12 O'Clock High

1964

Seasons & Episodes

  • 3
  • 2
  • 1

EP1 Gauntlet of Fire Sep 09, 1966

The 918th Group has just finished 21 missions in the 30 days since May 1, 1944. They have been bombing for Operation Point, the lead up to Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy. A 10 day leave is authorized then cancelled and instead they are assigned to fly the Overleaf missions, dropping leaflets all over the French coast. Everyone is exhausted from Gallagher on down. General Pritchard tells General Britt that they need all groups in the air. Britt explains he only has two flyable Groups left, 918th & 966th, he has used the 82nd to replace men & aircraft for the other Groups. Later at Wing, General Britt explains to Gallagher that this could be the ""real thing"". Gallagher says he has heard that before. Britt also tells Gallagher that the G-3 is moving up and the position could go to Gallagher if he wants it. On the first ""Overleaf"" mission to Youreville, they get hit by flak and Pat Barstow's ship gets shot down. Back on the ground, Lieutenant Col. Christy is upset over losing

EP2 Massacre Sep 16, 1966

A shuttle raid is planned by 8th Air Force commander Lieutenant General Harry Owen. Bombers will bomb Ergen Oil Works land in Poltava Russia, then hit Berlin on the way back. A straggling Russian Bomber joins the formation and does not give any recognition signals nor does it respond to Baladin's radio calls. The aircraft is shot down by Major Baladin flying Major Simpson's plane (against Gallagher's orders). Later we learn that the aircraft was piloted by a hero, Major Tobulkan & Captain Chernikov. General Voredenko wants to know who is responsible for this and says that until the man is caught no supplies will be issued. It is the system. Worried that Voredenko will have him shot, Baladin asks Donald ""Doc"" Kaiser for help.

EP3 Face of a Shadow Sep 23, 1966

The 918th is now temporarily part of the 15th Air Force. They fly to a base at Bellagio Foggia Italy commanded by Colonel Yates. Yates is a drunk. Sabotage led by Major Holtzer. Shull is killed.

EP4 Fortress Weisbaden Sep 30, 1966

The RAF(& USAAF) is getting pounded by very concentrated flak over Weisbaden, the latest Squadron has been wiped out. General Britt visits Gallagher to tell him that RAF Air Vice Marshal Kingsford is out for Gallagher's head, the target must be destroyed or Britt will replace Gallagher. On the next mission the 918th looses 11 aircraft out of 21. It turns out that there is a radar directed Fire Control Station in the area. A team of 8 British commandoes, led by Major Mallory will parachute in and blow it up. After dropping the commandoes, Gallagher's B-17 is shot down, his co-pilot is killed, and only he and Komansky meet up with the commando unit. One of the commandoes, Pte. Cane is badly wounded by a German patrol and is left behind with an ""interrogation pill"" which is really an ""L(eathal) pill"". Mallory makes it clear to Gallagher that he and Komansky are unwelcome ""glamour flyboys"". Mallory, his remaining 6 commandoes, Gallagher & Komansky head to the home of Kurt von Heurtzel a Ge

EP5 A Distant Cry Oct 07, 1966

A flight instructor goes to war.

EP6 Practice to Deceive Oct 14, 1966

Gallagher is shot down in a Mustang on a secret mission. Col Gibbons takes over command of the 918th. Conspiracy is led by Admiral von Kreuter (with Berthold, Shullendorf, Straser) to kill Hitler and negotiate a separate peace.

EP7 The All-American Oct 28, 1966

Ted Master's an all American Athlete is assigned to the 918th. He comes equipped with his own Press Officer. Wants to fly, Gallagher assigns him as Assistant Adjutant. Captain King makes an emergency belly landing and Ted poses in front of Captain King's downed aircraft. Gallagher checks him out, assigns him as an alternate co-pilot. He is assigned to King's aircraft operating the bomb run camera. During the mission most of the crew is wounded including the pilot and Master's lands the plane. He rescues the crew by pulling them from the burning aircraft. He also saves the bombing film.

EP8 The Pariah Nov 04, 1966

Sandy almost runs down a Master Sergeant looking for the 918th. He has a German accent. Gallagher is briefing his Squadron commanders. Turns out to be a specialist. Muhlendorf Stetten factory in houses. 6 hours flying time, but fuel for 3 vector 343. land in a field in Russia captured by Germans, Lawson goes to destroy bombsight and is killed. Danzig Fighter Defense Command Reiniger Engine Works in Stetten Crew is interrogated, pick out Schultz because he stands out. They find out who he is, Gerlach is killed, and Brunner takes command. Brunner orders the men shot.

