User Reviews

The director Boris Segal directed several good films. The star Christopher George was a good actor with a strong presence on film. Laraine Stephens had a great naked back and good hair. There is a terrific low flying stunt (repeated scene several times) with a B-17 wing just above the ground. There is excellent cutting with stock combat footage from the Second World War.

Yet all that amounts to not that much. A television writer Donald Sanford wrote a script that might have worked for a made-for-television feature. Even though the narrative comes from an actual raid, the complexities of the script—the hardbound commander never quite engages viewers—at least it did not engage this viewer. I kept wondering what purpose Gabrielle had on the English base other than sleeping with Commander Brandon. The film lacks any sense of majesty, terror, or depth. It seems another mindless war movie made in the late sixties but reflecting an earlier ethos. I kept wondering what the BBC would have done with this material. Review updated: This is a good-looking film with attention to sets and design. Editing is extremely good.

Amusing piece of waffle with a brief acknowledgement that the UK actually did fight from their home country, and in fact did mount the first 1000 bomber raid on Germany. Throw in a stereo typical RAF upper class twit to teach the Yanks Fighter Tactics.. I wish they wouldn't assume all RAF fighter Pilots were like that.. Many were Sergeant Pilots and my 86 year old Neighbour, A Spitfire Pilot with 8 kills to his Credit speaks broad Geordie (To our American Pals a Dialect found in the Newcastle area of North East England which can hardly be called upper class.) Still the footage of the B17s was brilliant and did these wonderful Planes credit ) There were several correct statements , particularly that night Bombing carried out by the RAF in the early days was terribly inaccurate, at least until 'Gee' and 'Oboe'(Radio position systems) came into service. Remember that the Luftwaffe switched to night bombing of British Cities during 1940-1941 because of their Losses. However a good piece of escapism anyway,with many inaccuracies, but someone did at least attempt some Historic research...

"Mosquito Squadron" director Boris Sagal and "Midway" scenarist Donald S. Sanford teamed up for this underwhelming World War II aerial combat epic about a celebrated 1000 bomber raid over Nazi-occupied Germany. Anybody who remembers how much fuss the British raised over "U-571" because we Americans took credit for capturing a vital piece of Nazi technology-- Enigma and cipher keys--can only imagine the umbrage the Brits must have taken over this winged wonder! Square-jawed "Rat Patrol" star Christopher George plays the hot-tempered United States Army Air Force Colonel Gregg Brandon of the 103rd Bomb Group of the 8th Air Force. He has been a vocal proponent of an audacious 1000 plane raid despite the surfeit of problems such a gargantuan air strike would entail. Actually, the Royal Air Force launched on three of these widespread raids, and we Americans never embarked a single sortie! Donald Sanford does a competent job of orchestrating conflict that brings these three fliers together. Nevertheless, he could have spared us the disposable romance between our Colonel and an attractive WAC Lieutenant Gabrielle Ames (Laraine Stephens of "Hellfighters") and their eventual rendezvous that concludes with smoking cigarettes! Brandon's conduct unbecoming, literally pulling rank to bed down this babe, ignited no firestorms of controversy back in 1969. However, contemporary feminists may not be so unforgiving about this inappropriate sexual liaison. Meantime, Sagal and Sanford drew on Robert Vincent Wright's adaptation of Ralph Barker's superb 1965 history book "The Thousand Plane Raid." Obviously, since the producers were catering to an American audience, they decided to revise history and made this the initial RAF raid into a strictly American mission. Serious cineastes may object to this cultural appropriation, but Hollywood often did this with World War II movies.

Apart from a number of American characters actors led by veteran character actor J. D. Cannon of "McCloud" and George, this Army Air Forces mission movie is sadly too superficial to be memorable as well as hopelessly heavy-handed, especially George's performance. He behaves like a grizzly throughout the picture. Lieutenant Archer's treatment of his B-17 generates ill-will between Colonel Brandon and Archer. Surprisingly, RAF Wing Commander Trafton Howard (Gary Marshal of "Camelot") steps in and straightens out the poor lad. This subplot overshadows the film. Interestingly, Howard hails from a long line of reckless aviators that would culminate with 'Maverick' (Tom Cruise) in "Top Gun." The story is told largely from the perspective of our martinet commander who doesn't give anybody a break. Early in the action, Brandon confides in General Cotten Palmer (J. D. Cannon) that he suspects his men know he is doing his best to get them killed. Clearly, Christopher George's Brandon was struck from the same mold as Gregory Peck's commander in "Twelve O'clock High" (1949).

Meantime, a brash British RAF pilot has been reassigned to Brandon's wing so the Yanks can benefit from his considerable experience as a of fighter pilot. Howard has shot down 18 German planes. The pretext of assigning a fighter pilot to a bomber squadron as a disciplinary action seems wasteful, but it makes lots of sense. After all, who else than Howard would be willing to teach Archer how to fly. Colonel Brandon, Lieutenant Archer (Ben Murphy of "Alias Smith & Jones") and Wing Commander Howard dominate the first and the final scenes in this predictable 94-minute movie.

