Original subtitles

[guns firing]

We make a dead stick landing,

and once you chop that power and start down, you're committed.

You're gonna land or you're gonna crash.

How do you know they'll go for it?

They're Black Sheep.

(Gutterman) Hey, Greg!

We might be crazy, we're not stupid.

Every man in your outfit has to speak for himself.

It's a suicide mission!

[siren wailing]

(Bragg) Pappy!

We got one hour.

Pappy can't fly in one hour.

♪ We are poor little lambs ♪

♪ Who have lost our way ♪

♪ Baa! Baa! Baa! ♪♪

[siren wailing]

(announcer) The Japanese third fleet

encounters Halsey in the Fraser Strait

and deals a telling loss

to the Allied strategy in the Pacific.

Heavily outnumbered,

Halsey's men fight valiantly against the enemy

to no avail.

In the day-long battle,

the Japanese air force strikes again and again,

raining death from the sky.

Allied losses run high.

Two carriers disabled.

The fleet at a standstill.

Finally, Halsey orders a withdrawal

buying time for the Navy to regroup,

but leaving the enemy unchallenged

throughout the waters around Ulithi,

a key Japanese stronghold

in the naval battle for the Solomons.

(Gutterman) Watch it, Jerry. You got two comin' down on you.

(Bragg) I see 'em.

(Boyle) Must be fresh meat out of flight school.

(Gutterman) Yeah, you got a two-ton pot roast

coming down at you right now, Boyle.

[guns firing]

(T.J.) Nice goin'.

(Bragg) These guys fly like penguins.

Save it for later, Boyle.

(Casey) They're breakin' off.

(Gutterman) I let 'em go!

We can't let those knot-heads off the hook, Jim.

(Gutterman) We're goin' home.

(Casey) If Pappy was with us--

Pappy ain't with us.

I'm in command, and I'd hate to have to talk to you

about it on the ground, Larry.

[soldier yells command]

[birds twittering]

(Gen. Moore) What's wrong with that ship?

(Hutch) Nothing, sir.

Well, where's Boyington?

He's in the hospital.

[metal clanging]

[sighs]

(Gen. Moore) Malaria?

I've never seen anything in your records about malaria.

General.

It's a little bug I picked up in China.

It's nothing. They're kickin' me out today.

The doc says I'm goldbrickin'.

What're you doin' here, sir?

l, uh, was on my way back from Toctin

and I just thought I'd drop in.

Come on, General.

You've never dropped in on anybody.

I better get back to headquarters.

Sir, what is it? You came by here for something, sir.

I'm feeling great, sir!

They're kickin' me out today. I just told you that.

[sighs]

Let's take a walk.

[tires skidding]

Hey, Doc Lindsay!

Hiya, Doc.

No more shots?

No shots. No shots. No, no, no.

Listen, I want to talk to you guys.

What about?

Come on in here. I want to talk to you.

It's about Greg.

Now, listen, this is just between us.

Well, what's the problem, Doc?

The problem is that...

Well, Greg is an old man for a fighter pilot.

[all chuckling]

He can't go on the way he has.

With the fever and stayin' up all night and working

and drinking and flying every mission with you guys.

That's just the kind of guy Pappy is.

(all) Yeah.

One of these days his next mission

could be his last mission.

There's a hot flash for you.

The old pill pusher just laid down some gospel.

"Our next mission could be our last." That's a real news bulletin.

All I said--

I heard what you said, Doc.

I don't like takin' military briefings

from the Medical Corps if you don't mind.

And I don't give a damn

if you like it or not, Gutterman.

I can ground any man in this outfit.

In my opinion, Greg should not be flying.

And you guys have better find a way to keep him on the ground

or I will give him a ticket home!

[airplane engine whirs]

(Gen. Moore) We took a heck of a beating at Fraser Straight.

We got to keep the Japanese third fleet

bottled up at Ulithi

until Admiral Collins' taskforce gets here to reinforce Halsey.

Now we need three or four days.

I've got a mission.

If you'll fly it, it'll give us the time.

You got it, sir.

