Black Sheep Squadron (1976) s01e17 Episode Script
Devil in the Slot
Bandits at 12 o'clock high.
Morning, Tommy.
Did you bring your life raft? Not going swimming today.
Time has come for somebody to teach that marine some manners.
If you come Iookin' for me, sonny boy, you found me.
Come on, somebody, bail me out! Coming now, Jim.
They got native girls there without a stitch of clothes and they're all beautiful.
That thing will fly, won't it? When you hit the end of the runway, we'II both know, won't we, Major? It's not written down in anybody's book that Greg Boyington can't get his tail blown out of the air.
You know, I could take you.
Just Iike your exec and blow you away.
I'm in trouble! Baa Baa Black Sheep S01E17 - Devil in the Slot S01E17 - Devil in the Slot As the war in the Pacific grinds on, Allied Command state that air superiority is paramount.
The numerically superior Japanese air force is wreaking havoc in the Solomon Slot.
The Slot, so named by the pilots who fly there, is a narrow chain of islands in the Solomons.
A shipping lane protected from the heavy weather.
The slot has become a shooting gallery for seasoned Japanese pilots, many of whom have been flying in combat for years over China.
A squadron of aces led by Japanese Captain Tomio Harachi rain death and destruction on Allied men and supplies.
MacArthur states that if the war is to succeed, we must control the sky over the Solomon Slot.
To do that, we must vanquish the devilish Japanese pilots who have made that piece of sky their private hunting reserve.
Good morning, Major Boyington.
Oh, Greg! Time to get up.
0500.
Give me five more minutes.
Five more minutes.
Looks like Carlson barbequed these eggs, huh? Good morning.
- Good morning.
We're just flying patrol this morning.
And we're flying with only 15 planes.
Shields and Garrison stay home.
Your birds are still in the pits.
Now, fellas, we're gonna have to start taking better care of our aircraft.
T.
J.
I'm happy I'm flying with the thinnest mixture in the squadron now.
If anything, my bird's gonna die out on me from too much oxygen.
You see, I'm experiencing a little misfiring.
The Ieast those guys in maintenance can do is clean it up.
Fellas, we're in a bind.
Every day we're flying with Iess and Iess equipment.
Now, the next guy that pukes out black smoke, is gonna get more than a ring job.
Eat up.
Let's get out of here.
We're flying in 20 minutes.
Why does Carlson always burns these eggs? You guys want to have a pool this morning? Yeah.
How much? Five bucks? Fine with me.
- I'm in.
Yeah, I'm in.
Right.
Little by little, we'd been dying on the vine.
No parts, not enough mechanics and a captain named Tomio Harachi who had racked up 25 American kills.
I was after Harachi.
For three weeks I'd been trying to get him, but he didn 't seem to be gettable.
Twice he'd left me with a plane full of holes.
In the three weeks we'd been flying against him, the score wasn 't that impressive.
Harachi and his men had downed 12 of our planes and killed five of our pilots.
Harachi himself had managed five unassisted kills.
We, on the other hand, had shot down six of his and I'd been on a personal cold streak.
One assist with Casey.
Okay, you bureaucrats, everybody pays Bobby Boyle.
They're at 10 o 'clock.
Morning, Tommy.
Did you bring your life raft? Not going swimming today.
Boyington.
Maybe you.
I'm in trouble! Come on, somebody, bail me out! Coming now, Jim.
You missed him, T.
J.
! He's still on my tail.
Help, somebody, get this maniac off my tail.
Let's go, Casey.
I'm hit.
I'm through.
I'm going in.
Somebody cover me, will you? Black Sheep six to Air Sea Rescue.
We have a plane down.
163 degrees 4 minutes by 8 degrees 7 minutes.
You guys cover me.
I'm gonna take Harachi.
Be careful, Greg, he's going under you.
I know what he's doing, Casey.
He's coming up behind you.
Damn! Not today, Boyington, maybe tomorrow.
Don't spend it, pal, till you got it in a bank.
That was a close one, gang.
Tell me about it.
Is Gutterman okay? - He's out.
Air Sea Rescue's on its way.
All right, you guys, let's go home.
Air Sea Rescue's gonna pick Jim up.
There's nothing more we can do for him here.
It's Gutterman, isn't it? Yeah, it's Gutterman.
Air Sea Rescue picked him up, but we Iost his bird, Hutch.
That our new sergeant? Yeah, sort of.
- Sort of? Boyington? - Yeah.
I'm Micklin.
Your new maintenance chief.
Hey, glad to have you around, Sergeant.
Can I talk to you for a minute? Sure.
Sure.
You got a real problem here, Major.
If you don't put 15 planes in the air, you'II Iose your combat status.
Before you start shooting from the hip, suppose you take a minute to find out what's going on here? I know what's going on.
You got a real spare parts concession over there.
Six airplanes collecting dust.
If I'm gonna keep these birds in the air, I'm gonna do it my way.
AII right, do it your way.
Don't you think you ought to field-strip that? After all, we're in a front area.
You know, I had a guy ask me to do that once.
Officer at El Toro.
It was a big mistake.
It cost me three stripes.
It cost him 12 teeth.
You might just fit in around here, Sergeant.
That the new mechanic? Yeah, that's him.
He Iooks Iike one old-time grunt.
Hey, you're not kidding.
I remember guys Iike him from basic.
"When I talk to you, mister, I wanna see Iittle points on the end of your ears.
" When you guys come back from a mission, you report to me or to Hutch here to check the plane back in.
We're gonna have a mechanics debriefing.
Excuse me.
Engine check, cockpit check, and armament check.
We go over all squawks.
Excuse me, Sarge.
Hey, we really appreciate that, Sarge, but you see, it isn't really that necessary.
It's the way we do things around here.
We just bring the planes in, old Hutch takes good care of it.
That's the way we do it.
Isn't that right, Bobby? - Right.
You see, Sarge, what's the point of going through all that every day? This is a mechanics shed, not a hatcheck concession.
Which one of these planes belongs to you, sonny boy? It's Bob or Boyle, Sarge Which one? Third from the end.
No.
That one's mine.
Where's yours? Now, wait a minute, Sergeant.
AII these planes are mine, college boys.
I just loan 'em to you once or twice a day.
