Original subtitles

Off we go!

Off we go!

Into the wild blue yonder arms!

Who controls the sky above?

The Strategic Air Command!

Who protects the land we love?

The Strategic Air Command!

With a Sunday punch in every vein, it gives the blue and bombs

away. Those fighting fools, the fighters of the strategic air

command.

Red attack, green up to you, because America...

is in your hand.

Spread a sack, you mighty fools, let every enemy know where he stands.

Show them how you can thread a needle from 45 ,000 feet.

Dodge the flak and hurry back, then load up and repeat.

It began one day in 1943 at Smoky Hill, Kansas.

Well, you finally made the big leap.

We've been waiting a long time for you, rookies.

Oh, no, it ain't fair. They can't do this to us.

Well, what do you know if it ain't the man from the south with his big foot in

his mouth? Hello, Sack.

So this is where you've been hiding out? Sure glad to see you guys. I ain't had

a soft touch since Livia.

Say, what do you call that crate?

That, gentlemen, is the Boeing Superfortress, the newest thing in the

suppose after you learn about it, you'll be calling it the V -29, if you can

count that, huh? You mean that dang thing flies? You bet it flies. Higher,

farther, and... Blastering with a bigger bomb load than anything you've ever

been in. Hello, Sergeant.

Captain Calvert, I'm glad to see you. Good to see you. You too, Lieutenant

Shaw. Hello, Stack.

Major West is waiting to see you over at operations, sir.

Major West?

You don't mean Tom West? Yes, sir. I'll drive you over.

All right, Sergeant.

Ted, see if the men find quarters.

The men's quarters are over there.

The officers over there.

Unnatural. What do you know?

I'll see you guys later. Not if we can help it.

Hello, Tom.

Hello, Al.

Hey, quite a surprise seeing you here.

Made you, too.

Congratulations.

Well, the best job.

Well, you always did say I should be a schoolteacher. So here I am instructing

in B -29s.

My proper station in life.

Have a chair. Thanks.

How's Aunt Margaret?

My mother's fine. She worries about you. Seems like you haven't been writing

very often. Oh, you know how I am about writing letters. I'll be sure to drop

her a line tonight, though.

Hey, what's the loan out on this B -29?

A thoroughbred.

High strung.

Sensitive.

You'll have your hands full learning how to fly.

Make it sound like a problem.

It's got two wings and four fans.

Flies, doesn't it?

Yeah. But you can't fly it by the seat of your pants.

29's a big, complicated airplane.

Compared to it, the 24 is a kite.

Yeah, you flew the 24. You ought to know.

I'm sorry, Professor. I just slipped out.

Hey, you were talking about this airplane.

My crew and I studied the 29 for three months at the Boeing plant.

We're supposed to be the lead crew.

Study this.

Classes begin tomorrow.

Airplane commander training manual for the Super Fortress.

Answered our love about the Air Corps.

They figure you're never too old to learn.

You'll be giving some new crew members here.

There'll be three weeks of classroom work before you fly.

Plenty of handbooks to study.

And I hope my crew can read.

Cal. Yeah?

Thanks for your attitude.

I'll forget it.

What's the lady situation around here?

There's only one lady for you at Smoky Hill. A lady called B -29.

Yes,

there were ladies at Smoky Hill, plenty of them.

Tall ones and small ones.

And after 50 missions in the Mediterranean with the 15th Air Force,

look good to me.

Especially one.

Oh, here's the major now.

Just pulling guard duty around your favorite nurse till you showed up,

Standing off the wolves. Thanks, Wurzel.

Don't hurry away.

Sorry I was late, Helen. Tough day.

All these new crews coming in. This place is like Grand Central Station.

It's nice to relax with you.

A very pretty speech, I believe.

Oh, the professor always is good at making pretty speeches.

My name is Calvin.

Calvin, my friend.

This is a very dangerous man, Helen.

Casanova. Does it have that word in your native language?

Yes, it does.

Oh, yes, it's international.

Fine, Lieutenant.

All for Pete's egg, Tom. What's her name?

Okay.

Lieutenant Landers.

Tell him to her, friends.

Thanks for the introduction, cousin.

Don't mention it, cousin.

You know, I'd like to buy a drink to celebrate the occasion, but you can't

anything here but Coke and orange pop.

Oh, not if you know where to look for it.

I found a bottle.

Yeah, I see there.

Well, well, well.

So it was the same West.

You been having engine trouble lately, Captain?

Oh, I beg your pardon, Major.

Did the Major tell you about Plesty? I've got it out. What for?

Well, I'll tell you.

I'm going to tell the whole world how this wrong -way guy goofs off overseas

ends up on a gravy train. Stay here. This guy's a no -count.

Speak to your pony.

Tom, shall we see that movie on the post?

Yeah, thanks, Alan.

I know you must be wondering about what that doctor said.

