My Favorite Prisoner-The Next Night
What might have happened post events of that episode. Wrapping up some loose ends. Disclaimer-don't own the characters. I might break this up into chapters in the future for easier reading.
Tuesday morning- the estate of the Baroness von Krimm outside of Hammelburg
"Baroness von Krimm, you are under arrest by orders of the Gestapo. For being a traitor to the Reich!" Major Hochstetter was screaming.
"What is the meaning of this, Major? I am a loyal citizen of the Reich and have been an agent of the Gestapo since 1939. And my husband died for Führer und Vaterland in Russia."
"Operation Anvil. The plans that the English officer had. The Abwehr looked at them. Genuine, according to Canaris."
"We deployed our forces based on that information and the Americans landed in Normandy instead of the south of France. Those were fake plans. The SD verified it an hour ago. And you were in on it all the time!"
"You will be taken to Gestapo Headquarters immediately for questioning. And you know our methods.''
''Most unpleasant for you, but it might provide some interesting entertainment for my men and myself. And it will give me great pleasure to interrogate you personally."
Hochstetter was anticipating the moment.
"You dirty dwarf, you wouldn't dare!"
"Well you entertained Hogan, so why not entertain loyal members of the Gestapo?"
The next 3 days and nights were an absolute hell for the Baroness von Krimm in Gestapo Headquarters.
Alone in the cold cell, she cried.
Time for a guard change. The Gestapo would leave her alone for 15 minutes. And then come in again. A respite for a few minutes before the horrors would start again. Hochstetter and his men were more than thorough.
"I have no dignity left. Hochstetter used me to get to that American colonel. And now this happens to me. I am better off dead, but there is nothing here that I can use as a noose."
The cell door opened up again. The poisonous dwarf himself. Major Hochstetter was leering at the sight of Baroness Marlene von Krimm…
''You, Baroness, are my favorite prisoner!''
Friday afternoon, Stalag 13, Barracks 2
''Doc, we need a cadaver. Can you help us out?''
"Oberst Hogan, are you crazy, who do you think I am, Dr. Frankenstein? I don't go out to cemeteries in the middle of the night digging up graves to look for bodies." Dr. Gerhard Steiner was aghast.
"The air raid on the ball bearing plant outside of Hammelburg last night-there were many casualties. I might have someone in the hospital morgue that will suit your purposes."
"All right Gerhard. We will need a female body. Late 20s to early 30s in age with long dark hair. And if the face is mutilated, even better. Roughly 5 feet 8 inches tall and 130 pounds. Sorry, but I don't think well in metric measurements."
"Colonel, are you insane? We have no cadaver that matches your description. You Amis and Englanders with your strange notions of how to measure and weigh things."
For once Dr. Steiner used the English rank for Hogan.
"But Liebe, there is someone who fits that description. One of the casualties in the air raid last night was a female Ostarbeiter." And Oberst Hogan's description suits his purposes."
Nurse Marilies Schneider, Dr. Steiner's fiancée continued.
"Poor woman, taken from her home like that to work here as a slave. And died without anyone knowing. Her face is pretty much gone after the rubble fell on her head. But her hair is still there."
"We will help. As long as she has a decent burial. And if I may ask, who will this woman be?''
"The Baroness Marlene von Krimm." Hogan replied.
"Scheisse! Isn't she a Gestapo agent?" Gerhard Steiner exclaimed.
"Well Gerhard, she was arrested 3 days ago and is currently being held at Gestapo HQ in Hammelburg. And not having a pleasant time"
"One of our informants in the Underground found out and passed us a message. And London wants us to spring her. So we will be rescuing the Baroness."
"The 2 of you will go to the morgue of the Hammelburg Hospital to prepare the cadaver of the fake Baroness. Dress the body in her clothes."
"LeBeau, you have the clothes in the wardrobe, right?"
''Oui, mon Colonel, we have the clothes that Heidi Eberhardt left behind."
"We will stage a fake execution and bury the body. Identity papers left on the road. The Flensheim cemetery should be a good place for a decent burial."
''And Fräulein Marilies, my compliments to you. How do you know about Imperial measurements?''
''Herr Oberst, please do not underestimate me.''
