Sgt. McGraw and three soldiers head to the River Vire, France, to prepare an outpost in an old building to locate a big German cannon and give the coordinates to the allied artillery. However the place is booby-trapped and kills the privates and wounds Sgt. McGraw. Hanley sends Saunders, Doc, Caje and Kirby to rescue McGraw and replace the patrol. Sgt. McGraw dies on the arrival of Saunders and his men and soon they find a German deserter hidden in the basement. Doc is assigned to guard the prisoner that speaks English and introduce himself as the former entertainer Carl Dorfmann that worked at a carnival before the war. Soon Doc feels empathy with the middle-aged prisoner and neglects his attention. Carl seems to help Saunders and his squad but Kirby does not trust him. What is Carl's true intention and what will the American squad do?
Directed by Robert Altman, "Forgotten Front" is the first episode of "Combat!", with a dramatic and full of action story. The plot shows a middle-aged German soldier as a simple ordinary man and not as the traditional villain of war movies. Saunders as a veteran leader capable to understand the attitude of his men. The moral dilemma of Caje and his final call makes the difference and shows high-quality of "Combat!" when comparing with other films of war. But there is also a huge flaw in the very beginning when Sgt. McGraw leaves a fourth soldier on guard outside the building that vanishes after the death of the patrol. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "O Front Esquecido" ("The Forgotten Front")