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Major Stovall's Biography TSgt. Komansky's Biography

Bandits at 12 O'clock high!

Season 2

1965-66

Episode S2-1

The Loneliest Place in the World 		13 September 1965 48 Min.

Stars: Paul Burke as Col. Joseph Anson Gallagher. Claudine Longet as Suzanne Arnais. Also stars Paul Carr as Lt. Col. Heindorf and Chris Robinson as TSgt. Sandy Komansky, and Andrew Duggan as the Brig. General Edward Britt.
A straggling B-17 joins the formation flown by Germans. It strafes the plane piloted by General Savage and he is shot down. Later it is reported the General is dead and will be buried with full military honors by the Germans. Brigadier General Ed Britt must decide who should take command of the 918th. Because he can make tough decisions, Lt. Col. Joe Gallagher is a strong candidate for the job.
Wing Commanders Note: Taps! The last mission for General Savage, he is gone.


Pilot's Note: The medal on the left is; The Distinguished Flying Cross a military decoration awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States Armed Forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918".


Episode S2-2

R/X for a Sick Bird

 		20 September 1965 48 Min.
Stars: Gia Scala as Ilka Zradna. J.D. Cannon as Brig. General Dave Creighton. Also stars James Brolin as Sgt. Thibideaux and Tige Andrews from "The Mod Squad" as Master Sgt. Tony Podesta.
Maintenance problems plague the 918th and General Creighton orders a mission to drop a spy into occupied Poland. G-2 informs Gallagher that 20 German saboteurs are known to be in England impersonating Allied airmen and they will be closing in once they can identify the entire group and the leader. One airman is later found murdered beside some sabotaged ammunition and it is suspected the saboteurs are on base.
Bombardier's Trivia: The beautiful Gia Scala died in 1974 from a drug overdose in Hollywood at 42 years of age.



Episode S2-3

Then Came the Mighty Hunter

27 September 1965 48 Min.
Stars: Beau Bridges as Cpl. Steven Corbett. Judy Carne as Floy. Also stars Tom Skerritt as Sgt. Ben Rodale.
After a tough mission Colonel Gallagher needs a new gunner, Corporal Corbett is a replacement and has a perfect gunnery score of 1000; even TSgt. Komansky only scored 400. On a mission Corbett spots the target, but his gun jams. Komansky adopts Corbett and helps him. Corbett spots a real German FW and shoots it down. He gets promoted to Sergeant but is upset because he then realizes he has killed someone.
Co-Pilot's Note: Brigadier General Britt is now the Wing Commander.



Episode S2-4

The Idolator

 		4 October 1965 48 Min.
Stars: Gary Lockwood as Lt. Josh McGraw. Paul Mantee as Lt. Constantinius. Also stars Lee Meriwether as Capt. Phyllis Vincent.
A new pilot, 1st Lieutenant Joshua McGraw, who is an old friend of Gallagher's arrives with a chip on his shoulder and buzzes the field. When Gallagher asks McGraw about the buzzing he says he had radio trouble, and Gallagher chews him out. He asks Josh how he wangled a transfer into the 918th, Josh says he asked his father, a General and a friend of Gallagher's father, a Lieutenant General Max Gallagher
Radioman's Note: McGraw is engaged to General Britt's daughter Martha. Gary Lockwood makes his third and final mission.
Tail Gunner's Trivia: Idolator - 1) a worshiper of idols 2) a person that admires intensely and often blindly one that is not usually a subject of worship



Episode S2-5

Big Brother

 		11 October 1965 48 Min.
Stars: Jack Lord as Lt. Col. Preston Gallagher. Julie Adams as Lt. Betty Russo. Also stars Bernard Fox as Maj. Dutton.
The 918th lands at Mogador in North Africa to refuel and re-arm. Gallagher's plane lands late after his stopover in Yugoslavia . The senior officer is Lieutenant Col. Preston "Pres" Gallagher (Joe's brother). Pres explains that he has a mixed unit of Americans, British and Australians and he has been barely holding on. Pres decides to pull out and takes Gallagher's gas, and decides to blow up the 918th aircraft.
Pilot's Note: Gallagher is called "Danzo" by his family (when he was a kid he could not pronounce Joseph Anson, the best he could say was Danzo).