Hogan was grinning to himself. Gerhard Steiner's future wife was a good one. Intelligent, pretty, and one not to be trifled with. Kinch had many stories about how she protected him when he was in the hospital.
But interestingly enough, the Colonel thought that Marilies Schneider bore a striking resemblance to Nurse Gerda at the Hammelburg Hospital. As well as Rhona Meyer, the owner of the Hammelburg art gallery. Both tall, attractive strawberry blondes. Or was it a case of mistaken identity?
Mama Bears are very protective of their young. Kinch did say that was some Mama Bear. And wasn't she in a Byron Buckles movie as well?
And there was no resemblance to Fat Hermann at all, even with all the champagne and caviar for the entertainment of the Reichsmarschall. Courtesy of Colonel Wilhelm Klink. Now is there such a thing as a purple window?
Everybody has a doppelgänger, but this was going a bit too far. Or was Oskar Danzig trying to mess around with the Colonel?
It was just a coincidence, thought Hogan. There couldn't be that many women in Hammelburg with strawberry blonde hair.
"OK, good. Fräulein Marilies, after you and Gerhard are done preparing the body, go ahead and say a prayer as well. May God forgive us for what we are planning to do."
"Schnitzer will be waiting with his dog truck. Not the greatest hearse I admit, but an ambulance is too risky."
"London is sending a plane to pick up the real Baroness. By tomorrow night, she will be in Piccadilly."
"Ah Oberst Hogan, you are always the gallant knight come to rescue a damsel in distress." Dr. Steiner was laughing.
"Make sure that Hilda or Tiger don't find out though. They will skin you alive, my friend."
"I'm no Parsifal, Gerhard. And not Lohengrin either. But these are our orders. Befehl ist befehl."
''May I suggest that you stop listening to Richard Wagner all the time, Oberst Hogan? I mean that story of yours and Die Walküre. Building a plane and flying off to Valhalla. The last time you rescued a Baroness, correct?''
''Liebe, if Oberst Hogan loves Wagner so much, we should take him to Bayreuth. He could probably take care of Mr. Nutty, as Oberfeldwebel Kinchloe calls him.''
The young nurse certainly had some interesting ideas.
''Please no Marilies, I had to go to Bayreuth after returning from the Crimea and recovering in the hospital. And getting my tin necktie afterwards while my friends met their martyrdom. I prefer Mendelssohn to Wagner.'' Dr. Steiner pleaded.
''Dummkopf, I like Lohengrin myself. And we will listen to it as we walk down the aisle.''
Colonel Hogan laughed...
''My friend Gerhard certainly has his hands full with this one. She reminds me of my last commanding officer. Smart, stubborn, and somewhat annoying at times. And we obey all orders at the end. And I did enjoy kissing my commanding officer.''
Hogan's Plans coming into shape
''Let's get the 3 Wise Men to help us out this time. Since Gestapo HQ knows what Carter and Newkirk look like. Right, Oberkellner Hotchmann?''
"That's why I told that goon to call me Fritz. How should I know that Oberkellner means head waiter in German?"
"Andrew, shut up!" Newkirk hit Carter on the side of the head with his cap.
"LeBeau, we need 4 German uniforms. Make it Sicherheitsdienst. The SS security services."
"Carter, get those 3 new German automatic rifles in our armory we got from SOE. They will give us extra firepower. And I'm in a mood to shoot to kill if necessary."
"Mills, Foster, Greenberg, the 3 of you and I are going to Gestapo Headquarters tonight. We are going to rescue the Baroness von Krimm. Who's elected to speak?"
"I am sir.'' said Greenberg.
"I speak the best German. Foster's accent stinks. And I was born in Frankfurt."
"All right Greenberg, you are now a Major in the Sicherheitsdienst. As personal aide to General Holzmeyer. Aka yours truly. The emissary of Ernst Kaltenbrunner himself."
"Thanks a lot sir, I go from Brigadier General on Hitler's personal staff to a Major in the Security Services. My parents are going to cry when they hear of my demotion."
"Kinch, call Gestapo HQ at 2200 hours. You are going to be Kaltenbrunner. You give the orders releasing the Baroness von Krimm to us."
