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The Worst Episodes of 12 O'Clock High

Every episode of 12 O'Clock High ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of 12 O'Clock High!

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This series chronicles the adventures--in the air and on the ground--of the men of the 918th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Eighth Air Force. First commanded by irascible General Frank Savage--and later by Colonel Joe

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  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    12 O'Clock High Season 3 Episode 13 - Six Feet Under
    6.7/10(38 votes)

    #1 - Six Feet Under

    S3:E13

    52 Division 3rd Bn captures Argenteau Air Six Air Defense HQ in cellar, Sandy & Gallagher are in France scouting forward bases. Is ordered to investigate . Harvey & Rand from CIC fly in to examine documents. Major Dimscek is killed defending position. Captain Maso and the Willard Germans are closing in. Doud leads mission that successfully bombs the town.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 17 - The Albatross
    6.8/10(57 votes)

    #2 - The Albatross

    S1:E17

    Kane completed his 25 missions and is going back to the States on a Public Relations Tour. He will be performing in Winged Victory and wants to resume his career as an actor after the War. Savage asks Kane to volunteer for one last mission as his co-pilot and when the Flight Engineer & Bombardier are killed on the mission, Kane goes to check the oxygen tanks and is badly burned in the face. Back at base Doc Kaiser asks the General if Kane was a good actor before the War, Savage says he was, Doc says ""Well he can be retrained of course"". When we next see Kane he is bandaged about the right size of his, face, feeling sorry for himself he refuses to see anyone or eat. After refusing to see his buddies, then being rejected by his fiancé he steals an airplane and goes on a suicide mission. Savage talks him down and later Kane (sans bandages) offers Savage his Lighter, a signal he is no longer afraid.

    Director:William A. Graham
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. 12 O'Clock High Season 2 Episode 19 - Which Way the Wind Blows
    6.8/10(42 votes)

    #3 - Which Way the Wind Blows

    S2:E19

    Due to cloud cover over the target, the 918th led by Major Fitzsimmons is unable to bomb Kiel. They abort loosing 7 planes. Back at base Gallagher makes an angry complaint to General Britt who has a solution, a new Group Weather Officer. The new officer is a woman, Captain Patricia Bates. She is a former Meteorology Professor from UIT who has a new approach to Weather Forecasting. They have dinner with her and her assistant Lieutenant Rogers. The next day Gallagher flies with her in Weather 1, a modified B-17 with only a top turret gun, built for speed. On the mission, the B-17 takes off with Rogers as Meteorologist, gets shot up and Rogers is wounded. The plane comes in on its belly, Bates is upset and wants to quit. Britt orders Gallagher to order her to fly the next mission. Gallagher tells her they need her so she flies with Captain Blodget and finds a path through the storm but the plane is iced up and has to ditch in the channel. Gallagher goes to find her, which he does. The Res

    Director:László Benedek
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. 12 O'Clock High Season 3 Episode 9 - The Fighter Pilot
    7.1/10(40 votes)

    #4 - The Fighter Pilot

    S3:E9

    9 new planes & crews arrive at Archbury. Aboard are some WACS assigned to Wing HQ led by Staff Sergeant Margo Demarest who is an old friend of Gallagher. Three Ace fighter pilots (Clinton, Dejohn, and Rausch) from the Pacific are ferrying some new P-51 to the 511th Fighter Squadron. Two (Rausch & Dejohn) buzz the airfield to impress Margo and Gallagher is furious. They want to be assigned to the 511th, and the Squadron CO, Major Davidson, wants them but informs them that he is under Gallagher's orders. Major Davidson and the 3 pilots see Gallagher who asks for there orders. Dejohn explains that their orders are in their B4 bags. Gallagher assigns them temporarily (TDY) to the 918th. It turns out that they do actually have orders which split them up and they want to stay together, so they are trying to get assigned to the 511th . They need fake orders to assign them to England and Dejohn asks Margo to write orders for the trio. After he tells her that he loves her, she agrees. All 3 end

    Director:Robert Douglas
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. 12 O'Clock High Season 2 Episode 4 - The Idolator
    7.2/10(54 votes)

