The Blue Max Page #4

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That late? I must have fallen asleep

during your speech.

Hans, some wine for the musician.

White.

Well, I suppose I might as well say it.

Say what?

You're beautiful.

- So are you.

- Hm.

And where is Herr General... your husband?

- Oh, he doesn't worry about me.

- He doesn't?

Hm.

Well, he should.

By now he's with the Countess von Hoehlen.

On my right at dinner.

They play war games together.

Do these games go on until morning?

Sometimes.

My husband finds them very absorbing.

It's a very heavy responsibility

being a general.

That depends how good you are at tactics...

Herr Leutnant.

- Your wine, Herr Leutnant.

- Hm.

Thank you, Herr Leutnant.

It has been a long day.

- Hans.

- Yes, Herr Leutnant.

I want you to go to your mistress and

tell her I think I know what she means.

- Now, Herr Leutnant?

- Now.

Come in.

I knew you would come. Darling, I am...

Tactics.

Oh, you fool.

There's a heap of letters in your room,

Herr Leutnant, from all over Germany.

Any of them perfumed?

Yes, Herr Leutnant.

There's one from Stuttgart.

- Towards the end she says...

- Yes?

Herr Leutnant.

Ah!

Hello, Cobra. How was Berlin?

Hectic.

I brought you a present, Willi.

A souvenir.

Kind of you.

I doubt if our tastes coincide.

Oh, but they do.

Glasses?

Thank you.

Prost.

Prost.

Excellent.

What year is this?

Uh...

We've tolerated you here

because we've had to.

One of these days, Stachel...

or should I call you Bruno?

One of these days I'm going

to shake you up... considerably.

It will give me pleasure, Willi.

I'll look forward to it.

I wonder if you're as good

as you think you are...

in or out of bed.

Well, Otto?

Thousands of trucks carrying troops.

I flew over two miles of them.

And it's continuous, like the anti-aircraft fire.

Um... the new replacements.

They've just arrived. They're only half-trained.

I want every man in the air tomorrow,

including replacements.

To sum up, then, our offensive

has come to a standstill.

A massive enemy counterattack

is developing.

The Americans are pouring men

into the battle area.

Our army is hard-pressed.

We are outnumbered in the air,

and our observation planes are

shot down before they can report.

High Command urgently wants information.

Today I shall lead the squadron on

a decoy mission to divert British patrollers.

Meanwhile, an observation plane will

attempt a photographic reconnaissance

of the area around Amiens.

I want two of you to provide close escort.

Stachel.

All right.

Rendezvous at 0800 hours over sector three.

You'll fly the two triplanes. Take care.

They are the last ones we are likely to get.

Questions?

All right, gentlemen.

Stachel?

Did you meet my wife at the hospital?

Yes, Herr Hauptmann.

Was she all right?

She is well, Herr Hauptmann.

Thank you. Good luck.

Where's Willi?

He's dead.

He was flying too low. He hit the trees.

- What happened?

- He hit the trees!

I landed. There wasn't anything I could do.

He was a better man than you.

Well, he's dead.

- Is that your test?

- Yes.

And that was his test too.

- What do you mean?

- Herr Hauptmann.

Air Observation report

two British planes down in sector nine.

Willi didn't die for nothing.

I'm glad of that, Karl.

We can tell the family.

They'll be proud of him.

What makes you think he shot them down?

You mean they're yours?

- Why do you think they're not?

- Well, are they?

Willi killed himself trying to fly me

into the ground and went in instead.

I'm asking you if those two planes

are yours or Willi's.

All right. They're mine! They belong to me!

Stachel?

I just read your armourer's report.

Your guns were jammed.

You only fired 40 rounds.

40 rounds?

Two three-second bursts.

Is your marksmanship that good?

Yes.

I'm not confirming

these two victories, Stachel.

But I will report your astonishing

marksmanship to Air Headquarters.

Firing party, right wheel!

Firing party, halt!

Left turn.

Order arms.

Otto, the general has asked me to tell you

he's seen the report to headquarters.

The two victories claimed by Stachel

are to be confirmed.

The general feels you are inclined

to be prejudiced against this officer.

Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel

quia visitavit et fecit

redemptionem plebis suae.

In domo David, pueri sui.

Sicut locutus est per os sanctorum,

qui a saeculo sunt, prophetarum eius.

Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine,

et lux perpetua luceat ei.

Requiescat in pace.

In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.

Firing party, load!

Present.

Fire.

Reload.

Present.

Fire.

Reload.

Present.

Fire.

I hope the owner of this place

is as discreet as he looks, darling.

He should be. I paid him enough.

What's the matter?

Nothing.

It's that bad, is it?

You'll have to decide

which you prefer - this or women.

Why can't I have both?

You're soaked through.

You should take better care of yourself.

Are you interested?

Yes.

Don't you believe that?

Certainly.

But you were interested in Willi, too.

Tell me...

how did you feel today at the funeral?

You know... he never did

accept me as his equal.

In or out of bed.

You're deliciously crude, darling.

You amuse me.

- I?

- People like you.

The count. Willi.

Amuse, or shock?

I said amuse.

I adore your innocence.

You really believe your betters

should behave better, don't you?

Don't patronise me.

Not if it offends you.

Darling? My feelings for you have

nothing to do with the death of Willi.

You and I are alike, Bruno.

You're good for me.

Willi was a fool.

He didn't die in battle.

He died trying to prove

he could fly better than I can.

- What?

- We played a game.

In and out of the trees. He lost.

But I was the bigger fool.

I claimed two planes he shot down.

I shouldn't have done that.

I can get 20 victories without anyone's help.

That game, whatever it was,

it was about me, wasn't it?

In a way, yes.

I find that exciting.

Would you die for me like Willi did?

No.

Are you sure?

It lasted about ten minutes.

They came in low. Sopwiths.

They hit the fuel dumps.

We are being blasted out of the skies.

I tell you, the fuel dumps have gone!

Now, Ziegel, let's get this mess cleared up.

I want to be airborne again by tomorrow.

Come on, Ziegel.

All squadrons have now been ordered

to concentrate on the Marmont sector.

The enemy have just achieved

a major breakthrough.

12 enemy divisions are moving up

on the Marmont road.

They are our target.

There is to be no air combat.

No air combat. Understood?

Yes, Herr Hauptmann.

Our army's in retreat so we must do

the same. Understood, Herr Hauptmann.

Stachel!

Your personal ambitions

take second place to the war.

Hurry up! They're closing in!

Fire!

Five... six...

seven.

Come on. All of you.

Otto, are you all right?

You have cost nearly half the squadron.

We shot down seven planes.

Three of them were mine.

Now you have got 22.

You and I know that 20

wasn't enough for you.

The Blue Max is more than

a medal to you. It's a badge.

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