Episode S2-6

The Hot Shot

 		18 October 1965 48 Min.
Stars: Warren Oates as Lt. Colonel Jerry Troper. Jill Ireland as Alyce Carpenter. Also stars Jill Haworth as Lt. Fay Vendry.
The 511th Fighter Group arrives at Archbury to escort the 918th on the home leg of a shuttle mission. On the way Lt. Col Troper attacks a train making him 10 minutes late for the rendezvous. The 511th does not give the proper recognition codes and one pilot is shot down. Back on the ground Colonel Gallagher orders a brief at 0400, but only 12 of the fighter pilots show up. Gallagher has Troper put under house arrest.


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Episode S2-7

Show Me a Hero, I'll Show You a Bum

 		25 October 1965 48 Min.
Stars: Lois Nettleton as Susan Nesbitt. Chris Robinson as Sgt. Sandy Komansky, a regular in season 2. Also stars Lloyd Bochner as Kirby Wyatt the 918th press liaison.
On a mission 9 out of the 10 crewmen of the Piccadilly Lily are wounded except TSgt. Komansky. Komansky fly's and lands the plane at Archbury, becoming a press celebrity. A wounded Gallagher puts him in for the Silver Star . The 918th press liaison calls Miss Susan Nesbitt, an American correspondent working for the BBC . She takes advantage of Komansky realizing this story could be her big break in broadcasting.
Co-Pilot's Note: Look for a very young Burt Reynolds as Sgt. Chapman. Also, we learn in this Episode the TSgt. Sandy Komansky first name is Alexander.



Episode S2-8

Runway in the Dark

 		1 November 1965 48 Min.
Stars: Albert Paulsen as Arn Borg. Jack Weston as Capt. 'Chub' Willis. Also stars Jill Haworth as Lt. Fay Vendry.
Practicing for night missions, the group is being tracked, they change course and evade successfully but Capt. 'Chub' Willis has to correct as he was off target. Chub is distracted because of thoughts of his girlfriend. On the actual night mission into Norway to pick up legendary resistance leader Arn Borg, they are told to look for the King Frederick light. However, it seems to be a trap as the Germans are waiting.
Bombardier's Trivia: For a great movie on the heroes of Norway see The Heroes of Telemark



Episode S2-9

I Am the Enemy

 		8 November 1965 48 Min.
Stars: William Shatner as Major Kurt Brown from Star Trek fame.
The 918th is on its 8th mission to bomb the sub pens at St. Nazaire . This mission is led by Major Kurt Brown who has never aborted for any reason. Lt. Richards, Brown's bombardier is badly wounded and Brown tells his navigator to hold him up to the bomb sight. He completes the mission but is annoyed at the cost and argues with Colonel Gallagher. Due for a rest he fly's his 44th mission and is in a daze.
Radioman's Trivia: Major Brown went on to pilot the Starship Enterprise in 1966.



Episode S2-10

Grant Me No Favor

 		15 November 1965 48 Min.
Stars: Frank Aletter as Lt. Colonel Christy. Barry Sullivan as Lt. General Maxwell Gallagher, Joe's father and Andrew Duggan as the Major General Ed Britt, he is promoted with his second star in this episode. Also Paul "Tiny" Newlan as Lieutenant General Patrick Pritchard.
On a bombing mission into Norway, Lt. Colonel Christy aborts the mission after 10 of his 21 planes are shot down. When he returns, Gallagher sends an angry note to newly promoted Major General Britt asking, "How can his men keep risking their lives for a secret target". Summoned by Britt to what turns out to be Britt's promotion party, Joe is surprised to see his father Lieutenant General Max Gallagher.



Episode S2-11

Storm at Twilight

 		22 November 1965 48 Min.
Stars: Ted Knight from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" fame plays Lieutenant Colonel Rogers.
Harvey and Lieutenant Colonel Rogers, the 918ths acting commander, watch the latest mission come back very chewed up and missing six planes, and Harvey feels responsible, Komansky hands him a telegram, his son is missing in action. Harvey goes to see General Britt and requests to fly again by getting and age waiver. He passes his physical by memorizing the eye chart. Gallagher comes back and is furious.
Co-Pilot's Note: Major Harvey B. Stovall is 44 years old. In the old days Harvey flew one of the first ANT-5's , he stopped flying because of his family and wanted to start practicing law in Columbus, Ohio with "Stovall & Stokes". Harvey's son, 1st Lieutenant Michael A. Stovall is 22, and his birthday was two weeks ago in this episode.



