 tired of the everyday grind ever dream of a life of romantic adventure want to get away from it all we offer you escape escape designed to free you from the four walls of today for a half hour of high adventure hundred miles from your own lines waiting for the enemy who will lead you to your destination while the danger to you and your men becomes more acute for if you are discovered the only road of escape will be death so listen now as escape brings you the 13th truck based on the story of captain douglas m smith some of the men called it a joy ride two days before we left headquarters at cabaret egypt sickle to brook sneaked across into nazi hell territory destination the nazi airfield a hundred miles behind enemy lines the joy ride the next 24 hours could turn our army truck into a hearse just six of us and that truck sergeant healy a corporal three enlisted men hush and swanley comfy and myself captain paul ground u.s. army i was the only american in the group the others drafted from comry safe army as a unit we were called desert commandos our business sabotage study desert easy desert sergeant didn't see it captain sorry sir break an axle we're in big trouble listen to it think they was on a blooming joy ride you would uh captain why i was thinking the men been wondering what they're in for this trip well they'll hear about it tonight when we stop that'll make them feel brighter if a man's gonna die it makes it feel better if he knows why captain brown a plane a plane where about eight thousand pick them up with a glass master schmidt pull up sergeant over those rocks hurry covered men and try not to raise any dust what did you get captain now hutchins said to the east don't tear it hop to it with that cover lead got it it's a plane all right i can't tell what kind it's coming this way it's a master schmidt another truck man master schmidt come on let's go sergeant keep it quiet and don't move that the camouflage net will hold him oh that's what it's for we're ducks in a ruddy pond if it doesn't who's moving back there knock it hutchins but stop right over in there you're sitting on it big red ass captain well don't move and whatever you do don't touch that net hey shut your jaw corporal they're all over the place captain he's sickling back hear him sir well i'll check okay jerry's gone come on now what i'll get that net loaded let's get moving we can put in another 50 miles before dark this right i guess we'll be in driving right in the rumbles front yard sergeant healy scratched in an ant under his shirt then turned and hustled the men into the truck and we were on our way again no singing now the corporal stared across the desert from his side of the truck hutchins kept his eyes up where the message was wrong the rest just scraped away at the layers of dust and sweat staring at each other they covered 20 miles 30 zigzagging deeper into nazi territory just before dark we parked in some low-lying hills above the coast highway rommel's main artery of communication and supplied to the front lines it was time to tell the men what they were in for settled on leds captain brown of the word for you all right uh case you're wondering where we are we're right here here no line you're right down jerry's throat there's just a bar intelligence reports say the germans have established a hidden airfield somewhere in this area right here just off the coast highway how do they know that sir well nazi supply trucks have been spotted leaving the coast highway taking a camel trail up into the hills right here now they're supplying something up their headquarters is certain that's a hidden airfield oh that explains all them fighter planes in the forward area you're right well then as i see it sir we're to find that hidden airfield find a corporal and destroy it destroy it sir out go in and dynamite where we get the dynamite we've got it corporal you've been sitting on it for the last couple of days you mean them boxes in the truck our dynamite hey just a 60 batch is going to blow up this airfield by ourselves sir that's a job hudgeon it keeps getting tougher all the time what's that twombly nothing sergeant captain say we find the field how do we get close enough to use the dynamite well close won't do sergeant you mean we're going right into the runny place sir that's right corporal that's where we can do the most damage one more question how do we get inside the airfield we drive in drive in oh i can just see them not his letting us drive into their airfield with a truck load of explosives now as soon as it's dark we move onto that next hill up ahead from there we watch that camel road that comes up from the coast highway we'll rest up there all day tomorrow then tomorrow night after dark we'll leave a sentinel at the top of the hill that'll be you hudgens yes sir then we'll move the truck down and park at a sharp curve within 20 yards of the camel road and wait wait for what sir for you to spot a german supply convoy on its way up to the camel road you're to wait and count exactly the number of trucks in the convoy and the distance separating them yes sir now when you've got that information you come back and report then we wait until the jerry convoy comes around the curve we let all but the last truck pass by and before this last truck comes in sight around the curve we'll cut into the road and fall in line you get the picture now corporal yes sir only well why don't we fall in at the end of the come off it corp and have them jerry's in the last truck gets suspicious when another truck comes up behind them i'm paid to fight not to think sir all right corp then for once you'll have a chance to earn your pay after dark we moved onto the hill overlooking a long stretch of the camel road the short distance from the sharp curve we broke open the dynamite and attached time mechanisms we finished preparations just before daylight the men covered the truck with a camouflage net and turned in for some sleep with the sun it got hot under the net then hotter