Masters of the Air (2024) s01e07 Episode Script

1
[GUARDS SPEAKING GERMAN]
[CROSBY] Stalag Luft III was
run by the German Air Force.
And because we had their
downed pilots in our camps,
they treated our boys humanely enough.
It was cold and miserable.
Their diet consisted of
potatoes and turnips year-round.
But they had access to hygiene,
amenities, books, music.
All they really wanted was news
from the front to give them hope
that one day soon they
would be going home.
Thanks.
[BUCKY] Need a hand?
I wouldn't say no.
Any word on the mail?
Nope.
Another holdup? [SIGHS]
War.
Red Cross is having trouble
getting mail into the camp.
[HAMBONE] Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.
She's going your way, Hammy.
- Here, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty.
- [CAT MEOWING]
Yeah, I see her.
Come here.
[GRUNTS]
Come on.
- There you go.
- [MEOWING CONTINUES]
Spare some water?
What did you say was in the soup?
He didn't.
[DEMARCO] Rabbit?
[SNIFFS] Yeah, sure.
There's been lots of stray rabbits
running around under our combine.
- [RETCHING]
- Use a bucket.
[VOMITS]
Keep it down if you can, Benny.
- It's protein.
- [RETCHES]
The only kind we're gonna get until
those Red Cross parcels show up.
Let's get a move on, boys.
Almost news time.
[RADIO STATIC]
[NEWSCASTER] British,
Indian and Gurkha forces
continue to battle
the Japanese in Burma,
joining Major General Orde Wingate's
[SIGNAL DIPS] Chindit expedition
deep behind the enemy's front lines.
In Italy, British forces were once
again repulsed at Monte Cassino,
while Allied troops remained pinned
down on the beaches of Anzio.
- What is it?
- On the Eastern Front
It's nothing good.
[NEWSCASTER SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
- Brass is here.
- [DOOR OPENS]
The Brits tried another
attack on Monte Cassino.
[INHALES DEEPLY] Didn't go well.
And, uh, Krauts sent nine
or ten divisions to Anzio.
Pass it on. [SIGHS]
We want expectations among
the men to be realistic.
- [GUARD SPEAKING GERMAN]
Surprise appell.
[GUARDS SPEAKING GERMAN]
Hurry up. Let's go. Wrap it up.
- [PRISONERS MUTTERING]
- [GUARD SHOUTING IN GERMAN]
Come on, fellas. Quickly.
[PRISONERS MUTTERING, CLAMORING]
[PRISONER 1] Go!
[GERMAN OFFICERS SHOUTING IN GERMAN]
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
Solomon.
[GRAHAM] Let's go. Let's go.
[SHOUTING IN GERMAN]
[COUNTING IN GERMAN]
- [DOGS BARKING]
- [GUARDS SPEAKING GERMAN]
- [GRUNTING]
- [OFFICERS SPEAKING GERMAN]
- [BARKING CONTINUES]
- [COUNTING CONTINUES]
[GRUNTING, MUTTERING IN GERMAN]
[COUNTING CONTINUES]
[OFFICER SPEAKING GERMAN]
[GRUNTS, SPEAKING GERMAN]
[GUARDS SPEAKING GERMAN]
[IN GERMAN] We found something!
[REPEATING IN GERMAN]
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
didn't get the headphone.
Well, thank God for small miracles.
[CROSBY] It was understood in early 1944
the invasion of Europe was imminent.
The 100th Bomb Group
would play its part.
[SOLDIER 1] Yes, sir.
[CROSBY] More missions into
Germany meant more casualties.
More casualties meant more replacements.
[SOLDIER 2] Hey, rook!
[ORDERLY] I wanna see enlisted men
to my right and officers to my left.
[SOLDIER 3] Don't
worry, we'll change that.
- [SOLDIER 4] Eyes front.
- [ORDERLY] That's enlisted men to my right
- and officers to my left.
- Kids, man.
- [SOLDIER 2] You gotta be kidding me.
- [SOLDIER 1] Hey, newbie.
Delaney. Albert.
Fuller.
[CROSBY] Because every one of us
had lost at least one close friend,
some guys were reluctant to
get to know the new fellas.
Most of them weren't expected
to be around very long.
But someone had to show them the ropes.
Morning, gentlemen.
I'm Captain Robert Rosenthal.
I'm a pilot with the 418th.
It's good to have you guys here.
Chow is at noon.
Why don't I come back? I'll
take you boys over there.
Welcome to the 100th.
[NEW OFFICERS] Thank you, sir.