EP9 The Fighter Pilot Nov 11, 1966

9 new planes & crews arrive at Archbury. Aboard are some WACS assigned to Wing HQ led by Staff Sergeant Margo Demarest who is an old friend of Gallagher. Three Ace fighter pilots (Clinton, Dejohn, and Rausch) from the Pacific are ferrying some new P-51 to the 511th Fighter Squadron. Two (Rausch & Dejohn) buzz the airfield to impress Margo and Gallagher is furious. They want to be assigned to the 511th, and the Squadron CO, Major Davidson, wants them but informs them that he is under Gallagher's orders. Major Davidson and the 3 pilots see Gallagher who asks for there orders. Dejohn explains that their orders are in their B4 bags. Gallagher assigns them temporarily (TDY) to the 918th. It turns out that they do actually have orders which split them up and they want to stay together, so they are trying to get assigned to the 511th . They need fake orders to assign them to England and Dejohn asks Margo to write orders for the trio. After he tells her that he loves her, she agrees. All 3 end

EP10 To Seek and Destroy Nov 18, 1966

A V-1 rocket crashes in Sweden. The allies want to get it. They recruit a rocket expert Group Captain Anthony Carmichael. Carmichael is in civilian clothes in the Star & Bottle and he and Sandy have a tiff. Sandy finds him drunk later passed out on a bench. On the mission, Gallagher, Carmichael & Komansky fly to Sweden in an unmarked plane. They have engine trouble and the compass fails so they follow a German plane in. The German plane is a diplomatic courier which carries the designer of the V-1 guidance system, Dr Tanzman and Oberst Ulrich. They are also there to retrieve the rocket as well. Carmicheal drinks too much and reveals his mission to Swensen, a German operative.

EP11 Burden of Guilt Dec 02, 1966

Major General Fox is putting pressure on Brigadier General Doud to bomb the Sub Pens at Nordensholm. They have bombed 3 times and hit the wrong targets, Doud as the Wing Commander takes responsibility and vows to get them. Colonel Hollenbeck has been leading the 52nd Bomb Group, Doud replaces him and reassigns him as G-3 and sends him to the 918th to prepare them for an attack against Nordensholm. Hollenbeck as senior Colonel wants to lead the mission and delays calling Gallagher back from leave. Gallagher arrives but General Doud agrees with Hollenbeck leading the mission. They bomb the correct target, but it is not the Sub Pens. The camera plane piloted by Major's Werth & Stovall is hit and Werth killed. Against orders Stovall breaks formation to photograph a sub he sees leaving a different area. Shot down, the camera & film are lost along with 4 crew members. Harvey Stovall & 5 men are picked up in the North Sea. Back at base, Colonel Hollenbeck wants Stovall court-martialed for ins

EP12 The Ace Dec 09, 1966

Colonel Harry Connelly is up for the Medal of Honor for the pinpoint bombing of a Radar station without hitting the church next door in Italy. Connelly has done 43 skip bombing missions in Europe and the Pacific. In Adelberg the Germans have a group of scientists working on the Atomic Bomb. All around them they have placed POW's including high ranking officers. Connelly is currently doing Transitional Training in London and is called on do one last precision bombing mission. Connelly & Gallagher decide on a plan. One man mission in a B-25 will bomb the target while the rest of the Group acts a diversion. In training Connelly misses the target twice then hits it 6 times dead on. On the mission the pond Connelly was using as his IP is missing, he drops on wrong house killing some Allied officers. Axis Sally broadcasts the news, Connelly cracks, hits Gallagher. General Britt orders Gallagher to ""get that building"" by saturation bombing which will kill the POWs as well. On the second missi

EP13 Six Feet Under Dec 16, 1966

52 Division 3rd Bn captures Argenteau Air Six Air Defense HQ in cellar, Sandy & Gallagher are in France scouting forward bases. Is ordered to investigate . Harvey & Rand from CIC fly in to examine documents. Major Dimscek is killed defending position. Captain Maso and the Willard Germans are closing in. Doud leads mission that successfully bombs the town.

EP14 The Duel at Mont Sainte Marie Dec 23, 1966

Gallagher parachutes onto a Mountain to get a group of Nuns to move so the Mountain can be bombed.

EP15 Graveyard Dec 30, 1966

On a Shuttle Mission to bomb Fredricksburg then land in Foggia Italy, General Chandler leads the whole wing. Gallagher's plane is hit and the Bombardier, Navigator, and the Ball Turret Gunner are killed, and General Chandler & the Radioman are wounded; Another gunner is killed bailing out. They crash land at Sabina Island Control. They are aided at the base by it's commander, Major Glenn Luke a medical officer, and the sole enlisted man, Staff Sergeant Conklin. The base also has 4 German prisoners. On the ground Chandler, Komansky, Pargon and the Radioman are picked up by Major Luke. Gallagher and one of the waist gunners Sergeant Shadrack Ellis are still unaccounted for. A German fighter pilot, Hauptman Holtke, is shot down as well. He sneaks into camp following Sergeant Shadrack Ellis and kills him along with Pargon & Conklin. Holke takes Chandler hostage and takes over the base. We learn that Major Like is really a former signal corps officer named Jim Prince, a pacifist who was red

EP16 A Long Time Dead Jan 06, 1967

Captain Dula, a pilot who is flying as Navigator, Harvey flies as co-pilot wounded. Gallagher wounded, Dula takes over, argues with Komansky, Komansky saves Harvey from bleeding to death charged with mutiny. Komansky talks with Jeanne who gives him a letter from Jimmy Sinclair saying that Dula abandoned the crew.

