Drama set in Nazi Germany in late 1941 and based on historical incidents concerning the death of Air Force General Udet.
Luftwaffe commander General Harras is a basically decent man who does not hide his contempt for the Nazi party. However, out of his love of flying, he has continued to serve under the Nazis. To soothe his conscience, he helps individual Jews whenever he can.
During a party celebrating the fiftieth victory mission of Colonel Eilers, his good friend, Harras discusses a recurring sabotage of planes with Eilers's father-in-law, industrialist Mohrungen, who has supplied the planes. Harras reveals his feelings toward the regime and his suspicion that the SS would like either to control or to replace him.
In a later conversation, he agrees to aid the escape of a Jewish friend. His conversations have, unknown to him, been recorded, and he subsequently "disappears" for two weeks. Released temporarily, he is given ten days to produce the saboteurs.
Shortly thereafter, Eilers's crash in a defective plane is announced. After ten days' work with Oderbruch, his chief engineer and friend, Harras reaches a conclusion: he accuses Oderbruch, who privately admits his dedication to the destruction of the Nazis even if he must kill friends. After Eilers's wife accuses him of murder, Oderbruch beseeches Harras to escape and fight against the Hitler regime abroad. But Harras, now fully conscious of his guilt as a German military officer, feels that he no longer has the moral right to freedom. Having paved the devil's course on earth through his bombing, he must now travel ahead of him to hell.