Now, hold on. This mission is too dangerous

for me to order anyone to fly.

[jeep engine accelerating]

It's got to be strictly voluntary.

You got it, sir.

Now, not just you, Greg.

Every man in your outfit has to speak for himself.

Yes, sir.

You haven't even heard what it is.

How do you know if they'll go for it?

They're Black Sheep.

(Gen. Moore) With only one narrow channel in and out of the lagoon,

if we sink even one small ship,

we figure that we can bottle up the enemy fleet at Ulithi

long enough to give Collins carriers time

to hook up with Halsey.

But it has to be a surprise attack.

Hit and run. In and out, fast.

It's not a job for bombers.

We'll have to use fighters.

They have to be carrying 500-pounders

and auxiliary tanks to give you the range

and time over the target.

Now that's it.

Okay, you guys.

I've already volunteered, and I told the General

I wouldn't have any trouble gettin' four of you heroes

to come with me.

Now, come on, guys. Let's see a show of hands.

[door squeaking]

General...

[sighs]

(Gutterman) Hey, Greg!

We might be crazy! We're not stupid!

It's a suicide mission!

I just hate havin' Greg think we let him down.

Hey, are we gonna worry about what Greg thinks?

Or are we gonna make sure

that sawbones doesn't send him back to the States?

Hey, Pappy.

Pappy, it's pretty late. Maybe you should, uh,

hit the sack and get some rest, huh?

Maybe you should mind your own business, huh?

Yes, sir.

Where's he goin' now?

To see General Moore. Called him first thing this morning.

What's he gonna see Moore for?

Oh, I don't know.

And you didn't listen in?

Of course not.

(Greg) It's an air strip.

Mmm-hmm.

Well, it was an emergency strip before the war.

But the Japanese never used it. Too short.

There's a little hut at one end of it. Right there.

General, I wanna lose the auxiliary tanks.

The extra weight just slows us down.

We don't have to fly non-stop to Ulithi.

Are you telling me you're gonna try to land at the Bakati?

Sir, it's 10 miles from Bakati

to the--

I know how far it is, Boyington.

But what you're not aware of is there's an enemy radio installation there.

There might be a company of infantry to guard it.

You'd be scooped up the minute you touch down.

Sir, I was up all night figuring this out.

We make a dead stick landing,

just as the sun comes up.

We'll be gone before they even know we were there.

May I ask just who do you mean by we?

Sir, you--you may ask anything you like.

I have all the answers.

Hutch. Yeah?

Have them fix those radios.

Come to my tent. I want to talk to you.

All right, Pappy.

(Gutterman) Hey, uh, hey, Greg!

Yeah.

We want to explain to you why it wasn't--

Hey, no sweat, Jim. I mean, forget about it.

No sweat at all, huh?

And then he had me install bomb racks

and two 500 pounders right away.

You don't think he's crazy enough to think he can fly

this mission by himself, do you?

I know he ain't.

'Cause he told me to pull four more birds off the line

and put rats and bombs on 'em, too.

What do you think he's up to?

(Casey) You don't really wanna know.

A teletype from General Moore.

(Gutterman) "To Boyington, 214. VMF.

"Response to your request.

"Have secured other volunteers to fly Operation Ulithi.

"Lieutenants Cooper, Hines, Baker and Henderson,

"all USN will arrive your base from Pearl Harbor,

18:00 hours this date."

[airplane engine whirs]

Where's he goin' now?

Wonder why he's climbin' so high?

[engine turning off]

His engine's out!

He must've chopped it.

He's gonna make a dead-stick landin'.

Yeah. Carrying two 500 pounders

and about 800 pounds of fuel.

(Greg) I knew all the guys would be watching me

and wondering what I was doing up there.

Flying a Corsair with the power off

was just a little easier

than trying to swim in a pair of lead boots.

And the end result was about the same.

But I had to remind myself how hard it really was.

And I didn't care if the Black Sheep thought I lost my marbles.

In fact that was exactly what I wanted them to think.

[propeller clanking]

[engine starting]

[sighs]

You know, it's too bad there's not a way to feather the prop

when you chop the power.

