Lieutenant Bruno Stachel (George Peppard) is a first World War fighter pilot in the Imperial German Air Service. Originally a corporal in an infantry regiment, he transfers to the Air Service and immediately sets out to kill 20 allied aircraft. Obtaining twenty confirmed kills is what it takes to earn a decoration known as "The Blue Max". Bruno is ruthless in his pursuit of this goal and his fellow officers hold that and the fact that he is not an aristocrat against him. Lieutenant Willi von Klugermann (Jeremy Kemp) is a fellow pilot and rival who earns a Blue Max before Stachel can. Willi receives the medal from his Uncle, General Count von Klugermann (James Mason). The General has fewer problems with Bruno's ruthless tactics because he values the propaganda potential of someday awarding a Blue Max to a commoner. Later in the movie while Bruno is in Berlin being exploited for propaganda purposes he meets Countess Kaeti von Klugermann (Ursula Andress) who exploits him for purposes of her own.