December 1939 story
As the 'Phoney War' draws to a close, Hornet Squadron begins to see more action. Hart is unimpressed by the tactics and skills of his fellow pilots when it takes six of them to destroy a single German bomber. In its first encounter with German fighters, one pilot, Miller, is killed and three Spitfires lost without any successes to show for it. In another sortie, Cox is badly wounded and an inexperienced pilot, flying at the rear of the tight formation that Rex demands, is picked off by a German fighter without anyone else in Hornet squadron noticing.
12 total · 1 choice · 5 major · 6 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| World War II | choice | The episode is set in the early part of the Second World War and tells the story of a squadron of Spitfire pilots as they defend Britain against the German Luftwaffe. Featured is the shift from the Phoney War period of the conflict to active hostilities. |
| coping with a loose cannon | major | Rex struggled to keep Chris Hart under control. He openly questioned the fighting tactics used by Hornet Squadron. |
| leadership | major | The story concerns Rex trying to maintain order and morale among the men in his fighter squadron. |
| life in late modern Europe | major | The viewer is shown what it might have been like to serve in the air force of the United Kingdom in the early stages of the Second World War. The story focused on Hornet Squadron, now stationed in northern France, making their first encounter with the formidable German Luftwaffe. |
| military related work | major | The viewer is shown what it might have been like to serve in the air force of the United Kingdom in the early stages of the Second World War. The story focused on Hornet Squadron, now stationed in northern France, making their first encounter with the formidable German Luftwaffe. |
| respect for an enemy | major | The story made a recurring point about the English pilots respecting their German counterparts: The English admired the daring taunt of the German pilot who had tossed a chamber pot on their airfield. One of the English spoke respectfully to a befuddled lone German survivor from the bomber they had shot down. The aforementioned chamber pot was tossed around at the headquarters and evidently kept as a curiosity of some interest. |
| boyfriend and girlfriend | minor | Things had gotten serious between Fitz and Nicole to the point where she wanted his baby. Flash and Mary were an item. |
| coping with sexual dysfunction | minor | Flash was having trouble in the bedroom. Mary tried to comfort him by comparing the doing of "it" to riding a bike. |
| coping with the death of someone | minor | Hornet Squadron briefly mourned Miller who had been killed in action. |
| military tactics | minor | Chris Hart, a seasoned American pilot, was critical of the tactics employed by his fellow pilots in the downing of a German bomber. Rex highlighted the importance of disciplined formation flying in battle. |