  
Combat! reviews by Jo
Davidsmeyer •
Episodes rated from 0 to 4 bayonets
 Anatomy of a Patrol
Rating:
4 bayonets
First aired 11-26-63, Episode 11 of Season 2
Directed by Bernard McEveety
Written by Bob and Esther Mitchell
Produced by Gene Levitt
(photo copyright Earl Parker, taken on the set during filming)
SYNOPSIS:
Saunders' squad and a German patrol
race to recover the pilot and reconnaissance photos from a downed American plane. Saunders
engages in a personal battle of wits with his counterpart: another sergeant, similar to
Saunders, who cares deeply for his squad. Each tries to accomplish his mission while
keeping his men alive. But for one to succeed, the other must fail. Ultimately, Saunders
outsmarts the German, but at a cost in both American and German lives.
REVIEW:
"Anatomy of a Patrol" shows Saunders sublimely fulfilling
his duty as the perfect squad leader. This is one of my favorite episodes, definite- ly
high among the top twenty.
In the series, we see surprisingly little of Saunders
actually commanding his men. It's rare that we get to see inside the mind of this soldier
as he leads his men on patrol. (Yes, we always see him ordering his men around. But here
we watch as he commands them through a structured plan and engagement.)
"Anatomy" shows him not as the man, but as the soldier--as the perfect soldier.
The story contrasts and compares him with his counterpart leading the German patrol. As
both work to cross- purposes, the script and direction draw marked similarities between
Saunders and his nemesis, the German Sergeant played by James Caan (whose German is pretty
terrible). What we see in this "enemy" is another young, bright man, like
Saunders, who cares deeply for his men. Each is trying to accomplish his mission to the
best of his ability. But for one to succeed, the other must fail.
Watching the episode, I get the impression that if
these sergeants met outside a war environment, they would have much in common and could
become fast friends. Ultimately, we see Saunders outsmart his counterpart, but even so,
he's not "smart" enough to achieve this victory without suffering losses.
The plot of this episode is indistinguishable from
the film "The Enemy Below," right down to the use of a corpse as a diversion.
(The same plot is later used by Classic Trek in the episode starring Mark Lenard as the
Romulan Commander.) Still, script writers Bob and Esther Mitchell make this tried-and-true
story of admirable foes in a head-to-head challenge of wits seem fresh and original.
The action is especially exciting in this episode.
The most spectacular firefights filmed for Combat! were shot by Director Bernard
McEveety for this episode. You'll see these shots again and again in dozens of episodes
that follow. I've always found these action sequences particu- larly thrilling; however,
after reading the Twilight Zone books, on this most recent viewing of
"Anatomy" I found that these "exciting" shots suddenly seemed quite
dangerous. It took a lot of freeze-framing and slow-motion to finally convince myself that
when it looks like blanks are being shot directly at an actor just twenty feet away, that
the blanks are actually being intercepted by a fortuitously placed hillock or shrub. Often
the guns are aimed at the ground; but the action is so rapid and the muzzle flashes and
explosions so seemingly wild that it creates a most wonderful illusion.
William Smith (credited in this episode as Bill
Smith), puts in a good job as Caan's right-hand-man (and the corpse that Caan must
sacrifice to try to complete his mission).
My only odd thought about this episode, is the
niggling point that always bothers me when watching exterior scenes in Combat!:
why are there so many semi-tropical plants in "France"?
(photo copyright Earl Parker)
NOTES, ODDITIES, AND BLOOPERS:
· The plot of this episode is indistinguishable from the
1957 submarine film The Enemy Below, right down to the use of a corpse as a
diversion.
· William Wellman, Jr., son of
Hollywood maverick director "Wild" Bill Wellman, appears as Woody.
· The action sequences are
especially exciting and are used again and again in dozens of episodes that follow.
CAST:
Vic Morrow as Sgt. Saunders
Rick Jason as Lt. Hanley
James Caan as Sgt. Beckman
Jack Hogan as Kirby
Pierre Jalbert as Caje
Dick Peabody as Littlejohn
Tom Lowell as Billy Nelson
Conlan Carter as Doc
William Sargent as Blocker
Bill Smith as Richter
William Wellman as Woody
Kort Falkenberg as Meitner
Jeff Davis as Johnson
Juergen Seifert as Bernsdorf
Mark DeVries as Holweg
Bobby Hyatt as Gray
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