I'd like to tell you about it.

You'll hear about it sooner or later anyway.

Oh, it doesn't matter, Tom.

On our bombing mission to the Ploesti oil fields, the big one, I turned back.

I claimed I had serious engine trouble.

And? You didn't?

No.

I'm sure it wasn't as simple as that.

You're right, it wasn't.

If I'd have been alone, I'd have gone through with it.

But I like that crew.

We've been together right from the start.

This was to be our last mission.

The 24th mission, we lost two crew members torn up by flak.

About halfway to the target on the 25th, I...

I suddenly didn't want to take those kids to Ploesti.

I knew it was going to be hell on wheels.

I wanted them to go on living beyond that.

I really was having a little engine trouble.

Might or might not have made it to the target.

I guess I took the easy way.

Thanks for telling me, but you didn't have to.

Yes, I did.

I've wanted to for a long time.

Been afraid someone else would tell you first.

There mustn't ever be any doubt between us, Helen.

Come on, let's make that move.

Tom West and his gang of Simon Legrees put us through three weeks of back

-breaking groundwork.

Where should those oil cooler switches be?

Automatic.

Right.

Where are the fuel shuttle valves? Right here.

What's the first item on the checklist of engine failure in flight?

Well, come on, come on. You're flying 30 ,000 feet and you've got engine

trouble. What would you do?

Your engines are catching on fire. What would you do?

I'd call the auto club.

All right, you gunners. Let's make with the gun sights, huh?

You're first, Frenchy.

What do we shoot?

Five bucks.

The 11.

That'll be a fin, French.

Oh, you pretty things.

Finally came the day we've been waiting for.

Our first flight in a B -29.

Pilot to crew.

Our status today is this.

The right scanner's blister is cracked.

We're restricted for pressurized flight above 25 ,000 feet.

I'll turn it over to you at 25 ,000, Cal.

They get flight paper, this.

Pilot to crew.

Ready to start engines.

Left scanner to pilot.

Fire guard standing by number one engine.

Ready to start number one.

Bag number one.

Quiet the crew. Stand by the taxi.

Hydraulic pressure's okay.

You have the actions.

Roger.

4 -0 -3 -8 calling Smoky Hill Tower.

Smoky Hill Tower to 4 -0 -3 -8. Go ahead.

4 -0 -3 -8 requesting permission to take off.

Roger. You're clear for immediate takeoff.

Roger.

Pilot to crew, stand by for takeoff.

120.

130.

135.

Hey, what's wrong with this thing?

Wheels up.

Does this thing always take that much runway?

Not always.

Today we're grossing 130 ,000 pounds.

Left scanner to pilot.

Left gear coming up. Right scanner to pilot.

Right gear coming up.

Flaps up.

Left scanner to pilot.

Left flap coming up, sir. Right scanner to pilot. Right flap coming up.

Tail gunner to pilot.

Tail skid up.

Roger. Reduce power to condition two.

Left gear and flap up.

Number one and two engines look okay, sir. Right gear and flap up. Number

and four engines okay, sir.

Me, the hottest gunner in the Air Force, a flap and gear in the gear.

Hey, Shaker, you're on the interphone.

Want to make a broadcast about your gunnery?

25 ,000 feet, I took the controls.

Set up the automatic pilot with the bombardier and prepare to drop practice

bombs. Right. Going back to see how the students are doing.

Cheers.

Senator PDI.

Roger. Get the table up, Jordan.

Tight quarters, sir.

You get used to it.

They say this thing will take a full load up to 35 ,000 feet.

Well, we've got a full load of practice bombs.

Let's find out.

No, no, not yet. Let me show you once more.

Look.

You never try to turn this until you release the lock.

Now, you see how simple...

Hey, Ted, this baby really can climb.

Open.

Locked. Let's do that.

Pull it.

Pull it. Come on, kid, pull that forward.

The pilot's open. It won't be long now.

Yeah, well, the chute ain't open. What's the matter with that silk? Why don't it

open? Who is it? Pull it out. Why don't it blossom?

Hey, you guys, who is it? It's Dak.

He was riding my chair.

Gosh, Tinker, I was scared it was you. 10 to 1, he's out cold.

Must have hit his head.

You get a chance, poor guy.

25 ,000 feet and right out of my chair. You and your rabbit's foot. There'll be

nothing left of him. Why don't they make those chutes automatic?

There goes the silk. It's open.

That's a... Hey!

reading the plane's status today?

Yes, sir.

Did you understand why the plane's flight was restricted at 25 ,000 feet?

Yes, sir.

And why in blazer did you climb to 30 ,000 feet?

Frankly, I thought the crack on the right scanner's blister was so minute I

didn't think it was weak enough to blow.

If Sergeant Stack is still alive, I'm sure he'd appreciate that statement.