[CROSBY] Occasionally,
something would happen
that electrified the entire base.
[SOLDIER 1] Look who it is!
[CROSBY] We thought
sergeants Quinn and Bailey
were among the many
casualties over at Regensburg,
but thanks to the French
and Belgian Resistance,
- they were back at Thorpe Abbotts.
- [SOLDIER 1] Quinn and Bailey!
[CROSBY] Nothing gave us more hope
than the return of men
we thought were lost.
[SOLDIER 1] Looking good, gentlemen.
[CROSBY] Lucky for them, there
was a rule that if a downed flyer
made it out of occupied Europe,
he wasn't allowed to
fly any more missions.
Because if a flyer got shot down again
and was captured and tortured by
the Gestapo, they knew too much
about the escape routes
and the French and Belgian men
and women who had assisted them.
The lucky bastards got a ticket home.
[LEMMONS WHISTLES]
Fly safe, boys.
- Get home safe!
- Later, boys!
[WHISTLES]
[RAGTIME MUSIC PLAYING]
Nah, not anymore though. 'Cause it was.
Another Scotch, Gordon?
- Put it on my tab.
- Yes, sir.
[CROSBY] Anyway, what about you?
You gonna request Florida? Texas?
Already been to Texas before my tour.
Mm-hmm.
Training pilots in
Florida sounds better.
Also, it'll, uh it'll
be good for you to show
the new guys that 25
can really get done.
Yes. It's been a while around here.
Dave Miner and his boys are at 24 too.
[SIGHS] What I wouldn't give
to train pilots someplace sunny
after a year in this pea soup.
- Well, your time will come, Croz.
- Ah.
That's the problem with
being kicked up to Operations.
You hardly ever get a chance to fly.
[LIEUTENANT] I heard
he was the only pilot
to make it back from
Bremen out of 18 ships.
Gotta be the luckiest man here, right?
- [CHUCKLES]
- It was Münster.
And it was 13 ships.
And luck had very little to do with it.
- It's Malooly, right?
- Yes, sir.
Rosie's the best pilot I've
ever seen fly a B-17. Ever.
You pray to God you can
fly half as good as him,
you might make it to 25 too.
[WHISPERS] Damn.
[SOLDIER 1] Let's do it.
[SOLDIER 2] Eyes up, boys.
- [SOLDIER 1] Night. Bottoms up.
- [SOLDIER 3] Hey, good night.
No, no, you're fine. You're fine.
Your crew's on stand-down for this one.
[COUGHING]
You know, when I was a kid, I
built a homemade crystal radio.
I'm thinking of giving it a try in here.
Won't be as good as our old
one but might work good enough.
Copper wire, graphite, safety pin.
You think you can
scrounge them up for me?
Oh, my little kriegie Marconi, huh?
I'll see what I can rustle up.
[AIR RAID SIREN BLARING]
- [OFFICER SPEAKING GERMAN]
Back in the Barracks!
[CLAMORING]
Back in the barracks now!
[SHOUTING IN GERMAN]
[OFFICERS SHOUTING IN GERMAN]
[EXPLOSIONS]
[SHOUTING CONTINUES]
- It's hard to pinpoint from the AA fire.
Sounds like they're sending
flak up from half of Germany.
[EXPLOSIONS CONTINUE]
There we go. That sounds about right.
It's Berlin or its environs.
[HAMBONE] You hear that?
[CHUCKLES] It's Berlin.
[ALL CHUCKLING]
Hey, happy goddamn Monday, Adolf.
- Do you think the 100th's with them?
- Mmm, gotta be.
[BUCK] It's gonna be rough up there.
First daylight raid on
the capital of Germany.
- [GUARD SHOUTS IN GERMAN]
- [GUNSHOTS]
- [DOGS BARKING]
- [SCREAMS]
- [BUCKY] That's a lot closer.
- Help!
- [SHOUTS]
[BUCKY] Come on.
- [PRISONER 1] We need a doctor!
- [PRISONERS CLAMORING]
[BUCKY] Get those doors
open. Get 'em open.
- [GUARD] Get back inside now!
- [BUCK] What happened?
[PRISONER 1] They shot Harry!
- Hey, you hurt one of our men?
- [GERMAN OFFICER] He was out of the block.
- Where's Glemnitz?
- They shot him for no reason.
- [BUCK] Get Glemnitz!
- [GUARD 1] In!
- Glemnitz!
- [PRISONER 1] He's bleeding bad!
- [GROANING]
- [BUCK] We need to get him a doctor.