"Newkirk, have papers made out for us. Can you still do your Müller imitation?
Yes Guv'ner. I'm on it."
If they don't believe Kaltenbrunner, then they will believe Müller.
"And we need another diversion. Newkirk, call Hochstetter at 2100 saying that Papa Bear is having a meeting with members of the Düsseldorf Underground in Mönchengladbach at 2230. That should keep him out of our hair for a while."
"LeBeau, prepare another change of women's clothing and leave them in my office. For Baroness von Krimm. As I can imagine what she probably has gone through at the hands of those bastards. Have Private Nanowski make a wig as well. Long brown hair. I have a feeling that they humiliated the Baroness by shaving her head."
"We're going to have Schnitzer bring in the cadaver in the dog truck this afternoon. Fully dressed of course."
"Kinch, have the Hertz Rental Service get us a truck. We'll place the fake Baroness there. And we have her buried tomorrow morning. We'll park the truck on the Flensheim Road next to the cave tonight. Carter and LeBeau, you take care of it."
Admittedly a very convoluted plan. But when it came to rescuing people, the Colonel was most resourceful. As Tiger could vouch for as she had been rescued twice by Hogan from the clutches of the Gestapo.
And the British General did say Hogan had quite the reputation for the offbeat and bizarre. And for bringing it off.
And he had the perfect crew to do it.
"This is a crazy plan indeed, mon Colonel. And the Baroness von Krimm is a Gestapo agent. So why are we doing this? Although I must admit that the Baroness is tres jolie."
"Well LeBeau, London must have its reasons for wanting us to do this. Theres not to reason why, theres but to do and…''
''Guv'ner, hopefully we don't end up like the Light Brigade.''
''Newkirk, I never thought you would have been a devotee of Tennyson. We would have a better chance with 600, but we will make do with 4 tonight.''
Storming Gestapo Headquarters would be equal to riding into the Valley of Death at Balaklava. And the Baroness von Krimm would be the prize to rescue. But our Heroes did it before. With just 3 men. Could they pull it off again?
Later Friday Night, Gestapo Headquarters in Hammelburg
"I am Major Grünberg of the Sicherheitsdienst. This is General Holzmeyer, the personal aide of Obergruppenführer Ernst Kaltenbrunner.''
"We have orders from Obergruppenführer Kaltenbrunner stating that the Baroness Marlene von Krimm is to be released to our custody and transported immediately to Berlin for further questioning."
"I have heard of no such request from Berlin." The Lieutenant who was the night duty officer at Gestapo HQ in Hammelburg replied.
"You dare to defy the orders of the Sicherheitsdienst, fool? These orders come directly from Obergruppenführer Kaltenbrunner. And he will be calling from Berlin shortly to demand her immediate release for further questioning."
"What is more, Gruppenführer Müller himself will be on the call as well. So if you wish to not take a very cold trip east, take us to her cell and release her to our custody immediately!"
Greenberg made an excellent Major of the Sicherheitsdiesnt. Very arrogant and loud.
The fake call came through. Kinch and Newkirk outdid themselves. The Gestapo Lieutenant was on the verge of soiling himself.
"All right, I will take you to her cell, but let me warn you, the Baroness will not look very presentable."
"Idiot, what did you do to her? Do you wish to be shot? I will do it to you right now!"
Greenberg pulled out his Walther PPK and pointed it at the head of the Gestapo Lieutenant.
"I uh, didn't, um never touched her. Hochstetter and those others did. I uh, ah was on leave and just got back to Hammelburg this evening." The Lieutenant was stammering.
"Where is that Giftzwerg Hochstetter? Kaltenbrunner will have him shot! On the other hand I will do it myself. And it will give me great pleasure to kill that Scheisskerl!" Hogan yelled.
"The Baroness has very important friends. The Führer, Goering, Goebbels and Bormann will hear of this. And you will regret what you have done to her!"
"Major Hochstetter is on his way to Mönchengladbach at this moment, Herr General! Apparently Papa Bear is in a meeting with members of the Underground for the entire Rheinland. Their capture is of the utmost importance."
"You take us to her cell now! Open the door. And if she is shackled, give us the keys."
The fake General was in a mood to kill...
