A dramatization of the American general and his court martial for publically complaining about High Command's dismissal and neglect of the aerial fighting forces.
The true story of General Billy Mitchell, a pioneering crusader for the Army's fledgling air corp. In spite of an impressive performance during the First World War, the commanders of America's armed forces still think of the airplane as little more then a carnival attraction. Even after sinking an "unsinkable" captured German battleship from the air, Mitchell sees funds dry up and friends die due to poor equipment. He is court-martialed after questioning the loyalty of his superiors for allowing the air corp to deteriorate.—KC Hunt <[email protected]>
In the early 1920s Brigadier General William "Billy" Mitchell of the US Army is a staunch advocate of the importance of air power. He is constantly writing letters to any powers that will listen, stressing that the US should upgrade its air forces and use them in bombing roles. When he gets a chance to demonstrate the power of aircraft he is forced to break the rules and disobey orders in order to make his point. For this he is demoted and sent to a remote posting. There he ruffles feathers even more by telling the press how regressive and incompetent the powers-that-be are. For this he is court martialled.—grantss
Having served a so-far distinguished and successful career in the US Army, General Billy Mitchell finds himself writing letters and making representations to army leadership, about the need to improve their approaches to security and defence; namely in terms of airplane and ground safety and fleet capacity.A close friend and former colleague is forced within his defence service role, to fly a plane, knowing it is defective and may not arrive safely, and dies. Mitchell becomes convinced that his representations have fallen on deaf ears, which is proven by a visit to Washington where he is refused meetings over a period of 2 weeks.This brings him to breaking point where he holds a press conference, criticising government and military leadership for their refusal to engage on organisational best practice questions.An ensuing court marshal sets out to prove that he is guilty of insubordination. The court marshal has raised questions for the public about claimed numbers of planes in the air force fleet, and their condition and serviceability, as well as safety concerns for both air and ground operations. The conclusion of the court marshal is that he is found guilty, and dismissed from the military.The last scene is a little sad where he comes down from his military accommodation in Washington (while the court marshal has been ongoing) where he comes downstairs in a suit. His former colleagues and sub-ordinates are standing to attention in respect, but he is a little uncomfortable as he no longer holds any authority.
