Combat!
"On television, war is heck."
Combat! is an American television program that originally aired on ABC from 1962 until 1967. The show covered the grim lives of a squad of American soldiers fighting the Germans in France during World War II. The program starred Rick Jason as platoon leader Second Lieutenant Gil Hanley and Vic Morrow as Sergeant "Chip" Saunders.
Genre: Drama, War & Politics
Actor: Jack Hogan, Pierre Jalbert, Conlan Carter, Dick Peabody, Tom Lowell, Steven Rogers
Country: United States of America
Type: tv
Season: 1
Episode: 1
Duration: 1h
Release: 1962
Rating: 7.7
Season 1 - Combat!
30 Oct 1962
"When the squad's BAR man is killed saving them from being wiped out in an ambush, the men aren't too happy with his replacement--including Saunders, who was especially close to the man, and..."
27 Nov 1962
"Del Packer, a famous baseball star who was drafted into the army, winds up as a replacement in the squad. While Kelly looks for a way to make some money by setting up a baseball game with a..."
18 Dec 1962
"In a flashback story told as the men rest on a rainy night, Sgt. Saunders recalls the experiences of himself and several other men on the day of the D-Day invasion, including tales about ..."
01 Jan 1963
"After the battalion pushes the Germans out of a small French town, Pvt. Paul Villers, a member of Saunders' squad, asks permission to look for his father, a French doctor. Villers' was born..."
08 Jan 1963
"D'Amato and Wharton, two close friends within the platoon, become separated from the rest of the men when the platoon comes under fire from a German tank and its machine gunner. D'Amato ..."
15 Jan 1963
"Sgt. Saunders is taken prisoner by a German patrol, and is being transported with three other men (two Canadians and a French civilian) when they are freed by a group of Resistance fighters..."
29 Jan 1963
"Saunders' and Hanley's platoon is joined by a replacement soldier from Georgia named Moseby Lovelace, who comes complete with a new set of boots that the other troops, especially Saunders, ..."
12 Feb 1963
"Doc, Braddock and several wounded GIs take refuge in a French ch\u00e2teau owned by a wealthy aristocrat and his daughter. The father, concerned only with saving his estate, wants no part of ..."
26 Feb 1963
"When the squad enters a French village, they discover a small patrol of German paratroopers have established an observation post in the town. A ruthless, battle-hardened German Lieutenant ..."
12 Mar 1963
"In enemy territory, his hands badly burned, Saunders weaves a treacherous path back to his own lines."
19 Mar 1963
"French underground blow their cover, believing their village is liberated. Actually Hanley's squad are retrieving a female photojournalist star, who ducked through military lines to grab a ..."
09 Apr 1963
"Kirby is being tried in a military court for desertion under fire, and the penalty could be death. As the trial proceeds, Sgt. Saunders and Caje try to gather evidence to prove his innocence."
Season 2 - Combat!
1963-09-17
"Lee Marvin guest stars as a sergeant in command of a small demolition team that Saunders and his squad is ordered to take behind German lines to destroy a bridge. Lee Marvin does not believe the squad is large enough to handle the job of getting him to the bridge and back alive. He requests a platoon but is refused by Lieutenant Hanley. Marvin submits but has a huge chip on his shoulder due to a close friend being killed while on a similar mission. He has no confidence in Saunders or his men to get the job done and frequently ridicules them during the mission."
1963-10-01
"James Coburn guest stars as a ruthless German spy masquerading as an American G.I. in order to get into an American Batallion HQ to create havoc. The jeep he is in hits a land mine and Coburn's German Officer is wounded. Saunders and his squad bring him and the two other German infiltrators back to their Company HQ for first aid. Saunders slowly begins to suspect there is something wrong as Coburn's character makes slight mistakes while speaking and interacting with the other men."
1963-10-08
"Returning from patrol, Saunders and his men are captured by a platoon of German SS. They take the squad back to their base to be interrogated by their commander, an SS Captain played by Richard Basehart. Simon Oakland also guest stars as an American sergeant already held captive by the Germans."