It censures the fact that you failed to absorb the basic rudiments of the

cabin's supercharging system.

No doubt you've missed many other equally important details.

Therefore, you're going back to ground school. Until you and your crew know

plane from nose to tail.

Can't take any chances on ruining this program.

You know how much money and sweat's been poured into it.

The entire air corps from General Arnold down is depending upon it.

A lot of Washington big shots are bucking against the whole project.

A few incidents like this one today and they'll say the B -29's a washout.

Even if you knew everything there is to know about the ship and could handle

your duties and your crew perfectly, you'd still find plenty of bugs to keep

guessing. Remember this, Cal.

When you command a B -29, you're solely responsible for your crew and a million

-dollar airplane.

Well, I don't blame you for being sore, Professor.

If I were you, I'd feel the same way.

You sure took your time opening that chute. What happened?

My hands were cold.

He falls on 30 ,000 feet.

where there's no oxygen, 40 below zero, and only suffers a little frostbite.

Aren't you ashamed of yourself, Sergeant?

Can't you see the tears in my big red eyes?

In a few sweating months, we learned a lot about the B -29.

That airborne killer was big as a house, fast as light, and temperamental as a

Siamese cat.

But if you treated her right, she'd behave like a perfect lady.

A fighting lady, that is.

She was armed with enough guns to take care of herself against any attack.

Her powerful engines could lift her out of range of enemy flak. She could out

-climb and out -run any fighter.

And in her sleek belly, she carried ten tons of fire and sudden death.

All she needed now were bases of operation within 2 ,000 miles of the

throat. Yes, she could fly 2 ,000 miles and back.

The Army and the Navy would see that she got her bases.

I was beginning to catch some of Tom's fever for the big ship, and my whole

was eager to take her into combat.

What a weapon.

She could double in spades any airplane ever built by anybody, anywhere.

And when she laid her eggs on the target,

General Wolf was the daddy of the B -29.

From the day General Hap Arnold said, build it, the big bomber was General

Wolf's baby.

And like a good parent, he worried about it and was proud of it.

Men, you've got a big job to do. You've got a great machine to do that job.

A long -range weapon to hit the enemy where it hurts.

In the heart.

There's plenty of kinks to be ironed out.

I know that you men can iron them out.

The B -29 will make good.

It's got to make good.

And now, fellas, your school days are over.

You're ready for action.

Your commanding officer will brief you.

Good luck.

You were previously alerted, so this should not surprise you.

As of now, you are all respected to the base.

You will take off tomorrow at 0700.

Your first stop will be Gander Lake, Newfoundland.

There you will be briefed on the next leg of your flight.

From Gander on, your route must remain secure for now.

Weather briefing, 0500 tomorrow.

Ten -two!

I'll miss you, Professor.

I'll be right with you.

Oh, I dropped in to say goodbye.

We're shutting off tomorrow.

Tom's going too, isn't he?

Yeah.

You really light up for him, don't you?

He told me about Plovesky.

He did?

He told me that he turned back because he wanted his men to go on living,

all.

It's true, isn't it?

Oh, let's not talk about Tom.

I came to say goodbye to you.

Goodbye, dear.

Glad to be with you.

Hey,

where do you guys think you're going? I know.

They're fixing on giving us an escort right to the edge of the schoolyard.

Pretty brave bunch, ain't they? We're going as far as you are, Mac.

Maybe farther.

Somebody must have forgot to tell you little boys we're going into combat.

We plan to get there before you ate balls.

We'll have everything ready when you make that crash land.

Jess, how about arbitrating this dispute?

Why don't we have a little wager on the first plane to get there?

Get where?

Wherever we're going. I'm for that.

How much?

You name it.

They're a poor -looking bunch.

Let's go easy on them.

Don't do us no favors, country boy.

Just name your bet.

Looks like they're asking for it.

Let's shoot to work. I'm with you.

Okay. How about a must -pay when we get there?

You've got a deal, Davis.

It's going to be a pleasure to take your dough.

Don't spend it before you make it, Junior.

Home, James!

Beg pardon, Major.

Lieutenant Landers would like to see you.

Thanks.

Morning. Tom, you didn't come over last night to say goodbye.

Well, I started to, but... But what?

Something interfered.

Oh, something important?

Well, I guess it was.

Anyhow, here I am with my prize in my hand.

I didn't think it mattered to you, Helen.

Saying goodbye to me.

Were you right?

You want me to?

Of course.

Takeoff time.

I... I wish you were coming in instead of going out.

Goodbye, Helen.

If you want to say goodbye to Cal, you better hurry.

The plane's over there.

I'll be right here watching you go.

All right.

Well, Mabuccos, we're off again and nobody knows where we're heading.

Radio to pilot.

We're heading for the poorhouse if we lose this race.

Pilot to radio. What's that about losing a race, Pop?