"You two, after the Lieutenant opens the cell door, watch this fool and the rest of the guards very carefully. And shoot if necessary. Or just shoot them now." Greenberg gave the orders.
True to his word, the Gestapo Lieutenant did what he was told. He gave Colonel Hogan and Greenberg the keys to the restraints.
The Lieutenant opened the cell door. Foster and Mills led away the Lieutenant. Colonel Hogan entered the cell. And immediately threw up at what he saw.
The Baroness with her head shaved...the least of her indignities. Beaten and...Hogan realized what else happened to her. No more needed to be said.
Baroness von Krimm croaked out his name.
"Col...Colonel Hogan? Why are, what are you doing here?"
"I'm here to rescue a damsel in distress."
"Good job Greenberg, you were pretty darn convincing. A little overblown, but you make a great member of the master race."
"Thank you sir. Oh my God! What have they done to her?"
The Colonel pulled out a thin blanket and a canteen from his greatcoat.
"Baroness, I have some water for you." Hogan held the canteen to the lips of the poor woman.
"Take very slow sips. Don't drink too fast, otherwise you will choke. I'll unlock you from your restraints shortly.''
Hogan unlocked the Baroness from her shackles and wrapped her up in the blanket. It was an attempt to give back some of her dignity.
"Sorry it's not a fur coat. It was the best I could do at such short notice. We'll take you to a safe place. And get you to England."
"Greenberg, if any Gestapo show up within the next few minutes with bad intentions, terminate them with extreme prejudice."
"Wh...why are you in the uniform of the Sicherheitsdienst?"
"I moonlight, Baroness. And Hugo Boss makes very stylish clothes. And what is a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?"
"Enjoying the hospitality of the Reich." The Baroness replied with barely a smile.
"I'm no knight in shining armor, but I suppose I'm the next best thing. Can you walk? If not I'll carry you on my back."
"I'll try. But I have no shoes."
"I'm not a fairy godmother, but please take my boots. And you are my Aschenputtel for tonight, so they will fit.
"Mills, Foster, all clear?"
"Yes Sir! The coast is clear," replied Mills.
"What about that Lieutenant on duty and the other guards?"
"Don't worry Sir!
''Foster has them locked up. I think they're afraid that the Sicherheitsdienst will shoot the bloody lot of them. I'll open fire if they try anything. Master race my arse!" Flying Officer John Mills of the Royal New Zealand Air Force replied.
The New Zealander was usually quiet in camp, but he was outraged by the animals who could do something like this to a woman. Even if she was an ardent Nazi.
''Mills, what's Foster doing now?''
''I believe he has those bastards in Cell 9, Sir. And he is playing with a potato masher grenade. Not a real one, but the dud that the Waffen-SS Colonel threw at us that one time.''
''Those sods will need a change of knickers tonight. Serves them right for what they did to Baroness von Krimm. Can we kill them, Sir?''
''Mills, we're not the Gestapo or SS. Now let's get out of here. And fast!''
''Foster, if you have one of Carter's smoke bombs, be my guest and throw it into Cell 9.''
Colonel Hogan put his greatcoat on the Baroness and supported her as she slowly walked out of Gestapo headquarters. Followed by Greenberg, Foster, and Mills. All 3 members of the second team had their Sturmgewehrs at the ready just in case.
"Where are you taking me Colonel?" The Baroness was still fearful.
"Into our pumpkin coach and back to the Adolf Hitler Biltmore. And you will see the Holland Tunnel afterwards. Our ride will be hopefully more comfortable."
The Traveller's Aid Society really pulled off something crazy tonight. Colonel Hogan the chivalrous knight errant along with his second team Heroes as his faithful squires. Ready to help all in distress. Mills, Foster, and Greenberg were now members of the first team.
Back in Stalag 13
"Baroness, I have clean clothes in my office for you. No other place to freshen up completely unfortunately. I can't risk you using the camp showers.''
"I will have Carter bring in a basin of hot water and a clean towel.''
''LeBeau, please make some light broth for our guest and bring her a cup of coffee."
''Newkirk, have Sergeant Wilson come to my office to examine Baroness von Krimm.''
