[music]

>> they wouldn't be turning back if they didn't have an impossible situation up there. >> all right. operator, put me through to wing headquarters, genel brit. >> general brit here. >> cancel that call. >> i was just calling you. >> captain bates show up yet? big boner today. >> what? >> you know what the cloud cover means? >> no visibility over the target. >> our group couldn't see the target, couldn't bomb. >> losses bad? >> they were there for nothing. it was too far to fly without being sure about the weather. >> have to knock out the yards. >> another try with his half-baked weather guesswork,

striking force. >> captain bates came out to meet with us. another expert came to meet with us. at uit they're studying new techniques. if we get rid of the old techniques, it may help. >> it's not just the weather, we're feeling our way in almost every area. >> that may be, but i hope we're not hanging ourselves with these thea galley. he wasn't expectingng a woman. >> why not, sir? very clever, theatrical nonsense. if you're going to throw me out, sir, you better get a good grip. >> our mission is well timed. they're on their way back. we can see what a bad forecast can do to a pretty good bomomr.

production. >> tonight's episode "whichch w the wind blows" brought to you

>> sixix are dropping out. >> that makes seven. from home. i'd call this a lousy day. >> as you know, weather systems don't bounce around the heavens willie nilly. they develop into patterns that move into a different direction. >> currently gallagher. get me communication. >> and conditions.

stillwell. >> any word? >> we need an eta. >> yes. just a moment, sir. general. it's general pritchard. >> excuse me, captain. >> let mme know right away, sir. >> yes, sir. >> no, sir. as far as we're able to guess, maybe 15 minutes wait. they had to find a place to jettison their bomb load. yes, sir. i'll let you know as sergeant kamanski. >> yes, sir. >> get my jeep. i'm going to sweat this out in my tower. >> joe. >> colonel, i don't think the captain had quite made her point. >> well, i'm sorry, captain. >> i'm only a captain, sir. i don't require an apology. >> i didn't intend one. would you like to join me at the tower. perhaps you could fill me in on

s an order, i have some theatrical work to do. >> no. it isn't an order, captain. go ahead with your work. perhaps later tonight, you can give us some answers over a ththtrical dinner. >> yes. why don't you meet at the star and bottle. i'll join you for a drink. >> fine. thank you, gentlemen. >> captain, see you at dinner. >> sir, is her up by being charming? >> captain, we're conditioned to think of the weather as enemy. >> and a woman as meone to be taken to dinner and chatted with. >> don't be naive about the handicaps. >> all right. if i have to prove i'm a

>> the group h h been under heavy attack for almost five hours. they almost ran out of gas. >> what's the difference? i ran out of aircraft. the big problem, as i see it, thth don't have information about their local weather conditions. they were operating at their absolute best. we were at our worst. wish there was some way we could know about the weather advance. here she comes. >> good evening. this is my assistant, lieutenant rogers. >> good evening. >> i need to give way to my theatrical nonsense. >> actually, sir, we've given up our cyst cal ball. >> i think we've come up wiwi some answers for you. >> captain, i wonder if you can hoho on to those answers for a

dinner. >> colonel gallagher lost seven aircraft. >> they can be replaced. they're building so many these days. >> how would you like to study the case at my base. go to the hospital. study the casualty reports. excuse me. i'll get his some fresh drinks. >> wasn't that rather uncalled for, sir? >> son, i'm going to have to send him back. the n action againstst our convoys. every day, we wait. men, supplies, ships at sea. >> well, maybe we could work more effectively with some other outfit. >> your assigignment is to help solve this problem. gallagher won't let goontil it's solved. >> does he have that much pride? >> it's not pride. they're going to take a frightful beating. gallagher won't step out because

is. >> colonel, that was a thoughgh i just don't understand war. maybe that's not more important than your understanding weather. >> that was rude. i'm sorry. >> my apologies. >> thank you. keep it. thank you. >> bartender, thirsty gentlemen over there. >> you know, i really do have a new approach. >> oh? i was just getting used to the old one. >> when you decide to be charming, you're very good at it. i hope i've flown you off base. next, i'm going to ask you to come fly with me tomorrow. >> fly with you? >> we used to wait for reports.