And God protect you if they come back busted.
Excuse me for a minute, Sergeant.
You got something you wanted to say, sonny? That's right.
We happen to be officers and you are a Was there anything else, sonny? No, not exactly.
If you think of anything, you won't hesitate to come and tell me, will you, sonny? No, of course not.
Good.
Good.
Welcome home, Jim.
That Harachi really shot you up today.
He shot me up, too.
But tomorrow, I'm gonna get him.
Is that a fact? Is something crawling up your spine? I'm just sick and tired of hearing everyday how you're gonna get up there and smear those tojos.
You ain't invincible.
It's not written down in anybody's book that Greg Boyington can't get his tail blown out of the air.
It's down in mine.
Well, you see, that's exactly what's climbing up my spine.
Morning, Greg.
Oh, Greg! I know.
I know.
We're getting into a rut, darling.
I'II tell you another thing we don't need any of.
It's those breakfasts that we've been having.
I had a hangover this morning and that didn't make me feel at all better.
I think that's great, Jerry.
You give up a couple more eggs Iike that, pretty soon you'll Iook like Boyle.
Hey, college boys, come over here for a second.
Yes, Sergeant, what do you need? I got something for you.
What's this? That, sonny boy, is a checklist.
You go through that checklist with a mechanic on your wing.
Mags, trim, oil pressure, everything.
He'll check you out before takeoff.
But, Sergeant, around here You ain't gonna be a hot dog, are you, sonny boy? I don't see why we have to put up with this stuff around here.
Do it, Jerry.
We gotta get these birds in shape somehow.
You check the drop on my mag, Hutch? I started to, Pappy.
Well, did you or didn't you? He did not.
- Why not? There was a briefing in the mechanics shed Iast night.
All the pilots who showed up, got their planes checked.
You weren't there, so I figured you don't need nothin'.
You figured wrong, Sergeant.
Just tryingto do my job, sir.
Pappy, we got to mount up.
We're supposed to be out of here.
Well, then, mount up.
That thing will fly, won't it? Beats me.
But when you hit the end of the runway, we'll both know, won't we, Major? Sorry, Pappy, he wouldn't let me touch it.
But I managed to sneak a look and everything looks okay.
What does that guy eat for breakfast? Officers.
This one is sort of wired up, sir.
We put in a new right mag and ran her up to 1,600.
RPM and pressure seem good.
But take it easy this time out.
You okay, sir? Look, get off the wing.
But the sergeant said - Get off the wing now! Stop.
Stop it.
Stop! We were going out after Harachi again.
We were getting edgy and the jokes were beginning to sound like gallows humor.
But at least they were still joking.
Casey suggested another pool.
You're on, Casey.
Listen.
First guy to spot this guy ought to get thrown out of the squadron instead of winning the pool.
You just leave Harachi to me.
I'm gonna end his hot streak today or I'm gonna know the reason.
The reason? You want the reason? I'll tell you the reason.
'Cause he can fly the wings off you, that's the reason.
Put your money down, you cowboys.
Anything from even money to 4 to 1.
And then a strange thing happened.
You guys are gonna have to do it by yourselves.
Jimmy Gutterman 's losing oil pressure.
Okay, Jim, pull out, head for home.
T.
J.
, go with him.
Roger, Pappy.
What a day, huh? That power was coming back at the end.
Probably should have stuck it out.
No, no.
There's nothing wrong with playing it safe.
Let the mechanics take care of that.
We'll be good for tomorrow.
Mechanics probably won't find anything.
Like I said, the power was coming back.
You know You know what I bet it was? I bet it was the RPM indicator.
Yeah.
Sometimes the instruments will give you a bum reading.
Yeah, instruments.
AIways doing things Iike that.
At ease.
At ease.
What's the matter? Casey, T.
J.
, fly high cover for me.
I'm going after Harachi.
Roger, Pappy.
Somebody's in front of us.
Who is it? It's Boyle, Pappy.
Boyle, get out of there.
Hey, I'm hit.
I'm going in.
Anderson, follow him down.
Roger, Pappy.
Hey, come on, Iet's Ioosen up around here.
Boyle's gonna be okay.
They'll fish him out.
Yeah.
Well, Iast I saw him, he was out, at least.
But I got tangled up with two of those Japanese gentlemen and I couldn't follow him down.
I just hope Air Sea Rescue picks him up.
Couldn't follow him down? Yeah.
I don't see what's so hard about gettin' on the radio and callin' for another one.
Oh, no.
Hey, hey.
I did that.
I said, "Hey, James, you wanna get over here and give me a Iittle help?" But James was back here, having a beer.
What are you calling me, Bob? You want something from me, Bob? James, I don't think that I can take you.
But if you're Iooking for some trouble, I'm not sliding out under the door.
I came back 'cause my RPM's were dropping.
Okay.
I ain't flying no dogfight with half power, especially not against Harachi.
He puts his pants on just Iike we do, one Who are you supposed to be, Knute Rockne or something? Hey, what do you guys think about Micklin, huh? The man's a badger, isn't he? You know, that's another thing that's got me very, very bothered around here.
He's a sergeant, isn't he? You're Iieutenants.
Or have you forgotten? You tell him to shut up or he's gonna go on a bone hunt! I don't think that means much to him, Jim.
He's already been busted three times.
Then you crack him in his mouth.
That's what I'd do.
That's the way I live.
That's the way you Iive.
But I think this guy may be what we need.
He's keeping the planes in the air.
I seen that guy.
He's a tub of guts.
What are you guys afraid of? Jim, let's leave it alone.
I ain't leavin' it alone.
Jim, just relax, will you? Just relax what? Leave him alone.
He can get in big trouble choosing out a non com.
Come on, Iet's go.
It's the reason I haven't belted him myself.
I understand you got an attitude problem, Sergeant.
Since I'm the executive officer of this squadron, I make attitude problems my specialty.
Ain't nothin' wrong with this airplane, Captain.
How come you brought it back? We ain't talking about airplanes, Sergeant.
I came on down here to teach you how to salute and how to say thank you.
If you come Iookin' for me, sonny boy, you found me.
Now it's your party wether you want it or not! Then why don't we just get to it! Go easy on him, Sarge, go easy on him.
Maybe the rest of you college boys want some of this action.
