Savage wants the 918th to try a new technique, bombing on the leader. Instead of each bombardier sighting his own target and then making his own bomb run, the entire group would synchronize with the lead bombardier, and when he drops, the whole Group drops. Both Generals Crowe & Pritchard oppose the idea, but Savage presses for it. His lead crew consists of Bishop, Zimmerman, & Mellon. Mellon has been recommended for the DFC for a previous mission. When his best friend, the Navigator, was badly wounded, Mellon stayed at his post and made the bomb run anyway. The run was successful, but the friend died. Mellon is shaken, and on the next mission, the entire group misses and bombs a school. Unsure whether it was faulty equipment or his error, Mellon no longer wants to be lead bombardier. Savage pushes Mellon, and they go up again and successfully bomb the target.

Andy Lathrop is an unsophisticated Tennessee boy. Flying as Savage's lead bombardier, he saves Savage's life, gets promoted to 1st Lieutenant, and gets recommended for the DFC. On leave, he meets and falls in love with Barmaid Mary Lean and asks her to marry him; she agrees. Later, the pub she and her father have is destroyed during an air raid, and Mary is killed. Crazed with grief, he goes AWOL. He and Savage talk, and he reconsiders and returns to duty a little wiser. Savage works to transform this awkward youth with surprising talents into an able serviceman.