The T.V. show Hogan's Heroes belongs to Bing Crosby Productions. No ownership of the Hogan's Heroes characters is implied or inferred, and no infringement is intended.

Chapter Two

Not For Glory Alone

"Do you have any additional questions?" Kommodore Biedenbender shifted his weight and crossed his arms as he waited for a response from his three junior officers.

Hauptmann Losigkeit shook his head negatively, "Nein Kommodore!"

Oberleutnant Stolte was next to answer. Straightening, he pulled his shoulders back, clicked his heels, and proudly proclaimed, "We will celebrate their defeat in the skies over the Fatherland, Herr Oberst!"

Biedenbender smiled at the youthful jubilance and nodded his agreement, before looking at his third and last Staffelkapitan. "And you, Ehlers, do you agree with Stolte?"

Oberleutnant Ehlers shook his head negatively and frowned.

Biedenbender narrowed his eyes, and turned to face the Oberleutnant. "Let me hear where you feel we are wrong."

Ehlers clenched his jaw to prevent his facial expressions from giving him away and very seriously began his answer, "Herr Kommodore, Oberleutnant Stolte is young and cannot be expected to understand the full scope of what is about to happen." The muscles in Ehlers's face flexed as he fought to remain in control. "We will not celebrate the defeat of the Allied pilots in the skies over the Fatherland."

Stolte turned and looked at his comrade, hurt at the suggestion that his youth negatively influenced his perceptions

"No, Herr Oberleutnant?" Biedenbender's eyes widened as he tilted his head waiting for more from his Staffelkapitan.

Ehlers could no longer hide his true feelings and his face broke into a broad grin as he slapped Stolte on the back. "We will celebrate their defeat in their death spirals, as their planes plummet in a race to bury themselves in German soil and warm the land with their blood!"

Stolte took a step forward to prevent the energy from the slap on his back from propelling him into the Kommodore.

Hearty laughter rang out in the room as the tension was relieved. Biedenbender nodded approvingly. This was just one more affirmation that the men he had chosen to lead his Staffeln were the right men for the job. It was a delicate balance of serious experience, proud dedication, and an ability to think quickly under fire that put them in charge of the twelve planes under each of their commands.

Smiling, Stolte offered Ehlers a challenge, "I will wager that I finish with my Allied bombers in time to assistance you with yours!"

Biedendbender had divided up the remainder of the Allied stack of bombers among his three Staffeln. But the lead Allied bomber belonged to him and his Stabsschwarm. Commander Hogan's bomber had only been identified in one night raid in the last three days. Perhaps his absence from the Allies' nightly raids was merely a reward for the success of a one-time daylight raid, but Kommodore Biedenbender was betting it meant more. He suspected the Allies were saving Commander Hogan and his squadron for another daylight attack.

Biedenbender's laughter quieted as he took control of the room. "Gentlemen, I suggest you finish this later. Right now, I must meet with my Gruppenkommandeures. They are continuing to guard the night skies without our support. And you must meet with the three Schwarm of each of your Staffeln and brief them on our attack plans. Be ready at all times," he warned. "I do not know when they will come again, but they will come." Biedenbender looked on the men with pride. "You are the best of the Luftwaffe's fighters. Together we will defend the skies of the Fatherland and send a message to the Allies that these daylight bombings cannot succeed!"

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

The Allied bombers approach was called in by first one observer and then another. By the time the third observer had called to report the Allied bombers' coordinates, the Gefechtsstand had ordered the alert. The sirens had not yet finished their last echo across the airfield, when Kommodore Biendenbender and his Stabsschwarm, along with the three Staffeln led by Ehlers, Stolte and Losigkeit, were firing up their engines. The final checks were run and there was nothing to do now but wait for the signal to begin takeoff. Biedenbender would command his Stabsschwarm and his three Staffelkapitan's in the attack on the Allied Squadron. The four planes of Biedenbender's Stabsschwarm would target the Allied leader's plane. The other three Staffeln would attack the remaining bombers. Biedenbender flexed his hands in anticipation. He would soon know if his target was the much sought after Commander Hogan.

The signal for take-off was finally given and Biedenbender manipulated the controls putting his flaps at twenty degrees. He checked the fuel while his crew chief cranked the starter. The cylinders coughed, belched smoke and then caught smoothly as he stomped on the brakes and gunned the engine. Opening the throttle quickly to reduce the tendency to swing, he released the brackes and his 109 shot forward quickly accelerating to 160km/hour. His winged lady remained steady. Biedenbender's fingers tightened around the vibrating throttle, holding it hard forward to get the tail up. Easy does it, don't pull her off too soon, that left wing won't lift if you're too quick. Just let her fly herself off the runway. That's it. Biedenbender smiled as his Messerschmitt gracefully lifted off and made her initial climb. Banking to the left he watched the ground disappear below him, retracted his landing gear, and checked his gauges, guns and gun sight. Everything was in order. He settled to the work at hand.

If it is Hogan's squadron coming in over the North Sea, and he remains on his same course, he'll pass over Bremerhaven. There is nothing there worth bombing…if they know that! The closest target would be…Hamburg…the ball bearing plant. Yes…the ball bearing plant!

