DIII88 Film Kurier English Translation Excerpt

The film D III 88 is not only a soldierly, an aeronautic and maritime spectacle. It simultaneously shows the always lurking incidents which decide between life and death, and which demand the utmost in cold-blooded circumspection. The plot is full of dramatic highpoints. With bated breath we follow the wrestling with luck or misfortune. This film also illuminates the human passions that occasionally break out of their reticence beneath the outer uniformed apparel.

Two highly reliable airmen who have been great friends up to now, get caught up in bitter enmity because of a misunderstanding stemming from a noble ambition. On a night flight over Germany, against orders, they get caught in a severe thunderstorm with fog and icing over. Much worse than the battle against the raging elements of the sky, is the loaded atmosphere in the cabin. The flight, which is tempting fate just to not seem weak before the others, ends with a crash that both survive. This understandably human loss of control is not consistent with military discipline, thus both men have placed their careers on the line. Both men are put on flight restriction and are not allowed to participate in the maneuver. Then the good shepherd of the airmen flock, Line Chief Bonicke, an old front soldier, comes to the rescue. The Commander lets himself be swayed, and the two prove themselves worthy of the trust which was returned to them with an incredible feat of flying. In contrast to the two heroes of flight, we have the pedagogical generosity and human kindness of the old tech sergeant, who amends his memory with the tragic death at the helm of the old war machine "D III 88".