MovieChat Forums > Twelve O'Clock High (1950) Discussion > Question for those who have read the boo...

Question for those who have read the book:

posted 13 years ago by MadTom
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Did the book ever explain how Brigadier General Savage was actually given command of the 918th Bomb Group, which was a Bird Colonel's slot and effectively a demotion (although without a cut in pay)? I know the movie doesn't. I've never seen a copy of the book.

The real-life brigadier generals of whom Savage was a composite, Frank Armstrong and Frederick Castle, were bomb wing commanders, meaning back in World War II that they were in command of a higher echelon unit made up of two or more bomb groups. The wing didn't have its own aircraft and the wing commander when flying usually rotated among the subordinate groups. (Today a bomb wing is composed of a bomb group and a combat support group.) A wing may be commanded by a brigadier general or a bird colonel, but a group is normally commanded by a bird colonel, occasionally a lieutenant colonel about to be promoted, but never a brigadier general.

What should have happened in order for Savage, as a BG, to lead the 918th and get it back into shape, was that after Colonel Davenport was relieved, Cobb or one of the other squadron commanders should have been given official command of the group on paper (actually Gately should have been placed in command except that it was established up front that Savage thought he was yellow and incompetent). Savage should have then been detached from Bomber Command HQ as a "special observer" to the 918th in de facto command. This would be something akin to the way, after Ulysses S. Grant was promoted to command of the entire US Army in 1864, he left William Tecumseh Sherman in command of the Western Theater, and effectively took direct command of the Eastern Theater by co-locating his headquarters with that of George G. Meade's Army of the Potomac, spending the rest of the Civil War looking over Meade's shoulder and breathing down his neck.

Never having had access to it, I suspect that Beirne Lay Jr. actually wrote the original novel that way, but when converting it to a screenplay decided that it would be too complicated to explain it to the audience. Does anyone have the answer?

[–] vonmazur 13 years ago

Mad Tom: I have never seen the book, so I cannot say rightly.But you are correct in the TO&E analysis, I just do not know for sure, may Hollywood was looking for some kind of "Hook" to interest the viewers...

The only "real" book dealing with this subject I have read is "Serenade to the Big Bird" and that actually has some of the subject matter that appears in the film..Like a lot of Hollywood stuff, I just have no idea how to explain their disconnect with what really happened...

Dale

"If those sweethearts won't face German bullets--They'll face French ones!"

[–] njbucks 13 years ago

I'm lucky enough to have a couple of copies of the book in the paperback movie tie-in format (Gregory Peck painted portrait on the cover) and maybe can answer a few of your questions.

In the book, Savage is a newly minted Brigadier now working on the Pinetree staff of Gen. Pritchard (obviously Ira Eaker, 8th AF commander)after having been a group commander and leading the inital missions of the 8th over France. When Savage identifies the problem (not shared by the other operational bomb groups) with the 918th as the group commander, Davenport, General Pritchard relieves Davenport. When he tells Savage the job is his, Pritchard makes it clear that group command is below his pay grade and that Savage has already flown his share of combat missions, but that he only trusts Savage to turn things around before the problem with the 918th spreads to the entire bomber campaign. Realistic or historical? Maybe not, but clear why Savage gets the job (and a bit or irony in that the book relates how in the peacetime AAF, Davenport relieved Savage in a command job because Savage drove the men too hard). There is also another general officer in the book, a two-star named Ed Henderson who is presumptively, a fictional Fred Anderson, who is a Bomb Division commander and Savage's operational boss. The conflict between Henderson and Savage, especially over the snafued Regensburg/Schwinfurt mission (although they called the cities by fictional names) is a major plot point in the book, but is missing from the movie.

Also missing are some other elements which would have made the movie more Hollywood, such as a love affair between Savage and a British WAAF officer; a love affair Savage can't or won't consummate because of the great pressure he has put on his men and himself. Some characters who die in the movie, such as Jesse Bishop, survive (albeit in capivity at a Luft Stalag)and there is more fleshing out of his and many other characters.

Hope this helps. The book is a great read and if I can help you with any other details let me know.