"Baroness, I am calling for my camp medic to check on the extent of your injuries. Of course if you are uncomfortable being alone with a man, I will call for a local doctor. He has worked with us many times. He will bring along a nurse. His fiancée."
"I think speaking with a woman might help. She's young, just 20 years old, but she has a good head on her shoulders. You will like her."
"Colonel, I will see your medic as soon as I am cleaned up and dressed. If it is not an inconvenience, I will see your doctor and nurse as well later."
''Kinch, call Doc Steiner. It'll be Saturday morning soon and he doesn't have duty at the hospital. And have Fräulein Marilies come along as well.''
"Colonel, Doc Steiner won't be happy. You interrupted him and Fräulein Marilies the last 2 times they were going to have a date."
"Well I'll make it up to them Kinch. Chef LeBeau will cook for them the next 2 weekends. The best French dinner. And make sure his cat has enough condensed milk and sardines from our Red Cross packages for the next few months. Doc Steiner can't feed his pet worth a darn."
"Hilda is going to go without coffee, perfume, and nylons for the foreseeable future. Fräulein Schneider will be very happy."
Results of the Exam
"Joe, how is she?"
"Physically better than what I would have expected. Bruises, lacerations, and subdural hematomas all over. Burn marks too. Black eye, possibly a fractured nose. But no broken ribs or concussion from my examination."
"I didn't want to be too thorough. Given what else I assume happened to her as well. I don't do that type of examination!''
''But I'm positive about that and I'll bet all of my back pay on it. Olsen told me the German word one time."
"Vergewaltigung-sounds just as evil as the act, sir."
"Joe, unfortunately you win. That happened to her.''
''Believe me, if Hochstetter was there, I would have shot him between the eyes. But I would have tortured him with one of LeBeau's cooking knives first.''
Joe Wilson was startled. The Colonel wasn't the type of person to be emotional during a mission. Then the medic remembered. The mission to rescue Tiger from the Gestapo that time in Paris. Colonel Hogan mentioned to him what he saw in her cell.
The same brutal methods employed by the Gestapo. Especially if there was an attractive woman prisoner involved.
"There's going to be other scars that are not going to be physical sir. I am surprised she is still holding up, all things considered. I would kill anyone who would do that to a woman as well! With my bare hands too. I understand how you feel. Bunch of sick bastards.''
''I'm going to the dispensary now and getting some aspirin and a sleeping pill. And I want to give her a shot of penicillin."
Sergeant Wilson returned to Barracks 2 with a bottle of aspirin, a vial of penicillin, and a sleeping pill.
"Joe, quick question, is the Baroness fit to travel tonight? And just 1 sleeping pill?
"I don't see why not sir. Although if the pickup is going to be via Lysander on the Flensheim Road as I suspect, it is going to be a bumpy ride in the air until she lands in England."
"I'm not going to bring an entire bottle of sleeping pills! She might try something after all the physical and emotional trauma she's been through. And I don't want to be held responsible for that."
"And the penicillin-it's an antibiotic shot to help her. I don't wish to say anything more, sir. I trust that you understand of course.''
Hogan nodded. Joe Wilson knew his business and was discreet when needed.
"Colonel, once this damn war is over, I'm resigning from the Army and going back to medical school. I am fed up by all of this. Remember Hercules and what did he die for? Valkyrie was a complete failure and we are still stuck here."
"Joe, you need some rest. Give me the pills and I'll give them to the Baroness. Dr. Steiner and Nurse Schneider will take it from here once they arrive. Get some sleep and stay in your bunk. And that's an order!"
"Yes sir! But I need to give the Baroness that shot of penicillin before I leave. With your permission of course."
''Colonel, I think you need that sleeping pill. Keep it for yourself if you want.''
Back in Hogan's Office
"Colonel Hogan, I thank you and apologize. For having deceived you before. You are a decent and honorable man."
"Baroness, you're welcome. Now get some rest. We need to prepare for your funeral, so to speak."
"Funeral? What are you talking about?"
"Baroness, we have arranged things so that for all intents and purposes you are dead in Germany. Which would have been the case anyways after Hochstetter and his goons were through with you."
"The less you know the better. Corporal LeBeau will cook something light for your lunch and dinner.''
