Episode
12 O'Clock High: An Act of War
Overview
The group returns from a bomb run the air frame factory at Metz. The leader, Major Cobb reports complete destruction of the target, but the Intelligence officer Major Herrick says the factory is still operating. General Crowe chews Frank out and he takes a single B-17 to scout the target. He and Lieutenant Canello find out that they have been bombing a decoy area, locate the real factory but get shot down before they can return with the information. Canello is killed. Captured by angry French partisans who hate the Americans' for bombing them, Savage must fight for his life. He eventually persuades the partisans that the bomb raids are necessary.
Details
- Series
- 12 O'Clock High
- Season
- Season 1
- Episode
- Episode 14
- Air date
- 1964-12-25
Episode context
An Act of War is Episode 14 in Season 1 of 12 O'Clock High. It aired on 1964-12-25.
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Episode 13: The Suspected
Reporter Clifford Moran believes that Jim Driscoll is really a convicted killer from St Louis named George Kern Turner who in 1933 when 16 years old beat his step father to death. He was sentenced to life in prison and escaped. Driscoll has now been married to Meg, Savage's former clerk for 1 year. Driscoll meets Moran at the Black Raven Pub in Chelsea and refutes Moran. Moran is later killed by falling in front of a subway train at Sloane Square Station. The next day Driscoll does not report in and Savage goes to locate him. He finds that Driscoll's wife had a baby, a son at St Stephens Hospital. It is later revealed that Moran was killed when a pick pocket tried to lift his wallet and Moran fell in front of the train. On the next mission the plane is hit and two engines are out, Lieutenant Eagan, the co-pilot is wounded. Savage orders the crew to bail. Savage can not see and Driscoll stays to help Savage land the aircraft. Driscoll admits he is Turner. Back at base, Turner is ready t
Episode 15: Those Who Are About to Die
The 918th draws a particularly tough mission, an aircraft plant in Rhone Valley, 120 miles beyond fighter support range, surrounded by 500 anti-aircraft batteries and at the bombers maximum fuel range. At least 3 squadrons of fighters will be waiting for the bombers and they will not have a lot of fuel for evasive action. Fog rolls in and they stand down for 3 days, the tension of waiting is driving the men crazy. Tom Lockridge has flown 24 missions and has been hospitalized with hepatitis. He and Sergeant Rutherford are the only members of the original crew, all the others completed there tours or were killed. Major Kaiser wants to keep Lockridge is hospital a little while longer but Lockridge wants to get his tour over with.
More episodes from this season
Episode 12: Soldiers Sometimes Kill
After losing his memory Savage is found wandering around Berkley Square south Grosvenor Street by Lieutenant Ryan. After being examined by Kaiser, he reads in the paper that Barbara Talbot was murdered in London. Later Inspector Thorne and Sergeant Padget from the CID come to see Savage, they found a lighter with a 918th crest in Barbara's flat. Savage is missing his lighter and he has no memory. He starts to retrace his steps to Redgraves Club tnen Barbara's flat. It turns out that Redgraves is a blackmailer & spy, he uses women like Barbara to lure important people into compromising situations. Frank realizes that Redgraves killed Barbara and that Padgett works for Redgraves. Frank confronts Regraves, and as Regraves is about to kill Frank, he is shot and wounded by Inspector Thorne. Next mission will be to Saarbrücken .
Episode 16: In Search of My Enemy
Major Peter Gray and his wife Ann arrive at the 918th. Savage knows Ann as Ann Goss and was going to marry her a year ago. At Wing HQ, a WAC in photo reconnaissance points out something suspicious on a map, and because she says it reminds her of a Michellene (Mechlin) Lace pattern Savage dubs the investigation photo reconnaissance mission ""Operation Spelling Bee"". As Major Jake Hays is still laid up with a fractured knee, Savage chooses Gray to lead and tells him it is a milk run. The mission is to bomb the rail yards at Saint Edouard, then fly over the camouflaged area for photo reconnaissance. Gray is jealous of Savage's former relationship with his wife and feels that Savage assigned him this mission on purpose. It turns out that the camouflaged area at Saint Edouard are really launching sites for new V-2 bombs and German fighters are around in droves. Only 12 of 20 of the planes return from the photo reconnaissance mission. On the next mission to Saint Edouard, Savage leads a 4 gro
Episode 11: Here's to Courageous Cowards
Ross Lawrence a clerk in the Group Office stows away with Joe Morse's crew and shoots down an FW. Later Morse offers to have Lawrence transferred to a flight crew, but he refuses. Suspicious, Morse asks Sergeant Meadows to pull the file from the Ground Exec's office and finds out that Lawrence spent a year in an internment camp as a conscientious objector. Morse who has been lead pilot on too many missions is starting to crack and Savage wants him to step down voluntarily as lead pilot. On the next 2 missions they are badly hit and several of Morse's crew are wounded or killed. Needing replacements, Savage orders Lawrence to report for gunnery training, he does and is assigned to the ""Terrible Tillie"" as left waist gunner. On the next mission Wilson leads when Morse blanks out. They get to the target, and Lawrence hesitates until his friend is killed then he shoots down a fighter. At the debriefing, Major Morse recommends Wilson as the new lead pilot.
