"Well Newkirk, your plan of phoning up one of the Gestapo goons made me get this idea. It is quite simple, but yet difficult to carry out. However, I think it is the best way we can save Colonel Hogan, without putting anyone besides us at risk. And-".
"Oh Kinch, mon Dieu, stop that useless talk, just come to the point.".
Kinch nodded and said: "Okay, the only things on which our plan depends is Klinks good will, his courage and the time to carry out the plan.".
Again, he was interrupted, this time by Newkirk: "You call that nothin´ ? We depend on Klinks courage? Man, I think I´ll shoot myself beforehand, ´cause it will end in that way anyway.".
Now Kinch got angry: "Can you lot shut up for one time! I try to explain a plan to you lot to save Colonel Hogan and all you do is interrupting me and throwing away the plan before you have even heard it. Now, do we want to save the Colonel?".
Everybody nodded in agreement and Kinch continued, this time uninterrupted.
"I thought, we need to talk to Klink first. We need to convince him, that he needs to phone up the Gestapo and speak to that Obergrüppenführer that interrogated the Colonel. Do you lot rmemeber Colonel Hogan told us that wachtelschneider had said to Hochstetter he should think well before doing anything? I think that that was his way of saying not to do anything illegal or something like that. I don´t think it was just a loose warning, because if it would have been for that, they would have shot the Colonel right away. Now, we make Klink to phone up and tell Wachtelschneider about the latest events and the suspicion that Hochstetter imitated Klinks signature to shoot an maybe innocent prisoner of war. On its own accord, Wachtelschneider won´t do anything to this I think, but we will put some pressure on him. We will phone him up, about an hour after he has spoken to Klink. Carter, you will do this, you will play General von Kattenscheit, who is about to inspect the whereabouts of the Gestapo by order of the Führer. You will say, that this needs to be done, because the Führer suspects inspections from the Red Cross and wants everything to be perfectly managed and legal. This will put the required pressure on Wachtelschneider to check on Hochstetter. Once he comes here, he will check on Hochstetter and find out, through Klink, that Hochstetter has manipulated the form. Then of course, Hochstetter will come up with his evidence and that klink has been foolish not to see the evidence and he will picture Klink as a traitor, to whom he could do nothing but betray him in order to put justice upon a spy. –".
Newkirk could not hold back a comment at this: "Yes, and what are we gonna do then? He has got the evidence of that Crittendon fool. Are we gonna nick the tapes from Hochstetter? He´ll know in a second that we´re involved and get us as well, that won´t help the gov´nor. Besides, before Hochstetter can shoot us, Colonel Hogan will kill us, for disobeying his order to not get involved in this.".
Kinch shook his head. "Newkirk, I hadn´t finished, I also thought about these things. Well, about an hour after von Kattenscheit has spoken to Wachtelschneider, he will phone up again, telling that he will also inspect the POW camps in this region. this will put even more pressure on Wachtelschneider. Then, von Kattenscheit, yes you Carter, will set of to Stalag 6, where Crittendon is held. Then he will announce himself as being an inspector. This all will be perfectly legal, for he has informed the Gestapo in this area and he will have official orders from Berlin with him, Newkirk, you are going to make them, just sign them with Heinrich Himmler or something. I myself will control all phone calls, coming out of Gestapo Headquarters, to intercept all calls, which might be used to ask the people in Berlin about von Kattenscheit. Well, that is settled. As for the proves Hochstetter has got, we will do as follows. First, von Kattenscheit, in Stalag 6 will have another interview with Crittendon, say that you want to talk with the senior POW to get a picture of how the camp is run. Carter, I need you to do this without the presence of the camp commander, for you will need to imitate Hochstetters voice. Okay, you will inform Crittendon of the situation and tell him to act as if he is interrogated again. We will make a tape recording of this. Of course, Crittendon won´t make any confessions, but we´lll make a tape stuffed with nonsense. Then, von Kattenscheit can move away from the camp.".
Kinch stopped for a moment and watched the faces of his friends. None of them seemed really excited, but he decided to continue.
"Once we´ve got the fake evidence ready, Carter as von Kattenscheit will turn up here and have a chat with Klink. We´ll make sure that Klink tells about Hogan about to be shot. Then, von Kattenscheit will ask for more information, which he will get of course from Klink. Then von Kattenscheit can leave again. The car for this undertaking will be provided by the local underground, I just talked to them on the radio. Once Carter leaves, he will leave the car on the road near Hammelburg, from where he will return on foot. When he´s back, we will phone up Wachtelschneider again, informing him of Hogans case and Hochstetters betrayal. I suppose this will be enough to get Wachtelschneider into action. Von Kattenscheit will order him to go and visit Klink to get the entire story and then to check Hochstetters evidence. This is where the most difficult part of the plan comes in. Newkirk, as soon as Hochstetter arrives, we need to find out where he keeps the tapes. Then we need to exchange them with ours and that´s it. What do you say?".
Three faces watched him in amazement. Finally Newkirk spoke the words all three of them thought.
"Are you out of your mind?"