D III 88 (1939)

D III 88 (sometimes written as DIII 88) is a 1939 German drama film directed by Herbert Maisch and Hans Bertram and starring Christian Kayßler, Otto Wernicke and Heinz Welzel. It was made as a propaganda film with the support of Luftwaffe chief Hermann Göring, and was the last of a series of Nazi aviation films to be made before the outbreak of the Second World War. It was one of the most commercially successful films released during the Nazi era. It was praised by Joseph Goebbels as "an irreproachable film of national destiny". The title, referring to the serial number of the Albatros D.III flown by one of the characters in the First world war, was an attempt to re-inforce the propaganda link between the modern Luftwaffe and that of the First World War.

Synopsis

Two extraordinary young pilots engage in a competitive rivalry and also fight over the same girl. In an effort to show off both fly into a dangerous storm, damaging their planes and are suspended from duty. They are finally convinced by their commanding officer, a veteran of the First World War, to use their talents in a more disciplined way for their country.

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