Well, it's just a little personal arrangement your crew made with Major

Jokers. What kind of an arrangement?

Ride scanner to pilot.

It's just a dang sure way to make a few bucks, Skipper.

We laid a month's wages. We beat the school teachers to where some ever were

going. Pilot to crew. You're crazy.

Hey, Shaker, my wage is two.

Yes, sir.

I guess I better see what this trade will do.

Smoky Hill to Gander, to Marrakech, to Cairo, to Karachi.

Halfway around the world.

Destination, Karagapur, India.

What's our position, Bill?

Karagapur Airfield, dead ahead 50 miles.

All right, you gamblers, wake up and collect!

Now hear this, my sleeping beauties, we are about to go under the wire.

The winners.

Hey, gang.

We won.

We won. The skipper said we won.

Oh, we won.

Remember,

boys, be kind to the unfortunate.

Don't be too rough on the major's gang when they pay you off.

Let's have a little music, huh, Ted?

Try BBC.

Right. It's too bad about all those nice young American Marines who had to die

at Guadalcanal.

At Tarawa.

And now in Admiralty Island.

And for what?

You'll find out. To your politicians and your generation, I say. Your efforts

are hopeless.

And now, greetings from your girlfriend to the boys of the 20th Air Force.

General Wolf's boys.

Now approaching Kharagapur.

And a very special greeting to the boys in the B -29s.

Serial numbers.

6 -2 -2 -7.

6 -3 -1 -4.

6 -3 -1 -4?

That's our number.

6 -2 -5 -4. She's broadcasting from Tokyo. Oh, wait.

How come she knows so much? It would be some people in India don't like us. 6 -3

-1 -4 to Garagapur Tower.

6 -3 -1 -4 to Garagapur Tower. Come in, please.

Garagapur Tower to 6 -3 -1 -4.

Come in. 6 -3 -1 -4, request landing instructions.

Roger, 6 -3 -1 -4.

Traffic left.

Landing runway 13.

Wind south, southeast, 2 -0.

Roger, Garagobor.

And order up the beer for the first B -29 you ever saw.

But you're not the first B -29, Captain Calvert.

Hey, Carl, that's West.

For your information, the nearest beer is 8 ,000 miles west of your present

position. What took you so long, Cal?

Oh, I might have known it.

You nursed his gasoline, skipped Karachi and made it from Cairo in one hop.

Our flight to India and that shakedown mission to Bangkok were just warm -ups

for the first inning of our game with the enemy.

Tomorrow, we start over the Himalayas to China, where Chiang Kai -shek is

building airstrips for us in the Chengdu Valley.

Next day, we landed at Chengdu on Chiang Kai -shek's handmade airstrip.

And I mean handmade.

Get a load of that, will you?

Boy, that's what I call a personal test.

Just imagine.

All that work so our little old B -29 will have a place to lie.

For a job like that, you need a lot of muscle.

For a job like that, you need a lot of pull.

Oh, no.

Hey, gang.

Get a load of that.

Yeah.

I wonder how they did it in the olden days. On their hands, brother. On their

hands.

Hey, Nelson.

You know everything.

Tell us.

What makes of those mouths?

Chicken croquettes, maybe.

Oh, that's the bookkeeping system.

It's a wreck of the work done by each family.

Say, you're right smart, considerate.

Maybe you can tell us what that is. It's tongue oil. It dries out and hardens

the runway surface.

Tongue oil?

Just how do you spell that, bright boy? T -O -N -G?

No, T -U -N -G.

It's a bean.

Not that loose thing you got flapping around that big mouth of yours.

He's pretty big.

Like every other place in the world.

Someone yells lunch and all the word stops.

Time to want we get rice pudding for chow.

Awful nice with glass, hubby.

Well, pardon my chopsticks.

Well, men, we now have a fair idea of what the B -29 will do.

Theoretically, that is.

Now we come to the practical part, the bombing.

Tomorrow, we take off on a night raid on Japan.

Ours will be the first land -based air attack on the Nip's homeland.

This is the beginning of the organized destruction of the Japanese industrial

empire.

You and your crews will be briefed at 0500.

I will lead the flight.

Good night, fellas. Anton!

That's it.

What you guessing on the targets, huh?

We'll know at 0500.

I got a letter from Helen yesterday.

Who did I?

She's got a wonderful mother instinct, that girl.

Yeah? Yeah, she told me to look after you.

What? Told me to look after you.

This is Tokyo Rose, your girlfriend, with news and music just for you.

And especially for the B -29 boys in China.

Listen to me, boys.

Fly back over the hump to India.

I hate to think of all of you getting killed.

And that's just what will happen if you try to dodge.

We have too many fighter planes and too many anti -aircraft for you to get

through. It would be suicide, boys.

Suicide.

And now, a little tune to remind you of home.

Getting that old Ploesti feeling?