After he sells his 1000 plane bombing raid to his superiors in both the American and British commands, Brandon must chew up his own squadron with constant drills to improve their lackluster performance over targets. Lieutenant Archer emerges as the problem pilot for Brandon as well as his whipping boy. After Archer abandons a mission because he felt his controls were faulty, Brandon is determined to wash the young pilot out of the Air Force! Meantime, reassigned to Brandon's command, Wing Commander Howard brands the Colonel's mission the work of a madman. He predicts absolute disaster. At the same time, Brandon continues to crack down on his men. Howard intervenes on Archer's behalf and they take up an airship without permission, a stunt that Howard has undoubtedly done before with RAF equipment. He coaches young Archer about aircraft in general and the B-17 in particular. Imagine Brandon's rage when he returns to the base and learns that somebody has hijacked his bomber and is conducting a joyride over the airfield!

Happily, for the sake of authenticity, "633 Squadron" producer Lewis J. Rachmil secured three vintage Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers and surrounded them with lots of colorized combat footage. The primitive special effects of a German Messerschmitt ME 109 flying alongside Colonel Brandon's command ship is abysmal. The footage of the ME-109 approaching Archer's plane on a strafing run looks like it was lifted from "The Great Escape" (1963) and later "633 Squadron" (1964). The American air base looks believable enough as do the military uniforms. Meanwhile, "The 1000 Plane Raid" amounts to a one-sided spectacle of World War II because it never dramatizes the enemy's reaction to the bombardment. A peripheral romance subplot between the fiery Colonel and a young, blonde Lieutenant could have been jettisoned. At times, George overplays his intrepid Colonel, while J. D. Cannon turns in another top-notch performance. Recycled cliches ranging from combat gun camera footage, stereotypical tough guys, to hopelessly predictable plotting take all of the fun out of this strained exercise in aerial combat.

Christoper George's portrayal of a bomb group commander is terrible. He ruins the film for me and I really waned to like it! Hoping it would be like Memphis Belle! But Colonel Brandon is a terrible character. He doesn't listen to the men. Doesn't take anyone's advice. Goes off half-cocked before he's got all the information. Downright mean and condescending to his officers and mechanics. And even blames another pilot when he himself crashes a B-17! He's rude to his girlfriend and is really not appealing in any way. (Besides fraternizing with a subordinate officer, you wonder what she's sees in this jerk?) You actually hope he gets shot or crashes. So, I expected maybe this was part of the plot and he'd come around eventually and maybe even his pilots and crews would come to understand and respect him. Nope. Instead, he crashes on take off and shows up late to the big bomber formation and starts barking orders based on some special intuition that only he has. Then, he manages to get his whole crew shot up and never once gives LT Archer, a young pilot he grounded, a chance to actually pilot the bomber. Instead, he flies the entire mission himself refusing to give up the controls. He nearly crashes and Archer has to take over at the last moment. No decent pilot or commander would behave this way. What a jackass! When the wounded crew climb out of the burning wreck, the one he caused, everyone shows up to praise him and his plan, including his girlfriend (she doesn't seem to have a job). Does he turn to the young lieutenant and thank him for saving his life? Does he tell his men, great job! Nope. Instead he accepts all the praise for himself and barks at everyone "don't just stand there, you have a briefing to get to." And the credits rolls. No redemption, no payoff.

This is a poor man's "Twelve O'Clock High". Even some of the characters track: a pushy commanding officer with an idea and a leadership problem, an adjutant (only a woman this time to try to appeal to the female audience). There is even an attitude-changing event (getting wounded) during the last raid that tries to turn him into more of a likable human being. However, there was one statement he made during a briefing that turned out to be very accurate in real life. During one briefing on his idea of a 1,000 plane raid, the British were insisting on a night raid, the American Colonel Brandon said, "If the Germans couldn't bomb the British into submission, what makes us think we can do it to them?"

WARNING SPOILER ALERT: A low budget Quinn Martin style version of the USAA bombing runs into Germany in 1943. Long range fighter escorts were not available then, and the B17s didn't have chin turrets to protect against head on attacks until later, so the bombers suffered high loss rates.

Update: According to wikipedia this was actually a Royal Air Force raid on Cologne (Koln), so this film's historical accuracy as to the USAAF's planning for and participation in the raid is doubtful.

Despite the participation of some of the best stunt pilots in the business, and despite their flying a B17 WAY too low, this film has a poor reputation among airmen who know better. Bonus: about half way through the film, Chris George and Laraine Stephens talk in his office. Just before she tells him she loves him, he takes off his hat, rubs the back of his neck, and flips the bird. Her face and the bird are in the same shot. I'd love to hear the story behind THAT one.