[GUARD 1] In! In!
Get back inside. Now.
- [GUARD SHOUTS IN GERMAN]
- [SCREAMING]
- Hey, hey! Whoa, whoa! Get that dog!
- [BUCKY] Call the dog off! Get it off him!
- [GUARD WHISTLES]
[GUARD 1] Get back inside!
[SHOUTING, GROANING]
Harry was in the block.
Why did they shoot him?
[IN GERMAN] Bring him
to the hospital quickly.
- Quickly!
- Come with me.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
[GUARD SHOUTING IN GERMAN]
- Hey! Get in!
Go back inside. Now.
These goddamn goons are gonna
take us out one at a time, Buck.
[GUARD 1] Get in!
- [ENGINEER] Same ones as before
- [LEMMONS] Yeah.
according to Lieutenant.
- [GRUNTS] Right.
- [ENGINEER] Turn it over.
[CROSBY] As our missions piled
up and became more perilous,
it seemed that that damn red
mission light never blinked off.
We were always on edge.
Then we were told we
were targeting Berlin.
Every man on base held
his breath as we waited
to see just how dearly it would cost us.
[AIRPLANE APPROACHING]
There. There! I got 'em!
One, two, three.
Four, five.
Six, seven.
Eight, nine, ten.
Eleven.
Twelve, 13, 14,
15, 16.
[JACK] Christ.
That's 15 down.
Mmm.
Yeah.
- [ALARM RINGING]
- [PEOPLE ON RUNWAY SHOUTING]
[AMBULANCE SIRENS BLARING]
[CROSBY] Move!
[ALL CLAMORING]
[CROSBY] Shit.
[SOLDIER 1] Let's move!
[SOLDIER 2] Get 'em out!
[MEDIC] Hey! I need someone
over here with that morphine.
[GROANS]
- [MEDIC] Go easy. Get the harness vest.
- [CLAMORING CONTINUES]
[GROANING]
[MEDIC] Easy. Easy.
[SOLDIER 3] Check the
wings! Check the wings!
[MEDIC] Prioritize the most wounded.
Stand by for another one
inbound! Let's get a crew on it!
[MEDIC] We need another
stretcher! Move it, move it!
Casualties onboard!
Come on. Let's go.
- Take it easy, take it easy, okay?
- [WHIMPERING]
- You're gonna be fine. We got you, okay?
- [SCREAMS]
- You're gonna be all right.
- Tell 'em to bring in at least three more.
[SOLDIER 5] Lemmons, we
got eyes on the cockpit?
[SOLDIER 6] I need a medic here, now!
[WOUNDED SOLDIERS SCREAMING]
[SOLDIER 7] Hold his legs!
- Take his legs, come on!
- [SCREAMING]
You'll be fine, buddy. We got you.
- [MEDIC] Easy. Here we go.
- [WHIMPERING]
[MEDIC] Just have to calm him.
Let's get him out of
here. One, two, three.
[CROSBY] March 6th, 1944
became known as Black Monday
because of how many
men were lost that day.
150 of them were from the 100th.
[MAJOR] They took a
direct hit in the cockpit.
Miner and Kinsella must
have been killed instantly.
At least I hope for
their sake they were.
Their ship went totally out of control.
Headed straight up, right
for the high element.
Harrison had to take evasive
maneuvers not to get hit by it.
Then it it nosedived.
On their 25th.
Motherfuckers went after our guys
in parachutes, one after another.
They killed them all
every last one of them.
[CROSBY] As our crews got younger,
our casualties climbed and
the morale on base plummeted.
We all needed to distract
ourselves from the war.
I decided to call Sandra.
I told myself all I wanted was
someone to drink and laugh with,
- but then I called her a second time.
- [CHUCKLES]
And a third.
[KISSING]
[LAUGHS]
[SNIFFS]
[COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYING]
[MUSIC STOPS]
[GRUNTING]
There we go.
[BUCKY] Is it good?
It's great.
[MAIL OFFICER] Mail call!
Okay. Uh, Murphy?
- Finally. [GRUNTS]
- [MAIL OFFICER] Murphy.
Hamilton.
Thanks.
And Cleven.
- Thank you.
- [MAIL OFFICER] That's it, fellas.
Maybe next time.
Mail call!
[STAMMERS] It's from my mom.
- [SNIFFS]
- [DEMARCO] Who's yours from, Buck?
- Marge.
- Marge.
[BUCK] Last letter I sent before
Bremen, I popped the question.
[PRISONERS SNORING]
You did?