Episode S2-12

We're Not Coming Back

 		29 November 1965 48 Min.
Stars: Ina Balin as Mara Vellich.
With shuttle raids becoming more frequent, Colonel Gallagher briefs his crew they will be bombing Wessellhafen, then flying on to North Africa and refueling, coming back they will bomb a target in France and then return to England. Over Wellhausen, a German flyer leads a training group in attacking the B-17 formation. Gallagher is forced to land in Yugoslavia and meets a girl named Mara, she falls for Gallagher.



Episode S2-13

The Jones Boys

 		6 December 1965 48 Min.
Stars: Andrew Prine as Lt. Jaydee Jones. Bruce Dern as TSgt. Frank Jones. Also stars Burt Reynolds as TSgt. Chapman.
Off base, Jay Dee Jones works up the nerve to go on his next mission. Sneaking back on base he is spotted by TSgt. Chapman who is stealing 45 pistols to sell. Jay Dee's older brother TSgt. Frank Jones tells him to straighten up. Jay Dee says he has had enough. On takeoff Jay Dee over-revs the engines and they do not have enough speed for take off, the plane flips over killing the bombardier and badly injuring the co-pilot.
Navigator's Trivia: This is Bruce Dern's fourth and final mission.



Episode S2-14

Between the Lines

 		13 December 1965 48 Min.
Stars: Larry Gates as Major General Stace . Ken Drake as Brig. General Krasker .
While flying back from the Russian front on a planning brief for the Invasion of Europe, Major General Stacey and Brigadier General Krasker are returning with information about Russian troop strength and vital secret documents, their plane is shot down. One General jumps, the other rides the plane down. With the plane on fire TSgt. Sandy Komansky stays with the plane and the General.



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Episode S2-15

Target 802

 		27 December 1965 48 Min.
Stars: Lou Antonio as Capt. Pollard. Wright King as Maj. Coefield. Also stars Lisa Pera as Claudine Corbelle and Harry Townes as Brigadier General Marteen .
On the way back from a bombing run over the Ruhr valley, bombs are accidentally dropped on Ste Monique. A single bomb falls in the village square killing resistance leaders. Two pilots are hiding in St Monique, Major Coefield from the 918th and Captain Pollard from the 511th Fighter Squadron. Pollard has fallen in love with Claudine, the woman who rescued them. She has brought her son to England; he is badly wounded and may lose his leg.
Flight Engineer's Trivia: Harry Townes really did serve in the Army Air Corps for four years during World War II.



Episode S2-16

Falling Star

 		3 January 1966 48 Min.
Stars: James Daly as Col. Gus 'Pappy' Wexler. Judy Carne as Doris. Also stars Paul Comi as Capt. Banazak.
On the way back from a mission, a mentor of Joe Gallagher's, Colonel Gus "Pappy" Wexler is flying as an observer. Joe lets Wexler fly in the co-pilot's seat. They are attacked and Joe is wounded, Pappy takes over calling Gallagher "Bernie". Lt. General Pritchard gives Wexler the Group Commander's job while Gallagher is on the sick list. Pappy proceeds to run the group by the book.
Radioman's Trivia: Judy Carne was the "Sock it to Me" girl on Laugh In.



Episode S2-17

The Slaughter Pen

 		10 January 1966 48 Min.
Stars:The eloquent Englishman Michael Rennie as Lt. General Keighley and John Van Dreelen as Germany General Reger. Harry Guardino as Captain Deel. Also stars Juliet Mills as Sydney Vivyan.
While trying to bomb Hamburg Germany, the 918th is turned back by flak and fighters over the area called the "Slaughter Pen". A new German underground radar station is spotting them long before they arrive at the target. General Pritchard says that all three of his Wings have been turned back. Gallagher says that it is not a target that can be taken from the air, it needs to a ground assault and volunteers.
Waist Gunner's Note: Captain Deel was kicked out of West Point because of Gallagher.