"And try on this wig. It somewhat approximates your hairstyle. Not the real thing of course, but you will look much better. I must say but Private Nanowski our wig maker really outdid himself this time. He does beautiful work."
"We found some makeup for you. It might hide the bruises on your face. Take this pill if you wish. It will help you sleep. I have aspirin as well if you have any pain."
"Lie down on my bunk. I'll be at your side if you need me. Our doctor and nurse should be here shortly."
''I will try to get some rest. I do not need the sleeping pill. I will have an aspirin though. My body still hurts all over.''
''Colonel Hogan, thank Corporal LeBeau for me. I had nothing to eat for 3 days. That broth tasted like manna from Heaven.''
''You gave me back some of my dignity. I will never forget you for that.''
''Baroness, which Ritter am I, Gawain perhaps? Definitely not Lancelot.''
''Colonel Hogan, always with the jokes. Thank you, I needed to laugh.''
Get some rest before Dr. Steiner and Nurse Scheinder arrive. I'm going to talk to my men for a few minutes. And then I'll come back to keep you company.
Hogan stepped out of his office to brief Mills, Foster and Greenberg.
"Mills, Foster, Greenberg, you know what to do. Leave the fake identity papers of the Baroness on the side of the Flensheim Road."
"Take the truck parked by the woods and drive to the Flensheim cemetery. There is a grave already dug for the fake Baroness. Arranged by the Underground. The caretaker and the grave digger are with us. Leave the fake Baroness with them. They will bury the body and the Underground will let us know the exact location of the grave."
"We are going to call Hochstetter again and tell him the Baroness von Krimm was shot while trying to escape. Location of the body known only to the Sicherheitsdienst."
"If for some reason they find out that there is a new grave in Flensheim and exhume it, well the body is roughly the same size as the Baroness and in similar clothes. Of course no face thanks to the air raid."
"Perhaps after the war we will have a ceremony for that unknown individual."
''Nice job men, you did great last night. And I trust you will just as well today.''
Gestapo HQ-Later that Morning
Hochstetter was livid when he returned to Hammelburg. There was no meeting in Mönchengladbach between Papa Bear and the Underground. A 1 hour drive with his crack squad had gone to waste. Hogan had to be behind this. And his precious prisoner was gone.
The Lieutenant explained the events of that night.
"Dummkopf, I shall have you shot. You released the Baroness von Krimm to unknown men?"
"But sir, they were from the Sicherheitsdienst. And Kaltenbrunner and Müller gave the authorization!"
"You will be in my report to Berlin. And it will not be flattering."
Phone call… the Lieutenant answered.
''This is Gruppenführer Müller. I wish to speak to Hochstetter now.''
Newkirk was enjoying his fake role. If he only knew what Heinrich Müller was in real life.
"Major Hochstetter here, Jawohl Herr Gruppenführer!"
The fake Müller proceeded to talk.
"Hochstetter, you idiot, there will be no mention of this in your official report. The Baroness von Krimm was taken into custody by a special squad of the Sicherheitsdienst. And executed as a traitor to the Reich."
"She will be buried in an unmarked grave. You will make no more inquiries.''
''I should order your execution as well now! My orders were to bring her to the Führer, but you and your fools abused her like that. Kaltenbrunner's men could not bring her back to Berlin in that state. So they shot her."
''A pity. As she was very good friends with Martin Bormann. And the Reichsminister was most unhappy with your actions. He very much enjoyed the company of the Baroness.''
''You dirty dwarf, you are as much an Aryan as Heydrich! We have your family records and they do not date back to 1750. And with your physical appearance, the Gestapo was very desperate to accept you.''
''So listen to me very carefully. Officially write down that she was shot while trying to escape in your report. Or with your fascination with fairytale bears, just put down that she was executed by members of the Underground posing as Sicherheitsdienst."
"Is that understood, you stupid dwarf? If you do not obey my orders, I will have a special tribunal sent to Hammelburg today. And they will make Freisler look like an amateur. You will regret ever being born."
''You and your men will be joining her as well should you make another mistake. Do I make myself clear?''
''If you do NOT obey, your family genealogy will be released after your execution. And Sippenhaft will not be kind to your family. The fact that you are in the Gestapo is a great failure to the master race and our background checking.''
