The Blue Max

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Out of the way! Clear the way!

Move! Move!

That was a full bottle, Herr Leutnant.

Yes.

- You've just met Willi von Klugermann.

- Yes.

- I see you've heard of him.

- Oh, yes, I have.

- You must be...

- He's tearing the wings off.

Let him celebrate, Ziegel.

He shoots them down.

Yourjob is to keep him up there.

You must be the new replacement, Stachel.

Bruno Stachel, Herr Oberleutnant.

Are you the adjutant?

I fly a desk now.

Anti-aircraft fire.

Still, it could have got me

higher up, couldn't it?

Yes.

Wait here. I'll tell the CO you've arrived.

And if I were you, I'd button up thatjacket.

Ziegel, how soon can you

have us ready again?

Depends on how many

of the others have been hit.

I wasn't the only one.

I can't keep these barges flying for ever.

I'm not a magician.

No, Ziegel, you are a magician

whether you like it or not.

- Only 11 back, Herr Hauptmann.

- Yes. Mueller went down.

He didn't last long.

Fabian, how did we come to lose him?

I gave him the usual instructions, Herr

Hauptmann, but he wouldn't stay with me.

Too, uh, too keen.

Oh, by the way, Scholte's replacement's here.

Leutnant Bruno Stachel reporting

from 104 training school.

Your commanding officer,

Hauptmann Heidemann.

Ah, yes. Stachel. Come inside.

Herr Hauptmann.

- Stachel?

- Yes, sir.

Two years in the infantry. Any rank?

Corporal, Herr Hauptmann.

What made you transfer to the air corps?

To fly, Herr Hauptmann.

Are you a good flier?

I'm... comfortable in the air.

Comfortable. Are you? Interesting.

Willi!

Willi?

Very pretty flying.

I wish you would stop it. You'll live longer.

Sorry about that.

I see you are from Wiesbaden.

I've done some hunting round there.

- Who are your people?

- Herr Hauptmann?

I want to know something of your

background. What does your father do?

He works in a small hotel, Herr Hauptmann.

Five bedrooms.

Corporal, see the new officer's bags

are taken to the mess.

Herr Hauptmann.

Come into my office, Stachel.

Close the door, please.

I'm sorry if it bothers you

about what your father does.

It doesn't bother me, Herr Hauptmann.

Then why are you so touchy about it?

Well, you're an officer now.

Your social problems are no concern of ours.

Take a look at the map, Stachel.

Our operating area is between

Arras and St-Quentin.

The British also operate the area...

as you'll find out.

What did you train on?

The usual machine, Herr Hauptmann.

An out-of-date Pfalz.

That's what you'll fly here, too.

- But at flying school they told us...

- Flying school.

At flying school they'll tell you anything.

Up-to-date machines go

to experienced pilots.

Both are in short supply.

- It's a cruel worid, Stachel.

- Yes, Herr Hauptmann.

Welcome to the squadron. The truck

will take you to the mess with the others.

And Stachel?

Let's hope you get to like us.

He could have been lying

about the five bedrooms.

- His father was probably only a waiter.

- Just another snob, in fact.

Willi, there's something I haven't told you.

I have an uncle in the hotel business.

I admit he's a baron,

and the hotel has 500 bedrooms,

but you do see the position it places me in.

# There was a town in Poland

# And there a girl we found

# Lovely...

- Want a cigarette?

- Thank you.

# She was the loveliest maid

that ever we beheld

# But "Do not kiss me, please" she said

# "I never kiss"

You've got 18, haven't you?

Squadron rule number one, Stachel.

Gentlemen never parade

their military achievements.

Any rule against saying

how long it took you?

I would say that was covered

by the same rule, wouldn't you?

No, I wouldn't. How many rules are there?

I don't know. None of them

have been written down.

# She was the haughtiest maid

that ever we beheld

# But "Do not kiss me, please" she said

# "I never kiss"

# She was the haughtiest maid

that ever we beheld

# But "Do not kiss me, please" she said

# "I never kiss"

It seems you're next to me

in Scholte's old room. Number 11.

Scholte?

Your predecessor. He didn't last long,

unfortunately. An unhappy young man.

Yes, he forgot to keep looking over

his shoulder. Worth remembering.

They come fast, out of the sun.

Thank you.

Willi, what do you think of him?

Gonna have a drink?

Oh.

They haven't removed poor Scholte's card.

How very tactless of them.

I just thought you should know

we don't dress for dinner here.

Von Richthofen, I see. Your hero?

He's done it all. Two more kills,

you'll have one of those.

Mm.

A pretty medal, the Blue Max.

It's the only one worth having.

People respect it.

The medal or the man?

The usual routine, Fabian. You know

what they're like the first time in combat.

- Of course.

- Keep your eye on him.

Here - isn't it nice to hear

the birds again, Herr Hauptmann?

Listen to that.

They won't be here long.

When our offensive starts...

- Good luck, Fabian.

- Herr Hauptmann.

What is it?

Stachel, fly on Fabian's left

and a little behind him.

- Watch for his signals.

- Yes, Herr Hauptmann.

And relax. Get the balloon

and come straight back.

You'll find balloons burn beautifully.

Switches on.

Is that Army Observation?

Adjutant, squadron 11, here.

One of our pilots claims an SE5

shot down in sector five.

- Yes.

- Can you confirm, please?

Yes. About 0700 hours.

- Perhaps Fabian made a forced landing.

- I don't know.

Yes? Sector five, on our side of the line.

You did? Fine.

Go on.

In midair?

- Did yours explode?

- No.

Yes. We do have a pilot missing.

- That'll be him, I'm afraid.

- Ask him.

Thanks. Goodbye.

- But...

- Only Fabian. He never got out. No SE5.

But somebody must have seen

my SE5 go down.

Not necessarily.

It often happens.

No confirmation, no claim.

That's a squadron rule.

But I saw it. It was a kill.

Then you have the deep satisfaction of

knowing you have served the fatherland.

It went down here, our side of the line.

Why couldn't the army look for it?

- They have other things to do.

- Somebody must have seen it.

Fabian might have seen it.

Corporal Rupp? We're gonna search

sector five. Get your motorcycle.

- But...

- Be in the mess in five minutes.

Herr Leutnant.

- Back to the mess, Herr Leutnant?

- No, I'm gonna search that wood over there.

- You already have, Herr Leutnant.

- What?

You searched that one an hour ago.

Well, we're gonna search it again.

What's the matter, Rupp?

Too close to the guns for you?

- Thank you, Corporal.

- It's been a pleasure, Herr Leutnant.

You have finished

your wild-goose chase, I hope.

- Yes, Herr Hauptmann.

- Found nothing, huh?

No.

If every pilot were to go careering around

France looking for unconfirmed aircraft,

there'd be no air force left.

And Corporal Rupp has

more important things to do.

- Do you understand?

- Yes, Herr Hauptmann.

"Unconfirmed by army" means

"unconfirmed", and that's final.

Good night, Stachel.

Stachel!

Come and join us.

- Brandy, please.

- Champagne, Herr Leutnant.

Willi got his 20th kill today.

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