Jim Gordon [John Wayne] leads the Flying Tigers, a squadron of volunteer American pilots who fly Curtiss P-40C fighters against Japanese aircraft in the skies over China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The men are a mixed bag, driven by the lure of bounties for each aircraft downed and by the pure thrill of aerial combat.
One day, Jim’s old friend Woody Jason [John Carroll] shows up—an arrogant, hot-shot aviator who immediately stirs trouble. When the Japanese raid the Flying Tigers’ airbase, Woody darts into action, taking up a P-40 without permission and discovering too late that it has no ammunition. He is shot down, his plane a total wreck, but he survives. As time passes, Woody reveals little respect for teamwork, alienating and endangering the other pilots. He even abandons his wingman, Blackie Bales [Edmund MacDonald], to chase a Japanese aircraft. Blackie is attacked and forced to bail out of his burning P-40, and while suspended in his parachute, he is strafed and killed by the Japanese pilot.
Woody’s reckless streak extends to romance as well, as he pursues nurse Brooke Elliott [Anna Lee], whom many of the Tiger pilots regard as Jim’s girlfriend. On a night out together, Woody’s late return for a patrol prompts Jim to step back and let Hap Davis [Paul Kelly], Jim’s trusted right-hand man who has already been grounded for vision problems at night, take his place. The result is disastrous: Hap misjudges distances in the dogfight and dies in a collision with a Japanese aircraft he is pursuing.
The clash leaves Jim with a hard choice. He confronts Woody and fires him, delivering a blunt message about the discipline the unit must maintain: > It's out of my hands now. None of these men will ever fly with you again. And they have to fly.
The day following the Pearl Harbor attack—Sunday, December 7, 1941—Jim learns that a vital bridge must be destroyed. The target is heavily defended, and the plan hinges on flying a single, unescorted bomber at very low altitude, a move that feels almost suicidal. Jim volunteers to fly the mission, but Woody insists on joining at the last moment, much to Jim’s irritation. They succeed in destroying the bridge, but too late to prevent a crucial enemy supply train from crossing.
Back in the air, the bomber is struck by flak and set ablaze. Jim bails out, aided by an unexpected push from Woody, who hopes to follow. Yet Woody reveals he has been wounded by flak and cannot escape. He crashes into the train, sacrificing himself to complete the mission.
