A/N: I don't own Hogan's Heroes or any of their characters. But I do own the DVDs and enjoy watching them.
This is a missing scene from The General Swap showing how Newkirk and LeBeau found out what General Barton said to Colonel Hogan.
Things Best Left Unsaid
(1) Colonel Robert Hogan, Senior Prisoner-of-War officer, followed Kommandant Wilhelm Klink into the special cell where General Aloysius Barton was being held after his plane was shot down. Hogan's plan was to convince Klink that the prisoner wasn't really Barton so he would be removed from his special cell and put in with the general population before they got him out of Germany.
Barton: "And just who are you?" he asked, staring at Hogan with suspicion.
Klink: "This is Colonel Hogan, ranking officer among the prisoners here."
Barton: "Hogan. Yes, I remember you. You were the commanding officer of the 504th. But that was quite a while back."
Klink: "Colonel Hogan has been a prisoner here for two years."
Barton: "Two years? Had many escapes?" he asked with raised eyebrows.
Klink: "No one has ever escaped from Stalag 13. Colonel Hogan has been both understanding and cooperative."
Barton(anger on his face): "So that's it. Cooperative. A sell-out!" He took a step towards Hogan with blazing eyes never straying from Hogan's face. "It's the duty of every officer to try to escape. Hogan, you're a disgrace to the uniform." His words were directed at Klink, but his eyes didn't stray from Hogan who looked completely humiliated. "Get this crummy traitor out of my sight!"
Klink, following Hogan from the cell, couldn't rid his face of the smug grin he had. He was in complete ecstasy from what he had just witnessed. He seldom got to see Hogan humiliated and 'chopped down,' much less being able to do it himself. But he enjoyed watching the American being totally humiliated, and by a Brigadier General in his own Army no less. Klink found the whole experience thoroughly exhilarating. He smirked watching the expression on the American's face as they had stood outside the cell. Hogan had looked completely dejected and demoralized, and Klink wanted to savor every moment.
As the two of them entered the compound, LeBeau and Newkirk were the first to see their commander's expression as he strode past them without saying a word, much less acknowledging their presence. They watched him head towards the barracks. Exchanging looks, they were bewildered by Hogan's reaction, or rather, his non-reaction, to seeing them.
"I wonder what happened?" LeBeau asked the Englander. "The Colonel looked upset."
Newkirk shrugged. "I haven't a ruddy idea," he said. "But I agree with you, mate. The Gov'nor did look upset."
"What happened…" a smiling Colonel Klink interjected, "…is that Colonel Hogan was put in his place by a General in his own military. And I must add I thoroughly enjoyed watching that smug look wiped off of Hogan's face for once." He chuckled.
"What do you mean by put in his place?" asked Newkirk, disgusted at Klink's obvious pleasure at seeing Hogan insulted.
Klink smirked. "The General told Hogan it was the duty of every officer to escape, and when I told the General Hogan was understanding and cooperative, he not only called him a disgrace to the uniform, but he said, and I quote, 'get this crummy traitor out of my sight.' I enjoyed seeing the expression on Hogan's face. He looked just like he did when you saw him a few minutes ago."
"And you thought that funny?" asked LeBeau, his face turning crimson.
"Completely. And I'm soooooo glad I got to see it!" Chortling, Klink turned and walked away in the direction of the Kommandantur.
LeBeau and Newkirk both shook their heads in dismay as they looked at Klink's receding back. Newkirk punched his left hand with his right fist in anger.
"I'd like to punch that bloody jackass of a General for calling Colonel Hogan a disgrace and a traitor. And I'd also like to punch our bloody Kommandant as well."
"I know what you mean, mon ami," LeBeau agreed. "There is no finer man on earth than Colonel Hogan. And for someone to even think he is a traitor and a disgrace to his uniform is a complete fool."
"Damn right about that, mate," the Englander said. "And I don't care if this Barton is a bloody General. He's got no bleedin' right saying something like that about the Gov'nor." He looked at the Frenchman. "C'mon, let's go." He grabbed LeBeau's arm.
"Where are we going?" asked LeBeau.
"To the barracks and find the Gov'nor. We're gonna make sure he's all right, and assure him this General is a ruddy jackass and to pay him no mind."
The two men hurried to barracks two and entered. Looking around they saw Carter seated at the table looking deeply worried.
"Where's the Colonel?" asked LeBeau., not seeing Hogan.
"He walked right past me, went into his quarters and shut the door," Carter explained. "What happened?"
"We'll tell you later," Newkirk replied as he and LeBeau approached Hogan's quarters with the Englander knocking on the door. He opened it when he heard Hogan say 'enter.'
Hogan was laying on his back on the lower bunk with his hands clasped behind his head. He was staring at the bottom of the bunk above. His facial expression did not reveal his inner feelings. He looked over to see Newkirk and LeBeau standing in the doorway. "You fellas want something?" he asked quietly.
"We heard what happened, mon Colonel," said LeBeau. "We wanted to make sure you were all right."
Hogan sighed and went back to staring at the bottom of the upper bunk. "I'm all right, LeBeau. Right now I just prefer to be alone if you don't mind. I would appreciate it if you and Newkirk would leave and close the door."
"Yes, sir," Newkirk replied, sensing it was best if they left Hogan alone right now. "We'll be right outside if you need anything."
Hogan didn't respond or even acknowledge them leaving. Newkirk closed the door. Then, he and LeBeau joined Carter at the table.
"Is Colonel Hogan okay?" Carter asked, concerned.
Newkirk sighed as he and LeBeau proceeded to explain what they knew about what transpired between Colonel Hogan and General Barton to Carter, and the Kommandant's reaction to Hogan being humiliated.
It was at that moment that the three men knew they had to do whatever they could to convince their Colonel that Barton was wrong in every way, and that Hogan was a better man that Barton ever could be.
(1) The opening scene above the break is directly from The General Swap.