1963-10-29
"Eddie Albert guest stars as an American WWI veteran living in France with his French wife he met while soldiering in the previous war. During the shelling from a Big German gun nearby he becomes confused and believes he is still fighting WWI."
1963-11-12
"All the squad except Kirby take to an orphan boy named Bizzue. When Caje is captured by the Kurts, the others begin to think just maybe Kirby is right."
1963-12-03
"When the men arrive in a town the French shoot a man for collaborating and his daughter blames the Americans - who later learn he was actually an undercover allied agent.\n\nRegulars: Saunders, Hanley, Kirby, Caje, Billy Nelson, Littlejohn, Doc 2."
1964-01-28
"Suander And Caje are held hostage by two Germans while Doc try and get a vehical to get them out of town. When they get out of town Doc learns why the Germans wanted them for. He trys to stop them by recking the ambulance. We he does Caje get a broke leg and the German in the back get killed. When the 1 German have Doc & Saunders leave an injored Caje behind, Doc get a chance to jump him in the fight Doc kills the german with his bear hands.Saunders bring Doc to reality by letting Doc know he is wounded."
1964-03-03
"In this 2 partter Saunders and his men have to get the retreat message to a British troupe behind enemy lines. The British Captain uses his authority to keep Saunders and his men to help him fight the Germans"
1964-03-24
"Pvt. Putnam (Putt) is a 15 year old run away. He lies to cover up his age and the fact that he is a green recruit. A friend tells Hanley he is only 15. When he panic he nearly get the Sarge & himself killed. At the end his hobby saves the day."
1964-04-14
"Lt Hanley and his me run into 4 Nuns looking for the American to get help for their Mother Sappier. The men must try and get the Nuns and themselves out of the town before the Germans get to the town. The old Nun goes after a statue. Sending Lt. Hanley and Caje back into the town full of Germans and right to the Germans HQ."
1964-04-21
"When the 1 person in the squad that is diliked by most of the men is wonded,The Germans uses him a bait to try & get then men come after him. Order come in come to leave him if it not possible to retrive him. 1 person don't want to leave Mason behind. The squad then try to save Mason."
Season 3 - Combat!
15 Sep 1964
"A belligerent hermit is the only one who can guide Saunders through a treacherous mountain route, so Hanley's company can follow. The Frenchman claims his family was ripped apart in World ..."
22 Sep 1964
"When it appears Lt. Hanley and his men are about to be overrun by attacking Germans, they are miraculously saved by a squadron of fast moving jeeps with mounted machine guns. The squadron ..."
24 Sep 1964
"Sergeant Saunders faces court martial, charged with a reckless decision costing two machine gunner's lives. The gunners' NCO O'Neill accuses Saunders of forgetting to check if the combined ..."
06 Oct 1964
"While 50s Rock & Roller Bobby Rydell is credited as the guest star for this episode, his Mickey Shay character is strictly supportive to the two main characters of the show: Sgt. Saunders ..."
20 Oct 1964
"The Germans are entering a French Village, driving the Americans out before them. The squad is in retreat as Sgt. Saunders enters a building and discovers a member of his squad, a private ..."
10 Nov 1964
"The Americans liberate a French village, and a young French girl follows Sgt. Saunders squad. She wants to be a nurse, but Saunders tells her to go away. However, her bravery wins even Saunders hardened heart."
24 Nov 1964
"Lt. Hanley must flush out a Nazi spy among the soldiers he's leading on a dangerous intelligence mission, before the German sabotages the plan. Hanley's thrust into the unfamiliar ..."
15 Dec 1964
"Saunders, Doc, and Littlejohn are cut off from their lines when they are joined by Fox Company's Sgt. Larkin who is also cut off. While figuring out which is the best way to get back to ..."
22 Dec 1964
"Like \"The Party,\" this is another episode strictly for laughs. The squad is sent to evacuate the French village of Bonaire, but the villagers do not want to evacuate. The village's main ..."
