Directed by: Barry Shear
Written by: Philip De Guere
Part 1 of 2.
According to a newsreel, Rabaul will fall by Christmas. Major Boyington says in his voice-over that the prediction was wrong.
The Black Sheep are looking forward to the nurses' rotation. The outgoing nurses take note of how nicely dressed the Black Sheep are, and how they hadn't gotten that dressed up since they themselves came in. Boyington falls in love with Lt. Caroline Holden (Linda Scruggs Bogart).
The war is not going well. Lt. French's plane is seriously damaged by the enemy and French is seriously injured. After crash landing, he would have died except Boyington risks his own life to pull French out, and burns his hands in the effort.
After getting his hands wrapped up in bandages, Boyington puts Captain Gutterman in command of the squadron, but Gutterman frets he's not ready for command.
Tropes
- Coming in Hot: Quite literally when Lt. French crash lands with his plane on fire. Major Boyington pulls French out of the cockpit, burning his own hands in the rescue.
- Eternal Sexual Freedom: Captain Gutterman is very annoyed to see Major Boyington and Lt. Holden kissing, about to have sex on the beach, because of his personal conflict with his commanding officer, and not because of the cultural mores of the period.
- News Reel: A news reel explains the strategic importance of Rabaul to the war effort.
- To Be Continued: These words appear centered in all-caps just before the end credits.