>> i don't understand. what do you fly in? >> i'm going to find a better routine for you. >> good. well, here's to the better route and to that new approach of yours. [music] >> that kicked off like a fighter. >> flight engineers. >> go ahead, kamanski. >> this thing's really ranked for speed.

have. keep that in mind. >> yes, sir. excuse me. >> normally, in this part of the world, the weather flows from west to east. now, i think we have one that's going in a different direction, more or less from north to sosoh. >> what do you do if you find them? >> measure them, how far it is, how wide, how fast it's going. we have a special radar here.

>> captain. >> yes,, eli. >> look ahead. >> right on the button. >> isn't this beautiful? look at it. it must be nearly 60,000 feet high. what a hiding place. >> you couldn't fly a bomb group into that. you'd lose them all in collisions. you certainly can't fly over it. >> now all we've got to do is storm's going to hit and how you can strike whale it keeps their fighters on the ground. >> flight to crew 1 1 o'clock high. >> break way!

out here, are the weather man's been wounded. >> roger, sir.

>> it will be all right. [shots fired] >> all right, captain.

>> whether one to oxbury tower. >> oxbury tower to weather one, over. >> this is weather one, emergency traffic. we have two rough-running eng begins. we can't get the landing gear one. wounded aboard. request instructions. i'll take her in, if you like. >> wilil you, sir? >> colonel, that happened to this will be my third belly lala. >> all right, captain. >> oxbury tower r weather one, over. >> runway 00 runway 03, winds southeast at 11 knots. winds, southeast at 11 knots. acknowledge. >> roger. >> runway 03.

we'll take the same approach. >> captain bates, i want you to get back to the radio department. secure that wounded officer. tell the co-pilot to come up here on this [i

>> take rogers to the hospital.

we can. >> i still can't believe that it happened. >he general's waiting for a report. do you feel up for it? >> i can't. >> time is important. >> i can't. >> captain, you stay with him. i don't know how he's feeling. >> so, in simple language, it came to nothing. >> i can't say that, sir. i don't know how to analyze cloud banks. >> did you see a cloud bank? >> yes. that's when the fighters hit us. we have less than 12 hours to make a decision. i have to have something to base it on. where is she? >> may i use your phone, general? >> sure.

general, what about going back up there totoorrow? >> the plane was demolished. >> she could plot the storm and be back by 15:00. >> i want her back here by 12. >> i thought you brought captain bates to wing headquarters. i see. all right. >> what is it? >> he has rooms in a about an hour ago. >> she was told to come here. you find her. you tell her she's flying that mission tomorrow. make it an order. >> yes, sir. she's new to this, and she's had a bad day. >> your attitude toward her has changed. >> so has yours. >> she came here with strikes against you. i was trying to smooth it away.

us. >> yes, sir. >> like every disaster, huh? >> yes. >> the trouble is -- >> can i open them? >> oh, no thank you. i was just looking for someone. >> you don't know much about going awol, do you?

company. >> i'm afraid my presence is somewhat official. >> look, joe, i'm going to ask for a transfer. i'm going home. >> me too, when the war's over. >> i just can't do this job. >> you volunteered to wear that uniform, didn't you? >> yes. oh, yes. i was even glad for the war, for the way it got us into high gear, the surge of progress. you know, it's a wonderful thing in my tigh experience. when important people come to you open-handed with vital problems, magnificent challenges, this isn't progress. what happened to roger when he knew all of us? i used to love the sky. now the sky seems dirty to me. >> it is. we're trying to clean it up. >> how? by sending boys out there to die? >> what are you talking about? we're trying to save as many men

yard at keel. >> oh, no. i didn't even turn in my report. >> then, i'll have to rely on m weather section. >> how can they advise you when nobody can advise them? you might as well run smack into it like some title wave. >> why don't we go up again and try? >> no! look, joe, you're not st asking me for a simple scientific analysis. you're aski in sending in men to die. maybe it has to be done. maybe you can d d it, but i cannot. >> it's too late. you can't now not participate. you say you made a decision to quit. well, that's no decision. you're running away, and that's going to haunt you. you talk about sending men up to die. what about the men you mightt save? >> stop it. you have no right to make that my responsibility. i wowon't accept it.

