takes his place as lead pilot and strike commander for the mission. While waiting for the group's return, Savage becomes catatonic. Only as they return to Archbury does he regain his composure and fall asleep. The story then returns to 1949, as Stovall pedals away from Archbury. Cast Gregory Peck as General Savage Hugh Marlowe as Lt. Col. Ben Gately Gary Merrill as Col. Davenport Millard Mitchell as General Pritchard Dean Jagger as Major Stovall Robert Arthur as Sgt. McIllhenny Paul Stewart as Capt. "Doc" Kaiser John Kellogg as Major Cobb Robert Patten as Lt. Bishop (credited as Bob Patten) Lee MacGregor as Lt. Zimmerman Sam Edwards as Birdwell Roger Anderson as Interrogation Officer Kenneth Tobey as Guard Post Sergeant (uncredited) Historical counterparts of characters The character Brigadier General Frank Savage was a composite of several group commanders, but the primary inspiration was Colonel Frank A. Armstrong, who commanded the 306th Bomb Group on which the 918th was modeled. The name "Savage" was inspired by Armstrong's Cherokee heritage. While his work with the 306th, which lasted only six weeks, consisted primarily of rebuilding the chain of command within the group, Armstrong had earlier performed a similar task with the 97th Bomb Group. Many of the training and disciplinary scenes in Twelve O'Clock High derive from that experience. Towards the end of the film, the near-catatonic battle fatigue that General Savage suffered and the harrowing missions that led up to it were inspired by the experiences of Brigadier General Newton Longfellow. The symptoms of the breakdown were not based on any real-life event, but instead were intended to portray the effects of intense stress experienced by many airmen. Lieutenant General Pritchard was modeled on the VIII Bomber Command's first commander, Major General Ira C. Eaker. Colonel Keith Davenport was based on the first commander of the 306th Bomb Group, Colonel Charles B. Overacker, nicknamed "Chip". Of all the personalities portrayed in Twelve O'Clock High, that of Colonel Davenport most closely parallels his true-life counterpart. The early scene in which Davenport confronts Savage about a mission order was a close recreation of an actual event, as was his relief. Major (later Lieutenant Colonel) Harvey Stovall, who is a former World War I U.S. Army Air Service pilot who has returned to active duty as a nonflying adjutant, was modeled on William Howard Stovall, a World War I flying ace who returned to