Bombardier's Trivia: Juliet Mills is sister to Haley Mills, from Walt Disney movie fame. Michael Rennie joined the Royal Air Force in 1941, training as a fighter pilot in the United States under The Arnold Plan, he came a long way from selling shoes.



Episode S2-18

Underground

 		17 January 1966 48 Min.
Stars: Claudine Longet as Liane. Robert Walker Jr. as Karl Weigand.
On a mission, Gallagher realizes that he has bombed a decoy target, he tries to radio London but the radio is destroyed and his plane is shot down, he parachutes into Switzerland. The American Legation in Zurich tell him he will be interned, and can not escape or be allowed to transmit information that he has. An American officer he meets asks Gallagher to meet him at the Alpenstock Restaurant for coffee.



Episode S2-19

Which Way the Wind Blows

 		24 January 1966 48 Min.
Stars: Dina Merrill as Captain Patricia Bates. Michael Macready as Lieutenant Rogers.
Due to cloud cover over the target, the 918th is unable to bomb Kiel , Germany. They loose 7 planes. Gallagher makes an angry complaint to General Britt who has a solution, a new Group Weather Officer, a woman, Captain Patricia Bates. She is a former Meteorology Professor from UIT who has a new approach to weather forecasting. They have dinner with her and her assistant Lieutenant Rogers.



Episode S2-20

The Outsider

 		31 January 1966 48 Min.
Stars: James MacArthur as Lt. Harley Wilson. Lee Meriwether as Capt. Phyllis Vincent. Also stars Patrick Wayne as Lt. Gabriel and Dabney Coleman as Capt. Robbins.
On a mission to bomb a refinery deep into Germany at Kasendorf , a pilot from the 53rd Fighter Squadron, Lt. Harley Wilson hits Gallagher's plane while trying to shoot an enemy fighter. Wilson is very eager to fit in, he feels like an outsider and hitting the Colonel's plane does not help. The young pilot has been trying to get a kill for two months. He goes to the Star & Bottle where he is snubbed by Komansky.
Flight Engineer's Trivia: James MacArthur went on to become famous while starring in Hawaii 50.



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Episode S2-21

Back to the Drawing Board

 		7 February 1966 48 Min.
Stars: Burgess Meredith as Dr. Rink. Alf Kjellin as Oberst (Colonel) Erhland. Also stars Robert Doyle as Master Sgt. Zemler and the beautiful German vixen Susan Denberg as Colonel Erhland girlfriend.
The Dulabine Shipyard bombing mission is turned back due to weather. On the ground in Emstad, the German commander, Oberst Erhland is frustrated that he can not attack due to fighter maintenance problems. The 918th has a new airborne radar device called Bomb Through Overcast (BTO) Radar developed by Dr. Rink. Three aircraft are equipped and sortie on a test mission using a new invention called "chaff", which when dropped, the enemy's radar is confused in locating the bombers.
Radioman's Trivia: Alf Kjellin was really Swedish! The triangle A is the tail insignia of the 918th.



Episode S2-22

Twenty Fifth Mission

 		14 February 1966 48 Min.
Stars: Bradford Dillman as Major Tom Parsons. Don Galloway as Capt. Bruce Cowley. Also stars Tom Skerritt as Lt. Paddy Gialella and Antoinette Bower as Naomi Rockford.
After completing his 25th mission, Major Tom Parsons is going home. Sveringen is the production center for the new ME-262 jet powered fighter , the group has tried to bomb several times and failed. Gallagher suggests nighttime precision bombing by sending in a pathfinder to mark the target. Gallagher picks Parsons to fly the pathfinder mission; he refuses stating he has completed his tour.
Bombardier's Trivia: Tom Skerritt makes his 4th of 5 missions on Twelve O'Clock High.



Episode S2-23

The Survivor

 		21 February 1966 48 Min.
Stars: Don Gordon as Capt. Bradovich. Jill Ireland as Sara Blodgett Gordon's girlfriend.
On a mission after hitting the target Captain Bradovich's B-17 experiences engine trouble. Lt. Tourneau drops back to cover him. Bradovich reports him for lack of air discipline. On the next mission, his plane is hit, and his co-pilot Lt. Ainsley is wounded and Bradovich orders his crew to bail out, they do but only Bradovich returns back to Archbury. The other aircraft only see one chute before the plane disappears into the clouds.
Navigator's Trivia: Don Gordon joined the U.S. Navy after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941; he served on USS Saratoga and the USS Yorktown. His first movie was 12 O'Clock High (uncredited) with Gregory Peck in 1949.



