Enredo

Against Col. Blake's wishes, Burns requests an anti-aircraft gun to combat the North Korean pilot who keeps attempting to bomb the ammo dump near the 4077th MASH every day at 5:00 PM. But having it in camp makes the unit a bigger target.

Every day for the past six weeks, at 5:00 o'clock p.m. on the nose, a North Korean "washout from Kamikaze school" has let loose a bomb in the general direction of the hospital's sub-ammo dump. Very affectionately known as "Five O'Clock Charlie," the only thing he hits on the nose is the time. Every day, Radar opens book on the day's exploits and takes bets on how close (in yards) Charlie will come to the sub-ammo dump. It is an occasion for cocktails and frivolity at 4077, not unlike the Kentucky Derby... until Frank demands Henry get him a "nug" from Brigadier Gen. Clayton. Capt. Phil Cardozo, the singing dentist, gives the drunken duo a new slant on things. If there is anything that will beat Frank and his nug, it is 4 dozen sheets, 18 gallons of mercurochrome and a little thing called psychology.—LA-Lawyer

When an ammo dump is placed near the camp, it attracts an inept North Korean bomber that everyone in the camp sees as an attraction rather than a serious threat, except for Majs. Burns and Houlihan. When The Majors ask General Clayton for an anti-aircraft gun, Hawkeye and Trapper decide the Majors have to be stopped, at any cost.—Anonymous

For six weeks, an ammo dump near the camp has been the target of a punctual but inept North Korean bomber pilot. Every afternoon at 5:00, he flies overhead and attempts to hit the dump with a single hand-thrown bomb. The pilot, nicknamed "5 O'Clock Charlie," has been so reliably unsuccessful that the denizens of the 4077th have begun a daily betting pool based on how far away from the target his bomb will land. Only Frank and Margaret regard Charlie as a serious threat. Frank gets Henry to request an anti-aircraft gun. Frank offers to command the gun himself as he was in the ROTC and has some gunnery experience. Henry wins the pot for the day by guessing closest to the hit distance of 75 1/2 yards. He wins almost a $100. Frank wants Henry to call General Clayton to apprise him of the situation.

Frank makes Henry call Clayton and ask for a 40 MM anti aircraft gun. Trapper and Hawkeye are opposed since a gun on hospital grounds will make them a legitimate target and will grounds for North Koreans to attack them even more. Hawkeye suggests that if they get rid of the ammo dump, they don't need a gun. Brigadier General Crandall Clayton (Herb Voland) comes to the camp to assess the situation. Frank is adamant that they are in a war and a war is a call to arms. Houlihan takes Clayton aside and tries to influence him towards Frank's opinion and against Trapper and Hawkeye.

Clayton, who has placed the ammo dump near the hospital so that the enemy will leave it alone, is initially skeptical of the need for a gun. When Charlie's next bomb destroys Clayton's jeep, though, he agrees to send the gun.

Frank takes charge of the gun and begins to train three South Korean soldiers in its use. He spends more time in parading them and lecturing them on how they are the first MASH unit to have anti-aircraft capability. He even insults orientals by saying the enemy attacks at the same time every day, without displaying any cleverness. Hawkeye and Trapper mock him and argue that the gun's presence will draw enemy fire toward the hospital. If Frank shoots 5'o Clock Charlie, the next day there could be Migs buzzing over the MASH dropping bombs on the hospital. Prompted by the camp dentist, Captain Phil Cardozo (Corey Fischer), Hawkeye and Trapper begin devising plans to get rid of the dump and thus remove the need for the gun. Phil argues that Frank's kind is indestructible, so they are far better off in helping Charlie destroy the dump by helping him aim right.

They dye 4 dozen sheets with 18 gallons of Mercurochrome to make a target for Charlie to hit; They even keep Frank in post op by pushing the clock back 30 mins, so he doesn't get lucky and shoot down Charlie before he can take a shot at the ammo dump. After he misses yet again, they confuse Frank's men into aiming and firing the gun directly at the dump to destroy it. Charlie stops his daily raids, and the staff of the 4077th return to their routine duties.