Engine trouble, fella. I've known you too long not to know the signs.

What is this, a shock treatment?

Tell me I don't have what it takes.

No, sir.

I just don't want you to get in another jam.

My 24th mission, I had two crew members killed.

My 25th at Ploesti, I reported engine trouble, bombed a secondary milkman

target.

There was no serious engine trouble.

My flight leader knew it, but he didn't turn me in.

Instead, I was assigned to your B -29 program.

I was just listening to Tokyo Rose.

I'm worried about tomorrow's raid on Japan.

For my crew, that is.

I don't know if I'll do any better than I did on my 25th.

Sit down.

You asking me to take you off the mission?

No, sir.

Just thought maybe you could help set me straight.

Well, I'm no psychoanalyst, Tom, but I'm glad you came in.

Makes things easier for me.

I'd already decided to take you off combat duty.

You're more valuable to us than engineering work.

And effective now...

You're the bomber command engineering officer, replacing Colonel Oakley, who

lost over the hump last week.

Filling his shoes is a tough job, Tom, but you've got the background.

I'll be counting on you to find the bugs in the B -29 and come up with the

proper modifications.

Thank you, sir. I appreciate your confidence in me, but what happens to my

Oh, I'll send them back to Wendover, Utah. We've had a request for an

experienced crew for a special mission.

Well, good luck on your mission tomorrow, sir.

I'm not leading a mission.

General Sanders is replacing me and taking over my command here.

I've been ordered to right field.

General Arnold feels I'm more useful on the ground.

Good luck on your new job. Thank you, sir.

Remember, Tom, you don't win medals on the ground, but you do help to win wars.

Yes, sir.

Dear Mom, this is a funny place to be writing a letter.

But I've got to do something to keep from thinking.

Shaker.

Shaker, you there?

What are you saying, boy?

Do you see anything?

Nary a thing.

Yet. I thought I saw a fighter out there.

A light.

Too early for fighters, Penis.

That's one of our own ships.

Pilot to crew.

Penis was right in reporting what he imagined he saw.

You guys that flew with me and the 24s get on your toes.

Gotta be sharp as a new man and they're trying like all get out to be the best.

Jess? Yes, Cal?

Get those bombs on the target or we'll kick you out without a parachute.

Okay.

Bill?

Yes, Cal? Remember the day, Billy boy, we were heading for Naples out of Libya

and ended up in Sicily?

Yeah.

We don't want to end up in Calcutta tonight.

I'll get you to Iwata right on the button and back to Chengtu.

Couldn't make it back to Kansas, could you?

Sheikha.

Sheikha, can you hear me?

Yes, dear. We hear you.

Out at the radar.

What do you see in your crystal ball, Tony?

Radar to pilot.

I'm getting a good blip from Kamishima Island.

Dead ahead, four miles.

Pilot to crew.

Get on your oxygen masks, flak vests and helmets.

Check in when you're all set.

Our target was the Imperial Iron and Steel Works at Yawata.

Except for the brave hit -and -run raid of the Doolittle Flyers in 1942, we were

the first Americans to bring bombs to the Japanese homeland.

Radar to pilot.

Over initial point, new heading.

1 -0 -8 degrees.

Turning to 1 -0 -8.

Check that heading, navigator.

Navigator to pilot.

Heading okay.

Target 60 miles ahead.

Ground speed, 240 knots.

Estimate over target in 15 minutes.

Radar to pilot.

I'm picking up the coastline now.

Range, 35 miles.

Let me know when you spot the target. Roger.

Pilot to bomber, dear.

Ready to open bomb doors in four minutes.

Check bomb paddle switches.

Roger.

Radar to pilot.

Target coming in at 20 miles.

Turn right four degrees.

Pilot to bombardier.

Open the bomb bay doors.

Bomb bay doors coming open.

Radar to pilot and bombardier.

Target is coming in clear.

Range 15 miles.

Radar to bombardier.

Is the bomb site ready?

Roger. Get ready for sighting angles.

Coming up on 53.

Ready. Hack.

53, check.

Radar to pilot.

Correct two degrees left.

Radar to bombardier.

Coming up on 46 degrees.

Ready.

Hack. 46.

Hack.

Looks like a good run.

We ought to get a shot.

Now. Bombs away.

Shaker, check the Bombay. Is it clear? Indicator shows bomb stuck on number two

rank.

One bomb's hung up.

Left scattered a pilot. One bomb's hung up in the rear Bombay, sir.

Turn the Bombay light on, Shaker.

Take a good look. That bomb may be armed.

Well, the Bombay door's open, sir. The light'll shine out. The Japs will see

Never mind that.

If that bomb goes off, we won't have to worry about the Japs.

It's armed, all right.

The armament wire's loose and the nose veins are spun off. The fuse is live.

All right, Shaker.

