Twelve O’Clock High

This film addresses the area of leading strategically.  Dashing Gregory Peck stars as General Frank Savage, commander of the 8th Air Force during World War II. Loosely based on the true story of Major General Frank A. Armstrong, TWELVE O’CLOCK HIGH begins with Savage appearing to be a fearless fighter with almost no compassion for his men.

Told in flashback from the perspective of Major Harvey Stovall (Dean Jagger), the story unfolds as Savage takes over Stovall’s Bomb Group in 1942.  The bombing unit is in a demoralised state  and Savage realises that in order to build up his men, he must first break down their defiant, defeatist attitudes. He has a strategy which at first is not appreciated by his men as he accomplishes his goal with a series of summary commands. The troops rebel, but Savage doesn’t ease up. And slowly, as the ragtag 918th Bomber Group sees itself metamorphose into a crack squad of precision bombers, its members come to appreciate the new CO’s tactics.