The Dirty Dozen: The Deadly Mission (1987) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Major Wright is ordered by General Worden to assemble the team because the mission is considered a suicide operation with near-zero survival odds. Using condemned prisoners serves two purposes: they have nothing to lose, and many possess battlefield experience that makes them effective soldiers. In exchange for completing the mission, they are promised freedom.

Foreshadowing: The mission is described as a one-way trip from the beginning, establishing the fatalistic tone.

• Major Wright
• convicts
• suicide mission
• Deadly Dozen
• nerve gas

Germany has developed V-2 rockets armed with deadly nerve gas capable of striking targets across Allied lines, including Washington D.C. This weapon poses an existential threat to the Allied war effort. The mission requires destroying the gas containers at the Saint-Michel monastery before they can be deployed.

Foreshadowing: General Worden warns that the enemy's reach is becoming increasingly dangerous and precise.

• nerve gas
• V-2 rockets
• Washington D.C.
• Germany
• chemical weapons

After Colonel Krieger captures and executes the resistance leader Paul Verlaine, Worden informs Wright that someone inside the operation has leaked intelligence. With air routes being closely monitored and tracked by German radar, the plan shifts to a sea entry via river to avoid detection.

Foreshadowing: The capture of Verlaine triggers Krieger's increased vigilance, making aerial insertion too dangerous.

• France
• sea entry
• intelligence leak
• patrols
• river crossing

Marie Verlaine is the daughter of Paul Verlaine, a French Resistance leader who was captured and executed by Colonel Krieger. She serves as the team's local contact and leads a group of resistance fighters. She provides crucial intelligence, including the fact that the scientists' families have been brought to the monastery, which complicates the rescue portion of the mission.

Foreshadowing: Paul Verlaine's capture and execution sets the stage for his daughter Marie to take over the resistance connection.

• Marie Verlaine
• resistance
• Paul Verlaine
• French forest
• contact

Wright deploys two decoy trucks driven by Martinez, Ballews, and the Webber brothers to draw German patrols away from the real convoy carrying the scientists and their families. However, German patrols discover and destroy the decoys, killing all four men inside. The sacrifice is intended to buy time for the actual evacuation but results in devastating losses.

Foreshadowing: The decoy strategy is introduced as Wright attempts to outmaneuver Krieger's approaching forces.

• decoy trucks
• Webber brothers
• Martinez
• Ballews
• German patrols
• sacrifice

As the British evacuation plane lands under fire, Fontenac draws the enemy's attention away from the aircraft by exposing himself and running toward the approaching patrols. His action diverts German fire and gives the plane enough time to take off with the rescued scientists and families. Fontenac is mortally wounded in the process but the evacuation succeeds.

Foreshadowing: Fontenac acts as a crucial link throughout the mission, opening the monastery back door for the infiltrators.

• Fontenac
• sacrifice
• evacuation plane
• mortally wounded
• escape

Only six members of the original twelve survive: Major Wright, Sergeant Holt, Joe Stern, Eric 'Swede' Wallan, Ernesto 'Pops' Ferucci, and Francis Kelly. The fallen include the Webber brothers, Martinez, Ballews, Sturdivant, Chacon, and Spencer. These survivors earn their freedom through the successful completion of the mission.

Foreshadowing: The mission is repeatedly described as a one-way trip with low survival odds.

• survivors
• Wright
• Stern
• Swede
• Ferucci
• Kelly
• casualties

The Saint-Michel monastery serves as the secret location where Germany produces and stores the nerve gas containers for V-2 rockets. The dual mission requires destroying these gas containers to prevent deployment against Allied targets, and rescuing the scientists who developed the nerve gas, knowledge that could help the Allies develop countermeasures.

Foreshadowing: General Worden explains the nerve gas capability is based at the monastery in occupied France.

• Saint-Michel monastery
• nerve gas factory
• scientists
• explosives
• rescue mission

After capturing and executing resistance leader Paul Verlaine and his British contact, Krieger learns from scientist Pierre Claudel that Verlaine was speaking with lead scientist George Flamands. This connection alerts Krieger to potential sabotage, prompting him to increase patrols and tighten security around the monastery, making the Dozen's infiltration significantly more dangerous.

Foreshadowing: Claudel's identification of Verlaine directly leads to heightened vigilance that complicates the mission.

• Colonel Krieger
• Pierre Claudel
• security
• monastery
• Flamands
• patrols