Ep 23. The Hickory Dickory Dock Raid

The Rat Patrol was a television series that aired for two seasons from 1966 to 1968. It followed the adventures of a small Allied team in North Africa during World War II, known for their daring missions against the Axis forces. However, there seems to be a misunderstanding, as the second season of The Rat Patrol only contained 26 episodes, and there is no record of an episode titled "The Hickory Dickory Dock Raid."

The show was known for its gritty combat scenes and the dune buggy-like vehicles used by the team, which consisted of four main characters, Sgt. Sam Troy (Christopher George), Sgt. Jack Moffitt (Gary Raymond), Pvt. Mark Hitchcock (Lawrence P. Casey) and Pvt. Tully Pettigrew (Justin Tarr).

Typically, an episode of The Rat Patrol would involve the team undertaking a daring mission deep in enemy territory to sabotage German operations, gather intelligence, or assist other Allied troops or local resistance forces. The episode would often start with a brief setup of the mission, following which the team would embark on their high-speed journey across the desert, usually driving their signature jeeps outfitted with machine guns.

Challenges that the team might face in an episode would include treacherous terrain, the harsh desert environment, surprise attacks by German patrols, or encountering Axis forces that greatly outnumber them. Despite the odds, The Rat Patrol used their wits, bravery, and mastery of guerilla tactics to overcome obstacles and pursue their mission objectives.

Interactions among the Rat Patrol members and with the local civilians or Allied forces provided character development and added depth to the episodes. The team dynamics, strategies, and personal backstories all served to draw viewers deeper into the series.

With respect to the episode in question, "The Hickory Dickory Dock Raid" does not correspond to any known episode of "The Rat Patrol," and as such, it is not possible to provide an accurate description for it. If an episode with this title were to exist within the show, it might follow similar themes and structures to the other episodes. One could speculate that the title suggests a timing element – "Hickory Dickory Dock" being a reference to the nursery rhyme often associated with the image of a clock.

Hypothetically, the episode might have had the team tackle a time-sensitive mission, potentially involving coordination with a larger Allied offensive or a race against the clock to prevent a disaster, perhaps the detonation of an Axis super-weapon or destruction of critical supplies.

In typical Rat Patrol fashion, this imagined episode would put the small team directly in harm’s way, requiring them to penetrate carefully guarded enemy installations. They might have to use their usual combination of stealth, combat skills, and perhaps even deception, fooling the Germans into thinking they were elsewhere while completing their objectives.

Personal conflicts might have developed throughout the episode as well, perhaps with the introduction of a new auxiliary character or a disagreement among the team members about the best way to accomplish their goal. The episode might culminate in a tense showdown where every second counts, and the team's skillful execution of their plan would be crucial to avoid catastrophe.

Despite the intriguing nature of such an episode, because "The Hickory Dickory Dock Raid" does not exist in the recorded list of episodes from The Rat Patrol, a description for it cannot be provided. The Rat Patrol, as it stands, remains a beloved classic for many fans of the war genre, celebrated for its portrayal of heroism, camaraderie, and action-packed storytelling during one of history's most dramatic eras.