Better get in the bound bay and try to get it loose.

Don't jar it.

Don't worry, Captain. We'll fix her if you'll just hold this crate steady.

All crew members, check your oxygen masks. We're going to depressurize.

O 'Hara, start depressurizing. Use the emergency valve. Make it snappy.

Rest scanner to pilot.

Shaker's ready to go.

Okay, we're depressurized.

Open the door.

Looks like the Japs have spotted the link to Bombay, sir.

Shaker can't work in the dark.

Don't shoot it, Shaker! It'll go off!

Frenchy. Frenchy, is she going away?

Stand by, Peter.

Yes, sir.

Engineer to pilot. Number four engine is hit.

Low pressure dropping.

Better feather.

Roger.

Reggie, how's Shaker doing?

He's still working, sir.

Come away!

You can close the bomb bay doors now.

Roger.

Peanuts, Shaker's okay.

Peanuts, what does the target look like?

She's lit up like a Christmas tree, sir.

Roger.

Bob, send a strike report.

Call me when Bomber Command receives your message.

Roger.

Couldn't have liked you, baby.

You could just get us home on three fans.

Any report on that strike yet?

Not yet, General.

You're as nervous as an expectant father, General.

Worse than that.

Nature has a way of taking care of its own problems, but this thing, this man

-made B -29 is in the balance.

And the fate of a fine man is being weighed against it. General Arnold.

A big axe is poised over Hap's neck on this one. How about your own neck? Mine

too, but I'm out here where things are happening. He's back sweating it out in

Washington. Why, my message to him tonight is you have to either make him

break him.

First strike report, sir.

Send a message to General Arnold. Yes, sir.

Say just one word.

Betty. Yes, sir.

Sure glad to send that message.

Hap will sleep tonight.

His B -29 has cut its eye teeth.

In January, our new boss, Major General Curtis LeMay, took over the 21st Bomber

Command on Guam and ordered my outfit to Tinian, where a very pleasant surprise

was waiting.

Housewarming present for the angel of mercy.

Help!

Don't you know this area is off limits?

I'm surprised at you, Sergeant.

Get out of here.

Yes, sir.

Sir, how did you get in?

Those CDs can do anything but play poker.

It's exactly what I needed.

How do you happen to know so much about nurses' quarters and the furniture

they're in?

Naughty old Marine told me.

Let's move it over here.

The sight pan's getting in again.

Those jabbed beddies are from Iwo Jima.

We'll have you in the bomb shelters in a minute.

Roger,

don't bother with me, Lieutenant. Get under cover, quick.

We'll both make it, Frank.

All right, Heather.

I'll take it. So will you.

Yeah,

it's about time we get together for the bomb run.

Nose wheel down.

Roger, Colonel.

I'll start the assembly pattern here, using a five -degree bank.

Right. Try to cut the assembly time down. We can't afford to waste fuel

for stragglers.

Yes, sir.

Pilot to radio.

Irwin, fire the flare.

Uh, roger.

There's a red flare.

In the green one.

Roger.

Watch for phosphorous marker.

We'll burn through the floor and explode the oxygen tank. We'll all be killed.

How did the crew get the old oxygen mask on?

My eyes are gone. I can't see. This way. This way.

leader to take over. Better get this man back to base.

Blue leader to blue one.

Blue leader to blue one.

Blue one to blue leader. Go ahead.

Take the lead.

Proceed with mission.

We've had an accident aboard.

Turning back to base with a serious casualty.

Red Irwin.

God bless him.

Who's Red Irwin?

I don't know.

Pilot to crew.

We're taking lead. Engineer.

Lower nose. wheel for assembly signal.

All America knows Red Irwin now and is proud of him.

For his heroic action aboard the city of Los Angeles, they gave him the

Congressional Medal of Honor.

30 ,000 feet above the target, light flak and few Jap fighters.

But even so, we didn't all make it home.

In those waters north of Jap -held Iwo Jima, fuel shortage, battle damage and

mechanical failure meant ditching. And ditching meant capture or death.

How we flyers hated that black, gritty pork chop of an island halfway to Tokyo.

And what a day it was for the B -29s when the Marines, God bless them, got a

foothold on the sands of Iwo Jima.

On the 4th of March, while a battle was still raging on the north end of the

island, a crippled B -29 tried a forced landing and got away with it.

For us, the scourge of Iwo Jima was ended.

A man could get his mind on more pleasant things than death.

Hey, I'm in luck today.

Oh, how especially.

You and that bathing suit? Oh, thank you, sir, for the vitamins.

Vitamins? For my ego.

Oh, don't tell me your ego needs building up. Oh, indeed it does.

After six months on this post, my ego is positively anemic.

No sheer nylon stocking.

No peanut parlors.

I wish... What do you wish?

I wish I could spend five hours getting ready for a date.

Just to see the light in a man's eyes when everything is perfect.

