Medium-High

Five attributable kills

Two

Wore helmet

...

Jan's notes: Last Chance a.k.a. And now for a brief word from our sponsor
14 April 1999

Tully watchers: Again he is only wearing a jacket and no shirt. And this time the jacket is completely unbuttoned, so we get a real good look at his body. Sigh, Sigh, Sigh!

The Patrol is taking a breather from doing while out doing what they do best. While Moffitt and Tully do some minor housekeeping, Hitch amuses himself by listening to Colonel Windsor, a English radio propaganda personality for the Germans. Troy doing some surveillance sees an anti-tank unit that is right in the way of an Allied offensive called "Operation Wildcat. Before he can radio a warning to the British 8th, Dietrich's scout column comes barreling around and the Patrol find themselves in a skirmish. Troy and Hitch lose their Jeep but Tully and Moffitt come back for them and they manage to shake Dietrich loose. However, when Tully attempts to radio their warning again, he finds that a bullet has ripped through the side. And they can receive but not send. All they seem to be receiving is the Windsor Hour which Moffitt immediately switches off since that is not his favourite program.

So now the Patrol has a problem. How to warn Operation Wildcat of their impending doom? But never fear, Troy is here. And he has an idea. Cancel the Windsor Hour and replace it with the Rat Patrol's own version of easy listening. Knowing that BBC for reasons of their very own monitor the Windsor Hour and that hopefully, they relay the message from Troy to the British 8th army headquarters.

So off they go to El Algabil (I think). They arrive at their destination at exactly 18:45 hours according to Troy's watch. After carefully camouflaging the jeep, the Patrol hops over the wall to the city. Now as they are doing this, soldiers and towns people are walking back and forth, all with their eyes firmly fixed to the ground. Not one person looks up. Guess the ground at El Algabil must be extremely hazardous.

The patrol make their way to the building housing the radio broadcast room. They dodge behind pillars and hitch a ride from a passing truck. Once inside the building, they close the door on a typist which she notices and make their way past a group of German soldiers playing cards. Check out those cards. They are the weirdest cards I have ever seen. They must have been playing Old Maid or Go Fish. The one German soldier who would have been facing the open door way is conveniently passed out. Then up to the broadcast room where Colonel Windsor is having artistic differences with the other Germans in the room. All this took five minutes since the patrol arrives at exactly 18.50 hours according to the clock on the wall.

The patrol take over the room, Moffitt relieves Windsor of his script and after reading it throws it on the floor. He also tells Windsor that he has been pre-empted. But before Troy can get on the radio to broadcast his message, Dietrich shows up. Spoil-sport. And we get one of the best Troy "kill" looks. This should definitely go in the Photo Hall of Fame. Dietrich should have collapsed on the spot

Dietrich escorts the patrol down to the basement where handcuffed they are locked up in to two separate rooms. Troy and Moffitt, Tully and Hitch. The normal division. Windsor and Moffitt have a little exchange.

Windsor: Don't you like my work?

Moffitt: No, I don't, and you're a creep.

Those aren't the exact words but close enough. Then Dietrich tells Windsor to take off and then he and Troy exchange pleasantries. Dietrich admits that he just doesn't know what to do with Troy, but won't accept any of Troy's suggestions saying that he'll think of something. Dietrich is not much of a team player is he?

So the Patrol is locked up and handcuffed. Doesn't look like they will get to put on their show. But, then a German shows up with a radio. Seems Windsor couldn't bear to have Troy and Moffitt miss his broadcast. And the German makes a Big, Big mistake. He accepts help from Moffitt who immediately drops the radio and kowtows the German. Troy takes care of the guard and gets the handcuff keys. He removes the cuffs from himself and Moffitt. Then Moffitt goes over to rescue Hitch and Tully. Hitch makes a comment about getting cold and Troy tells Hitch to "Button It." Yeah, Hitch -- Idle chatter could alert the Germans though they are extremely hard of hearing.

So up they go again to the broadcast room. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. There Dietrich, Windsor is doing his thing with Dietrich looking on. They burst into the room, Troy kills the one soldier, Moffitt knocks out Dietrich and pushes Windsor to the side. Then Tully brings Troy attention to the control room where the men are shutting down the system -- his one and only line in the show. Troy sends a burst of fire into the control room killing the men inside. Fortunately, none of the bullets hit the controls or it would have been an immediate cancellation.

Meanwhile, BBC head, Mr. Rogers (It's a beautiful day in the Neighbourhood) stands there like a dummy while one of the monitors says, "Was that gun fire". Yes, Windsor is now adding sound effects to liven up his program.

Hitch makes himself useful by getting the radio up and running.. Troy gets his message out just before the card-playing Germans show up. Now I have to criticize my sweetie. Tully, you knew Windsor was behind you.. Why didn't you keep a closer eye on him, sweetheart? Windsor opens the door to the broadcast room and runs straight into the Germans who being very trigger happy fill him full of bullets. Guess they didn't recognize him. Tully is standing is the open door way and shoots back at the Germans with a pistol. At least he had the sense to move back from the doorway while firing his gun. Troy closes the door and then with the Germans firing at the closed door, the patrol makes their escape out the back way. Amazing how these places always have a back entrance which the locals always forget about.

BBC in the meantime finally get the message and contacts the British 8th.

Poor Dietrich. All this time he has been lying unconscious on the floor. He comes to just in time to watch the Patrol drive away in his staff car and he gives the Why me? look again.. The Germans at the gate try to stop the patrol by standing in front of the car and waving their hands. I not sure why they thought that would work. Troy radios in and finds that his message was received and acted upon. Hitch then starts to fiddle with the radio and Troy tells him to knock it off, they had enough. You mean there is more than one Windsor.

And this was all completed by 19:15 hours. This was the fastest raid on record, I'm sure. From start to finish, just one half hour -- a personal best, boys.

One question. Why didn't the boys go back to collect the jeep. After all they were only five minutes away walking distance. And after taking all that trouble to camouflage it.

And does anyone think that using the name Windsor was a slight dig at the Duke of Windsor who was thought by some to have had Nazi sympathies?

previous	table of contents	next
return to the briefing room by jeep return to the briefing room by tank

Logomancy is based in Riverdale, NYC, and Austin, TX. Questions or Comments? Don't hesitate to let us know!