    #5 - The Idolator

    S2:E4

    A new pilot, 1st Lieutenant Joshua Melton McGraw, who is an old friend of Gallagher's arrives with a chip on his shoulder and buzzes the field. The bombers arrive from the current mission and the lead plane crashes and explodes killing the lead pilot Captain Newman. When Gallagher asks McGraw about the buzzing he says he had radio trouble, and Gallagher chews him out. He asks Josh how he wangled a transfer into the 918, He says he asked his father, a General to work on Gallagher's father and his fiancé (Britt's daughter, Martha) to work on General Britt. McGraw is angered to find out that Gallagher is going break up his crew for a couple of runs, standard procedure, he is going fly copilot for Gallagher. While in London to visit General Britt he checks out the plans for tomorrow's bomb raid. He escorts Phyllis Vincent and during a Bomb raid kisses her in so that Gallagher sees. On the bombing mission the Group is assigned to bomb the 3rd bridge , while the group goes after the regul

    Director:László Benedek
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. 12 O'Clock High Season 2 Episode 12 - We're Not Coming Back
    7.3/10(41 votes)

    #6 - We're Not Coming Back

    S2:E12

    The start of the Shuttle raid Gallagher briefs his crew . They will be bombing Wessellhafen then flying into North Africa, refueling, bombing a target in France, & then returning. Over Wellhausen, Oberst Falkenstein leads a training group to attack the formation. Gallagher is forced to land in Yugoslavia. Captain Lowell is wounded. Partisans help them, Lowell dies. Mara falls for Gallagher. Yellich wants Gallagher to take Mara with him. She stays. As the Germans close in Gallagher takes off.

    Director:Jerry Hopper
    Writer:Daniel B. Ullman

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  7. 12 O'Clock High Season 3 Episode 6 - Practice to Deceive
    7.3/10(44 votes)

    #7 - Practice to Deceive

    S3:E6

    Gallagher is shot down in a Mustang on a secret mission. Col Gibbons takes over command of the 918th. Conspiracy is led by Admiral von Kreuter (with Berthold, Shullendorf, Straser) to kill Hitler and negotiate a separate peace.

    Director:Robert Douglas
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 24 - The End of the Line
    7.4/10(55 votes)

    #8 - The End of the Line

    S1:E24

    A Squadron Commander, Major Joe Gallagher scrubs himself from a mission and his replacement Captain Larry Hollander is killed. Gallagher feels responsible and goes to meet Hollander's girl May. May is a sweet young British girl living with her Aunt Nell. He finds out that they were going to be married, and May thinks he is there to check her out for security so that she and Hollander can be married. When she realizes why Gallagher is there she breaks down. Gallagher starts to look after May and they fall in love. Gallagher finds out that she is pregnant and offers to marry her. He talks with General Savage who will not approve as she has not yet been cleared. May tries to kill herself and Gallagher goes back to Savage. Savage asks Major Stovall to check her out, he calls and she is apparently out at a seedy bar. Savage & Stovall go to check and she is out drinking with another man. When Gallagher confronts her she denies everything then when Gallagher asks her to take a pregnancy test

    Director:Sutton Roley
    Writer:Dean Riesner

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  9. 12 O'Clock High Season 3 Episode 14 - The Duel at Mont Sainte Marie
    7.4/10(41 votes)

    #9 - The Duel at Mont Sainte Marie

    S3:E14

    Gallagher parachutes onto a Mountain to get a group of Nuns to move so the Mountain can be bombed.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. 12 O'Clock High Season 3 Episode 10 - To Seek and Destroy
    7.5/10(39 votes)

    #10 - To Seek and Destroy

    S3:E10

    A V-1 rocket crashes in Sweden. The allies want to get it. They recruit a rocket expert Group Captain Anthony Carmichael. Carmichael is in civilian clothes in the Star & Bottle and he and Sandy have a tiff. Sandy finds him drunk later passed out on a bench. On the mission, Gallagher, Carmichael & Komansky fly to Sweden in an unmarked plane. They have engine trouble and the compass fails so they follow a German plane in. The German plane is a diplomatic courier which carries the designer of the V-1 guidance system, Dr Tanzman and Oberst Ulrich. They are also there to retrieve the rocket as well. Carmicheal drinks too much and reveals his mission to Swensen, a German operative.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Glen A. Larson

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  11. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 21 - The Clash
    7.6/10(52 votes)

    #11 - The Clash

    S1:E21

    General Savage is shot down while on a bomb run to the Sub Penn's @ Trondheim. The onlly suvivor of his crew, he ends up in a life raft with a Luftwaffe ME-109 Pilot near the Faroe Islands, 150 miles west of Trondheim. Oberst Dieter does not want to be captured and orders Savage to row (at gunpoint) towards Norway. Back at base, General Crowe orders Harvey to make another attack at Trodheim. Savage & Dietter enage in a battle of wills, and match wits over whether the Germans of Allies will rescue them. Washed ashore on a deserted isle, Savage is forced to kill Dieter.

