In September 1940, American war correspondent "Mitch" Mitchell is stationed in London, working for Consolidated Press of America, which represents 1000 newspapers. Mitch is anxiously waiting for news of the Operation Sea Lion from a reporter on the Continent (the United States being neutral at the time), determined to scoop his competition. He manages to rent Sir Titus Scott's wire from Penzance in Cornwall for a week to save forty minutes (for an exorbitant amount, much to the dismay of his boss, H. Cyrus Stuyvesant). The information is to come by coded radio and homing pigeon messages. Twelve-year-old Albert Perkins and the elderly Mr. Bindle watch for the pigeons.