The Tug-of-War Raid

"The Tug-of-War Raid" is the twenty-fourth episode of the second season of The Rat Patrol. It originally aired on 4 March 1968.

Synopsis
At a funeral in a German-occupied French colony, a man, Gaspard (Michael Shillo) is concerned about his daughter Felicia (Brioni Farrell) living alone. Felicia goes to church, where she gives Sergeant Troy (who's dressed as a civilian) a necklace with a microfilm hidden in a locket. Troy doesn't know what the microfilm contains, but he thinks it has something to do with experimental infrared bombing.

Troy looks out the window and tells Felicia to leave as he slips out the back. But just then, a Nazi soldier tells his colleagues about "der Amerikaner in der Kirche." Two Nazi soldiers barge into the church.

Troy and Felicia are captured, and taken to a nearby Nazi base. Troy is surprised to see that the executioner at the gallows wears a hood. A Nazi explains that the executioner is one of the townsfolk. The executioner goes home, pours himself a drink, and takes off his hood (in that order), revealing himself to be Gaspard.

Troy's taken to see Captain Dietrich, who tries a couple of different tacks to convince the sergeant to relinquish the microfilm. Troy's unconvinced, of course.

Dietrich asks Gaspard if he's ever executed a woman, he hasn't.

In his cell, Troy asks a guard for a cigarette, the guard gives him one, and a match. Gaspard goes see Troy, and reveals he's Felicia's father... and the hangman. Troy tells Gaspard the locket is in the cemetery, and also promises to not tell Felicia about his job as an executioner.

The guard hears all of this, so of course Gaspard is followed to the cemetery, where he will do "all of the spade work." Gaspard retrieves the locket but gets shot in a struggle with a Nazi. He finds Moffitt and begins to explain the situation, but he dies before he can finish. Still, Moffitt is able to figure out what has happened and what needs to be done.

In her cell, Felicia seems feverish, she needs to be taken to a hospital. Dietrich says that Felicia's life is in Troy's hands: all Troy has to do is tell Dietrich where the microfilm is. Both Troy and Felicia are silent. Meanwhile, Moffitt puts on Gaspard's clothes from the dead man's car, orders Hitchcock to hide the jeep and follow him into town in an hour.

Troy and Felicia are walked to the gallows, where Moffitt's already in position. Soon Troy and Felicia are loose, and Hitchcock and the other guy show up, and they shoot their way out.

Troy puts Felicia on a medical truck.

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 T. Hitchcock

No Justin Tarr as Private Tully Pettigrew in this episode.

Supporting cast

 * Guy Danfort as a doctor
 * Nick Dimitri (uncredited) as a German soldier
 * Brioni Farrell as Felicia
 * Bo Hopkins as Bo Randall
 * Murray Roman as Lt. Pohl
 * Michael Shillo as Gaspard