Bombardier (film)

Plot[edit]

In 1941, at a staff meeting in Washington, D.C., two officers of the U.S. Army Air Corps (and old friends) debate the importance of bombardiers. Major "Chick" Davis argues that a bombardier, using the top secret American bombsight will be the "spearhead of our striking force." Capt. "Buck" Oliver argues that new pilots are the priority. Davis challenges Oliver to a "bombing duel" to test their respective points of view. Oliver, using a dive bomber, misses the stationary target, while Davis, bombing from 20,000 feet in a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, hits his target with his first bomb.


As the first class nears graduation at the new bombardier training school, Davis arrives with M/Sgt. Archie Dixon to take command. Davis is discomfited by the presence of so many civilian women clerks, including Burton "Burt" Hughes, the daughter of a respected Air Corps general and now a secretary. Davis is brusque with Burt and she observes he could use some training in manners.


Oliver arrives with the next cadet class, including Tom Hughes, Burt's brother. Davis is mildly disturbed to learn that Oliver and Burt have a romantic history. Davis attempts to make up with Burt. Preflight ground school reveals many shortcomings: Tom Hughes has trouble with fear-induced air sickness, Joe Connors with commitment issues, and "Chito" Rafferty with the lack of women on the base.


Connors tells Davis that a spy wants to buy information from him about the secret bombsight, and helps Davis lure the spy into a trap where he is arrested. When a bomber develops mechanical problems and the crew is ordered to bail out, Tom Hughes panics and refuses to jump. His friend (and another suitor of Burt Hughes), Cadet Jim Carter, crash-lands the aircraft, claiming that he is the one who panicked, but Hughes confesses afterward. Facing an elimination board, he successfully persuades Davis and receives a second chance.


On a subsequent flight, Oliver passes out from anoxia, nearly tossing Carter out of the opened bomb bay without a parachute. Tom Hughes falls to his death saving Carter's life. Guilt-stricken and unable to face Burt, Oliver transfers out of the school. Shortly after, America is drawn into the war by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Davis, promoted to colonel, becomes a B-17 group commander, and awkwardly proposes marriage to Burt who turns him down. New bombardiers Carter, Connors, Rafferty, and Harris leave for a secret island base in the Pacific, and Burt passionately kisses Jim Carter goodbye, revealing her choice.


At the base, Oliver, now a major, joins the group just as it is about to fly a night mission to bomb an aircraft factory in Nagoya. Oliver's assignment is bomb with incendiaries to set the target on fire a half hour before the arrival of the group, which Davis will lead at high altitude. Joe Connors is Oliver's bombardier and Sgt. Dixon his tailgunner. Flying low, Oliver's bomber is shot down before he can drop his bombs, and Connors remains at his post, sacrificing his life to destroy the bombsight.


Oliver and the remainder of his crew, including Dixon, are captured. Their Japanese captors execute the other crew members to coerce Oliver and Dixon into revealing the location of their base, but Dixon overwhelms his guard and attempts to escape. He is machine gunned in the attempt, but the shots also set fire to a truck carrying barrels of gasoline. Oliver drives the burning truck throughout the factory, setting fire to its camouflage netting and fulfills his mission, knowing he will be killed by his own men. The B-17 group fights off Japanese fighters and successfully destroys the target.