Mosquito Squadron (1969)

In WW2, a RAF squadron leader mourns the death of a comrade and receives a bombing mission against a secret Nazi V-2 rocket testing facility in France.

Director:

Boris Sagal

Writers:

Donald S. Sanford, Joyce Perry

Stars:

David McCallum, Suzanne Neve, Charles Gray

Cast

Complete credited cast:
David McCallum	...	Quint Munroe
Suzanne Neve	...	Beth Scott
Charles Gray	...	Air Commodore Hufford
David Buck	...	Sqn. Ldr. David 'Scotty' Scott
David Dundas	...	Flt. Lieut. Douglas Shelton
Dinsdale Landen	...	Wing Commander Clyde Penrose
Nicky Henson	...	Flt. Sgt. Wiley Bunce
Bryan Marshall	...	Sqn. Ldr. Neale
Michael Anthony	...	Father Bellague
Peggy Thorpe-Bates	...	Mrs. Scott
Peter Copley	...	Mr. Scott
Vladek Sheybal	...	Lieutenant Schack
Michael McGovern	...	Flt. Lieutenant Bannister

Storyline

Squadron Leader Quint Munroe, an RAF pilot in World War II, has a hard time dealing with the presumed death in action of fellow Sq. Leader David 'Scotty' Scott, whose family practically raised him when he was orphaned, so they were like brothers. RAF Air Commodore Hufford has a crucial task for Quint, who is no longer serving in the squadron: a reconnaissance flight over the château de Charlon, a castle in occupied France, where the Nazis are probably developing a new generation of flying bombs; the defenses are indeed suspiciously tight. When analyzed, the photos show the castle grounds harbor an underground launching tunnel, and Quint gets a nearly impossible precision top-secret mission: select and train a team in only 10 days, when the French underground believes the first launch is planned, to 'aim' a new type of bouncing bomb into the tunnel, to blow up the whole Luftwaffe installation. Quint falls in love with Scotty's young widow Beth Scott, whose crippled brother, Flight ...

---

Plot Keywords:

warplane | royal air force | mosquito | raf | squadron | 

---

Taglines:

To save England, he must sacrifice everything he loves.

---

Genres:

War | Drama

---

Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

17 January 1970 (UK)

Also Known As:

Esquadrão Mosquito

Filming Locations:

Edgwarebury Hotel, Barnet Lane, Elstree, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Oakmont Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) Color (archive footage) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Bouncing Bomb used in the film was a real weapon. Known as Highball (a smaller version of the Dambusting Upkeep bomb), it was originally designed by Dr. Barnes Wallis to be utilized against battleships, such as the Tirpitz. The Highball bomb weighed 1,280lb (580kg), carried 600lb (272kg) of explosive, and was small enough to be carried in tandem by a Mosquito fighter-bomber. Prior to release the bomb was imparted with a backward spin of 700-900 revolutions per minute, and dropped at high speed (360 mph (580km/h)) and low altitude (60 ft (18.2m)).

---

Goofs

In the scene at the end of the movie when the German tank attacks the escaping British prisoners, it has a large swastika in between the drivers port and the hull machine gun. German panzers did not have large swastikas on the front.

---

Quotes

Flt. Lieut. Douglas Shelton: [Watching Beth walkaway in tears] What did you say to my sister?
Munroe: I didn't have to say anything.
Flt. Lieut. Douglas Shelton: [Face falls] Scotty?
[Quint nods]

---

Connections

Edited from Operation Crossbow (1965)

User Reviews

Action-packed airplanes movie with little budget and spectacular bombing raid final

This standard warfare movie concerns a Mosquito squadron assigned to destroy a stronghold castle where are making V3 , V4 rocket-bombs . The Mosquito Squadron of this movie's title refers to a World War II squadron of Mosquito airplanes which are more specifically described as RAF (Royal Air Force) de Havilland Mosquito fighter-bomber aircraft . As the squadron leader (David McCallum : Cipol agent , Jag , Navy CSI) falls in love with the wife of a recently deceased pilot . The Air vice-commander (Charles Gray : You only live twice , Night of Generals , The Devil rides out) orders to leader along with his squadron on a dangerous and nearly impossible mission into French territory occupied by Nazis . The Mosquito squadron to save England must sacrifice themselves and eliminate vital points guarded by heavy anti-airplane defenses and guns positions considered bomb-proof . Besides , RAF pilots are being held prisoners and used as human shields , though they are helped by the French Resistance . This difficult mission is further complicated by the German guns , Nazi air raids and impenetrable fortress where are manufacturing the destructive bombs .

It's a fictionalized recounting of the Mosquitos squadron with a sustained and predictable story , although partially based on true deeds . The movie utilizes an often-used plot line of the war movie genre which has two brave soldiers in love with the same woman , such as : ¨Day-D the sixth of June¨(1956) by Henry Koster and ¨Kings go forth¨(1958) by Delmer Daves . ¨Mosquito Squadron¨ was reminiscent of other wartime films like ¨The dam busters¨, ¨Operation Crossbow¨ (Michael Anderson) and especially ¨633 Squadron¨ (Walter Grauman) with a similar storyline and aerial scenes ; being similar title in both films , this movie is not a sequel to the same studio's 633 Squadron (1964) . This was not the first movie to feature "bouncing bombs" , they were firstly seen in the earlier British war movie , ¨The Dam Busters¨ (1955) and subsequently ¨The thousand plane raid¨ in which thousand allied Bombers to destroy a specific target producing German fighter planes , among others . The movie actually comes to life by excellently realized action shots , they were fairly well-staged ; however , it also contains some stock-shot footage .

Splendid , spectacular aerial cinematography by photographer Paul Beeson , he's Walt Disney's usual cameraman (In search castaways , Kidnapped , Disneyland , Moon-spinners) . Most of the aerial flying scenes were filmed at the airfield at Royal Bovington Royal Air Force (RAF) Station in Hertfordshire , UK . Rousing and memorable score by Frank Cordell (Khartoum , Cromwell , Flight from Ashiya). The motion picture was professionally directed by Boris Sagal, a television series expert (Rich man, poor man , Ike , Columbo , Diary of Anne Frank , Masada) . The film was produced by Oakmont production , a company exclusively dedicated to warfare films (Hell boats , Submarine X1, Thousand plane raid , Last escape). The picture isn't a classic by any means , but not a turkey either . It's a passable film in limited budget and it will appeal to British warlike enthusiasts , being a pretty cool time-waster for the airplane lovers .