[SIGHS] She said yes.
So?
That's great.
- Mmm.
- Congratulations.
[SIGHS] I was even thinking
maybe you'd be my best man.
I will be your best man.
Mmm.
Is he still at it?
He's got a few more to write, sir.
[JACK] How are you holding up?
Oh, I'm just fine. [SIGHS]
[JACK] Tomorrow's mission.
[SIGHS] Berlin again?
Jack, it's the same route.
It's exactly like yesterday.
They don't care if they
kill us all, do they?
[JACK CLEARS THROAT]
[BREATHES DEEPLY]
All right.
[SIGHS] All right.
[CLEARS THROAT, SIGHS]
[CRACKLING]
- Goddamn it.
- Yankees trade DiMaggio?
It's not working. [SNIFFS]
[PRISONER 1 SIGHING] Let's get some air.
When this weather gets better,
what do you say if you
and I, we made our move?
Haven't you been paying attention?
The odds of getting out of here
alive and in one piece is
Thirty-to-one, 40-to-1, 50-to-1?
- Well.
- I don't have a plan yet,
but I'll find one.
Well, maybe you should come
up with one with better odds.
Yeah, and when I do, you coming with me?
My plan is to get home
to Marge in one piece.
Well, you'd die here
in one piece
from sickness
[SNIFFLES] walking too
close to that goddamn fence.
Don't you wanna eat
something more than potatoes?
I mean, we can wait here, doing nothing.
That what you wanna do?
No. I can't stand this
place any more than you.
[ADJUTANT] Ah-ten-hut!
Be seated.
[SIGHS] Now, for those of you unaware,
I'm Lieutenant Colonel Bennett,
the new CO of the 349th squadron.
Due to Colonel Harding's
trip to London this morning,
I've been placed in temporary command
of the entire 100th bomb group.
- Your target for today
- [SOLDIERS GROAN, MURMUR]
is Berlin,
specifically the Erkner
ball bearing plant.
Jesus. That's the exact
same route as Monday.
Who said that?
Major Shoens, you're exactly right.
But I am not a man to order anyone
on any mission I won't fly myself,
so I will be command
pilot for the entire wing.
[SOLDIERS MURMURING]
Major Bowman?
Your mean point of impact will
be here, in the heart of Berlin.
[CROSBY] We only had 15
planes left to send up.
The exact same number the Germans
shot down two days earlier.
It didn't take a
mathematician to figure out
the odds were pretty bad for
Rosie and his crew to make it back
from their 25th mission.
Anything I should know, Ken?
She's A1, sir.
And I'm sure you'll bring
her back to me the same way.
All right, boys. Huddle up.
You know the drill.
You boys worry about the guns,
I'll worry about the plane.
- Okay?
- [CREW] Yes, sir.
Let's go to Berlin.
Pray for us sinners, now
and at the hour of our death.
Hail Mary, full of grace.
[CROSBY] Our chances of
defeating the Luftwaffe
were increased by the
introduction of the P-51 Mustang.
Hands down the best
fighter plane of the war.
Escorted by the Mustangs
for the entire mission,
the odds were starting
to shift in our favor.
There's a whole lot of
fighters at 2:00 level.
- [ROSENTHAL] Are they friendly?
- [PAPPY] I can't tell.
Can anyone ID these fighters? Over.
[MILBURN] They're
Krauts. They're Krauts!
[SHOUTS] I can't get a shot at
them. They're taking out the 45th!
[ROSENTHAL] Roger. I see
P-51s coming in to help.
Ball turret to pilot.
I have green-green flares from
Colonel Bennett's ship. Over.
[RONALD] Navigator to
pilot. We're over Berlin,
but I think we missed
our turn for the IP.
[ROSENTHAL] Roger, navigator.
What's the heading? Over.
[RONALD] Heading should
be 253. Repeat, 253.
[ROSENTHAL] Roger that.
Heading to 253. Over.
Eyes open for Kraut fighters.
They know where we're headed.
Note it in the log that the 45th
wing missed the turn for the IP.
We are under Colonel Bennett's command,
turning with him to the target. Over.
[RONALD] Copy.
Bombardier to pilot. We
have fighters at 11:00.
Roger that. P-51s coming in fast.
Get ready, boys.
Wow!
Our fighters are gonna punch us through.
[RONALD] Thirty seconds to target.
Roger that.
Pilot to bombardier. You ready to drop?
Bombardier to pilot. Roger.
[ROSENTHAL] Okay. Ship's yours.
Copy. My ship.
Bombs away.