EP17 The Hunters and the Killers Jan 13, 1967

Commodore Leon Crompton is the leader of USN Task Force 10. His job is to find and sink Wolf Pack Laika , 8 German u-boats operating off the Azores. The 918th is assigned under Gallagher as the Hunter portion of the team and Compton's ships will be the killers. Gallagher assigns 9 B-17's , Cromptons force is 4 DD's, 1 CVE Flights of three searching, Gallagher's get attacked. Two bombers are shot down. On the next mission Gallagher carries bombs, carrier sunk bombers sink subs. He gets shot down, picked up by Destroyer. Gallagher is wounded and goes home on Crompton's new flag ship.
8.1| 0h30m| TV-PG| en| More Info
Released: 18 September 1964 Ended
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Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

This series chronicles the adventures--in the air and on the ground--of the men of the 918th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Eighth Air Force. First commanded by irascible General Frank Savage--and later by Colonel Joe Gallagher, the son of a Pentagon General--the Group is stationed in England, and flies long-range bombing missions into German-held Europe.

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Reviews

hrailey-34155 I would have rated the show a 10 if somehow Peter Fonda's character could have been developed in the series, perhaps as stated earlier, the contrast in the farm boy to leader would have been a better storyline. even retaining Burke but showing the transition of Fonda to that position with Burke moving up to Commanding General.Anyway, it is now relegated to history and we are the better for the show having been presented. It is a common thing for creative Actors to be difficult and in the confines of a regular series with 30+ shows a year, stressful I dare say if Director, Producer and Lead Actor have, let's say creative differences of opinion. That being said, no one adequately replaced the paramount acting abilities of Robert Lansing, and I think he regretted "firing himself" from the show, if I remember the Dick Cavett interview fairly accurately. It feels like Lansing was never fully utilized in Hollywood, it is rare to find an Actor that can convey so much in a look as he did, the glance downward and peering up was classic Lansing.
jack_j_lucas I miss many of the old time classic TV series including 12 O'Clock High and the Untouchables, but thankfully METV has come to ATT UVerse cable for my enjoyment along with the timeless series, Combat!. The one gripe that I had about Robert Lansing playing the lead as General Savage was that he came off about as lovable in love scenes as a dead wet carp that had been beached for several days. He may have been dramatic, but he certainly wasn't at all believable as being romantic.I wish that Hollywood would re-shoot many of the classic WWII war stories and battles, as too many of them that were made shortly after the war in the 1950's would feature hundreds of Americans attacking in battle with one fatality and a couple of casualties and hundreds of enemy dead, and that of course simply wasn't the case. 12 O'Clock High did a great job of making American casualties realistic and I'd love to see the series resurrected again.I just caught Frank Oberton on a rerun of Bonanza on METV as an embittered Father who's son is killed in a gun battle with Joe Cartright. Frank died of a heart attack in 1967, the same year as the last 19 episodes of 12 O'Clock High filming before it was canceled. Doe anyone know if he died while the series was still filming? If so, how was he written out of the script?
misterbee-1 I was a teenager when this show was on in 64 and I never missed it. It's on AMLTV now, and I catch it whenever I can. Between Robert Lansing and Paul Burke, my friends and I preferred Lansing. He always gave an intensity to the role, sort of stand-offish, but always in command. But when Paul Burke stepped in as commander of the 918th Bomb Group, he brought pretty much the same intensity. I'm not sure if Lansing tried to copy Gregory Peck's General Savage, but Lansing did a great job transitioning the role to TV. The show was produced by Quinn Martin (QM Productions http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinn_Martin) who produced some of the best shows of the 60's. For those of us who have always been fans of the great old B-17 Flying Fortress, 12 OClock High is still a great TV show.
MARTY-251 Twelve O'Clock High is the story of the airmen of the 918th Bombardment Group based at Archbury, England. The great leadership skills of the commanding officers and how they dealt with their crews in daily life or death situations while fighting the Luftwaffe. This series had superior writing, sets and story lines-many of which were based on actual events of World War II. There is a lot of aerial combat footage used in this series from both the side of the Allies and the Axis powers. A superbly acted series with excellent casting. This series needs to be shown again in the United States as it is a great tool for teaching our young people what life and freedom was all about during this bygone era.