Task Force Baum
Historical Drama • War Drama
March 1945. Germany is collapsing—but thousands of Allied prisoners remain trapped behind enemy lines.
With the war nearing its end, a small American armored task force receives an extraordinary order: break through the German lines, drive deep into enemy territory, and liberate the POW camp at Hammelburg.
Captain Abraham Baum and his men set out with tanks, halftracks, jeeps, limited fuel, questionable maps, and no guarantee of support once they cross into hostile territory.
Their objective seems simple.
Reach the camp. Free the prisoners. Get everyone home.
But the deeper Task Force Baum drives into Germany, the more the enemy closes around them—and when they finally reach Hammelburg, hundreds of desperate prisoners are waiting.
Far more than they were ever prepared to rescue.
Logline
In the final weeks of World War II, Captain Abraham Baum leads a small American armored task force deep behind German lines on a daring mission to liberate Allied prisoners at Hammelburg, only to find his force outnumbered, running out of fuel, and facing an increasingly desperate enemy determined to prevent them from escaping.
About the Screenplay
Task Force Baum is a historical war drama based on the controversial American raid on Hammelburg during the closing weeks of World War II.
The story begins two years earlier in North Africa, where Lieutenant Colonel John Waters is captured during the disastrous fighting at Kasserine Pass. By 1945, Waters and hundreds of other Allied officers are imprisoned at Oflag XIII-B near Hammelburg, Germany, waiting for a war they know is nearing its end.
Miles away, the U.S. Army is advancing rapidly into Germany.
Then Captain Abraham Baum receives an extraordinary assignment.
Leading a hastily assembled armored column of tanks, halftracks, jeeps, artillery and infantry, Baum is ordered to penetrate deep behind German lines, reach Hammelburg, liberate the prisoners, and somehow fight his way back to friendly territory.
What follows is a race across a collapsing Third Reich.
Task Force Baum smashes through roadblocks, villages and defensive positions while German commanders desperately attempt to determine where the mysterious American armored column is heading. Every engagement costs ammunition, vehicles, fuel—and time.
Against the odds, Baum reaches Hammelburg.
But instead of the few hundred prisoners his force was prepared to rescue, the camp contains a mass of Allied POWs desperate for freedom. With too few vehicles to carry them, German forces converging on their position, and the route home rapidly closing, liberation becomes a fight for survival.
Based on true events, Task Force Baum tells the story of one of the most audacious—and controversial—armored raids of World War II: a mission that penetrated deep into Nazi Germany, freed a prison camp, and then faced the far more difficult challenge of getting back out alive.
Screenplay Details
Author: James Leach
Genre: Historical Drama • War Drama
Format: Feature Screenplay
Page Count: [Page Count]
Setting: North Africa / Germany
Time Period: 1943–1945 / World War II
Based On: True Events
Status: Completed / Available for Option
Available Materials
Screenplay
Synopsis
Treatment
Character Sketches
Pitch materials / Storyboards
About the Screenwriter — James Leach
James “JC” Leach is a U.S. Air Force veteran, technical writer, and screenwriter who has been developing original screenplays since 2008. His work spans historical drama, military and geopolitical thrillers, science fiction, suspense, horror, and stories inspired by real events.
With a professional background in technical writing, instructional design, and simulation development, JC brings extensive research, technical authenticity, and a disciplined approach to storytelling. His military experience in electronic warfare and aviation provides an additional foundation for stories involving military operations, technology, and high-stakes environments.
JC has developed a diverse portfolio of feature-length screenplays. His work includes original material as well as two adaptations of public-domain literary works, giving him experience translating existing stories into cinematic narratives.
He is currently adapting his screenplay portfolio into novels, expanding his stories across both film and publishing. JC is interested in connecting with producers, representation, and creative collaborators seeking distinctive, character-driven material with strong cinematic potential.
JAMES LEACH Author • Screenwriter 