Hell in the Heavens

During World War I, American ace pilot Lieutenant Steve Warner leads a group of replacements for the French Escadrille squadron headed by Captain Andre DeLaage, whose ranks of the best flyers have been drastically reduced by the German ace known only as "The Baron." When German planes strafe the base, Steve carries Aimee, a French girl who refused to leave after her father was killed at Verdun, into a trench for protection despite her spirited objections. The flyers keep the only bottle of bourbon left after the raid as the "bottle of death" to be used only to toast the downing of German flyers. During a morning patrol, Andre is shot down by The Baron, who returns his helmet by parachute. Steve, now first in command, vows to bring The Baron down. He shoots down Schroeder, a German officer who tells him that The Baron, an avid hunter of wild animals, has already shot down thirty-two pilots. When a new man, Corporal Teddy May, repeatedly turns back after going on a number of missions because of disturbing dreams he has had of falling in flames, Steve talks with him. Steve then himself has dreams of being shot down by The Baron. Steve is comforted by Aimee, who now loves him despite the fact that they can barely understand each other. When Steve's second-in-command is forced down and reports The Baron's whereabouts, Steve shoots The Baron's plane down, but during his celebration, Schroeder reports that the burned pilot was actually The Baron's younger brother. After Steve proposes to Aimee and makes plans to go with her on an eight-day leave to Paris, May's plane is shot down in flames by The Baron, who sends a message of challenge to Steve. Despite Aimee's pleas, Steve flies up alone. During their dogfight, Steve's gun jams, so he crash dives into The Baron's plane. On the ground, Steve pulls The Baron out of his plane before it explodes. When they drink a toast from the "bottle of death," Stephen is surprised to hear The Baron confess relief that he can now sleep without dreams of dying.