>> no!

>> hurry. >> it's all right.

[music] >sir, this military way of doing things is so new to me. i don't know how to say this. i must find some other way, some

>> it's been almost 24 years since i was shot down by a german fighter. i think i know how you feel after what happened today. kament an, this particular job isn't finished, is it? >> no, sir. i think you'll have to go up there again. i didn't manage to get enough information. i guess currently gallagher told you. >> he was told to order you up there again.. >> he what? give you an order. give me the 9191. i want to speak to colonel cal ger. >> [knocking] >> come in. >> why didn't you tell me i was ordered to fly that mission. >> you heard the general o o th other end of our conversation. i didn't think you were in any condition to fly mentally or physically. >> what do you think we were talking about in the pub?

sending someone up to do my job for you. your weather man dididt have a clue what i was looking for. >> oh, yes. >> what were you doing, indulging in your protective instinct? >> yes. >> i reject the war. i do resent your efforts to cover my w wknesses for you. i resent your protection. >> i wasn't protecting you. i was protecting my own group. when i met new the pub and later in your a ststl in shock. i can't speculate with someone emotionally upset. oh, yes, i send men out to die. the only way i can is with a calm and rational preparation. that's more important than any individual, it has to be, more

>> you toll general briggs you wanted to fly this mission. why? >> if something happened out there tomorrow and some young man died in my place, i couldn't live with myself. >> every man dies in his own time and place. your time will come. does that frighten you? >> of course it frightens me. it would be silly to say it didn't. it's my job, joe. i want to do it. >> bobby. >> yes, sir. >> tell my weather ficer he's standing down tomorrow. captain bates is going to fly

>> pilot to captain bates. >> yes. what is it? >> check your time. if you want to make it back by about five minutes. >> we can't turn around yet. i've got enough information. >> you turn and find a way around this froo, you ain't about to do it today. >> sir. >> yes, am. >> fly right in. >> into the storm? [thunder] >> yes.

of it so we can find a way for colonel gallagher to use it as a shield. radio man, are you listening to this? >> yes, ma'am, i am. >> then, start sending information back. i'll read it to you, and you keep sending it back. >> roger. >> fly into this storm. let's see if we can't find a way home on the other side. >> i reckon before. if you say so, ma'am.

>> in-flight weather, they're flying into thunder. >> what? >> they say there's a way to measure it. >> communications, colonel gallagher. let me monitor all of that traffic and weather too. >> yes, sir, standing by. >> 61 degrees north. 2 degrees. [indistinct shouting]

>> we're about 15,000 feet down. [indistinct shouting] >> ma'am, i've got my hands full. >> could you climb? >> man, i don't even think i c c fly much longer. >> well, try. try to get to 20,000 feet. everything it can do right now. i'm sorry. >> are we out of control?

and losing power. grab hold of something and hold tight because i ain't flying this plane any longer, the storm is. [thunder] >> we're out of it! >> yes, ma'am, and we're just about out pilot to crew, prepare for ditching and fast. >> whether 2 to base. whether 2 to base, we've broken through to base. >> we're out of it, sir.

>> whether ii to base, we're preparing to ditch. we'ree 2 minutes north. 5 degrees, 17 minutes east. 517 east. >> we're going down. >> give me a hand.