plus the flies and the flies reminded me of a of another place on a hillside in ohio sandwiches potato salad and a girl dark eyes dark hair laughing and pushing me away i'd forgotten her name i i wanted to kiss her but she was worried about the flies on the potato salad that was her name jane now elaine eileen and she let me kiss her lips cool nice we forgot about potato salad and the flies blasted flies captain oh what's the matter sergeant getting dark sir oh yeah the first time you slept since we left cabrit sir you needed it yeah you were dreaming yeah your wife sir no just a lady friend just something that happened a long time ago sure i remember a bit of strawberry jam in napels it was she turned it bar in one of them places you can never find when you go back she never meant nothing to me funny thing i tried to remember her name never comes to me oh this heat dripping wet i guess we better get the man up in a few minutes the men were up on the truck with packs of dynamite on their backs we left hutchins on the hill to watch for the approaching convoy and moved down and parked 20 yards from the sharp curve on the camel road now we waited two hours passed three four no sign of the german truck convoy what do we do if no convoy comes through tonight sir try again tomorrow night oh five hours still waiting i began to think of the things that could go wrong now i considered the possibility that hutchins might have fallen asleep up on the hill there were patrols scouting the area what if one of them discovered us could be a run for our lives then we need a darkness to get at that airfield and that was only a few hours of it left still we waited no convoy i was about to send the corporal to relieve hutchins when he came scrambling down the hill hey there coming captain carry convoy 12 trucks 12 your positive hutchins i'm positive sir i carried them three times 12 trucks about 100 yards apart average in 30 miles an hour good climb aboard hutchins on your toes man i can't each truck as it passes we move in behind the 11th truck i just thought of something sir what what are they gonna think if they count 13 trucks when we reach the airfield when there were only 12 trucks to begin with well we'll figure that one out when we get to here they come captain first jerry trucks coming around a bend we will return to escape in just a moment but first cbs radio wishes to call your attention to a new five a week daytime show on many of these same stations under the expert guidance of jack sterling this new show asks members of the panel to make up your mind over problems with the psychological twist the first week's guest list on make up your mind included ilka chase wendy berry deems taylor url wilson and vick marcilo former manager of jersey joe wallcott and now back to escape the first truck of the nazi convoy roared around the curve and passed 30 seconds later another one all we could see was two pinpoints of dim light coming at us the dark shadow has passed and a tiny red light at the back of the truck three four five trucks then a command car now what if the number 11 or 12 were command cars they'd stop to investigate the sudden appearance of a truck at the end of the convoy well we take a chance truck number seven eight two more start your engine sergeant yes sir here comes number 10 we pulled out behind the next truck sergeant and no headlights until we're in line right sir here it comes lemon let's go a little faster sergeant dropping back now good only that's number 13 back there corporal we're number 12 now i keep your eyes peeled for that airfield we'll have to do something about the extra truck in this convoy before we get there in the meantime sit tight and enjoy the ride what did you say twombly nothing nothing at all sergeant all right settle back boys and enjoy the ride we'll then jerry's in front of behind us i'll enjoy the ready side more on the return trip i can tell you trouble with you actions you're a stinking pessimist oh serve you ready well right if we're all blown to blazes the following half hour was uneventful we moved along keeping our place in line watching the other trucks watching for the airfield seeing nothing but a small red dot ahead two gray dots behind then the corporal noticed something about those two gray lights behind us they grew larger came closer three of track is moving up on us i think they want us to stop what for how should i know what do we do sir pull up right german's better than mine you do the talking right sir the rest of you keep your knives handy no guns there might be sentries along the road they want to match either of our boys have one uh-oh what's up to corporal gave him his lighter the jerry says it's a french one oh it's okay he covered says he got it off a french major good work corporal okay let's go you've got to catch up with the convoy before they come back looking for yes sir and if we don't spot that airfield pretty soon i'm gonna have conniptions i am we caught up and took our place again we were about to reach the nazi airfield soon so i gave them in their final instructions there was still one truck too many in the convoy that had to be taken care of then we topped the height and spotted a cluster of pinpoint lights up ahead this had to be the hidden nazi airfield i gave the sergeant the order to swerve the truck across the road blocking it i had a couple of you circle around behind them as they reach us hurry yeah they come motor trouble corporal right sir the motor is zusammengebrocken kameran yeah yeah they come sir only two that does it okay transfer everything to the jerry truck fast a twombly you take our truck and hide it in that watery off the road stay with it we'll rally back here no more than 15 minutes from now you got that man got it and twombly this is an order wait here for 15 minutes then start back to the base even if you have to go back alone yes sir just as we caught up with the jerry convoy the truck ahead pulled through the front gate two guards leisurely