Episode
12 O'Clock High: Gauntlet of Fire
Overview
The 918th Group has just finished 21 missions in the 30 days since May 1, 1944. They have been bombing for Operation Point, the lead up to Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy. A 10 day leave is authorized then cancelled and instead they are assigned to fly the Overleaf missions, dropping leaflets all over the French coast. Everyone is exhausted from Gallagher on down. General Pritchard tells General Britt that they need all groups in the air. Britt explains he only has two flyable Groups left, 918th & 966th, he has used the 82nd to replace men & aircraft for the other Groups. Later at Wing, General Britt explains to Gallagher that this could be the ""real thing"". Gallagher says he has heard that before. Britt also tells Gallagher that the G-3 is moving up and the position could go to Gallagher if he wants it. On the first ""Overleaf"" mission to Youreville, they get hit by flak and Pat Barstow's ship gets shot down. Back on the ground, Lieutenant Col. Christy is upset over losing
Details
- Series
- 12 O'Clock High
- Season
- Season 3
- Episode
- Episode 1
- Air date
- 1966-09-09
Episode context
Gauntlet of Fire is Episode 1 in Season 3 of 12 O'Clock High. It aired on 1966-09-09.
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More episodes from this season
Episode 3: Face of a Shadow
The 918th is now temporarily part of the 15th Air Force. They fly to a base at Bellagio Foggia Italy commanded by Colonel Yates. Yates is a drunk. Sabotage led by Major Holtzer. Shull is killed.
Episode 4: Fortress Weisbaden
The RAF(& USAAF) is getting pounded by very concentrated flak over Weisbaden, the latest Squadron has been wiped out. General Britt visits Gallagher to tell him that RAF Air Vice Marshal Kingsford is out for Gallagher's head, the target must be destroyed or Britt will replace Gallagher. On the next mission the 918th looses 11 aircraft out of 21. It turns out that there is a radar directed Fire Control Station in the area. A team of 8 British commandoes, led by Major Mallory will parachute in and blow it up. After dropping the commandoes, Gallagher's B-17 is shot down, his co-pilot is killed, and only he and Komansky meet up with the commando unit. One of the commandoes, Pte. Cane is badly wounded by a German patrol and is left behind with an ""interrogation pill"" which is really an ""L(eathal) pill"". Mallory makes it clear to Gallagher that he and Komansky are unwelcome ""glamour flyboys"". Mallory, his remaining 6 commandoes, Gallagher & Komansky head to the home of Kurt von Heurtzel a Ge
Episode 5: A Distant Cry
A flight instructor goes to war.
Episode 6: Practice to Deceive
Gallagher is shot down in a Mustang on a secret mission. Col Gibbons takes over command of the 918th. Conspiracy is led by Admiral von Kreuter (with Berthold, Shullendorf, Straser) to kill Hitler and negotiate a separate peace.
Episode 7: The All-American
Ted Master's an all American Athlete is assigned to the 918th. He comes equipped with his own Press Officer. Wants to fly, Gallagher assigns him as Assistant Adjutant. Captain King makes an emergency belly landing and Ted poses in front of Captain King's downed aircraft. Gallagher checks him out, assigns him as an alternate co-pilot. He is assigned to King's aircraft operating the bomb run camera. During the mission most of the crew is wounded including the pilot and Master's lands the plane. He rescues the crew by pulling them from the burning aircraft. He also saves the bombing film.
Episode 8: The Pariah
Sandy almost runs down a Master Sergeant looking for the 918th. He has a German accent. Gallagher is briefing his Squadron commanders. Turns out to be a specialist. Muhlendorf Stetten factory in houses. 6 hours flying time, but fuel for 3 vector 343. land in a field in Russia captured by Germans, Lawson goes to destroy bombsight and is killed. Danzig Fighter Defense Command Reiniger Engine Works in Stetten Crew is interrogated, pick out Schultz because he stands out. They find out who he is, Gerlach is killed, and Brunner takes command. Brunner orders the men shot.
Episode 9: The Fighter Pilot
9 new planes & crews arrive at Archbury. Aboard are some WACS assigned to Wing HQ led by Staff Sergeant Margo Demarest who is an old friend of Gallagher. Three Ace fighter pilots (Clinton, Dejohn, and Rausch) from the Pacific are ferrying some new P-51 to the 511th Fighter Squadron. Two (Rausch & Dejohn) buzz the airfield to impress Margo and Gallagher is furious. They want to be assigned to the 511th, and the Squadron CO, Major Davidson, wants them but informs them that he is under Gallagher's orders. Major Davidson and the 3 pilots see Gallagher who asks for there orders. Dejohn explains that their orders are in their B4 bags. Gallagher assigns them temporarily (TDY) to the 918th. It turns out that they do actually have orders which split them up and they want to stay together, so they are trying to get assigned to the 511th . They need fake orders to assign them to England and Dejohn asks Margo to write orders for the trio. After he tells her that he loves her, she agrees. All 3 end
Episode 10: To Seek and Destroy
A V-1 rocket crashes in Sweden. The allies want to get it. They recruit a rocket expert Group Captain Anthony Carmichael. Carmichael is in civilian clothes in the Star & Bottle and he and Sandy have a tiff. Sandy finds him drunk later passed out on a bench. On the mission, Gallagher, Carmichael & Komansky fly to Sweden in an unmarked plane. They have engine trouble and the compass fails so they follow a German plane in. The German plane is a diplomatic courier which carries the designer of the V-1 guidance system, Dr Tanzman and Oberst Ulrich. They are also there to retrieve the rocket as well. Carmicheal drinks too much and reveals his mission to Swensen, a German operative.
Episode 11: Burden of Guilt
Major General Fox is putting pressure on Brigadier General Doud to bomb the Sub Pens at Nordensholm. They have bombed 3 times and hit the wrong targets, Doud as the Wing Commander takes responsibility and vows to get them. Colonel Hollenbeck has been leading the 52nd Bomb Group, Doud replaces him and reassigns him as G-3 and sends him to the 918th to prepare them for an attack against Nordensholm. Hollenbeck as senior Colonel wants to lead the mission and delays calling Gallagher back from leave. Gallagher arrives but General Doud agrees with Hollenbeck leading the mission. They bomb the correct target, but it is not the Sub Pens. The camera plane piloted by Major's Werth & Stovall is hit and Werth killed. Against orders Stovall breaks formation to photograph a sub he sees leaving a different area. Shot down, the camera & film are lost along with 4 crew members. Harvey Stovall & 5 men are picked up in the North Sea. Back at base, Colonel Hollenbeck wants Stovall court-martialed for ins
Episode 12: The Ace
Colonel Harry Connelly is up for the Medal of Honor for the pinpoint bombing of a Radar station without hitting the church next door in Italy. Connelly has done 43 skip bombing missions in Europe and the Pacific. In Adelberg the Germans have a group of scientists working on the Atomic Bomb. All around them they have placed POW's including high ranking officers. Connelly is currently doing Transitional Training in London and is called on do one last precision bombing mission. Connelly & Gallagher decide on a plan. One man mission in a B-25 will bomb the target while the rest of the Group acts a diversion. In training Connelly misses the target twice then hits it 6 times dead on. On the mission the pond Connelly was using as his IP is missing, he drops on wrong house killing some Allied officers. Axis Sally broadcasts the news, Connelly cracks, hits Gallagher. General Britt orders Gallagher to ""get that building"" by saturation bombing which will kill the POWs as well. On the second missi