"Jawohl, I understand, Heil Hitler!"
"Heil Hitler, idiot…" the line went dead.
The case was closed-the Baroness von Krimm was now officially considered deceased.
Sturmbannführer Wolfgang Hochstetter was wondering how his family secret was revealed. He thought those records were long destroyed.
There was no way that Hogan could know that he was not a full Aryan. It had to be a genuine call from Berlin.
Hochstetter would pretend to be Schultz and know nothing. And wash his hands clean of the events of the previous evening.
Later Saturday night on the Flensheim Road
"Mon Colonel, plane coming in!" exclaimed LeBeau.
"OK, give the recognition signal. Light up the sides of the road."
The Westland Lysander made a perfect landing. As was expected of Group Captain Roberts and his piloting skills.
"Hello Robbie, so why did Winnie assign you for this mission?"
"I'm out of practice, so I need to pilot a plane occasionally. And you have a very important passenger for me. We have to take off soon, little time for idle chat." replied Group Captain Roberts.
"Good luck Baroness, everything has been arranged. London will be taking care of you. New identity, false papers, and an annual allowance for you to live comfortably. Not the life of the landed nobility, but you will be safe."
"Will I ever see you again, Colonel Hogan? And thank you again for saving my life. And all that you have done for me."
"You're welcome. And if you're ever in Bridgeport or Cleveland, look me up. I might even take you on a motorcycle ride. Not the trusty steed of a knight in shining armor, but it will have to suffice.''
The Baroness von Krimm hugged Colonel Hogan and gave him a farewell kiss. Before she boarded the Lysander, she said a few final words.
''Herr Oberst, Tschüss!''
Her last words of goodbye on German soil.
''Auf Wiedersehen, Freifrau von Krimm, und viel Glück.'' Hogan replied.
In his best heartfelt German.
The Lysander took off for England...and a new life for the Baroness von Krimm.
The End
Notes
Who would have imagined a chivalrous Hogan? A knight errant as well as Lord Cardigan. The Kettenhund must have been sehr verrückt to write this.
A dark story. But plausible. I tried to leave out the gory details as they would be gratuitous. Also a very convoluted story that could work as a Hogan's Heroes episode.
If you remember the episode 'My Favorite Prisoner,' Captain Sears had plans for Operation Anvil. Which was the original codename for the invasion of Southern France in the summer of 1944. Later renamed Operation Dragoon. So this story probably took place in July of 1944. After the 20th as Wilson mentions Hercules in passing.
I'm leaving out details about what would have happened to the Baroness while she was in Gestapo custody, although based on their methods, what little detail that is in this story can be guessed and very likely would have happened.
Hochstetter is an angry dwarf. And I can imagine him being that cruel.
Shaving the head of a woman is a well known form of degradation-there are multiple examples during the war where this was done.
I can imagine Hogan shooting to kill if bad things happened to people he cared about.
My story about Hans Teppel has details about the Sicherheitsdienst. That story takes place shortly after the events of this one.
The Sicherheitsdienst were truly a dangerous bunch. At times even more feared than the Gestapo. Since they were responsible for security within and outside of Germany including investigative issues and domestic intelligence. They actually had more powers than the Gestapo.
Mönchengladbach is a city about 20 miles away from Düsseldorf. Better known for having one of the best teams in the Bundesliga not called Bayern Munich.
I did use some German profanities that we were never taught in my classes in high school. I know a few more, but I better not get into trouble!
Heinrich Müller was the head of the Gestapo and Newkirk did a reasonable imitation of him over the phone in the Hogan's Heroes episode 'The Gestapo Takeover.' And yes he was a real person. And not one to give you the warm and fuzzies as he was a nasty piece of work in real life.
The fake Müller's concern about the Baroness is absolutely false, as the real life Müller was a very brutal man. The execution of the escapees in the real life 'The Great Escape' was carried by special squads under the direction of Heinrich Müller.
Heinrich Müller is the most senior figure in Nazi Germany whose postwar whereabouts are unknown. His body has never been found-there were claims that he ended up working for among others, the KGB or CIA.
At this stage of the war, Sturmgewehrs might be available to Hogan's men.