    Director:Unknown
    Writers:Jack Turley, Meyer Dolinsky

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  12. 12 O'Clock High Season 2 Episode 5 - Big Brother
    7.6/10(58 votes)

    #12 - Big Brother

    S2:E5

    The 918 lands at Mogador in North Africa to refuel and re-arm. Gallagher's plane lands 21 hours late after his stopover in Yugoslavia. The senior officer is Lieutenant Col. Preston ""Pres"" Gallagher (Joe Gallagher's brother). Pres explains that he has a mixed unit of Americans, British & Australians and he has been barely holding on but ""Infantry holds, that's what they do"". Now that Gallagher has landed safely Pres decides to pull out. Pres takes Gallagher's gas, and sends Captain Strader to blow up the 918th's planes fights. An exhausted Pres collapses and is hospitalized. Major Dutton takes command of ground forces and orders Master Sergeant Orland to prepare to move out. Gallagher radios for gas and the incoming plane is shot down. Pres recovers and decides to fight on. Gallagher sends Lieutenant Col. Bailey with 3 B-17's to bomb the target.

    Director:Jerry Hopper
    Writer:Jack Turley

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  13. 12 O'Clock High Season 2 Episode 17 - The Slaughter Pen
    7.6/10(43 votes)

    #13 - The Slaughter Pen

    S2:E17

    While trying to bomb Hamburg, the 818th is turned back by flak & fighters over area called the ""Slaughter Pen"". A new German Underground Radar Station is spotting them. Back at Archbury, General Pritchard says that all 3 of his Wings have been turned back. Gallagher says that it is not a target that can be taken from the air, it needs to a ground assault. Pritchard asks Gallagher to get cleaned up and come with him to Brincott Hall. There General Pritchard explains that Brincott Hall has been turned into a Combined Operations Commando School. It is run by British General St John Keighley. General Pritchard explains that SHAEF has approved a commando raid. Gallagher will command the mission and the Air Group, Colonel Percy Vivyan (Lord Brincott) will command the British Commando's and the overall Ground Forces, Colonel Peter Thom will command the American Paratroopers & Rangers, Captain Eddington of the Royal Navy will command the Naval Forces. A Radar Expert is also assigned to the Mis

    Director:Robert Douglas
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 28 - The Cry of Fallen Birds
    7.7/10(57 votes)

    #14 - The Cry of Fallen Birds

    S1:E28

    Savage and the Piccadilly Lily are coming in damaged & low from a mission to Blaustadt. On the approach they almost hit some trees and a mansion which is on the approach to the new runway. Savage wants the trees and the mansion removed and goes to see General. Stoneman who is receiving an award from the Archbury Town Council. The house is the ancestral home of the Earl of Archbury, the current resident is Lady Catherine Hammet. Savage goes to see Lady Catherine and is mistaken fro a burglar, Corporal Smith is hurt. Later Savage tries again and meets Group Captain Evans who explains that Catherine has not been outside since the death of her fiancé two years before. Returning from a mission, Savage crashes his plane rather than hitting the house and is badly hurt. He is billeted in Lady Catherine's. house on the orders of Major Kaiser. Savage & Lady Catherine fall in love but she still won't leave the house. In order to set her free Savage orders the destruction of the house with the hel

    Director:Walter Grauman
    Writers:Charles Larson, Edward J. Lakso

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  15. 12 O'Clock High Season 2 Episode 8 - Runway in the Dark
    7.7/10(39 votes)

    #15 - Runway in the Dark

    S2:E8

    On a practice for night mission, they are being tracked by Vendry's unit They change course and evade successfully but ""Chub"" has to correct as he was off target. Chub is distracted because of his girl Kitty. On the actual night mission into Norway to pick up legendary resistance leader Arn Borg, they are told to look for the King Frederick light. It seems to be a trap as the Germans are waiting. The plane gets shot at lands and picks up Borg who brings his son Christian back with him. Gallagher is angry. Backs at base, Borg's map is impossible to read. Gallagher is ordered to fly another recon mission. Borg runs away so they decide to take Christian to show them the target. Borg comes back and flies the mission. They bomb what seems to be a heavy water storage facility and the mission is successful. Borg goes back to Norway.