Episode S2-24

Angel Babe

 		28 February 1966 48 Min.
Stars: Roddy McDowall as Flight Engineer Willets.
B-17 "Angel Babe" is returning from a perfect mission. Flight Engineer Willets explains that when "Angel Babe" leads they always come home safe. On the ground Major Stovall waits with a team from the Public Relations Office who are filming the plane which has completed its 49th mission. They want to take the plane back to the States for a promotional tour as it will soon be the first in the Eight Air Force to complete 50 missions.



Episode S2-25

Decoy

 		7 March 1966 48 Min.
Stars: Michael Callan as Captain Tom Powell
In Scotland Gallagher meets with Major General Hardy about a Ranger mission and comes up with an air support plan. Returning from Scotland via an Air Transport B-17, piloted by Captain Tom Powell a screw ball who Joe knows and dislikes, the feeling is mutual. The plane is shot down over the North Sea , the two survive in a raft and then on and island with a German submarine lurking in the off shore area.



Episode S2-26

The Hollow Man

 		14 March 1966 48 Min.
Stars: Robert Drivas as 1st Lieutenant Wally Bolen and Paul Carr as Capt. Lewis.
1st Lieutenant Wally Bolen returns to the 918th after 5 months as a P.O.W. He is welcomed and promoted to Captain by Gallagher. At the officer's club, they are having a welcome back party; Bolen wants to fly again and gets checked out by Gallagher. The Group is going to be bombing Battenheim ,France and will be sending a pathfinder group in at a low altitude to mark the target. Gallagher chooses Bolen as Flight Leader.



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Episode S2-27

Cross-Hairs on Death

 		21 March 1966 48 Min.
Stars: James Franciscus as Capt. Thomas Carpenter. and Roger Perry as Capt. Enright. Also H.M. Wynant as Sgt. Holcombe.
A cashiered pilot slips in for another try. He was washed out at flight training at Langley Field and goes AWOL, but is a good pilot. Arriving in England aboard a ship, he breaks into a store and steals an Army Air Corp uniform, he deceives his way into the 918th, claiming his records have been lost. Meanwhile he flies as co-pilot for the upcoming missions. The pressure of the charade begins to take its toll.
Pilot's Note: Ranked as one of the top 5 missions of season 2. James Franciscus died too young in 1991 from emphysema . Everybody smoked back then!!



Episode S2-28

Day of Reckoning

 		28 March 1966 48 Min.
Stars: John van Dreelen as Major Schindler, and Charles Aidman as Captain Archer (Chaplain). Also Eric Braeden AKA Hans Gudegast as Major Bentz and Dinah Ann Rogers as Winifred Broome.
A German unit bombs the 918th's base in Archbury, among the dead are a group of new replacements and a Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) Sergeant Winifred Broome. The Chaplain is anguished over the dead but especially over Winifred. In his grief he shoots and kills a Luftwaffe survivor who is descending by parachute to the ground.
Tail Gunner's Trivia: John Van Dreelen was Dutch and was sent to a Papanburg concentration camp during WWII, he joined a performers' troupe, and during one performance, managed to grab a German uniform from the audience cloak room and escaped in disguise. Eric Braeden whose real name was Hans Gudegast was a real German born in Kiel Germany in 1941.



Episode S2-29

Siren Voices

 		4 April 1966 48 Min.
Stars: Victoria Shaw as Patti Conboy. Rhys Williams as Ian Conboy. Also stars William Wellman Jr. as Sgt. Ellers and Juliet Mills as Helen.
On a bombing mission to a Focke-Wulf Factory in Marienberg, East Prussia the 918th is attacked by fighters and loose 9 aircraft and 100 men. Gallagher's radioman overhears the Germans and Gallagher gets the idea of trying to confuse the Germans by broadcasting on that frequency. When the group lands they find out that everything on the mission was broadcast by the "Danzig Lady".
Bombardier's Trivia: William Wellman Jr. son of rogue Hollywood director William Wellman who made many great films.





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