Hugo Boss' company manufactured uniforms for the SD and SS during the war. There was a rumor (without basis though) that Hugo Boss designed the original black SS uniforms.
Although the Luger is the most common German pistol shown in TV and the movies, the Walther PPK would be more likely what the Gestapo and SD were armed with. Not just James Bond.
Assuming that Mills is from a Commonwealth Realm, his use of the term 'knickers' is meant to mock the Gestapo and what they are wearing under their uniforms.
Foster's potato masher is the stick grenade that Colonel Deutsch of the LAH threw at Hogan's men in the episode 'Praise the Führer and Pass the Ammunition.' The German hand grenade was referred to as a potato masher by the Allies.
Who is Aschenputtel? That's the German name for Cinderella. Hogan giving up his boots for the Baroness and the pumpkin coach are a giveaway.
Martin Bormann replaced Rudolf Hess in his offices after the latter flew to England in 1941. He was essentially deputy Führer although he did not have Hess' title. Bormann was married, but did have liaisons with women. And the Baroness von Krimm may have sought the protection of a big shot as Goebbels, Goering, and Hitler are mentioned in this story.
There were rumors about Reinhard Heydrich's ancestry. No actual evidence has been shown to prove it though.
Sippenhaft is the idea that family members are as equally guilty of crimes as the perpetrator. Used to arrest the family members of the July 20 conspirators.
I kept the reasons for London wanting to rescue the Baroness deliberately vague. Perhaps she was a double agent. Or maybe a member of the British Royal Family. As even at this stage of the war they were still more German than English.
And this mission sounds as crazy as 'The Charge of the Light Brigade.' As Hogan quotes a line from the poem to LeBeau and Newkirk.
My OC the Doctor and his fiancée make another appearance. The German version of Nick and Nora Charles no doubt.
I wonder if Nurse Gerda and Doc Steiner's fiancée are one and the same. Or twins?
Multiple references to Wagner and the Bayreuth Festival. Hitler was more or less the patron of the festival and attended multiple times prewar.
Wounded German soldiers were sent to attend the Bayreuth Festival as 'guests of the Führer.' As Doctor Steiner lost his leg in the Crimea in my story introducing him, he was obviously in attendance. And maybe he prefers Felix Mendelssohn. Although when he and his beloved walk down the aisle, he will have to listen to Wagner again. The 'Wedding March' from 'Lohengrin.' Also known as 'Here Comes the Bride.'
Hogan rescuing a Baroness and The Ride of the Valkyries. Where did that come from? Looks like he has experience in rescuing German noblewomen.
The dirty secret of the German war industry was the use of foreign workers as slave labor. Extremely expendable. And that's where Dr. Steiner got the fake Baroness-disclaimer as slave laborers would not be admitted to German hospitals during the war.
Knowing Joe Wilson, he would have been very uncomfortable examining a woman who went through what the Baroness endured. Hence his anger and wanting to kill the perpetrators.
As well as Colonel Hogan wanting to kill. 'A Tiger Hunt in Paris' implied that she went through some brutality similar to what the Baroness went through.
For special missions (supply drops, transporting agents, picking up escapees) the use of a C-47 as depicted in Hogan's Heroes is overkill. The ideal aircraft for this purpose would have been the Westland Lysander. It could take off and land on any kind of field including roads in an emergency.
The maps shown of the Hammelburg area in Hogan's Heroes spell the name of the town as Flenzheim. There is a town in Bavaria called Franzheim (similar name). But Flensheim is easier to pronounce.
The effective range of the Lysander was about 600 miles. The shortest air distance from England to Germany is 400 miles. With an external fuel tank, it had a range of 1000 miles. More than enough to fly from England to Germany and back. But at this stage of the war, it would be possible to refuel at a French airfield.
Easter eggs in here as I have references to all 3 of the female characters played by Marj Dusay in Hogan's Heroes. 2 are obvious but the 3rd one is hidden sort. So what's in a name?
I can imagine Dr. Steiner's fiancée resembling a guest star who appeared in at least 6 Hogan's Heroes episodes. Victoria Carroll was certainly busy. The bad joke or pun in this story-purple window. Translate that into German.
I needed to have some fun in what would have otherwise been a sad story.