.

- Are you sick, sir? - Arm... something's wrong.

- It won't work. - You want me to take it?

No. Tell, uh...

Tell... Tell Gately to take it.

Yes, sir. He'll take it.

Get hold of Doc Kaiser. I'll take the lead ship.

- Where's my oxygen mask? - Fra... Frank!

Frank. Come on, Frank!

Come on. Get in theJeep.

Frank! Frank, are you sick?

Stop it! Stop it!

- Where's Keith? - I'm right here, Frank! It's okay! It's all...

[Savage] Call the tower! Where's...

Where's Keith?

[Savage] Can't make it!

We can't go!

We can't send 'em out there again!

Stop them! Stop them!

Stop them. We can't make it! Stop them!

Cigarette, Frank?

How about a smoke?

- What do you make of it? - State of shock.

Complete collapse. Everything let go at once.

Can't you give him a hypo, Doc? Something to knock him out, put him to sleep?

No. In his present condition it wouldn't be any good.

He's somewhere up there with the mission.

When they get back maybe he'll let go.

I hope.

It's screwy. I wouldn't ever have figured it could happen to him.

I did. I watched him sweep his feelings under the carpet long enough.

It had to spill out someday.

But I never saw him more full of fight than he was at briefing.

Did you ever see a light bulb burn out,

how bright the filament is just before it lets go?

I think they call it "maximum effort."

[Ticking]

[Phone Rings]

Colonel Davenport.

That's fine. Thanks very much.

The strike report, Frank.

They hit the primary okay.

Gately reports results good.

They clobbered it, Frank!

Frank, try and listen to me.

I know what you're feeling. I know just what you're feeling.

You think you blew it. What do you expect of yourself, Frank?

Look.

Look, I saw something in those kid's faces at briefing this morning.

Something I never put there.

You were gonna make 'em grow up, remember?

Well, they were this morning.

You think you aren't up there with them?

Look, you're riding at every crew station and in every cockpit.

That's right, don't listen to me.

Just sit there and do it the hard way.

Tell yourself a hundred times a day that you blew it.

Make yourself believe it. Take it to bed with you!

Eat your guts out till you're all hollow inside! Don't let anybody help you!

[Bomber Engines Droning Overhead]

They're back, Frank.

Six. Seven.

[Engines Roaring Overhead]

Eight. Nine.

Ten.

Piccadilly Lily.

[Davenport] Eleven.

Twelve. Thirteen.

- Fourteen. - [Bombers Zooming Overheard]

Fifteen.

Sixteen.

Control tower.

- Tower. - You got a count, Captain?

Twenty-one dispatched. Nineteen returned, sir.

The boys really did it today.

Nineteen.

They made it.

Nineteen of them.

- Who led? - Ben Gately.

Is-Is he back all right?

Yes, Frank, he's back.

I'm kind of tired.

I think I'll... go to sleep for a little while.

- [Men] Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me

Anyone else but me Anyone else but me

No, no, no don't sit under the apple tree

With anyone else but me Till I come marching home

With anyone else but me Till I come marching home

We're poor little lambs who have lost our way

Baa, baa, baa

- We're little black sheep who have gone astray - [Fades]