Take him out and clean him up.
Mayday! Lard's in the Mechanics Shed.
He's taking a count.
Get to Micklin.
Tell him to dummy up.
I'II try, but you know the Sarge.
He ain't much on taking orders.
Flight regulations clearly state that once you fall below 15 planes, you are no Ionger officially designated as a squadron.
You and your men will be broken up and sent back to the pool.
Sir, I know that.
But, it's not a problem.
We are flying 15 planes.
Then you won't mind if I stay here till tomorrow and make sure.
No.
No, sir, I I won't mind.
Micklin! That puts you out of business, there ain't no way you're gonna put up 15 planes in the morning.
How many can we manage? Fourteen, maybe.
I ain't got the parts to fix the 15th.
I don't care how you do it, but you get 15 planes up.
Use truck parts if you have to.
I'll fly the 15th.
I'll Iet you know in an hour.
You really ought to clean those cuts before you got to sleep.
How about a drink? You know I've been thinking.
Do you remember flight school? Do you remember that aerobatics thing everybody had to take? When we got to that part of the training, I knew was gonna die.
That's it, I just A good buddy, he was in the class ahead of me.
I saw him crash right into a mountain.
I knew that's what was gonna happen to me.
I used to dream about it.
Every night.
I got into the cockpit every morning and my hands would shake.
Is this gonna take Iong, T.
J.
? The point is, I didn't quit.
I don't know why.
Maybe because all my buddies stayed in.
But I just kept on flying.
Every morning, I'd get out of the rack, and my stomach was tied up in knots Look, shut up, T.
J.
I don't wanna hear this.
I ain't interested in your flight school traumas.
Just shut up, please.
Forget flight school.
You remember when you were a kid in high school? Remember all those guys who used to go around saying, "It takes on to know one?" There's a lot of truth in that.
You're scared, Jim.
I know that because I've been there.
God, I'm still there.
And you are just afraid to admit it.
AII I'm trying to do is help you.
I don't want your help, T.
J.
! Jimmy, I'm your best friend.
I'm just trying to tell you, everybody has a time in their life when they're scared.
Fear is something that There's fear inside of everybody.
That means you, too.
Just shut up! I'm begging you, just Ieave me alone.
Begging you.
Leave me alone.
Ever since Boyle went down, we were all expecting the worst but nobody was talking about it.
As the time passed, it became more and more unlikely that he was alive and tempers were growing short.
I wasn 't sure whether that was Gutterman 's problem.
Maybe it was part of it.
But I had a hunch it was something else.
That's it, Sarge.
You wanna fly it? Oh, no.
Not me.
Well? Is it gonna fly? I doubt it.
It's got last year's carburetor in it, rebuilt.
The plugs are too thin for the horsepower.
The trim tab is unfixable so you're gonna have to horse it up.
I wouldn't trust the mags, the cylinder heads or the fuel pressure.
You put a little white satin in there, and you got a flying coffin, mister.
How's the cigarette Iighter? You won't need one.
This whole thing's gonna be on fire before you hit the end of the strip.
Push it out on the flight Iine.
Oh, boy.
Mr.
Gutsy Ball, huh? Sarge, I got one question.
How does a guy with such a smart mouth keep all his teeth? By being hard to hit.
Well, so much for that Iegend.
Keep your fingers crossed, Sergeant.
I know you'll be rooting for me.
Two flights.
The first flight will be seven planes.
Engage Harachi but stay out of trouble.
The idea is to get him to use his fuel.
The second flight will take off 30 minutes Iater.
We'II jump him while his tanks are dry.
As you were, men.
On the flight line in 15 minutes.
Jim will Iead the A flight, I'll Iead the B flight.
Morning, Colonel.
These eggs are burned.
Colonel Lard stood on the runway and counted as the first flight took off.
Seven airplanes.
That left eight on the ground.
And I knew seven of those eight would fly.
I was in the last one.
And I wasn 't even sure I'd get it started.
We'd managed to put 15 planes in the air, and that took Colonel Lard off my back.
Harachi had come up with a variation on the gas theme, and I have to admit, his was more effective than mine.
In my own defense, I would have used auxiliary tanks, too.
But I hadn 't seen one in over two months.
And you can 't use what you don 't have.
Bandits at 12 o 'clock high.
Okay, let's lead these guys around in circles for a while till Greg gets here.
Hey, Jim, they got extra fuel tanks.
We're pulling out.
180 degrees to the left.
Right now.
I told you guys, turn out.
Right now.
We're outnumbered and Greg's gonna get creamed.
Everybody turn out, head for home.
That's an order! I heard it all on the radio and as soon as I did, I turned my flight around and landed about five minutes ahead of Gutterman.
We were going to be caught in a situation where we were outnumbered two against one with no fuel or ammo advantage.
The smart thing was to turn tail and wait for tomorrow.
Only one thing bothered me.
In the ten months I'd known James Gutterman, he had never done the smart thing.
He was a hot rock, with an itch for trouble.
Something had changed him, and I was afraid I knew what it was.
I turned that flight around today.
You're telling me there's something wrong with that? No, because you did something right.
Now, two weeks ago, Jim, you wouldn't have done that.
I have to call things around here Iike I see them.
You've been prowling around the camp Iike a rabid animal.
Something's changed in you, and I wanna know what it is.
Greg, I've been trying.
Greg, I'm scared.
I'm so scared.
My hands shake.
I get into that cockpit and I sweat.
I don't what I'm gonna do.
Someone's got to help me around here.
Fear is a lot of things, Jim.
I don't claim to understand it.
But I know one thing.
It can be constructive or it can be destructive.
Every day I got guys flying with a lump in their throat.
Your own wingman, T.
J.
, he's one of them.
But you know, I respect them.
AII my Iife I've been able to count on one thing, and that's my guts.
I've never run away from anything, ever.
It's not just flying.
It's not just flying.
It's him, Greg! Harachi? - He's a devil.
I know that sounds crazy, but I've tried, on his tail, two against one, and flown back with 100 rounds in my tail.
I never seen anything like it, Greg.
I go up against him again, I'm gonna die.
Yesterday, when you went down, it was the first time for you, right, Jim? It's hard to deal with the idea that the irreplaceable Jim Gutterman might end up sitting in his own blood with his canopy jammed, heading to the bottom of the ocean.