Episode 17: The Albatross
Kane completed his 25 missions and is going back to the States on a Public Relations Tour. He will be performing in Winged Victory and wants to resume his career as an actor after the War. Savage asks Kane to volunteer for one last mission as his co-pilot and when the Flight Engineer & Bombardier are killed on the mission, Kane goes to check the oxygen tanks and is badly burned in the face. Back at base Doc Kaiser asks the General if Kane was a good actor before the War, Savage says he was, Doc says ""Well he can be retrained of course"". When we next see Kane he is bandaged about the right size of his, face, feeling sorry for himself he refuses to see anyone or eat. After refusing to see his buddies, then being rejected by his fiancé he steals an airplane and goes on a suicide mission. Savage talks him down and later Kane (sans bandages) offers Savage his Lighter, a signal he is no longer afraid.
Episode 10: Interlude
After loosing his best friend Joe Farrell, Savage goes on leave ordered by General Crowe. He goes to Inverness by train then to the Isle of Dunfergus aboard the Glencoe Lass. On the train he meets a Wren officer, Ann Macrae, who is going home on leave. After several unfortunate disagreements, Frank and Ann start to get along and finally fall in love. Savage learns that she has terminal cancer and not long to live. There is nothing he can do and she dies.
Episode 18: The Lorelei
Crowe assigns Colonel Royce as Deputy Group Commander. On his arrival he goes out to meet ""Lorelei"" piloted by Lieutenant Josephs and finds all the crew dead. Royce takes over the plane with a new crew calls her Four Leaf Clover II. On the first mission, Royce's (Red Badger 1) controls freeze up, He leads the next mission (Blue Jay Leader) and the bomb release malfunctions. Each time the plane is checked they can find nothing wrong. Leaving Royce to lead the next mission, Savage goes to London to a SHAEF meeting and runs into Carol Royce. He Returns to base to find that the mission was flown by Major Cobb and that Royce is on sick call. The replacement pilot of the Lorelei, Captain Wayne Parsons was killed in a bizarre accident when a piece of the engine housing flies off and kills him. On the next mission, Royce leads (Red Dog Leader) and Lorelei again malfunctions, he aborts and on the way home orders the crew to bail out, the plane keeps on going and Frank and Joe Cobb take the Picc
Episode 9: Appointment at Liege
Major Gus Denver returns to the 918th from the States. While he was away on special instructor duty at Langley, his original crew was shot down over Liege and all were killed. Now back as a Squadron & Aircraft commander he wants to get back to bomb Liege. The 918th is ordered to bomb Masstricht at 8000 feet in a raid planned by Ed Chandler. On the mission the co-pilot, navigator & radioman die. Savage is unsure of Denver.
Episode 19: Faith, Hope and Sergeant Aronson
Before a big mission, Savage is injured with a piece of shrapnel by his heart and consigned to the hospital. He meets a gunner from Major Cobb's crew Sergeant Aaronson who has just seen his best friend Saul Barstein die and he looses his will to live. He and Savage form a bond. To save Savage, Dr. Kaiser calls in his mentor Dr Simon Lewis a cardiologist to operate. The aircraft carrying Lewis crashes and Lewis is killed, forcing Kaiser to operate - successfully along with a blood donation from Aaronson. Savage & Aaronson help each other recover. The big mission is to the Ruhr Valley, after which Aaronson & Ivy get married.
Episode 8: The Hours Before Dawn
The 918th is assigned in top secrecy to bomb Dortmund. The only one who has the details is Savage and after being briefed by Stoneman, Crowe & Colonel Meyers he heads back to base. On the way he is caught in an air raid and is rescued by Doker Drew. Drew escorts Savage and another straggler Jennifer Heath back to Heaths place so that Savage can telephone the base. After the air raid subsides Savage & Jennifer are surprise by a wounded German flier, wearing the uniform of an Obergefrieter (Corporal). Savage recognizes the man for what he really is a German Oberst (Colonel) in the Luftwaffe. After a struggle Jennifer is wounded and Savage is forced to kill Haff.
Episode 20: To Heinie, with Love
On a mission to bomb the rail yards at Eissen, Muller the new Navigator performs perfectly but is knocked down during a maneuver. His wallet falls out of his pocket and it contains a picture of a man in a Nazi Uniform. A few minutes later Pike has to break up a fight between Muller & Magill. While Muller is an excellent Navigator his is unpopular because he is German. The fight broke out over the picture Muller keeps of his father in a Nazi uniform. When questioned by General Savage, Muller explains that is his only picture of his father who was an American Bund Nazi. Muller is the lead Navigator on the next mission. Out for walk in the country, Muller meets a deaf girl, Nora and falls in love. Out with Nora, Muller is late for briefing and does not swing his compass before take off. As a result they are off course and miss the target. Muller realizes his error and corrects but the plane is hit and Bombardier Magill is badly wounded. Muller thinking he is dead does not help him. On the