[JACK] There! East by southeast!
Fourteen! One down!
[CROSBY] Anyone seen who's down?
Or seen Rosie?
What do you say, Pappy? Huh?
You did it, Rosie. We did it.
Twenty-five. We're going home. [LAUGHS]
[CHEERING]
[LAUGHING, CHEERING]
[DOCTOR] Son of a bitch!
[PAPPY, ROSENTHAL LAUGH]
[ROSENTHAL] Last chance
to buzz the tower.
- [CHEERING]
- Rosie! Yeah, yeah, yeah!
Come on!
- Coming again!
- He's gonna buzz us!
Whoo!
[JACK] Son of bitch!
Hey, how about that!
- Yeah!
- [SOLDIER 1 WHOOPS]
[SOLDIER 2] Yeah! Rosie!
[CHEERING, WHISTLING]
[CHANTING] Rosie! Rosie!
Rosie! Rosie! Rosie!
- [JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING]
- [SOLDIERS CLAMORING]
[SCATTING]
Wait. So I said to her, uh
- I said, "Hey, Betty"
- [ROSENTHAL] Here we go.
"You're gonna wanna paint those
ceilings your favorite color,
'cause you're gonna be seeing a hell
of a lot of them once I get home."
- [CHUCKLING]
- What did she say?
Well, she said nothing 'cause her
mother was on the goddamn phone too.
[LAUGHING]
I'm gonna get another drink.
Jack, why so blue, huh?
What, you gonna miss us that much?
Jack, you all right?
Brass is upping the
end-of-tour requirements
from 25 to 30 missions.
- Are you serious?
- [SHOENS] What?
Only for new replacement
crews coming after next week.
Any crew in between
will have to make 28.
You and your boys are
off the hook, Rosie.
[SHOENS] Twenty-eight?
Jesus, Jack. That's, what,
ten more missions for us?
Eight more for Helmick instead of five.
[SHOENS SIGHS]
Well, congratulations, Rosie.
[SNIFFS] At least you'll make
it out of this fucking war alive.
I mean, changing the
rules on us mid-game?
That's bullshit, Jack.
They want us all to fucking die
up there, and no one gives a shit.
- [MUSIC STOPS]
- [SHOENS] No one!
[SOLDIER 1] Oh, man. Know
anything about this, fellas?
- [CROSBY] Ah, no, it's
- [SANDRA CHUCKLES]
It's good to see you again.
You too.
Been busy.
Yes, you have.
- I meant you.
- Yes. I've been fairly busy too.
You know, during these last few
weeks I have missed you terribly.
And I just wanna know where
you've been. [STAMMERS]
Do you want to know where I've been?
Or do you want to know where
I will be in 20 minutes?
Twenty minutes?
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
[COLONEL] Six of diamonds.
Queen of diamonds.
[DEMARCO] Ten of diamonds.
Dummy gives us two of diamonds.
Buck?
Huh? I, uh Eight of clubs.
Ten of clubs. [GRUNTS]
Uh, Crank?
It's conduction.
Maybe there's some glue residue
or oil or dirt or something
getting in the way of
the current. [BLOWS]
[RADIO STATIC]
I think
- Yeah, yeah, I got something.
- [GERMAN RADIO CHATTER]
It's German.
- [DISTORTED MUSIC PLAYING]
- It's music.
Hold on.
- [NEWSCASTER ON RADIO, INDISTINCT]
- Yeah. Yeah, yeah, the BBC.
Get me some paper.
[NEWSCASTER] Soviet forces have driven
Field Marshal Manstein
to within 50 miles
Yesterday Berlin took the
heaviest bombing of the war.
And listen to this:
Uncle Joe's Russkies seized a bridgehead
at a place called Mogilev Podolsky,
splitting the Kraut army in two.
[NEWSCASTER CONTINUES, INDISTINCT]
[CROSBY] The repeated strikes on Berlin
took a tremendous toll on the 100th.
It had become clear
that it was no longer enough
just to drop bombs on our target.
We had to completely destroy
the German Luftwaffe.
My friend Rosie
understood this very well.
But he had completed his 25th mission.
He had done his duty.
And now he could go home.
[SIGHS]
- [OFFICERS SHOUTING IN GERMAN]
- [DOG BARKING]
[SIREN WAILING]
Where the hell are they going?
[SHOUTING IN GERMAN]
[GERMAN RADIO CHATTER]
[LIEUTENANT COLONEL, IN
The Brits in North Compound
built three tunnels.
Three? Jesus Christ, how?