Well, there ain't, Pappy.

I know it, but it's too bad, isn't it?

(Gutterman) Did that on purpose, did you?

That's right.

Well, this came for you.

I suppose all you guys have read this.

(all) Hmm.

We all think it's booby-hatch time, too.

Really? Mmm-hmm.

Greg, this mission's too dangerous as it is,

to be flyin' it with strangers.

When we flew our first mission together,

you were all strangers.

Every one of you.

Yeah, well, that's different now, Pappy.

Is it?

Different now, huh?

[sighs]

We just gonna have to stop him.

We're gonna have to stop kiddin' ourselves.

When Boyington makes up his mind,

that's all there is to it.

[printer printing]

[whooping]

Like that, don't you? Hmm?

[whimpering]

(Casey) Pappy.

Yeah?

Uh, this just came for you.

Thank you.

I'm sorry, Pappy.

Mmm-hmm.

(Casey) Hey! Hey, you guys.

The mission's been scrubbed.

Scrubbed?

A weather front came up over Suva.

All the mass flights are grounded.

The seagulls can't get here in time.

All the worryin' we did about Pappy, for nothin'.

Well, let's hear it for the weather at Suva!

[all chattering]

Pappy, shouldn't you knock that stuff off?

You just got out of the hospital.

When I want medical advice from you, Boyle,

I'll ask for it.

Greg, I think it's about time we had a talk about this mission.

Talk about what, Jim?

I mean, you guys have all made your decision.

What's there to talk about?

And when I finished this and sober up,

I wanna talk to all of you

about the future of the Black Sheep.

He really wanted that mission.

Maybe we could talk to Doc Lindsey.

What has Doc Lindsey got to do with this now?

Should have never listened to that man in the first place.

Then we'll have to tell him we'll fly it with him.

That's a very good idea. Who's goin'?

Only four can go.

We need a contest or somethin' to decide?

No.

We'll have a lottery.

All right.

Give me one of those bags from behind the bar please.

What I got here is, uh, three black checkers

and 1 2 red checkers.

Wait a minute. Why only three black?

Because I'm the executive officer,

and I'm orderin' myself to go.

Black ones go. The rest stay. Pick one.

What is it?

(Gutterman) Bragg. Who else?

Okay, French.

One more.

One more.

All right.

Bragg, French, T.J., let's go.

[footsteps approaching]

What's the matter with you guys?

Ain't nothing the matter with us, Greg.

You just got yourself four volunteers.

You sure?

(Greg) The glide ratio of a Corsair

is one-to-one with the engine off,

you fall one mile for every mile you go forward.

That's a little better than a rock.

And the bombs we're carrying

won't make things better.

We remember why it's called the dead stick landing.

You do the wrong thing with a stick,

you're dead.

You keep one thing straight in your head.

Once you chop that power and start down,

you're committed.

You're either gonna land

or you're gonna crash.

We start at 25,000 feet,

5 miles from the end of the runway.

We go in at dawn

at 30 second intervals.

And make sure you're outta the way

of the guy behind you.

Now, from the isle of Bakati,

you are 10 miles from the Ulithi straits.

We wait for a radio message from General Moore,

telling us when the first ship is gonna leave the harbor.

From that point on

we have 20 minutes to get in the air and hit the target.

We're to sink this ship

at the narrow part of the strait,

then take off,

land on the carrier Princeton,

refuel and go home.

We'll grab our socks at 03:00. Any questions?

No questions?

Okay, you guys. 03:00.

T.J.

You're one of the unhappiest volunteers

I've ever seen.

Well, none of us really volunteered,

uh, except for Jim.

We got a lottery.

Mmm-hmm.

[chuckling]

I guess.

Ah, T.J.,

Hutch has been telling me about a problem he's having

with the shackles on the bomb racks.

He said maybe only four of us ought to go.

You sayin' you don't want me to go?

I didn't say that.

Look, this thing is so harebrained,

I'm frightened of it.

Now what difference

is one plane more or less gonna make?

The less that go, the better chance we have of making it.

