Produced by Kermit Bloomgarden and directed by John O'Shaughnessy, it ran for 409 performances from October 1, 1947, to September 18, 1948, at the Fulton Theatre in New York City.
Haines, a novelist, served during World War II as an intelligence officer on the staff of the U.S. Eighth Air Force in England between 1942 and 1945.
Dialogue describing the infighting to build strategic airpower over the two decades preceding U.S. participation in World War II, particularly spoken by General Kane, are thinly disguised versions of actual events and personages.
[1] About 4 P.M. on a Saturday afternoon In the second half of 1943, War correspondent Elmer Brockhurst enters the headquarters office of the commanding general of the U.S. Army Air Forces' Fifth Bombardment Division .
Harold Evans, about a mysterious German fighter under guard in a hangar and the record losses of B-17s on a mission the day before, then tries to milk him for information about the arrest of a squadron commander, Captain Lucius Jenks.
Kane takes Jenks outside to talk to him privately; in his absence Garnett quibbles with Dennis over the danger inherent in Ted Martin leading missions.
Evans steers the visitors out of the office on a pretext, allowing Dennis time with Martin, who reveals that they attacked the wrong target.
Lt. Goldberg, a bombardier, enters with photographs identifying the target struck in error, the revelation of the mistake triggering shock and outrage in the others.
Garnett's presence strongly implies to both that unless low loss missions are laid on, to strengthen the Air Force's position at a resource allocation conference in the Pentagon in three days, either or both might be relieved of command.
A rare stretch of clear weather, about to end, presents an opportunity to complete the operation before the Luftwaffe can mount an impenetrable defense.
Sunday Noon, the following day The second attack on Schweinhafen is already underway as Kane's aide gives a scripted presentation promoting strategic airpower to the visiting congressional committee.
Dennis enters to see if there is any further news about Martin's fate, and commiserates with Garnett, stunning him with the disclosure that their seemingly imperturbable predecessor, Joe Lucas, actually died a suicide after repeatedly ordering men to their deaths.
George Washington Culpepper Lee, who looks forward to a "milk run" for the final mission of his tour, Garnett makes the command decision to attack Fendelhorst while the weather permits.
The set depicts one end of a large, curved-roofed Nissen hut with the entrance door on the back wall left, entering from an ante-room.