You know, that possibility has always been there, Jim.
It's not just dying.
It's not just dying.
It's him.
He's A devil? He's a man, just like us.
He's on a hot streak, that's all.
Don't make him any more than that.
I guess you know I'm gonna have to ground you.
You know what your flaw has always been? You've been such a hot rock, you don't think about anything but mixing it up.
Jim, put this fear of yours in its proper perspective, and it could be the best thing that ever happened to Jim Gutterman.
Get these college boys out of bed and send 'em down to the pit.
I've let you run around Iike a two-star general because I figure you're trying to walk off a bad childhood.
But I gotta tell you, Micklin, you're beginning to wear thin.
What you been doing to those airplanes is a crime in all 48 states.
I'm supposed to come in here in two days, put this unit back together? Ain't no way, pal.
Now, you want 15 planes flying tomorrow? You got only one way to do it.
Get these altar boys out of the sack and down to the pit.
Otherwise, you've got only 10 planes going up in the morning.
Ten? What have you been doing to them? What have I That's just like a crummy flyboy officer.
BIame it on the mechanics.
I'm tellin' you, Major, we got at least half a night's work on those planes, and if I was you, I'd put a new carburetor in that coffin of yours.
I managed to scrounge one up, but I ain't got the time to install it.
It's your move.
Greg, why don't you just tell this guy to drop dead! Yeah, Greg, why don't you? He acts Iike we're workin' for him, but he's workin' for us! We're officers.
He's a sergeant! We'll see.
Come on, Greg.
I'd Iove to see you pop that guy! He took Gutterman bad, huh? Pulverized him.
A Iucky punch.
Nothing Iucky about it.
Wore him down and threw him in the dirt.
Resoundingly.
We'II see.
First Iet's get the engines fixed so we can go flying tomorrow.
Oh, good.
Sir, you mind taking the column off? Anything you say, dear.
I wish I was in the Navy.
I bet those guys don't have to work on their own planes.
That's right, but they have to salute.
I guess nothing's perfect, huh? This sure ain't.
It's Boyle! Who let this bum back in the war? Does that mean we got to put his Scotch back in the tent? You better believe it.
Harachi caught you turning away from me.
It was almost an afterthought.
Now how did he manage that? I guess because I had my head up and locked.
You guys, you wouldn't believe the little island I found.
They got native girls there without a stitch of clothes and they're all beautiful.
Took the Navy three days to find me, it took them 72 hours to catch me.
You guys want to fly today? - Yeah! Let's mount up.
Hey, wait a minute.
I gotta get a Mae West.
Not you, Boyle, you're grounded.
Oh, come on.
You're kidding.
Even though we were heading back into the Slot and we knew that Harachi would be there, there was a looseness again in the squadron.
Getting Boyle back seemed to snap the tension.
Some of the old jokes started crackling through my headset.
Anybody looking for a pool this morning? Even if you spot this guy, you couldn't hit him.
We don't need to hit him, French.
All you gotta do is crack your cockpit and foul the air.
Zekes can't fly in that kind of stink.
You want a pool, Larry, or you wanna do bad Berle jokes? Okay, five bucks.
You're on.
Good.
'Cause there they are at 6 o'clock.
Leave Harachi to me.
You're going down, dummy.
I'm looking for you.
Where are you hiding? I'm on your starboard wing.
You pulled the main switch.
Put it back.
I'm taking off in five minutes.
Pappy doesn't want you flying.
Hutch, are you gonna put it back, or am I gonna put it back? Give me some cover here, Anderson! I'm coming down.
On your right, on your right! Somebody cover Stover, he's going in.
Bail out, Dink, bail out! He's out.
Here comes Harachi.
Get out of my way.
You got him.
Keep on him, Greg.
Pappy, he's rolling under you.
Look out, Greg, he's chewing your tail.
I got one in front of me.
It's Harachi! I think I just got him! I did! Way to go, T.
J.
! The Phantom of East Philadelphia strikes again.
Hey! Hey, Pappy! I just got Harachi! Can you guys believe that? You got him, T.
J.
That's gotta be Jim down there! What's he think he's doing? Good one, Jim.
Welcome home, huh? - Yeah Greg, I wanted to explain to you about yesterday Shut up, will you? If you're not gonna send flowers, just shut up! That new sergeant took you good, huh? Let me tell you something.
It was no contest.
I'd give that guy plenty of room.
I may want to try him on again, but not until I've worked a Iittle on my stamina.
Give me the wrench.
- It's in the shed.
Well, get it out of the shed.
I'll meet you in the Sheep's Pen.
We got him, Sarge.
We got Harachi.
T.
J.
got him.
That's the guy who flies with his mixture too rich? Mr.
Foul-the-Plugs? Worst pilot in the unit.
Hey why don't you come to the Sheep's Pen and have a drink, Sarge? Get to know the guys.
I don't want to know those guys.
I got to fix this bird.
I'm an enlisted man.
I ain't goin' in no Officers' Club.
It's not an Officers Club.
Come on, I'll buy you one.
You know, I could take you.
Just like your exec, and blow you away.
I don't think so, Sarge.
But come on in, and we'II talk about it.
I ain't drinkin' with no officers, so get Iost.
You know, some day, Sarge, we're gonna find out.
I'll be here.
I'm telling you, there we were, side by side, then I dropped under him.
Now, I know he's good.
I mean, but not great.
Then I kicked my bird into a perfect pivot split-S guns blazing all around me, and then I come diving right down on top Go on, T.
J.
I can't wait to hear the rest.
So I rolled under him and blew him away.
T.
J.
Wiley! The new devil in the SIot! I am buying.
For the first time, I'm buying.
Got to be college boys.
Can't nobody else fly without an airplane.
For the next two weeks, we kept up the morning missions over the Slot.
With the loss of Harachi, the Japanese pilots seemed demoralized.
At least, that's the way the high command was calling it.
The news correspondents picked it up.
They called it a victory.
We were looking at it from a little different point of view.
I guess all I could really say was we were holding our own up there, which was better than it had been before.
Somebody once said politics makes strange bedfellows, and I guess it's true with war as well.
After all, I was sleeping with a bull terrier.