They've been digging
them for over a year.
Thirty feet deep so the goons'
seismographs wouldn't detect them.
Seventy, maybe 80 men made it out.
[BRADY] Eighty?
[LIEUTENANT COLONEL] Nothing
like this has ever happened.
Colonel believes there
will be severe reprisals
as more senior officers in
the SS and Gestapo become aware
of the magnitude of the escape.
[BUCK] I think you were right.
We should've made a run for it while
they were out chasing those Brits.
[BUCKY] Maybe, but I can't
help thinking you were right.
Better to play it safe.
The hell am I rushing back home for?
Other guys get letters. You get letters.
To get a letter, you need
someone to get it from.
Guess I never set that part up right.
That's just this place talking.
You're tired.
I am tired.
Yeah, well, you'll have plenty
of time for that when you get out.
You'll set it up right next time.
They're only gonna know
this me. Not the old me.
Me before I got here.
That's if we even get out.
We'll get out. And this you
will be the one worth knowing.
[CRANK] Hey, Majors!
- Simoleit wants you in his office. Now.
- [BUCKY] Just us?
[CRANK] Yeah. You and the colonel.
[SIMOLEIT] Because of
this great escape attempt,
Kommandant von Lindeiner has
been relieved of all duties.
Most of the escapees
have been recaptured.
But I regret to inform you,
deeply regret to inform you,
that 50 of the recaptured
escapees have been executed.
Executed?
I would caution you not to allow
your men to enact any reprisals,
any refusals of orders,
or to make any
any attempt to escape in the future.
There are orders for
me to take an inventory
of all Jewish prisoners
of war at Stalag Luft III.
There are only Americans in
Stalag Luft III, Major Simoleit.
Only Americans.
Yes, well, there are
ongoing discussions in Berlin
to transfer all stalags in the Reich
from the Luftwaffe's jurisdiction
to the SS and Gestapo.
This is an outcome I think we
would all like to avoid, yes?
Your good behavior would
be very much appreciated.
So, what do you think the odds are now?
Of us making it home alive?
Long. Very, very long.
- [TYPING]
- [PHONES RINGING]
[SIGHS] You wanna re-up?
Captain, you know that tours of duty
have been extended to 30 missions.
Yes, sir, I do.
[SIGHING]
Now, I can't stop you, Captain.
But don't you wanna go home?
And Jesus, if anyone's earned
a trip to Florida, it's you.
Well, sir.
I guess I'm
Shoens and Helmick.
How could I sleep at night
knowing I get to go home
while the brass upped
their numbers mid-tour?
And then I-I
I can't imagine some rookie
coming to take my place.
And getting himself and his crew
killed on their first mission.
Then he gets replaced
by another replacement,
and over and over and over again.
Nah, sir. [EXHALES SHARPLY]
I can't go home.
Not yet.
Not until the job is done.
One way or another.
I see.
[SIGHS]
Well, I feel you should
at least make your decision
based on all the information available.
General Doolittle has ordered the
air strategy to shift radically.
The invasion will not and cannot
occur until the Luftwaffe is destroyed
and we have complete and
total air superiority.
And we could do that,
now with the new P-51s
which outflies and
outperforms every plane
the Luftwaffe can throw at us.
But to shoot them down, we
need to get them in the air.
With bombers as the bait.
Our bombers.
So, that's the strategy.
That's the mission. Bait.
I understand.
Okay then.
You know, we could use a new
commanding officer for the 350th.
You up for it?
[CHUCKLES] Yeah, I'm up for it.
Okay then.
Thank you, Colonel.
[PRISONERS GRUNTING, GROANING]
What are we waiting for?
We need to start preparing now.
[INTELLIGENCE OFFICER] Jean will
brief you on your assignment.
You leave tomorrow.
I covered the entire building.
[JEFFERSON] When are we gonna
get into some heavier action?
Plans are underway.
We're a few hours away
from the invasion of Europe.
[CHEERING, SHOUTING]
[DAVIS] Your mission is
what makes it possible.
Are we Tuskegee men or what?
Sir, yes, sir!
Subaltern Wesgate gave me
this number to reach her.
[MACON] Do you know any
other country that's better?
And I know it's trying hard to become
what it says it's supposed to be.
This looks like a work camp, the
way you jackasses are grinding away.
You're the new king of the
camp, and I'm just in the way?
- [GROANING, GRUNTING]
- Oh, what, you can't handle i
[ROSENTHAL] Hundreds of
ships. Thousands of men.
You've never seen anything like it.