You think I'll blow it for you, don't you?

T.J.--

No!

Don't do this to me. Please.

I lost that lottery fair and square.

Either I'm a part of this unit or I'm not.

We all took our chances.

You pull me now,

every one of the Black Sheep'll know

that you don't have any faith in me.

Pull somebody else if you have to, but not me.

I have to have some respect for myself as a man.

You take that away from me,

what have I got?

I'm sorry, T.J.

[sighing]

I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked you not to go.

Pappy.

Why did you?

You want it straight?

Yes, I do.

I don't think you're up to it.

But I'm not gonna undercut you from this squadron.

I've too much respect for you.

You're a good man, T.J.

I won't let you down, Pappy.

I know you won't.

04:00.

On the flight line.

I'll be the first one there.

(Greg) Hutch worked all night

on the bomb rack on Gutterman's airplane.

And by the time he let us take off,

we were far enough behind schedule to worry me.

We were due to dead stick on an enemy island at dawn.

We had enough light to see the runway,

or what used to be the runway before the Japanese abandoned it.

But if we came in too late,

there was a chance we'd be spotted.

So we flew fast

and waited for the sunrise.

It gets cold at 25,000 feet.

But for some reason, I was sweating.

It could've been nerves, but I was afraid it wasn't.

I had just gotten over an attack of malaria

that had kept me grounded for two days.

And it felt like the fever was coming back.

Under the circumstances,

that was all I needed.

Okay, we're on time.

When we start down, it'll still be dark,

but don't let it worry you.

By the time we reach the runway,

it ought to be light enough to see.

Any of you guys have anything to say?

Now let's go in.

I'll lead the way, Jim, you bring up the rear.

Remember, 30 seconds apart.

[engine stops]

[seat belt clicking]

[tires squealing]

[tires squealing]

Hey, where's Jim?

Hey, there he is.

(Greg) He's too low.

Hey, one of his bombs is droppin' loose.

If the tip of that egg touches the ground...

Jim, take it easy. Don't rock the boat.

Was I draggin'?

One of the shackles came loose.

You got a 500-pounder hangin' half way to the ground.

That's what I was afraid of.

(Greg) Rear shackles are all right.

[breathing heavily]

[all chattering]

T.J., get the radio out of my bird and stay with it.

Okay, Pappy.

Anybody bring a bottle?

Why is it I have to think of everything myself?

All right, let's lift this up.

Don.

Yeah?

You just hook it. Watch the detonator.

Okay.

You just hook it when they lift it.

Okay, I will.

Okay, ready? Ready.

Let's do it on three. Okay.

One.

(Greg) Two.

(French) Come on.

Watch out!

Pappy!

[groaning] You okay, Pappy?

[shuddering]

Get it up.

(Bragg) A little more.

[all grunting]

Hey, what's goin' on?

T.J., get Pappy out of here.

Don't move him, T.J. May have something wrong with his back.

(T.J.) It's not his back, Jim.

He's havin' an attack of malaria.

[speaking Japanese]

Want another pill, Pappy?

(Greg) Yeah.

[exhaling]

(French) Hey, what are we gonna do?

Pappy can't fly in the condition he's in.

[coughing]

I don't know.

Atabrine may help.

I need more water.

I'll see if I can find some.

Japanese on this rock must drink something other than Saki.

[radio beeping]

(T.J.) I got it.

(Gutterman) What is it?

What is it, Ace?

A weather report.

So what?

I don't get it.

You don't get what?

Listen.

For Suva and Fiji Islands to New Hebrides

continued light variable westerly winds

six to eight knots

with two to four foot swells.

So what?

Suva didn't have any weather.

[clapping]

[all laughing]

This whole thing was a con?

There wasn't even no seagulls from Pearl?

Well, there certainly weren't any volunteers now, was there?

Pappy and Moore, they dreamed the whole thing up.

I don't see why this man stopped at stealing

a little stinkin' squadron.

A con man with talent like him,

why, he could own a whole Marine Air Wing by now.

[beeping]

That's gotta be Moore.

That's it. Home Base to Bushwhackers.

