Manfred Baron von Richthofen is the most feared and celebrated pilot of the Imperial German Air Service in World War I. His companions and himself view their aerial combat as a noble sporting contest, ignoring the terrible extent of war.
After being wounded in action, von Richthofen falls in love with the nurse Käte and realizes he is only being manipulated for propaganda. Torn between his disgust for the war and duty to his men, von Richthofen sets out to fly again.