Steeple Bassington, England, 1943. The United States Army Air Force's 8th Air Force, 103rd Heavy Bombardment Group, is mired in moral-lowering night-time bombing missions that are simultaneously dangerous and relatively ineffective against the German war-making machine. Commanding Officer Colonel Greg Brandon has repeatedly made requests to his superior, General Palmer, for consideration of an ambitious bombing plan: one thousand planes flown over Germany...in broad daylight. Now, Supreme Allied Command is ready to listen and George must make his case particularly to disapproving General Conway - for such a risky plan; a plan that could render the Army Air Force powerless should losses exceed Colonel Brandon's predictions. Hard-ass, by-the-book Colonel Brandon gets the nod and he begins to re-build the sloppy 103rd, trying to weed out the incompetents and cowards like Lieutenant Archer, while pushing too hard against the rest. Colonel Brandon's growing doubt about the feasibility of his own plan isn't soothed by increasing tension between himself and lover WAC Lieutenant Gabrielle Ames and with the cheeky insubordination of banished RAF fighter pilot Wing Commander Trafton 'Taffy' Howard.