And T.
J.
? Well, he made the cover of Time.
Morning, Tommy.
Did you bring your life raft? Not going swimming today.
Time has come for somebody to teach that marine some manners.
If you come Iookin' for me, sonny boy, you found me.
Come on, somebody, bail me out! Coming now, Jim.
They got native girls there without a stitch of clothes and they're all beautiful.
That thing will fly, won't it? When you hit the end of the runway, we'II both know, won't we, Major? It's not written down in anybody's book that Greg Boyington can't get his tail blown out of the air.
You know, I could take you.
Just Iike your exec and blow you away.
I'm in trouble! Baa Baa Black Sheep S01E17 - Devil in the Slot S01E17 - Devil in the Slot As the war in the Pacific grinds on, Allied Command state that air superiority is paramount.
The numerically superior Japanese air force is wreaking havoc in the Solomon Slot.
The Slot, so named by the pilots who fly there, is a narrow chain of islands in the Solomons.
A shipping lane protected from the heavy weather.
The slot has become a shooting gallery for seasoned Japanese pilots, many of whom have been flying in combat for years over China.
A squadron of aces led by Japanese Captain Tomio Harachi rain death and destruction on Allied men and supplies.
MacArthur states that if the war is to succeed, we must control the sky over the Solomon Slot.
To do that, we must vanquish the devilish Japanese pilots who have made that piece of sky their private hunting reserve.
Good morning, Major Boyington.
Oh, Greg! Time to get up.
0500.
Give me five more minutes.
Five more minutes.
Looks like Carlson barbequed these eggs, huh? Good morning.
- Good morning.
We're just flying patrol this morning.
And we're flying with only 15 planes.
Shields and Garrison stay home.
Your birds are still in the pits.
Now, fellas, we're gonna have to start taking better care of our aircraft.
T.
J.
I'm happy I'm flying with the thinnest mixture in the squadron now.
If anything, my bird's gonna die out on me from too much oxygen.
You see, I'm experiencing a little misfiring.
The Ieast those guys in maintenance can do is clean it up.
Fellas, we're in a bind.
Every day we're flying with Iess and Iess equipment.
Now, the next guy that pukes out black smoke, is gonna get more than a ring job.
Eat up.
Let's get out of here.
We're flying in 20 minutes.
Why does Carlson always burns these eggs? You guys want to have a pool this morning? Yeah.
How much? Five bucks? Fine with me.
- I'm in.
Yeah, I'm in.
Right.
Little by little, we'd been dying on the vine.
No parts, not enough mechanics and a captain named Tomio Harachi who had racked up 25 American kills.
I was after Harachi.
For three weeks I'd been trying to get him, but he didn 't seem to be gettable.
Twice he'd left me with a plane full of holes.
In the three weeks we'd been flying against him, the score wasn 't that impressive.
Harachi and his men had downed 12 of our planes and killed five of our pilots.
Harachi himself had managed five unassisted kills.
We, on the other hand, had shot down six of his and I'd been on a personal cold streak.
One assist with Casey.
Okay, you bureaucrats, everybody pays Bobby Boyle.
They're at 10 o 'clock.
Morning, Tommy.
Did you bring your life raft? Not going swimming today.
Boyington.
Maybe you.
I'm in trouble! Come on, somebody, bail me out! Coming now, Jim.
You missed him, T.
J.
! He's still on my tail.
Help, somebody, get this maniac off my tail.
Let's go, Casey.
I'm hit.
I'm through.
I'm going in.
Somebody cover me, will you? Black Sheep six to Air Sea Rescue.
We have a plane down.
163 degrees 4 minutes by 8 degrees 7 minutes.
You guys cover me.
I'm gonna take Harachi.
Be careful, Greg, he's going under you.
I know what he's doing, Casey.
He's coming up behind you.
Damn! Not today, Boyington, maybe tomorrow.
Don't spend it, pal, till you got it in a bank.
That was a close one, gang.
Tell me about it.
Is Gutterman okay? - He's out.
Air Sea Rescue's on its way.
All right, you guys, let's go home.
Air Sea Rescue's gonna pick Jim up.
There's nothing more we can do for him here.
It's Gutterman, isn't it? Yeah, it's Gutterman.
Air Sea Rescue picked him up, but we Iost his bird, Hutch.
That our new sergeant? Yeah, sort of.
- Sort of? Boyington? - Yeah.
I'm Micklin.
Your new maintenance chief.
Hey, glad to have you around, Sergeant.
Can I talk to you for a minute? Sure.
Sure.
You got a real problem here, Major.
If you don't put 15 planes in the air, you'II Iose your combat status.
Before you start shooting from the hip, suppose you take a minute to find out what's going on here? I know what's going on.
You got a real spare parts concession over there.
Six airplanes collecting dust.
If I'm gonna keep these birds in the air, I'm gonna do it my way.
AII right, do it your way.
Don't you think you ought to field-strip that? After all, we're in a front area.
You know, I had a guy ask me to do that once.
Officer at El Toro.
It was a big mistake.
It cost me three stripes.
It cost him 12 teeth.
You might just fit in around here, Sergeant.
That the new mechanic? Yeah, that's him.
He Iooks Iike one old-time grunt.
Hey, you're not kidding.
I remember guys Iike him from basic.
"When I talk to you, mister, I wanna see Iittle points on the end of your ears.
" When you guys come back from a mission, you report to me or to Hutch here to check the plane back in.
We're gonna have a mechanics debriefing.
Excuse me.
Engine check, cockpit check, and armament check.
We go over all squawks.
Excuse me, Sarge.
Hey, we really appreciate that, Sarge, but you see, it isn't really that necessary.
It's the way we do things around here.
We just bring the planes in, old Hutch takes good care of it.
That's the way we do it.
Isn't that right, Bobby? - Right.
You see, Sarge, what's the point of going through all that every day? This is a mechanics shed, not a hatcheck concession.
Which one of these planes belongs to you, sonny boy? It's Bob or Boyle, Sarge Which one? Third from the end.
No.
That one's mine.
Where's yours? Now, wait a minute, Sergeant.
AII these planes are mine, college boys.
I just loan 'em to you once or twice a day.
And God protect you if they come back busted.
Excuse me for a minute, Sergeant.
