The Wildest Raid of All

**The Wildest Raid of All** is the third episode of the first season of *The Rat Patrol*. It first aired on 26 September 1966.

## Synopsis

Sergeant Sam Troy and Private Mark Hitchcock allow themselves to be captured by the German officer Hauptmann Hans Dietrich in order to kidnap his superior, the highly-decorated German general Ernest von Helmreich. The plan: use him as a bargaining chip to gain access to a German ammunition depot and destroy supplies slated for use in a massive Wehrmacht offensive set for the following day.

Captain Dietrich has captured Sergeant Troy and Private Hitchcock. It was on purpose: when Dietrich brings them to General Heimreich (Wolfgang Preiss), Troy snatches the general and Sergeant Moffitt and Private Pettigrew suddenly show up and help their comrades escape.

Once far away, Heimreich distracts Moffitt with inane platitudes while unscrewing a metal tube off a Jeep to uses it to attack Moffitt, then he fires several bullets from the Jeep so as to draw Dietrich's attention.

We see that the Rat Patrol have outfitted one of their Jeeps with some kind of rakes, so as to stir up a lot of dust as they drive, leading Dietrich to believe there are more Allied forces in the mountains than there actually are.

Troy and Moffitt take Heimreich on one Jeep as Hitchcock and Pettigrew follow in the other Jeep. They bring Heimreich to a base and claim that the general is suffering from heat stroke. The Germans reluctantly take them in so that Heimreich can be treated.

Hitchcock demands to see his sergeant, a guard allows this provided he bring no weapon. Hitchcock is able to punch out the guard and then attacks a German soldier who's shaving in a tent. Hitchcock takes that soldier's uniform and commandeers a German motorcycle with sidecar. Hitchcock goes to an ammunition depot, where he sets a bomb that looks like a water canteen.

A doctor determines that Heimreich is not suffering from heat exhaustion: he did not fall unconscious, he was knocked unconscious. Heimreich wakes up, and, seeing Troy and Moffitt, asks "Where are the other two?"

A soldier brings Hitchcock in, and Heimreich already knows that the young American has set a bomb. But the soldiers, who seem to not know English, are blissfully unaware. At Troy's urging, Moffitt explains in German the situation to the German soldiers, who then become nervous. The bomb explodes, setting off a chain reaction just as the Rat Patrol make their escape. By the time Dietrich gets to the depot, it's too late to stop the explosions.

The Rat Patrol arrive at a well and negotiate with an Arab woman for access to the water. Moffitt asks in ??? Arabic ???? what she's willing to trade. Not money, not boots, but sex with Hitchock. Terming it "the ultimate sacrifice," Hitchcock gleefully retires to a room with the lady.

## Main cast

* Christopher George as Sergeant Sam Troy
* Gary Raymond as Sergeant Jack Moffitt
* Hans Gudegast as Hauptmann Hans Dietrich
* Lawrence Casey as Private Mark Hitchcock
* Justin Tarr as Private Tully Pettigrew

### Supporting cast

* Wolfgang Preiss as General Ernest von Helmreich
* Max Slaten as Colonel Shtengler
* Ric Hutton as Doctor Muller