    Director:Robert Douglas
    Writer:Robert Lewin

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  16. 12 O'Clock High Season 2 Episode 9 - I Am the Enemy
    7.7/10(64 votes)

    #16 - I Am the Enemy

    S2:E9

    The 918 is on its 8th mission to bomb the sub pens at St Nazaire. This mission is led by Major Kurt Brown who has never aborted for any reason. Richards, Brown's bombardier is badly wounded and Brown tells his Navigator to hold him to the bomb sight. He completes his mission but is annoyed at the cost and argues with Colonel Gallagher. On 8 missions they have lost 34 aircraft. Later in the Star & Bottle Gallagher asks Brown to drive Liz home. On his next mission (43rd) he aborts as his Navigator has appendicitis. Liz tells Brown she is German. Brown is angry. He fly's his 44th mission and is in a daze. Brown finally admits that he loves Liz. Before the next mission, Brown passes out from exhaustion before flying.

    Director:Robert Gist
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. 12 O'Clock High Season 2 Episode 15 - Target 802
    7.7/10(39 votes)

    #17 - Target 802

    S2:E15

    On the way back from a bombing run over the Ruhr valley, bombs are accidentally dropped on Ste Monique. 1st Lieutenant Parks the bombardier is interrogated. A single bomb falls in the village square killing resistance leaders Pierre Fecamp. Two pilots hiding in St Monique escape Major Coefield from the 918th and Captain Pollard from the 511th Fighter Squadron. Pollard has fallen in love with Claudine, the woman who rescued them. She has brought her son to England, he is badly wounded and may lose his leg. Claudine hates Gallagher and is going to kill him. She goes with him to the 918th officers club and sees the pilots get drunk. Meanwhile in Ste Monique, Hauptman Bergdorf says they will not bomb because of the last mission, so now they can put in a German Radar Station. On the way to Wing HQ in Archbury, Claudine tries to kill Gallagher. General Marteen orders the 918th to bomb Ste. Monique that night. In Ste Monique, Marcel Lenoir is killed as he radios information to London.

    Director:Robert Douglas
    Writer:Sherman Yellen

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  18. 12 O'Clock High Season 3 Episode 3 - Face of a Shadow
    7.7/10(44 votes)

    #18 - Face of a Shadow

    S3:E3

    The 918th is now temporarily part of the 15th Air Force. They fly to a base at Bellagio Foggia Italy commanded by Colonel Yates. Yates is a drunk. Sabotage led by Major Holtzer. Shull is killed.

    Director:Richard Benedict
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. 12 O'Clock High Season 3 Episode 15 - Graveyard
    7.7/10(46 votes)

    #19 - Graveyard

    S3:E15

    On a Shuttle Mission to bomb Fredricksburg then land in Foggia Italy, General Chandler leads the whole wing. Gallagher's plane is hit and the Bombardier, Navigator, and the Ball Turret Gunner are killed, and General Chandler & the Radioman are wounded; Another gunner is killed bailing out. They crash land at Sabina Island Control. They are aided at the base by it's commander, Major Glenn Luke a medical officer, and the sole enlisted man, Staff Sergeant Conklin. The base also has 4 German prisoners. On the ground Chandler, Komansky, Pargon and the Radioman are picked up by Major Luke. Gallagher and one of the waist gunners Sergeant Shadrack Ellis are still unaccounted for. A German fighter pilot, Hauptman Holtke, is shot down as well. He sneaks into camp following Sergeant Shadrack Ellis and kills him along with Pargon & Conklin. Holke takes Chandler hostage and takes over the base. We learn that Major Like is really a former signal corps officer named Jim Prince, a pacifist who was red

    Director:Robert Douglas
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 8 - The Hours Before Dawn
    7.8/10(71 votes)

    #20 - The Hours Before Dawn

    S1:E8

    The 918th is assigned in top secrecy to bomb Dortmund. The only one who has the details is Savage and after being briefed by Stoneman, Crowe & Colonel Meyers he heads back to base. On the way he is caught in an air raid and is rescued by Doker Drew. Drew escorts Savage and another straggler Jennifer Heath back to Heaths place so that Savage can telephone the base. After the air raid subsides Savage & Jennifer are surprise by a wounded German flier, wearing the uniform of an Obergefrieter (Corporal). Savage recognizes the man for what he really is a German Oberst (Colonel) in the Luftwaffe. After a struggle Jennifer is wounded and Savage is forced to kill Haff.

    Director:Don Medford
    Writer:Donald S. Sanford

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  21. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 14 - An Act of War
    7.8/10(60 votes)

    #21 - An Act of War

    S1:E14

    The group returns from a bomb run the air frame factory at Metz. The leader, Major Cobb reports complete destruction of the target, but the Intelligence officer Major Herrick says the factory is still operating. General Crowe chews Frank out and he takes a single B-17 to scout the target. He and Lieutenant Canello find out that they have been bombing a decoy area, locate the real factory but get shot down before they can return with the information. Canello is killed. Captured by angry French partisans who hate the Americans' for bombing them, Savage must fight for his life. He eventually persuades the partisans that the bomb raids are necessary.

