Sunday, July 26, 2020

THE RAT PATROL 1966-1967 SEASON 1 (SHOUT FACTORY)

This is a great little series created by Tom Gries which ran for 2 years on ABC.

The show stars Christopher George as Sgt. Sam Troy, Gary Raymond as Sgt. Jack Moffitt, Lawrence Casey as Pvt. Mark Hitchcock, Justin Tarr as Pvt. Tulley Pettigrew and Hans Gudegast as Capt. Hans Dietrich. Gudegast would later change his name to Eric Braeden and go on to even greater stardom.

This is a very well made series that for some reason is often overlooked by many TV action fans.

THE CHASE OF FIRE RAID 9/12/66... The first episode introduces the cast as Sgt. Jack Moffitt joins the Rat Patrol in their war against Rommell in the North African Desert.

THE LIFE AGAINST DEATH RAID 9/19/66... Hitchcock is critically wounded and the Rat Patrol has to take him to a German army medical camp for treatment.

THE WILDEST RAID OF ALL 9/26/66...Troy lets himself be captured in order to get a African Korps General as a hostage. Things go smoothly until Troy is rescued and then the Rat Patrol finds themselves surrounded by the forces of Capt. Dietrich.

THE KILL OR BE KILLED RAID 10/3/66...Moffitt impersonates a German archaeologist to find the location to a desert water supply. Milton Selzer stars.

THE CHAIN OF DEATH RAID 10/10/66...Dietrich and Troy are captured by Arab slave traders. Frank Silvera stars in this very interesting episode which is a little different than most.

THE DO OR DIE RAID 10/17/66...The Rat Patrol must rescue an expert lock picker from a seaside Nazi compound where he has been sent to obtain secret documents.

THE BLIND MAN'S BLUFF RAID 10/24/66...Sgt. Troy is blinded by the sun for a short time and becomes a pawn in a scheme by Dietrich to stop the Partol.

THE FATAL CHASE RAID 10/31/66...The Rat Patrol liberates some POW's and two of the three former prisoners begin plotting to kill the other for being a coward. One of the best episodes of the first season.

THE BLOW SKY HIGH RAID 11/7/66...The Patrol tries to find a shot cut thru thru the desert in order to destroy an Afrika Korps radar station.

THE MOMENT OF TRUCE RAID 11/14/66...Troy and Dietrich declare a short truce when both parties find themselves under attack from a band of Bedouines. Another great episode.

THE DEADLY DOUBLE RAID 11/21/66...Moffitt and Tully infiltrate a German POW camp seeking a soldier who has memorized Rommel's secret plans for an invasion, only to find him dead.

THE GUN RUNNER RAID 11/28/66...An American soldier turned traitor tries to force the Rat Patrol to join him.

THE LIGHTHOUSE RAID 12/5/66...The Rat Patrol must rescue a French Resistance leader and then smuggle him out via a small harbor by a lighthouse.

THE DAREDEVIL RESCUE RAID 12/12/66...Moffitt disobeys direct orders from Troy and goes to seek his father who was in a plane crash.

THE LAST HARBOR RAID PART 1 12/19/66...The Patrol is given orders to rescue prisoners being used to keep a secret dock open for the German army.

THE LAST HARBOR RAID PART 2 12/26/66...Troy meets with a capture officer while Moffitt and Hitch seek the help of a young woman suspected of being a Nazi spy.

THE LAST HARBOR RAID 1/2/67...Moffitt ans Hitch are helped by the young woman who is actually not a spy. The concluding battle destroys the harbor and rescues many of the POW's. This three part episode is a real gem.

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY RAID 1/9/67...The Rat Petrol rescues a top French soldier who has possession of secret German codes.

TWO FOR ONE RAID 1/16/67...Troy and his patrol must prevent a supply drop to German soldiers and have an unexpected complication.

THE LAST CHANCE RAID 1/23/67...The patrol find themselves trapped in a German radio station after trying to contact British forces with some vital information. Very tense episode.

THE B NEGATIVE RAID 1/30/67...Moffitt is wounded in an attack on a German convoy and needs immediate medical attention. The patrol enters Dietrich's camp and try to get a doctor to help them.

THE EXHIBIT RAID 2/6/67...Troy is framed for a murder by a notorious German commander he has in custody.

THE HOLY WAR RAID 2/13/67...Capt. Dietrich plots to "kidnap" a Holy Man and then rescue him in order to get his tribe to side with the German Army.

THE TWO AGAINST TIME RAID 2/20/67...Capt. Dietrich thwarts the Rat Patrols mission to destroy a German munitions camp. He and Tryo suddenly finds themselves trapped in the dump after a landslide.

THE WILD GOOSE RAID 2/27/67...The Rat Patrol is assigned to oversee security at a top secret meeting.

THE BRING EM BACK ALIVE RAID 3/13/67...Sgt. Troy kidnaps a German scientist but doesn't know the scientist is carrying a vile of radioactive Radium.

TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER RAID 3/20/67...Capt. Dietrich plots to have a German soldier impersonate Major Lansing in order to assassinate an Allied general.

DOUBLE OR NOTHING RAID 3/27/67...Sgt. Moffitt is wounded and taken prisoner. As he is about to be executed the Rats attempt a rescue that fails, then they discover it has all been a ploy to capture the entire squadron.

THE HOUR GLASS RAID 4/3/67...Dietrich kidnaps a doctor to aid a wounded German soldier and the Rats are in hot pursuit.

MASK-A-RAID 4/10/67...Sgt. Troy smuggles a heavily bandaged Moffitt into a German military hospital as an injured Luftwaffe pilot. A truly tense and well made episode. One of the best.

THE FIRE AND BRIMSTONE RAID 4/27/67...The Rat Patrol is trapped in a munitions depot by Dietrich and a very tense standoff ensues. Michael Pate stars.

THE DELILAH RAID 5/1/67...Troy and his men encounter a young woman who claims to be a resistance fighter on a mission, but she may not be what she seems.

That concludes season one of this great action series. The Rat Patrol would be back for season 2 and more great drama set in the North African Desert.

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