"Soldier Of Fortune" features a very long lead in, to the opening credits. Sergeant Chip Saunders with two guys we've never met before, Wallace (William Campbell "Star Trek" "Cell 2455 Death Row") who is extra fire power and the wretched Marsh who is a communications specialist whose job is to listen in on German telephone communications. One can accept this being a three man mission rather than taking the whole squad as stealth is the name of the game.
The building is shelled and Marsh refuses to tell Chip Saunders what he heard as he is trapped and doesn't believe Saunders and Wallace that they'll pull him free and get him back to the American lines. Right from the off, he is sold as a fink as he wanted to go back to the American lines before completing the mission. He's a lot less likeable than the Sgt that Jack Lord played in the episode "The Linesman". Wallace doesn't believe Marsh has any worthwhile information but Saunders can't take that chance and says they'll have to give in to Marsh's blackmail. For those of us not scared of death, the thought of a bronze or silver star winging its way to our loved ones might well have been all the incentive we needed. Marsh is not made that way.
Sgt Saunders cuts some wires to lure the Germans down to the cellar, a German (Wesley Lau "I Want To Live!") is happy enough to call his comrades down to the cellar as Saunders has his Tommy gun pointed at him. Saunders gets the three Germans to lift the rubble that's pinned Marsh in place. Two of the Germans attack Saunders and Wallace and are dealt with, whilst Lau promises he'll not be so stupid as to try anything. An attempt to escape to US lines in a German Jeep fails as Wallace crashes the vehicle.
Rat-fink Marsh refuses, once again, to tell Saunders what information he heard (even though Wallace had pointed out that he'd draw a Court Martial for his behaviour) then Lau's German tells Sgt Saunders that Marsh is making a fool of him as he heard nothing of military value, he's merely making sure that he gets taken back to the American lines. Wallace believes Lau, Saunders wants to be sure.
A German patrol arrives, to investigate the telephone post because it has been silent. The town is littered with dead and dying Germans so they know that there are "Amerikana!!" in the area. There may only be five Germans but Saunders and Wallace are slowed down, having Lau as prisoner and Marsh who can't walk. Cue the first fire fight of the episode.
Saunders asks Marsh for the information, again, he refuses to give. Wallace calls Marsh a liar. Saunders decides that Lau will tell S2 what they want to know and tells Wallace to get some brush and hide Marsh. Wallace seems quite happy with this decision. As they begin to walk away, Marsh tells Saunders that the 6th Panzer Regiment plan a surprise attack. Lau claims that this is nonsense as the 6th Panzer Regiment are on the Russian front. Later, Saunders is forced to kill Lau but sadly, the Germans get Wallace.
(In a very weak scene, the German patrol were grouped by their command vehicle and could've been taken out but Saunders lets the opportunity pass.) Marsh uses a grenade to save Chip Saunders but even though Marsh told the truth about the 6th Panzer attack, he tells Marsh that he'll still be put up for a Court Martial.
Solid 9/10.
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