What man?

You for him.

As soon as you boys drop in a bump and told you to make him quit, I...

I'm going home and spend every cent I've saved just darling up.

You're a doll right now.

I've been waiting for a whole year for that kiss.

Are you sure it isn't just geography?

What do you mean, geography?

Being on an island, 6 ,000 buyers from the United States, 40 ,000 men and 36

women.

It wasn't geography when I kissed you goodbye in Kansas.

Don't tell me about love.

We barely met.

Whoever loved, loved not at first sight.

Christopher Marlowe, can't you find words of your own?

Find words?

I'm sorry, I can't spare you for combat.

I'd just like to go along with Cal on one mission.

Why? You know the scuttlebutt about me. I'm more interested in the quality of

your work in this department.

The scuttlebutt seems unimportant.

I'd like a chance to disprove it, sir.

You know, Don, well, if you go along to Rubberneck, that means 200 pounds less

gasoline the plane can carry.

You, an engineering officer, of all people.

You know, there's not enough extra room in one of those wagons for a Nazi here,

but you want to clutter it up even more just to feed your ego.

Okay, Tom.

I wish I could go myself. Maybe that's why I got so riled up about it.

I'll tell Calvert he's carrying a passenger on his next mission.

Thank you, sir. In the meantime, that new outfit on the north end of the

is to be treated with special care.

I want you to go over and see what you can do for them.

509?

What's up?

I don't know.

Let's leave it that way.

Yes, sir.

Skipper!

Velaski!

How you been, Skipper? Oh, fine, fine. Sure glad to see you, sir. Good to see

you. You join this group?

No, just a social visit. What have you been doing?

Modifying. Modifying? Well, that's what we started out doing, modifying.

Then we modified the modifications.

And now we're modifying the modifications of the modifications.

It's driving me nuts.

Do you know what it's all about, Skipper? Don't you?

Heck no.

We're not allowed near those ships.

All I know is some kind of a gimmick, bomb site or something.

We're not allowed over that fence.

Surrounded by MPs and feather merchants all over the joint. We're not even

supposed to talk about it. Yeah, I know. Sorry I asked.

Rest of the crew still with you?

Sure, Jim.

Sure, I'll tell you all about it.

What's wonderful?

Your outfit?

Huh.

You know what?

Hey, you want a Ouija?

What's that?

I'll show you.

Like this?

Yeah. Now all you do is ask a question and it spells out the answer.

Like magic.

What do you want to know?

Who stole my last pair of nylons?

Nylons? The mystery of the ages at your fingertips, and you want to know about

nylons? Well, it's a mystery to me. I'll get another pair.

All right, then you ask it something.

Okay. Weegee, read my mind.

What am I thinking about?

Well, come on. Tell me what I'm thinking about.

Well, what do you know? The school teacher.

Hey,

where you guys been hiding? Utah.

Are we at war with Utah?

Yeah, but we won. And now we're here to finish the Japs. What outfit?

Very hush -hush.

The 509th?

Shh.

Say, what are you guys doing over there? Oh, uh, mixing hecklesportle with salt.

Yeah? Yeah. Why?

Well, uh, to get a compound known as hecklesportle salt. Yeah, what's that

Eggs. We like hecklesportle salt and pepper on our eggs.

Oh, a wise guy, huh?

Where's Stack?

If he's alive, over there.

Save old stack. Hey, look at those.

How was that, Barney?

Well, what do you know?

Ouija board.

Is that all you guys can find to do with your time?

Oh, listen, Mac, this thing had a personality. It told me everything.

Now, it'll tell you twice as much.

Got a split personality.

Oh, no.

This old groundhog been bothering you, Connie? No, no, all in fun.

How you been shooting, Barney? Pretty good, teacher, pretty good.

I got credit for two Zeeks.

You look bush.

I think your old professor should relieve you on your next mission so you

get some sleep.

You mean you want combat?

How would you like to go back home and tell your kids you fought this war with

monkey wrench?

I'll try and fix it with a skipper.

I'll be around.

And if he okays you for the mission, I'll be right here with Connie, wishing

good luck.

Captain, is it okay if I go along on this mission?

You heard the briefing's going to be pretty rough.

Well, I'd like some action, sir, the tougher the better.

You think you can handle it, Barney? No, sure, sir.

He taught me the job.

Okay, get in Barney's gear and stand by for inspection. Thank you, sir.

All right, Tom.

Operation says you're with me on this one.

Yep. If that's okay with you. Sure, good to have you aboard.

Want to fly mine, sir?

No, thanks. I'll just sandbag this one.

Sure you want to make it?

Our target's Mitsubishi aircraft flying near Tokyo.

A lot of flak there.

I know.

I'll go along, Cal.

Good. Besides, you've got a heck of a lot more to lose than I have.

What do you mean?

