Lieutenant Alexandrov.
- I'm your mechanic.
- Are you? Great!
Are there enough planes?
Fear not, you won't
be left without a horse.
Lieutenant, no smoking
around the plane.
But I'm not inhaling.
No matter, step aside, please.
What? You don't like me?
- Why are you staring at me?
- You're my fifth one.
Well, get ready to form
a winged line...
we'll see how you sing in the air.
Who's the bravest?
Everybody is brave, but the most
experienced... Allow takeoff?
Comrade Commander, a flare.
On the bridgehead across the Dnieper
the Germans are attacking our troops.
The reinforcements
are being sent there.
The enemy airplanes
are rushing to the crossing.
About 50 Junkerses are approaching.
Not one bomb
should fall on the crossing.
We're going by shelves.
Solomatin will cover.
As usual.
- Titarenko among the attackers.
- Yes.
Kolosov, I'm going with you.
No talking on the approach, not a word.
Didn't I tell you?
It goes for you, too.
No jokes.
- Got you.
- It's his nerves.
We fly in 12 minutes.
No rookies today.
Only old men are going to battle.
- What about us?
- Take us too.
- We won't let you down.
- What's your hurry?
You'll have your share of battle.
Missed. And I'm going to hit...
Thanks, do your job.
You got it.
Do you have nothing else to do?
Fighters!
Study the map of the battle area,
as those men do.
B-5.
You've sunk it.
Attention! At ease.
You've got it coming!..
- How's the machine?
- What's wrong with the gun?
It was in order.
- Comrade Commander...
- Later!
Why did you leave the battle?
Got jammed again?
Yes, jammed again.
Send me to the tribunal, Commander.
Alyosha, the gun's all right.
You just shot it empty.
All right.
All right, Makarych.
What? Did you get it hot?
Worse.
Haven't you had your supper?
Why did you go wild? The harder
you train, the better you'll fight.
Some maestro, my ass.
Calm down. From the start, and...
He's such a great dog!
When Germans came to the village,
they shot all dogs.
But Lyuba hid this one so well!
He doesn't know how to bark.
Good evening to your hearth.
Got enough potatoes?
Sit down.
What's the name of that wolfhound?
Just like yours.
Alyoshka?
Oh, you!
Put out the fire!
- You've been relieved, soldier?
- Yes.
Take the kids to the mess.
They should be fed.
Yes! Come on, guys.
Shall we uncork it?
we'll do without warming up.
I see. We're in
for a serious talk.
What's the matter with you, Seryoga?
You're a fighter pilot.
I know everything you're going to say.
There's no more fighter pilot, Lyosha.
That's it.
- I'm a coward, Commander.
- Seryoga.
Shut up, Lyosha. Shut up.
I'm broken.
Remember Poneri?
Blabbers, used to say,
that the German is a coward,
that he's afraid of frontal attack,
that he's sure to swerve.
But mine hadn't swerved.
So that my planes ripped off, one wing
to the left, the other to the right.
I snape out of it on the ground.
My Yak was burning down.
And I saw cherries
bloom in my eyes.
- We fight to death, Seryoga.
- I know, Lyosha.
But believe me, I swear by mother,
I didn't mean to leave the battle.
I controlled the machine,
with my hands in place.
I'm burning to fight, but as...
It flares up...
When I came to my senses,
the fight going the hell knows where,
and I dropped out.
I guess I want to live.
You can't escape the war.
You can't escape yourself.
That's what's most horrible.
Send me to the tribunal, Commander.
Here, an application
for my decommissioning.
Where to?
To the infantry.
To hell, damn it!
To the penal battalion.
To hell?
And who's going to shoot down Fritzes?
Me and those rookies?
This is all
I can do for you.
As for helping you...
There're moments in life
when nobody can help you.
You come into this world on your own
and you die on your own.
Well, the host won't offer us any tea.
Let's get to business. Give me the map.
Sit down. Will you ever get yourself
a map-case, or shall I give you one?
- It's