watched each truck as it passed under a spotlight we moved up slowly in our proper position reached the gate the guards didn't know then we were through the gate and inside we'd made it the other trucks parked about 100 yards further on we pulled up at the end of the line and we got out stalling as much as possible the light over the front gate went out the other drivers were gone now it was quiet and dark we're split up now corporal you and guffy take that side of the field look for planes hutchins you work on those buildings along there sergeant we'll take this side of the field in the hangars right sir i'll make sure you plant that dynamite where it'll do the most good good luck come on sergeant they're the bunker captain three planes all fighters they must be at least half a dozen bunkers along this side of the field with planes in all of them we've hit the jackpot captain yeah now you start at the other end sergeant work your way back i'll meet you here in three minutes right sir i found three bunkers planes in each of them a squat structure with a sign out front octum explosives i poked two loads under that one then a warehouse a bulldozer trucks cars and three barracks buildings from somewhere in the pitch black i could hear voices laughing and talking and i was back at the first bunker and the sergeant moved out of the dark he was smiling planes in all them bunkers and i got a fuel reservoir while i was at it sir good let's get out of here we've been spotted the sergeant cut the guard down before he could pull a rifle off his shoulder spotlights went on everywhere other guards came running then a door opened behind us excited figures rushed out and stopped dead in their tracks when they saw us we stood there face to face with half a dozen surprised Nazi officers the sergeant whipped his machine gun around and they dropped one after another right at our feet all but one he stumbled forward right into the sergeant's arms the sergeant held him as a shield with one arm and right on firing for the main gate sergeant we moved through patches of darkness and smoke dragging the Nazi officer with us the guards were firing in wild confusion and down a strange thing happened as we moved under the light at the main gate the jerry's quit firing at us they were all around us but out of sight silent watching us we made a perfect target but not a shot was fired i couldn't figure it out i i don't get it captain what are they waiting for i don't know maybe it's that jerry officer you got there him you don't look important battle fatigue no rank insignia nothing but that campaign medal well hang out to him just the same don't worry hello what the main gate's closed looks locked yeah how are we gonna get out look there was a staff car parked just 15 yards away we moved to it wondering how long it would be before the guards made up their minds to start shooting again the sergeant got in the back with a Nazi officer and i started the car and headed right for the gate and then we were through let's get away from this bloody place i'm explosive this is going off any second now see if any of them pull out after us i don't think so not yet well the wadi should be up around that bend in the road wonder how many of the men made it back we'll soon find out lights there she goes the sky turned white then red as the shock wave crashed against us the car's work from side to side the shells from the amulet and screamed in at us from every direction tearing the landscape open everywhere i could hardly hold the car on the road and moving finally the road curved around a hill offering some protection from the bomb parking the explosions did we do all that sir looks like it that was meant for you prince hey come back here you what's wrong he's trying to jump i don't hold him oh he's gonna wait put up i'm gonna after now it's too dark never find him now anyway lost we found the men waiting at the wadi they piled into the nazi staff car and there were six of us again yep all six operation completed and we didn't lose a man we still had a long hazardous drive back to our lines but it was different now it was going home i drove and sergeant sat next to me he was brooding about the nazi obviously cheer up sergeant maybe you can get yourself another on the next raid i suppose well anyhow i got a souvenir part of his jacket too ever see a gerry medal like that before captain i haven't oh yeah that's that's what's the matter sir holy what's the matter you you got this off that officer yes sir what do you know what it is no sir well it's the hitler night's cross hit the night's cross yeah the furthest personal medal there's only three that he's ever given out oh sir three garying got one one for van runstedt what about the other rommel take your pick sergeant which one of them did we have the direction of antony ellis escape has brought you the 13th truck adapted by gusts bays from the story of captain douglas m smith as told to sesil karnes starring hi ever back as captain brown with richard peel as the sergeant featured in the cast were alistair duncan charlie lung alec harford and jack crucian this special music for escape was composed and conducted by leith stevens next week you are the subject of an experiment an experiment to make you the most powerful man on earth while if it succeeds from that moment on you will be forever locked in a world from which there can be no escape so listen next week when escape will bring you Irving Reese's extraordinary story the man from tomorrow a sensational trial of old san francisco in 1870 will be your crime classic on cbs radio tomorrow evening the title the incredible trial of laura d fair it's a long title but whether you have a short or long memory don't miss this exciting story of mrs fair's incredible trial dramatized by cbs radio on crime classics tomorrow evening over most of the same stations this is roi roan speaking and remember there's action as the policeman really finds it in 21st precinct tuesdays on the cbs radio network