Just prior to World War I, Germany builds a fortress at Tsingtao, to further its colonial policies in Asia. In 1914 Japan joins the Allies against Germany and one of the first Japanese goals is the capture of the powerful Fort Bismarck. The Japanese air force, which consists of two Farman biplanes purchased from France, encounters a German monoplane on its first reconnaissance mission and in the confusion, none of the Japanese photographs come out. On a second flight, the Japanese pilots drop various objects on the Germans, but they inflict little damage and one of the planes is shot down. An all-out assault by the Japanese Navy is now ordered on the fort, and the second biplane contributes to the success of the attack by scoring a direct hit, this time with real bombs, on a supply train headed for the fort.