Biedenbender looked out to his right and saw his three Staffeln climbing to join the formation. He gave Rolf a thumbs up and with the sun overhead, they turned for Bremerhaven. Soon the initial chatter of acknowledgment died down and there was only the drone of the engines to be heard as each man focused his energies on what was to come.

Rolf was the first to break the silence. "There they are!"

Biedenbender's eyes rested on the lead bomber. "Stay with me, Rolf, let's go have a look!"

The two fighters burst out ahead of the group and took a close fly-by swipe at… "Goldilocks!" Biedenbender cried out with satisfaction. "It's him! It's the devil himself!"

The other two fighters of Biedenbender's Stabsschwarm followed closely behind coming in on their enemy at two o'clock. Goldilocks fired her guns in defense as the two Focke –Wulf's sprayed her fuselage.

The four fighters pulled up and to the right making their swing for their next approach as the three Staffelkapitans led the attacks on the other Allied bombers. Before Biedenbender and his Stabscsschwarm had completed their circle the Ack Ack guns began firing, filling the sky with flak whose glow lay hidden in the afternoon sunlight, and were surrounded by black puffs of smoke.

Some of the Allied planes broke out of their stacks as a countermeasure against the onslaught of fighters and flak. "Good job men, you're stirring them up!" Biedenbender shouted through the airwaves. He turned his attention back to Goldilocks. Now Colonel Hogan, let's see if we can shake you out of your grouping!

Biedenbender brought the nose of his Messerschmitt in line with Hogan's B-17 and began a head-on run with his cannon pounding, while Rolf came up from below the Flying Fortress all guns blazing. Major Weber in his Focke –Wulf came in on Goldilocks left flank spraying bullets, pulling up and over the huge plane at the last instant. Weber rolled his plane up as he passed and banked right. Weber's wingman, Hauptman Beise, followed close behind, laying down a blanket of bullets across the B-17's side guns. The lack of return fire surprised him.

Goldilocks's guns chocked off after a short burst eliciting a self satisfied laughed from Beise. "The Americans are having trouble with their guns! Their right waist gun is dead!" he announced.

The four German fighters pealed off and swooped back around to hit the B-17 at its newly discovered weak point. But, as they made their approach, the giant bird arched around showing its tail.

Biedenbender smiled to himself. So you're turning tail and running Colonel Hogan. Maybe I've given you too much credit… Biedenbender suddenly realized what Hogan's maneuver was meant to accomplish and he pulled up just in time to shoot up over the barrage of bullets coming at him from Goldilocks's tail. A bead of perspiration ran down his temple as he leveled out of his roll. "Clever, Colonel, very clever!"

Goldilocks had readjusted her flight path by the time Biedenbender brought his two Rotte of four planes back around to bear on their target. All four planes blasted across the fuselage on the right side of the B-17 and Goldilocks lurched to the left, shuddering.

The German pilots shouted and whooped at the effect of their hits. "Gave 'em a good one there!" Biedenbender bellowed out as he came around for yet another pass, but his joy was short lived when he saw the bombs dropping out of the great bird like eggs as they went streaming down to their target. Still out of range, all he could do was watch. The sight filled him with anger and be began his attack anew, filled with an increased passion.

Biedenbender took stock of the Allied formation. There were holes in what would have been three tight stacks of six planes. Weber and Beise brought their Focke-Wulfs down and closed in on the lead B-17 once more, waiting until the last minute to drop their nose and shoot under the belly of the plane. The B-17's number one engine was hit by flak and exploded in flames. A chunk of engine narrowly missed Weber, leaving a scorch mark in its wake.

Biedenbender took advantage of the moment and peppered the rear left flank of the badly listing plane. Rolf made his approach at the three o'clock position. Biedenbender could feel the struggle that had to be going on inside the Allied bomber. Come on, Colonel, you can't hold her. Drop out of formation. Deliver yourself to me! Swinging around for another approach, Biedenbender watched as flak exploded up through the underside of Goldilocks and another exploded into the front of the plane. Goldilocks began to lose altitude. "This is it!" Biedenbender shouted leading his planes back in for another pass. The sought after Allied pilot was severed from his stack, these were the final moments of his life as Commander of the 504th Bomb Squadron. How does it feel, Colonel Hogan? How does it feel to be reduced to the level of victim? To know that you won't be going home todayor maybe ever!

As the Allied bomber dropped lower it settled into heavy flack, Biedenbender and his crew circled above the flak and watched as the plane was pocked with several more fresh holes. As the remainder of the Allied bombers continued on their way back to London, Goldilocks began her freefall. It was the sight Biedenbender had been waiting for…been dreaming of… and he dove down on the dying bird, spraying her one last time, in case she had any thoughts of a resurrection. The four planes of Biedenbenders Stabsschwarm circled like buzzards and counted the parachutes.

Nine! One man didn't make it out. Was that one man you, Colonel Hogan? Biedenbender followed the dying B-17 as far as he could until he saw it explode into a large orange fireball. Weary with fatigue but infused with the excitement of their victory the planes of his Gruppe joined together for the journey home. It was over!