You got something you wanted to say, sonny? That's right.
We happen to be officers and you are a Was there anything else, sonny? No, not exactly.
If you think of anything, you won't hesitate to come and tell me, will you, sonny? No, of course not.
Good.
Good.
Welcome home, Jim.
That Harachi really shot you up today.
He shot me up, too.
But tomorrow, I'm gonna get him.
Is that a fact? Is something crawling up your spine? I'm just sick and tired of hearing everyday how you're gonna get up there and smear those tojos.
You ain't invincible.
It's not written down in anybody's book that Greg Boyington can't get his tail blown out of the air.
It's down in mine.
Well, you see, that's exactly what's climbing up my spine.
Morning, Greg.
Oh, Greg! I know.
I know.
We're getting into a rut, darling.
I'II tell you another thing we don't need any of.
It's those breakfasts that we've been having.
I had a hangover this morning and that didn't make me feel at all better.
I think that's great, Jerry.
You give up a couple more eggs Iike that, pretty soon you'll Iook like Boyle.
Hey, college boys, come over here for a second.
Yes, Sergeant, what do you need? I got something for you.
What's this? That, sonny boy, is a checklist.
You go through that checklist with a mechanic on your wing.
Mags, trim, oil pressure, everything.
He'll check you out before takeoff.
But, Sergeant, around here You ain't gonna be a hot dog, are you, sonny boy? I don't see why we have to put up with this stuff around here.
Do it, Jerry.
We gotta get these birds in shape somehow.
You check the drop on my mag, Hutch? I started to, Pappy.
Well, did you or didn't you? He did not.
- Why not? There was a briefing in the mechanics shed Iast night.
All the pilots who showed up, got their planes checked.
You weren't there, so I figured you don't need nothin'.
You figured wrong, Sergeant.
Just tryingto do my job, sir.
Pappy, we got to mount up.
We're supposed to be out of here.
Well, then, mount up.
That thing will fly, won't it? Beats me.
But when you hit the end of the runway, we'll both know, won't we, Major? Sorry, Pappy, he wouldn't let me touch it.
But I managed to sneak a look and everything looks okay.
What does that guy eat for breakfast? Officers.
This one is sort of wired up, sir.
We put in a new right mag and ran her up to 1,600.
RPM and pressure seem good.
But take it easy this time out.
You okay, sir? Look, get off the wing.
But the sergeant said - Get off the wing now! Stop.
Stop it.
Stop! We were going out after Harachi again.
We were getting edgy and the jokes were beginning to sound like gallows humor.
But at least they were still joking.
Casey suggested another pool.
You're on, Casey.
Listen.
First guy to spot this guy ought to get thrown out of the squadron instead of winning the pool.
You just leave Harachi to me.
I'm gonna end his hot streak today or I'm gonna know the reason.
The reason? You want the reason? I'll tell you the reason.
'Cause he can fly the wings off you, that's the reason.
Put your money down, you cowboys.
Anything from even money to 4 to 1.
And then a strange thing happened.
You guys are gonna have to do it by yourselves.
Jimmy Gutterman 's losing oil pressure.
Okay, Jim, pull out, head for home.
T.
J.
, go with him.
Roger, Pappy.
What a day, huh? That power was coming back at the end.
Probably should have stuck it out.
No, no.
There's nothing wrong with playing it safe.
Let the mechanics take care of that.
We'll be good for tomorrow.
Mechanics probably won't find anything.
Like I said, the power was coming back.
You know You know what I bet it was? I bet it was the RPM indicator.
Yeah.
Sometimes the instruments will give you a bum reading.
Yeah, instruments.
AIways doing things Iike that.
At ease.
At ease.
What's the matter? Casey, T.
J.
, fly high cover for me.
I'm going after Harachi.
Roger, Pappy.
Somebody's in front of us.
Who is it? It's Boyle, Pappy.
Boyle, get out of there.
Hey, I'm hit.
I'm going in.
Anderson, follow him down.
Roger, Pappy.
Hey, come on, Iet's Ioosen up around here.
Boyle's gonna be okay.
They'll fish him out.
Yeah.
Well, Iast I saw him, he was out, at least.
But I got tangled up with two of those Japanese gentlemen and I couldn't follow him down.
I just hope Air Sea Rescue picks him up.
Couldn't follow him down? Yeah.
I don't see what's so hard about gettin' on the radio and callin' for another one.
Oh, no.
Hey, hey.
I did that.
I said, "Hey, James, you wanna get over here and give me a Iittle help?" But James was back here, having a beer.
What are you calling me, Bob? You want something from me, Bob? James, I don't think that I can take you.
But if you're Iooking for some trouble, I'm not sliding out under the door.
I came back 'cause my RPM's were dropping.
Okay.
I ain't flying no dogfight with half power, especially not against Harachi.
He puts his pants on just Iike we do, one Who are you supposed to be, Knute Rockne or something? Hey, what do you guys think about Micklin, huh? The man's a badger, isn't he? You know, that's another thing that's got me very, very bothered around here.
He's a sergeant, isn't he? You're Iieutenants.
Or have you forgotten? You tell him to shut up or he's gonna go on a bone hunt! I don't think that means much to him, Jim.
He's already been busted three times.
Then you crack him in his mouth.
That's what I'd do.
That's the way I live.
That's the way you Iive.
But I think this guy may be what we need.
He's keeping the planes in the air.
I seen that guy.
He's a tub of guts.
What are you guys afraid of? Jim, let's leave it alone.
I ain't leavin' it alone.
Jim, just relax, will you? Just relax what? Leave him alone.
He can get in big trouble choosing out a non com.
Come on, Iet's go.
It's the reason I haven't belted him myself.
I understand you got an attitude problem, Sergeant.
Since I'm the executive officer of this squadron, I make attitude problems my specialty.
Ain't nothin' wrong with this airplane, Captain.
How come you brought it back? We ain't talking about airplanes, Sergeant.
I came on down here to teach you how to salute and how to say thank you.
If you come Iookin' for me, sonny boy, you found me.
Now it's your party wether you want it or not! Then why don't we just get to it! Go easy on him, Sarge, go easy on him.
Maybe the rest of you college boys want some of this action.
Take him out and clean him up.
