The timing for me watching this is fortuitous, as just this morning I finished watching "Mosquito Squadron" (1969)--a very, very similar movie. Both films featured the de Havilland Mosquito (an amazingly fast and capable British fighter-bomber) and both were concerned with an Allied attempt to knock out a German rocket factory. This factory was set in Norway, the other film had it set in France. So which is the better film? Read on if you'd like my opinion.
Cliff Robertson plays the American leader of a squadron of British planes. While this is odd, it might have occurred, as there were American pilots who joined the Brits after WWII broke out and before the US went to war. He is told that his squadron will have a new assignment. They are to fly into Norway and bomb an overhand in the rocks in a fjord in order to seal in a German rocket factory. This naturally will require precision low-level bombing--at which their Mosquitoes were best suited. To practice for the raid, they go to Scotland to fly among the cliffs. It's not Norway--nor is Norway, actually, as they used this same locale as a stand-in for Norway later in the film when the actual raid takes place.
My biggest complaint about this film was the casting of George Chikiris. No, it's not because I have anything against him personally (I am sure he's a swell guy) but he was cast as a Norwegian!! He sounds about as Norwegian as Bill Cosby! And, while there are of course dark-haired Norwegians, why not hire an actor who at least looks Norwegian?! I don't blame Chikiris--after all, he was probably happy to have a job. But I am sure this must have nagged him as well, as the role just wasn't suited for him--he deserved better.
While it's a bit obvious some of the planes are models on strings and the German fighter planes are simple transport/observation planes (Me-108s) and the film technically is not nearly as good as "The Battle of Britain", it's still a decent film. It has a rousing score, decent battle scenes and ends strongly. Overall, I'd give this one a 7 and say it is just a bit better than "Mosquito Squadron"--mostly because although Robertson mostly plays a grumpus, at least he has a personality--a problem with the other film, where the leading man was pretty flat, as he was given little in the way of personality.