29 Dec 1964
"The squad is anxious to open Littlejohn's birthday cake he received from home, but Littlejohn refuses since his mother has a note attached telling him not to open the package until his ..."
02 Feb 1965
"Frankie Avalon plays Pvt. Eddie Cain, the kid brother of an old hometown friend of Kirby's. Cain has somehow finagled his way to be assigned to Kirby's squad, and he immediately gloms onto ..."
09 Feb 1965
"Saunders, Caje, and Kirby are on a night mission moving through an abandoned French village when they notice an American paratrooper hanging from the church steeple in his entangled ..."
09 Feb 1965
"Hanley, Saunders, Kirby, and Caje are to meet a French resistance fighter, Dupre, who will take them to his leader, Lambrelle, to make arrangements for an air drop of supplies to be used by..."
23 Feb 1965
"Sgt. Saunders and his squad are on patrol with a Captain from G-2 Intelligence. He informs them he intends to be captured by the Germans, allowing himself to be taken to a POW camp where an..."
16 Mar 1965
"Lt. Hanley leads the squad on a mission to find and bring back a French collaborator named Duval. The American intelligence folks want to interrogate him for the valuable information he has..."
30 Mar 1965
"Sgt. Saunders is returning to HQ with Capt Beggs and his driver, Pvt Gavin when their jeep hits a land mine..."
06 Apr 1965
"A very large German railroad artillery gun is causing havoc with the American advance. When not firing, it is moved by rail from one secluded cave to another, and no one has been able to ..."
13 Apr 1965
"To clear the way for 5000 troops through a dangerous mountain pass, Hanley must blow up a German observation post. To succeed this time, a cocky sculptor who's now a demolition man is added..."
20 Apr 1965
"Sgt. Saunders is wounded and trapped behind enemy lines while trying to provide cover for Doc and Caje as they take a wounded Little John back to their lines. Saunders wakes in a German ..."
27 Apr 1965
"Lt. Hanley receives a letter from the friend of the wife of one of his men, Steve Kovac [Chad Everett], advising that Kovac's wife is in hospital and dying. Unfortunately Kovac is on a ..."
Season 4 - Combat!
1965-09-14
"Saunders' latest green replacements are a boxer and his cocky fight manager, Murphy, who wants to run both the war and Saunders."
1965-09-21
"The squad, worn-out and exhausted, receives four green replacements. The story follows these four teenagers as they attempt to survive their first day on the front line."
1965-09-28
"Kirby rejoins the squad in the field, bringing with him a new replacement, Kalb. Kalb is already known to Fleming. Fleming believes Kalb is a coward who ran at Omaha Beach and has been running ever since."
1965-10-05
"A hostile signal corps sergeant, McClosky, balks at having Saunders as escort on a mission to lay wire."
1965-10-12
"Waiting for the battle, Noah plants the crops of an evacuated French farmer. His love for the land and farming overshadow his obligations as a soldier."
1965-10-19
"In an ancient castle that the Germans are using as a POW camp, Hanley's fellow prisoners provide him with a fake Albanian uniform for his escape attempt."
1965-10-26
"Sgt. Saunders, alone and deafened by a grenade, tries to make his way back to American lines."
1965-11-02
"Saunders returns from patrol with one of his squad, a decorated veteran of Omaha Beach, under arrest."
1965-11-11
"After losing a superior officer in the field, Hanley goes alone to locate a wounded intelligence officer in German Held territory."
1965-11-16
"The Squad is saddled with three over-aged replacements: an injured vet of the Italian campaign who refuses to accept that he is incapable of fighting as he did as a youth, a homesick family man, and a politician with senatorial ambitions."
1965-11-23
"An explosion destroys the cellar of a German communication center where Saunders, Marsh, and Wallace were tapping lines. Trapped beneath a beam and fearing he will be left behind, Marsh uses information he has overheard as insurance for a safe return to American lines."
1965-11-30
"Saunders, trying to get a wounded Kirby to a hospital crosses an elderly mother determined to give her son proper burial."