I don't... She said if there could be any one guy for her, it'd be you.

She say that?

Well... Hey, Junior.

You've got a mission to fly.

I'll be back.

This was going to be the big one.

154 ships from our Tinian base, one minute apart, 69 tons each.

Two wings from bomber command on Guam.

Cyprian, 73rd.

452 B -29s on their way to dish out to the May treatment in Tokyo.

and coming up.

Once our worst headache, now a base for the P -51s, our fighter escort.

With extra belly tanks for distance and one of our 29s through the navigating,

the pea shooters would escort us clear to the target.

Everything went well right up to Japan.

The engines ran like watches. Our gas consumption was right on the button.

Even our flak suits went on easy without the usual amount of cussing.

Climb with the bombardier.

Ken, send to the PDI.

Roger.

You're on autopilot.

Roger.

30 miles to the IP, Captain.

Okay. Pilot the crew. Keep a sharp eye out for fighters.

Check your gun switches.

Get them all on.

Yeah, Gunner. Any nuts? See any jabs?

No, sir.

Only about pea shooters, that's all.

A block of bogeys at four o 'clock high.

The pea shooters dropped their belly tank.

Even those weird phosphorus bombs dropped on us by their fighters.

We'd been burning a city a day, and this was about their last desperate effort

to stop us.

Get that table up!

Tom?

Go get me out of this seat.

Drive him! Take over.

Get the bombs on the target. I will.

Get him out of here, O 'Hara.

Right.

Watch out.

Get the kid with some plasma.

He's going into shock.

Check his dog tags for blood type.

Pilot, CFC.

Stack, you hit? Any damage back there? I'm okay, but the Tensmith's gonna have

big job to do on this crate.

Get up here quick.

Roger. Pilot to radar.

Anybody hit back there?

I think Shaker's killed.

Look and see, Frenchie, look.

He's dead, Peanuts.

Stay where you are, Peanuts.

Don't leave him, boy.

Yes, sir.

My hand!

Grab it!

Get him out of here. Get his chute off.

Put him in the tunnel.

I hate to think of all of you getting killed.

We have too many fighter planes and too many anti -aircraft for you to get

through.

Are we turning back, sir?

No.

Take over that bomb site.

We've got to head back to Target.

Yes, sir.

Radar, what's ground speed and drift?

Ground speed, 298 knots.

Drift, three degrees right.

Four miles to Target.

Roger.

Ships on fire.

Railgunner, did you see our bomb drop?

Yes, sir.

They seem to be right on the factory, Laurie, in the yard.

Can I come up now, sir?

Stay where you are till we get to the coast, Peanuts.

Major, B -29 is ditching right below us.

About one o 'clock.

Hello, Blue Plate.

Hello, Blue Plate.

This is Blue Leader.

Concentrate Dumbo about 440, bearing 160, true from BB.

Ditching there.

Do you read me?

Blue Leader from Blue Plate, roger.

Proceeding to position.

Out.

Pilot to crew.

We'll orbit until Dumbo shows up.

There's a bogey gonna scrape the rafts. I see it. It's a jet patrol plane.

Yeah. Them guys will be sitting ducks.

Where's our pea shooters?

They're on their way back to Ewald.

Calvert to crew.

Let's get him. What do you say? It's Captain Calvert. He's alive.

Hey, Captain, General LeMay ain't gonna like this. Using a B -29 for a fight.

Hey, get on that gun sight, man.

Right on.

The boat's coming this way about five miles off.

Let's work them over till Dumbo gets here.

Hey,

here comes one of our destroyers.

I guess... We can go home now, Skipper.

Hello, garage?

Send my car around.

I

hope

nothing happens to Skipper and Stack.

Sergeant.

Yes, ma 'am. Any sign of Captain Carver's plane?

Not yet, ma 'am.

Landing gear down and locked.

Flaps coming down.

No.

Come on, hurry up, hurry up.

The landing gear collapsed.

Indestructible.

Watch his head.

No. No. Get off him. Come on. No.

No.

No.

He's going to go. It's not out.

There's some men in the way. We'll get to them to the tail.

Yes, sir.

Take him. Major.

Major, don't go back in there. Come back. Major.

Peter, where are you? Come on, shake him.

We got to get out of here, boys.

Let me go.

Let me go.

Take it easy, Stack.

Major West is in there. I got a gift.

Come on.

Peter.

And so Tom West died.

A few weeks later, the war ended.

Another mighty weapon had been born.

A weapon that would revolutionize warfare and begin a new age.

The men who perished in the B -29s did not die in vain.

Their brave battle of the skies saved the lives of thousands of fighting men

the ground.

But now it seems the book of war has not closed.

All horsemen of the apocalypse ride on.

But as long as we are alive as a nation, the men of the heavy bombers will be

ready to fight for the American way of life.

or freedom under God.