Crossfire

Crossfire is the eighth episode of Combat 's fourth season. It was written by Edward J. Lakso and directed by Alan Crosland, Jr. It aired on November 2, 1965.

Plot summary
During yet another of the squad's firefights with Germans, two of Saunders' soldiers, Clark and Marshall, are killed. The sergeant blames Pvt. Stevens, whom he says disobeyed a direct order to provide cover. He places Stevens under arrest and marches him back to the temporary command post. Lt. Hanley is confused by Saunder's actions, saying Stevens is a fine soldier. He asks for more information, and Saunders launches into a flashback set during D-Day, when he and Stevens first met.

Saunders bucks up the reluctant Stevens, and together they take out a German machine gun nest. Once the Americans make it inland, Saunders runs into Stevens again at a medical aid station. Stevens is wearing a sergeant's jacket, and he offers vague answers to Saunders' queries about how he got promoted. Stevens reveals a personality change. His philosophy is that the only way to survive is to "kill Krauts." When a captured German arrives at the post for interrogation, Stevens nearly strangles him to death. A captain tells Saunders to get Stevens under control.

Saunders gradually realizes Stevens has evolved past being a competent, effective soldier and is turning into a reckless, blindly angry man. In the present, Hanley begins to debrief Stevens, who maintains his innocence to Saunders' charges. Saunders begins to tell the story of the failed reconnaissance patrol that morning. The sergeant is initially pleased to see Stevens, while Stevens regards Saunders and the others warily. He is edgy and irritable, which Saunders calls out.

In nearby hills, the squad’s patrol is initially quiet. That abruptly ceases when Stevens spots an approaching German patrol and opens fire. Saunders reprimands him, saying a recon patrol is supposed to avoid skirmishes, not cause them. Stevens testily brushes off the admonition, repeating his belief that the only path to war’s end is to keep moving forward and killing as many Germans as possible.

Shortly after, Stevens says he was busted down to private, but it doesn’t matter because he didn’t want responsibility for anyone’s life but his own. He blames Saunders for this mentality, drawn from what he thinks Saunders taught him at Omaha Beach.

Saunders spots a German platoon setting up an artillery position, and four of the Americans fan out to make notes and mark the position on maps. A German patrol spots Clark and Marshall and open fire, wounding one and trapping both under a wooden footbridge. At this point, the action joins the story’s cold open. To attack the Germans, Saunders orders Stevens to lead Kirby and Littlejohn in one direction, while he takes Caje in another. However, once out of eyesight, Stevens breaks away on his own and unsuccessfully attempts to take out the machine gun nest with a grenade. He yells for Clark and Marshall to make a run for it. They do, but that leaves them open and they are both cut down by machine gun fire. Stevens hurls a second grenade and approaches the machine gun nest on foot, firing his rifle along the way. He is successful this time, but Doc, who witnessed the whole thing, tells Saunders what happened.

Back in the debriefing session, Stevens says his actions were justified. Hanley decides to refer the charges to Battalion HQ, and tells Saunders to drive Stevens there. Caje accompanies them. On the way, a German hurls a potato masher into their pathm causing Caje to veer off the road. The men abandon the vehicle and return fire. Saunders radios for help. Stevens takes off on his own again. He manages to shoot the German, but he is also hit. Saunders rushes to him and says they both could have made it had Stevens waited. With his last breath, Stevens repeats his mantra: “Kill Krauts. Keep firing. Keep moving. Isn’t that what you said?” Saunders watches stonily as Stevens dies.

Later, Stevens’ body is placed on a jeep and Saunders laments to Hanley that he owes his life to the man he was delivering to a court martial.

Recon report

 * The shots of soldiers in pitching transport boats and storming the beach are lifted directly from Combat 's pilot, "A Day in June." At 07:57, we glimpse a medic diving for the ground as incoming fire spits up little fountains of sand around him. I'm going to assume this was Doc Walton, because he is sorely missed.
 * The film taken from "A Day in June" is cut with newly-shot footage showing how Saunders and Stevens met. The effect isn't too bad in close-ups, considering the crew was working on a simulated beach roughly dressed to look like Trancas Beach, where the pilot was shot. However, the effect is undermined by wider shots that show only Saunders and Stevens are on the beach. Where are the rest of the Allied forces?
 * At episode’s end, Saunders remarks that Stevens, who was clearly heedless, saved his life. But minutes before, he told Stevens they both might have survived had Stevens just listened to him. Which is it, Chip?
 * Combat! superfan Jo Davidsmeyer timed stock footage, re-used shots and original film, and concluded that this 46-minute long episode contained less than half an hour of original footage.
 * Why does New Doc get to be in this episode? I miss Doc Walton.