Mayday! Lard's in the Mechanics Shed.
He's taking a count.
Get to Micklin.
Tell him to dummy up.
I'II try, but you know the Sarge.
He ain't much on taking orders.
Flight regulations clearly state that once you fall below 15 planes, you are no Ionger officially designated as a squadron.
You and your men will be broken up and sent back to the pool.
Sir, I know that.
But, it's not a problem.
We are flying 15 planes.
Then you won't mind if I stay here till tomorrow and make sure.
No.
No, sir, I I won't mind.
Micklin! That puts you out of business, there ain't no way you're gonna put up 15 planes in the morning.
How many can we manage? Fourteen, maybe.
I ain't got the parts to fix the 15th.
I don't care how you do it, but you get 15 planes up.
Use truck parts if you have to.
I'll fly the 15th.
I'll Iet you know in an hour.
You really ought to clean those cuts before you got to sleep.
How about a drink? You know I've been thinking.
Do you remember flight school? Do you remember that aerobatics thing everybody had to take? When we got to that part of the training, I knew was gonna die.
That's it, I just A good buddy, he was in the class ahead of me.
I saw him crash right into a mountain.
I knew that's what was gonna happen to me.
I used to dream about it.
Every night.
I got into the cockpit every morning and my hands would shake.
Is this gonna take Iong, T.
J.
? The point is, I didn't quit.
I don't know why.
Maybe because all my buddies stayed in.
But I just kept on flying.
Every morning, I'd get out of the rack, and my stomach was tied up in knots Look, shut up, T.
J.
I don't wanna hear this.
I ain't interested in your flight school traumas.
Just shut up, please.
Forget flight school.
You remember when you were a kid in high school? Remember all those guys who used to go around saying, "It takes on to know one?" There's a lot of truth in that.
You're scared, Jim.
I know that because I've been there.
God, I'm still there.
And you are just afraid to admit it.
AII I'm trying to do is help you.
I don't want your help, T.
J.
! Jimmy, I'm your best friend.
I'm just trying to tell you, everybody has a time in their life when they're scared.
Fear is something that There's fear inside of everybody.
That means you, too.
Just shut up! I'm begging you, just Ieave me alone.
Begging you.
Leave me alone.
Ever since Boyle went down, we were all expecting the worst but nobody was talking about it.
As the time passed, it became more and more unlikely that he was alive and tempers were growing short.
I wasn 't sure whether that was Gutterman 's problem.
Maybe it was part of it.
But I had a hunch it was something else.
That's it, Sarge.
You wanna fly it? Oh, no.
Not me.
Well? Is it gonna fly? I doubt it.
It's got last year's carburetor in it, rebuilt.
The plugs are too thin for the horsepower.
The trim tab is unfixable so you're gonna have to horse it up.
I wouldn't trust the mags, the cylinder heads or the fuel pressure.
You put a little white satin in there, and you got a flying coffin, mister.
How's the cigarette Iighter? You won't need one.
This whole thing's gonna be on fire before you hit the end of the strip.
Push it out on the flight Iine.
Oh, boy.
Mr.
Gutsy Ball, huh? Sarge, I got one question.
How does a guy with such a smart mouth keep all his teeth? By being hard to hit.
Well, so much for that Iegend.
Keep your fingers crossed, Sergeant.
I know you'll be rooting for me.
Two flights.
The first flight will be seven planes.
Engage Harachi but stay out of trouble.
The idea is to get him to use his fuel.
The second flight will take off 30 minutes Iater.
We'II jump him while his tanks are dry.
As you were, men.
On the flight line in 15 minutes.
Jim will Iead the A flight, I'll Iead the B flight.
Morning, Colonel.
These eggs are burned.
Colonel Lard stood on the runway and counted as the first flight took off.
Seven airplanes.
That left eight on the ground.
And I knew seven of those eight would fly.
I was in the last one.
And I wasn 't even sure I'd get it started.
We'd managed to put 15 planes in the air, and that took Colonel Lard off my back.
Harachi had come up with a variation on the gas theme, and I have to admit, his was more effective than mine.
In my own defense, I would have used auxiliary tanks, too.
But I hadn 't seen one in over two months.
And you can 't use what you don 't have.
Bandits at 12 o 'clock high.
Okay, let's lead these guys around in circles for a while till Greg gets here.
Hey, Jim, they got extra fuel tanks.
We're pulling out.
180 degrees to the left.
Right now.
I told you guys, turn out.
Right now.
We're outnumbered and Greg's gonna get creamed.
Everybody turn out, head for home.
That's an order! I heard it all on the radio and as soon as I did, I turned my flight around and landed about five minutes ahead of Gutterman.
We were going to be caught in a situation where we were outnumbered two against one with no fuel or ammo advantage.
The smart thing was to turn tail and wait for tomorrow.
Only one thing bothered me.
In the ten months I'd known James Gutterman, he had never done the smart thing.
He was a hot rock, with an itch for trouble.
Something had changed him, and I was afraid I knew what it was.
I turned that flight around today.
You're telling me there's something wrong with that? No, because you did something right.
Now, two weeks ago, Jim, you wouldn't have done that.
I have to call things around here Iike I see them.
You've been prowling around the camp Iike a rabid animal.
Something's changed in you, and I wanna know what it is.
Greg, I've been trying.
Greg, I'm scared.
I'm so scared.
My hands shake.
I get into that cockpit and I sweat.
I don't what I'm gonna do.
Someone's got to help me around here.
Fear is a lot of things, Jim.
I don't claim to understand it.
But I know one thing.
It can be constructive or it can be destructive.
Every day I got guys flying with a lump in their throat.
Your own wingman, T.
J.
, he's one of them.
But you know, I respect them.
AII my Iife I've been able to count on one thing, and that's my guts.
I've never run away from anything, ever.
It's not just flying.
It's not just flying.
It's him, Greg! Harachi? - He's a devil.
I know that sounds crazy, but I've tried, on his tail, two against one, and flown back with 100 rounds in my tail.
I never seen anything like it, Greg.
I go up against him again, I'm gonna die.
Yesterday, when you went down, it was the first time for you, right, Jim? It's hard to deal with the idea that the irreplaceable Jim Gutterman might end up sitting in his own blood with his canopy jammed, heading to the bottom of the ocean.