1965-12-07
"Hanley, Little John, and Kirby attempt to salvage film from a crashed reconnaissance plane. They are interrupted by a British Major who commandeers the film and abandons the squad as Germans approach."
1965-12-14
"Facing a German advance, Saunders and squad are ordered to destroy a valley of construction equipment, to keep it out of the hands of the Germans."
1965-12-21
"Caje forces a Frenchman to aid him and a wounded Hanley. The Frenchman takes them to a German occupied chateau where the countess must tend to his wounds while keeping his presence a secret."
1965-12-28
"Hanley is captured by the infamous SS Captain Reichhardt. Saunders captures Reichhardt's men but does not learn the location on Hanley."
1966-01-04
"Three days before a German advance, a spy posing as a downed American flyer is sent to secure information on the French resistance."
1966-01-11
"Marsini the sole survivor of an ill fated patrol blames Saunders for the fate of his fellows since Saunders has orders to keep his position and could not render aid"
1966-01-25
"An impostor masquerades as a French resistance fighter to lead Saunders squad on a mission."
1966-02-01
"Vinnick, a tough G.I. with no regard for danger, clashes with Burke, a soldier who covers his own cowardice with big talk."
1966-02-08
"A German Lieutenant posing as an American sergeant is placed among arriving American prisoners, including Saunders. Mastin learns locations of key American units."
1966-02-15
"A suspicious straggler joins the squad and behaves erratically, endangering the lives of Saunders and company."
1966-02-22
"Hanley flies in a rickety observation plane with a wisecracking pilot. Returning from their mission they see a German convoy and fly in for a closer look."
1966-03-01
"In this 2 partter Hanley & his men have to try & take out 2 bunkers. Hanley finds this almost hopeless and with Saunders wounded, (he only able to give morale support to Haley).Everything looks beck for the men of King Company they get a tank. They lose the tank. But in the end Caje& Kirby with cover of the tank take out the last bunker."
1966-03-08
"In this 2 partter Hanley & his men have to try & take out 2 bunkers. Hanley finds this almost hopeless and with Saunders wounded, (he only able to give morale support to Haley).Everything looks beck for the men of King Company they get a tank. They lose the tank. But in the end Caje& Kirby with cover of the tank take out the last bunker."
1966-03-15
"The squad find a young girl at the convent they are using as OP. Saunders has to try & tell the girl her father is dead. When they are attacked by the Krauts."
1966-03-22
"After his men are all killed by Saunders' squad, a wounded German escapes and vows to kill Saunders' men, one at a time."
1966-04-05
"In his first battle, Pvt. Corey freezes. Afterworld, the squad commends him for his actions, believing he destroyed a machine gun nest."
1966-04-12
"Saunders has to return to HQ for a meeting - leaving Kirby in charge. At first being left in charge starts going to his head, But! after Caje is wounded and the phone lines are cut. Things change fast, At first Kirby starts thinking what would Sarge do. But! with a little encouragement from Doc, He stops thinking what would Sarge do but what would Kirby do to get out of this"
Season 5 - Combat!
13 Sep 1966
"To knock out a German bunker, the squad must drag a cannon over a mile of rough, enemy-infested terrain."
01 Nov 1966
"Ordered to escort an important group of German prisoners to the rear, Saunders faces heavy odds; the POWs outnumber the GIs 18 to 5."
29 Nov 1966
"A vital mission is jeopardized by Saunders' own short-tempered squad members, who suffer from raw nerves caused by lack of sleep. Surprisingly, the worst case of this ISN'T Kirby...It's Caje and Littlejohn!"
31 Jan 1967
"Captain Cole [James Daly] is reunited with his son, Jack [James MacArthur], who he hasn't seen in years. Jack is now a reporter who is sent to the front to cover the war. Jack arrives at HQ..."
07 Mar 1967
"While on patrol, Lt Hanley's newest replacement, Hank Dolan [Tom Simcox] is a man who believes he is cursed to cause the deaths of the men around him. A series of mishaps where those with ..."