>> all right. check with rescue again. see if there's any word. i'll hold on. >> i can't wait any longer. it's not going to work. >> our weather officer has all of the informatatn. >> we inter septembereded it. it's not enough, and it doesn't tie together. >> yes. yes. i see. thank you. >> sorry, joe. >> if theree any chance of

>> there is a storm out there, and it's much too much for us to fly into. >ait for the weather to clear. that's all we can do. >> stay in touch with rescue and keep me informed, will you. >> yes, >> bobby, come in here, willll you. get the airplane ready. >> yes, sir. >> it's set for kruchlt>> what

>> i'm going to join the search. i can't scrub captain bates with the people i send her up with. >> rescue 2-0 to army 713. you're clear to search. we have an ir area. over. >> understand, rescue. dog 48 to dog zebra 49. >> the watat must be freezing. >> you know it. >eep your eye open for the

>> we're down on the safety mark. we're out of time. >> right. >> army 713 to rescue 20. army 713 to rescue 20. my view is critical. i have to turn back. we haven't seen a thing.

is that a smoke barrier? >> thank you for your 20/20 vision. >> army 713 to rescue 20. come inin

[music] >> rescue 20, this is army 713. how many survivors do you have? >> rescue 20 to 713. stand by. >> must have come down hard. >> rescue 20 to army 713. we're here with captain bates. she'll talk to you.

>> joe, you on? >> this is 713. >> anyone else get out? over. >> here, we did this apart. we're thank you. >> i need information from you fast. they called off the big missions. do you understand me? over. captain bates, do you read me? over. >> yes, colonel. i'm reading you. >> we got all of your reports, but we couldn't add them up. this whole report goes for nothing. over. >> 713, i forgot for a minute

of a map. >> pilot to radio, i want to encode a message to oxbury control. tell them i left the group on standby alert. they may go to cuba after all. >> yono override my orders on a mission without my knowledge. >> the only reason i asked you to come here is because i didn't have time to do that. >> you want to do this based on guesswork. >> you said it was scientific. >> from you, it's guesswork. >> kament an bates gets back, i'll listen to her. >> they want to pick up the rest of the survivors and pick them up in scotland. she won't be back in time. >> you're willing to base this on a conversation over the radio

>> before they ditched, she talked to me on the radio conversation. i now know the direction of the storm, its crosswinds, it's ceilings, it's temperature. >> all right. how do you put it to use? >> sir, i thought we'd go north, pick up a tail wind and ride it in. she said the storm would hit at 0600 and ground by noon. that will put out their radar. i could be bombing before they knew i was there. >> all right. my weather section confirms your weather calculations, i'll approve it. >> thank you, sir. >> navigator, our ground speed is 350-mile-per-hour. >> man, look at that air speed. can you believe that. well, the lady promised us a tail wind. >> sure did.

airplane at 350. they probably won't know the difference anyway. >> it may not be accurate, sandy, but it's fun. >> this is where she said to leave it. better start our descent. by the time we get down, we should be over there. sandy, fire those flares. [shot fired] >> they sent it, it's all yours. make it good. >> bombadier, it's all good. >> don't flack, not a fighter in sight. >> how could i have missed them?

>> we've got the 12 o'clock high. >> all right, close it up. close it up. the joyride's over. >> they'll give us all the trouble we can handle going

>> b-38, we're here to photograph the results. >> when i see an interrogation, i find it to be something like what joshua did to jericho. >> oh, excuse me, joe. there's something i forgot to say to major stillwell. >> captain, you deserve a medal.

mission. >> yes, sir. army 713, over and out. >> if i seemed unconcerned when we picked you up, i had to have that information in a hurry. >> i prized myself. i was feeling very feminine. i wanted somebody to care if i were alive or dead. we're on both sides, aren't we? mine is weather, war. we're both committed. >> i want to thank you for helping save my life and the lives of my men. >> good-bye, joe. >> good-bye. where are you going? >> to london to do my job from a desk. >> oh? well, then, i guess from time to time you'll be sending me weather reports.

occasionally periods of sunshine. >> well, then, my first sunshiney day, i should come back and start paying you some of the sunshine i owe you. >> sounds like a highly workable solution. >> oh, pat, i just realized something.