    Director:William A. Graham
    Writer:Donald S. Sanford

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  22. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 22 - The Ticket
    7.8/10(55 votes)

    #22 - The Ticket

    S1:E22

    The Brauberg Damn needs to be bombed. Savage thinks that a specially equipped P-51 with 2 500 lb bombs can take it out. He asks Paul Stiger a Kentucky farm boy who takes risks and volunteers for a all special missions. Stiger volunteers the wins the football pool £ 20,000. He begins to realize that there is more to life. He falls in love with Myra his girl and wants to get married. Savage denies his request. He goes on mission and survives Crain becomes friend tries to help him.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. 12 O'Clock High Season 3 Episode 11 - Burden of Guilt
    7.8/10(41 votes)

    #23 - Burden of Guilt

    S3:E11

    Major General Fox is putting pressure on Brigadier General Doud to bomb the Sub Pens at Nordensholm. They have bombed 3 times and hit the wrong targets, Doud as the Wing Commander takes responsibility and vows to get them. Colonel Hollenbeck has been leading the 52nd Bomb Group, Doud replaces him and reassigns him as G-3 and sends him to the 918th to prepare them for an attack against Nordensholm. Hollenbeck as senior Colonel wants to lead the mission and delays calling Gallagher back from leave. Gallagher arrives but General Doud agrees with Hollenbeck leading the mission. They bomb the correct target, but it is not the Sub Pens. The camera plane piloted by Major's Werth & Stovall is hit and Werth killed. Against orders Stovall breaks formation to photograph a sub he sees leaving a different area. Shot down, the camera & film are lost along with 4 crew members. Harvey Stovall & 5 men are picked up in the North Sea. Back at base, Colonel Hollenbeck wants Stovall court-martialed for ins

    Director:László Benedek
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 12 - Soldiers Sometimes Kill
    7.9/10(66 votes)

    #24 - Soldiers Sometimes Kill

    S1:E12

    After loosing his memory Savage is found wandering around Berkley Square south Grosvenor Street by Lieutenant Ryan. After being examined by Kaiser, he reads in the paper that Barbara Talbot was murdered in London. Later Inspector Thorne and Sergeant Padget from the CID come to see Savage, they found a lighter with a 918th crest in Barbara's flat. Savage is missing his lighter and he has no memory. He starts to retrace his steps to Redgraves Club tnen Barbara's flat. It turns out that Redgraves is a blackmailer & spy, he uses women like Barbara to lure important people into compromising situations. Frank realizes that Redgraves killed Barbara and that Padgett works for Redgraves. Frank confronts Regraves, and as Regraves is about to kill Frank, he is shot and wounded by Inspector Thorne. Next mission will be to Saarbrücken .

    Director:Sutton Roley
    Writer:Charles Larson

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  25. 12 O'Clock High Season 2 Episode 16 - Falling Star
    7.9/10(37 votes)

    #25 - Falling Star

    S2:E16

    On the way back from a mission, a mentor of Joe Gallagher's, Colonel Gus ""Pappy"" Wexler is flying as an observer. Gallagher asks Fowler to let Wexler fly in the co-pilot seat. They are attacked by ME-109's and Joe is wounded, Pappy takes over calling Gallagher ""Bernie"". At HQ General Pritchard ask Harvey Stovall's opinion of Wexler. General Britt is away in Washington and if he is not back, Pritchard will be looking for a new Wing Commander. He is thinking of Wexler or Gallagher. Gallagher is on the sick list so Wexler becomes acting Group Commander, and Gallagher the acting Wing Commander. Wexler wants things run by the book. On the next mission, he takes 3 planes and turns too early & aborts. He calls his Bob Fowler, his co-pilot ""Bernie"", and when Sandy questions him, Wexler orders him to stand down and report to the Flight Surgeon when he is back. Later in the Star & Bottle, the pilots celebrate with Wexler and he makes a good show of it. He arm wrestles Captain Banazek and wins. H

    Director:László Benedek
    Writer:Unknown

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Worst Episodes Summary

"Six Feet Under" is the worst rated episode of "12 O'Clock High". It scored 6.7/10 based on 38 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 12/16/1966. This episode scored 0.1 points lower than the second lowest rated, "The Albatross".