Combat! (TV Series) Anatomy of a Patrol (1963) User Reviews

Very Realistic and Compelling Episode

[jmarchese · 10/10 · 20 June 2014]

I enjoyed Anatomy of a Patrol for a number of reasons. First, the episode shows respect for German intelligence. The rank and file German soldier was stuck in the war just as the rank and file American was. The common denominator for both sides was they were ordinary people killing each other because a hateful madman had come to power.

James Caan plays an outstanding role as German Sergeant Beckman, who figures out what the Americans are up to almost every step of the way. It's like a chess match between he and Saunders.

Secondly, the episode is very realistic in that not one scene suggests anything that could not have happened. All of the combat scenes are painfully realistic - a Bernard McEveety trait.

Thirdly, the episode shows the great comradery on both teams in their efforts to win the war. Both teams realize the importance of retrieving the reconnaissance camera. There is carefully thought out planning by Saunders and Beckman each step of the way.

Fourthly, Saunders reaction to the thank you note offered by the Air Force is strikingly honest and to the point with no political correctness whatever. The message - no one wins in a war.

Cat and Mouse Game

[claudio_carvalho · 9/10 · 23 July 2017]

When an Allied plane that was filming the German facilities crashes near a river, Sgt. Saunders and his squad are assigned to retrieve the pilot and the film in the camera. A German patrol commanded by the experienced Sgt. Beckman also heads to the spot. Saunders and his men arrive first and rescue the wounded pilot and the film. They put the camera back in the nose of the plane expecting to lure the Germans and hide in the woods. But Sgt. Beckman finds the truth and hunts down the American soldiers in the beginning of a cat and mouse game.

"Anatomy of a Patrol" is a great episode of "Combat!" with a great dispute of strategies between two experienced sergeants. James Caan has a magnificent performance in the role of the German sergeant in one of his first works. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Anatomia de Uma Patrulha" ("Anatomy of a Patrol")

At What Cost...War is Hell

[biorngm · 10/10 · 30 November 2020]

An excellent story brought to the screen in this particular episode whereby each scene is believable and that statement would come from my father carrying his BAR up and through Italy during WWII. I watched Combat because I thought it was exceptional acting with true stories even though we knew it was the depiction of something having occurred during WWII. Watch Saunders plot his strategy as he excels at methods to win at all costs, securing the injured pilot with the critical film intact. What sacrifice is worth lives lost rescuing a fellow soldier and capturing the valuable possession contained in the plane's nose. War is hell and the episode proves that point. Put this episode on your worth watching list forever. Thank you Vic Morrow for being the actor you were, one-of-a-kind.

An early sign of a major career to come

[lor_ · 19 July 2023]

As its title suggests, this "Combat!" segment is emblematic of the series as a whole and serves as an introduction to how the show captured the essence of warfare and the dramatics inherent in such life and death situations.

Looking back at it decades later, the appearance of James Caan early in his career as a German soldier stands out. He is utterly convincing, even while limited to German language dialogue, and has that screen presence that ultimately marked him for stardom.

Many of the series' episodes stray, intentionally, from the "war is hell" theme by featuring comic relief and character interplay by the regulars which may or may not detract from the serious mood. This is a great example of avoiding those pitfalls, and keeping the tension and sense of danger sustained.

One of the top three "Combat" episodes IMO

[johnrfinch · 9/10 · 20 November 2022]

IIRC, the show's best directors was fortunately the director for this episode and it showed. He included a Wehrmacht light machine gun and a rare German semi-auto rifle for the German squad. Viewers will likely notice that both sides travel "light" meaning little extra field gear, like filled ammunition pouches etc. The Germans do have one soldier carrying two boxes of MG ammunition but if you look closely all the soldiers have little on their leather or web belts. Vic Morrow reportedly disliked the weight of his Thompson M1928A1 SMG and carried a lightweight replica whenever he could. James Caan's 9mm MP-40 SMG fires long bursts while Saunders usually can't get more than three or four rounds from his TSMG because of the barrel constrictor to allow the bolt to function with blanks. The real recce P-38 (historically an F-4 or F-5) has incorrect US markings for a 1944 episode. The camera was in a fake position and not even close to what a recce plane carried...as the aircraft still had the MG openings in the nose. These and other minor "errors" do not really detract IMO from this great episode but they could have been corrected IMO to a better degree. But schedules and budgets usually win out over accuracy. Nice use of US and German grenades in this episode too, especially in the heavy vegetation which to me was very effective for this episode. The ending with Saunders and Kirby seemed very realistic to me. I hope the above adds to your enjoyment of this special tactically superior episode of "Combat" from 1963.