Bottle neck now estimated in position 11:00 hours.

We got one hour.

Pappy can't fly in one hour.

Well, then we leave him here.

He'll get over it, take off, and meet us on the carrier.

What about the Japanese on the other side of this island?

They're gonna hear us takin' off.

They're gonna be over here in 10 minutes.

That man there's gonna be a sittin' duck.

So what do you suggest? I'm not gonna sacrifice

this man's life to complete this mission.

We've been lied to, we've been conned,

we've been roped into this thing.

Doc told us what would happen if we let that man fly.

We never should have changed our mind.

Now you get on the horn, you call Moore,

tell him we have to scrub this mission. Do it right now.

(Greg) No.

Stay away from that radio.

That's an order.

I'm in command here now, Greg.

Make the call, T.J.

I said no.

Stay away from that radio.

You got to cock that gun for it to fire, Greg.

[gun cocking]

Okay.

What do you think you are gonna do?

[Greg breathing heavily]

I'm gonna hit that target.

Y-y-you can't make it, Pappy.

He'll find out for himself.

[groans]

You go get Jerry. Bring him back here.

Go fast, please!

[birds chirping]

[speaking Japanese]

[groaning]

Come on, Greg.

(Gutterman) Pappy, you can't fly and you know it.

Leave me alone.

You guys might be right.

I may not get off the ground.

But I'm not gonna stay here and find out

who gets me first.

Malaria or the Japanese.

If I'm gonna check out,

I'm gonna do it my way.

[all chattering in Japanese]

[slurping]

[spitting]

Jerry.

[birds chirping]

[continue chattering]

[yelling]

[grenade exploding]

Something went wrong, Jim.

It looks like you win this one, Greg.

Help me get him up there.

That's crazy. He can't fly.

Well, he's gonna have to.

Now help me get him up there.

[soldiers speaking Japanese]

I'm not gonna make it.

All right, Don, I got it.

[speaking Japanese]

(Bragg) Tojo patrol!

(Bragg) They're right behind us!

Tojo patrol is comin'.

Okay, we're goin'.

Jim, I'm okay.

Thanks.

[engine starting]

[speaking Japanese]

[guns firing]

(Gutterman) How about one of you gentlemen giving me a little cover fire?

[gun firing]

(Greg) You fly lead, Jim.

You're in command.

(Gutterman) Okay, Pappy.

(T.J.) Pappy, you're losin' altitude.

Hang on, Pappy.

How're you doin', Greg?

I'm doin' okay.

(Gutterman) Nearin' target.

It's right on time.

All right.

Let's hit her.

[gun firing]

[bomb whistling]

[bomb exploding]

[explosions continue]

(Gutterman) We got 'em, Pappy.

(Greg) That's--that's good, Jim.

(radio operator) Mohawk to Black Sheep leader.

Mohawk to Black Sheep leader.

(Gutterman) This is Black Sheep leader. Over.

(radio operator) We have you on scope.

Change course to 137 degrees

and you'll be in our landing.

What's your fuel supply?

(Gutterman) Well, our tanks are--

Our tanks are down and that's not all. We got a sick man with us.

(radio operator) How sick is he?

He'll land first.

(radio operator) Negative.

If you're low on fuel and he fouls the deck,

the rest of you may have to ditch.

Listen here, man. Boyington lands first,

or else I'm gonna bomb your aircraft carrier myself personally.

Jim, he's right. I go in last.

Greg, you're lucky to be in the air now at all.

(Greg) Don't argue.

[tires squealing]

(radio operator) You're coming in cockeyed.

Straighten out your flight.

You're too far to the side. You can't correct.

Abort your landing and come around again.

Go around.

[siren wailing]

Get the pilot out of that airplane

and clear the flight deck fast.

Hold altitude and circle the ship, Major.

Your pilot's all right,

and we'll bring you in as soon as we can.

You're cleared to land, Major.

You're cleared to land, Major.

You're doing just fine.

(T.J.) He's gonna make it.

He's gonna make it.

[tires squealing]

[all chattering]

[all laugh]