You know, that possibility has always been there, Jim.
It's not just dying.
It's not just dying.
It's him.
He's A devil? He's a man, just like us.
He's on a hot streak, that's all.
Don't make him any more than that.
I guess you know I'm gonna have to ground you.
You know what your flaw has always been? You've been such a hot rock, you don't think about anything but mixing it up.
Jim, put this fear of yours in its proper perspective, and it could be the best thing that ever happened to Jim Gutterman.
Get these college boys out of bed and send 'em down to the pit.
I've let you run around Iike a two-star general because I figure you're trying to walk off a bad childhood.
But I gotta tell you, Micklin, you're beginning to wear thin.
What you been doing to those airplanes is a crime in all 48 states.
I'm supposed to come in here in two days, put this unit back together? Ain't no way, pal.
Now, you want 15 planes flying tomorrow? You got only one way to do it.
Get these altar boys out of the sack and down to the pit.
Otherwise, you've got only 10 planes going up in the morning.
Ten? What have you been doing to them? What have I That's just like a crummy flyboy officer.
BIame it on the mechanics.
I'm tellin' you, Major, we got at least half a night's work on those planes, and if I was you, I'd put a new carburetor in that coffin of yours.
I managed to scrounge one up, but I ain't got the time to install it.
It's your move.
Greg, why don't you just tell this guy to drop dead! Yeah, Greg, why don't you? He acts Iike we're workin' for him, but he's workin' for us! We're officers.
He's a sergeant! We'll see.
Come on, Greg.
I'd Iove to see you pop that guy! He took Gutterman bad, huh? Pulverized him.
A Iucky punch.
Nothing Iucky about it.
Wore him down and threw him in the dirt.
Resoundingly.
We'II see.
First Iet's get the engines fixed so we can go flying tomorrow.
Oh, good.
Sir, you mind taking the column off? Anything you say, dear.
I wish I was in the Navy.
I bet those guys don't have to work on their own planes.
That's right, but they have to salute.
I guess nothing's perfect, huh? This sure ain't.
It's Boyle! Who let this bum back in the war? Does that mean we got to put his Scotch back in the tent? You better believe it.
Harachi caught you turning away from me.
It was almost an afterthought.
Now how did he manage that? I guess because I had my head up and locked.
You guys, you wouldn't believe the little island I found.
They got native girls there without a stitch of clothes and they're all beautiful.
Took the Navy three days to find me, it took them 72 hours to catch me.
You guys want to fly today? - Yeah! Let's mount up.
Hey, wait a minute.
I gotta get a Mae West.
Not you, Boyle, you're grounded.
Oh, come on.
You're kidding.
Even though we were heading back into the Slot and we knew that Harachi would be there, there was a looseness again in the squadron.
Getting Boyle back seemed to snap the tension.
Some of the old jokes started crackling through my headset.
Anybody looking for a pool this morning? Even if you spot this guy, you couldn't hit him.
We don't need to hit him, French.
All you gotta do is crack your cockpit and foul the air.
Zekes can't fly in that kind of stink.
You want a pool, Larry, or you wanna do bad Berle jokes? Okay, five bucks.
You're on.
Good.
'Cause there they are at 6 o'clock.
Leave Harachi to me.
You're going down, dummy.
I'm looking for you.
Where are you hiding? I'm on your starboard wing.
You pulled the main switch.
Put it back.
I'm taking off in five minutes.
Pappy doesn't want you flying.
Hutch, are you gonna put it back, or am I gonna put it back? Give me some cover here, Anderson! I'm coming down.
On your right, on your right! Somebody cover Stover, he's going in.
Bail out, Dink, bail out! He's out.
Here comes Harachi.
Get out of my way.
You got him.
Keep on him, Greg.
Pappy, he's rolling under you.
Look out, Greg, he's chewing your tail.
I got one in front of me.
It's Harachi! I think I just got him! I did! Way to go, T.
J.
! The Phantom of East Philadelphia strikes again.
Hey! Hey, Pappy! I just got Harachi! Can you guys believe that? You got him, T.
J.
That's gotta be Jim down there! What's he think he's doing? Good one, Jim.
Welcome home, huh? - Yeah Greg, I wanted to explain to you about yesterday Shut up, will you? If you're not gonna send flowers, just shut up! That new sergeant took you good, huh? Let me tell you something.
It was no contest.
I'd give that guy plenty of room.
I may want to try him on again, but not until I've worked a Iittle on my stamina.
Give me the wrench.
- It's in the shed.
Well, get it out of the shed.
I'll meet you in the Sheep's Pen.
We got him, Sarge.
We got Harachi.
T.
J.
got him.
That's the guy who flies with his mixture too rich? Mr.
Foul-the-Plugs? Worst pilot in the unit.
Hey why don't you come to the Sheep's Pen and have a drink, Sarge? Get to know the guys.
I don't want to know those guys.
I got to fix this bird.
I'm an enlisted man.
I ain't goin' in no Officers' Club.
It's not an Officers Club.
Come on, I'll buy you one.
You know, I could take you.
Just like your exec, and blow you away.
I don't think so, Sarge.
But come on in, and we'II talk about it.
I ain't drinkin' with no officers, so get Iost.
You know, some day, Sarge, we're gonna find out.
I'll be here.
I'm telling you, there we were, side by side, then I dropped under him.
Now, I know he's good.
I mean, but not great.
Then I kicked my bird into a perfect pivot split-S guns blazing all around me, and then I come diving right down on top Go on, T.
J.
I can't wait to hear the rest.
So I rolled under him and blew him away.
T.
J.
Wiley! The new devil in the SIot! I am buying.
For the first time, I'm buying.
Got to be college boys.
Can't nobody else fly without an airplane.
For the next two weeks, we kept up the morning missions over the Slot.
With the loss of Harachi, the Japanese pilots seemed demoralized.
At least, that's the way the high command was calling it.
The news correspondents picked it up.
They called it a victory.
We were looking at it from a little different point of view.
I guess all I could really say was we were holding our own up there, which was better than it had been before.
Somebody once said politics makes strange bedfellows, and I guess it's true with war as well.
After all, I was sleeping with a bull terrier.
And T.
J.
? Well, he made the cover of Time.