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.
Weaving a Web to Freedom,
Undoing the Past
By Marty Miller
Background information, for this story, is from the HH Episode "The Meister Spy"
Chapter 8
The alarm sirens were blaring and as Klink approached the ruckus, he could see the Frenchman dodging behind Schnitzer, as he tried to keep the dog handler between himself and the German shepherd dog that was growling and snapping at his heels. The guards reached LeBeau seconds before the Kommandant and pulled him away from Schnitzer.
"What's going on here?" Klink demanded.
Hogan stepped in behind Klink. "Those killer dogs almost took LeBeau apart! Are you all right, LeBeau?"
"Oui, Mon Colonel, I think so." LeBeau had a worried look on his face and moved next Hogan.
"I'm sorry, Kommandant. The dog got away from me. I was putting her in the truck and my hand slipped." Schnitzer apologized.
"You mean he…," Klink pointed at LeBeau, "didn't do anything to provoke the attack?"
"No, Kommandant, it was an accident." Schnitzer affirmed, while putting the dog in the back of the truck.
"Very well, LeBeau, stay away from the dog pen when they're changing the dogs. That's an order! Diiismiiissed."
"Now wait a minute, Kommandant. I think LeBeau is owed an apology," Hogan protested.
"Colonel Hogan, I don't want to hear it." Klink spun and strutted back toward his office.
"Colonel Klink," Hogan began.
Klink waved him off without turning around. The guards dispersed and went back to their posts.
"Did you get the note for the underground to Schnitzer?" Hogan asked.
"Oui, I slipped it into his pocket."
Hogan smiled and draped his left arm over Louis' shoulder as they walked back to the barrack.
"Leave it to the SS to stick a guard on duty between the Rec Hall and the dog kennel. We won't be able to use the dogs as 'messenger pigeons' for awhile," Hogan complained.
"That was quite a show, Louis." Kinch laughed, joining Hogan and LeBeau as they approached barrack two.
"Yeah, Schnitzer's really got those dogs trained good. I thought you were actually going to be attacked." Carter added, stepping up to the group.
"Naw, Heidi is a 'pussy cat', she would never hurt me. She knows she wouldn't get any more French cooking," LeBeau smiled and watched as the dog truck drove out the gate on its way back to Hammelburg.
"Hey, what's all the commotion?"
"Hi, Wilson," Kinch said, still laughing. "LeBeau was just dancing with Heidi."
"Huh?"
Hogan looked at the guards walking the compound, ""Come on in, Sergeant. We'll explain as you're checking out Newkirk."
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"Well, despite our interruption by Colonel Knefler, I believe we have completed our business in good time," Burkhalter concluded, while squinting into the noon sun. General Burkhalter and Kommandant Killinger had just finished reviewing the past two months interrogation records of Dulag's processed prisoners.
"Yes, I apologize, General, I would have had all the files ready for Colonel Knefler had I known he was coming, and we would have had one less interruption."
Killinger looked thoughtful as he paused trying to compose his next statement. He was not even sure why he felt compelled to say anything except that the prisoner, now under investigation by the SD, had stirred something in him during his time at Dulag Luft.
"General...I will admit to an interest in the American. I know only what the records and our interrogations have revealed. However, his fight was stoic and he never lost his dignity, even with what we put him through. He was what we all hope we would be in a similar situation."
Burkhalter raised an eyebrow. "Be careful, Oberstleutnant, someone may think you give the American Colonel more consideration than a member of an "inferior race" deserves."
Taking a back door approach, Burkhalter attributed Hogan's endurance to a more plausible possibility. "It could be he has some Prussian blood in his heredity, which would explain his strength. I will agree with you in this, he does make an interesting test subject and justifies Berlin's decision to keep him alive."
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After rescuing LeBeau, Klink returned to his office to finish filling out the report on the events of the previous night.
~ Three men wounded. How could such a thing happen? I don't even know who fired the first shot. ~
His mind was not on the report. Terrible things were about to happen and all he could do was stand-by and watch.
~ I want to tell Colonel Hogan about Strasser's claim against him but there is nothing he can do, so why worry him. On the other hand, he could prepare himself mentally for what is to come… if that's possible. ~
Klink stood, walked over to the window and observed the SS troops in their various positions around the camp.
~ That meeting with Kefler was strange. What did he mean, Strasser had been a prototype for a long-range plan, and why all the interest in Hogan and Hochstetter? I get the feeling there is more going on here than I'm being told. ~
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Wilson was sitting shaking his head.
"Your going to let 'slip' information, while your being interrogated, that you hope will point the SD at Major Strasser? Guy's this sounds awfully dangerous."
"Really, I thought it was one of the Colonel's more logical plans." Newkirk walked toward the stove rubbing his hands together for warmth.
Carter jumped into the fun, "Yeah, you should've seen some of the crazy things we've done. Why I'll bet…
"Carter," came the all too familiar voice of his Commanding Officer, "You don't have to bore Wilson with the past."
"Oh, believe me, this is anything but boring!" Wilson didn't usually know what was going on among these five, unless his services were needed. Colonel Hogan didn't want to risk anyone knowing too much, just in case the Gestapo questioned them.
"Ok, Colonel, you wouldn't be telling me all this unless you needed something from me. What is it?"
~ Wilson knows me too well. ~ "Ok, here it is. We know we can pull off our end of it…" Hogan noticed his men staring at him in disbelief, "….ok,…we're pretty sure we can pull off our end of it. But Strasser is a wild card. What do you know about 'brainwashing'?"
"I know the debate has been bantered around for years. As far as proof, I haven't read any."
Hogan looked encouraged.
"But…" Sergeant Wilson continued, "…there are some psychologists who say it is definitely possible, given enough time. They use raising a child as an example. Children are indoctrinated from birth by the society they live in. They grow to accept the moral codes of that society. What is acceptable in one country is not necessarily acceptable in another. Our present situation is a fine example. The controversy has been, can you take an adult, whose moral codes and life values are already established, and wipe them out to start over."
"Well, can you?" Hogan searched Wilson's eyes for an answer.
"Studies with anesthesia have indicated, there is a point, just before the patient goes to sleep and again just as he is waking up, when his barriers are lowered, his perceptions are skewed which makes him vulnerable to manipulation. It's a fine line. As far as I know the scientific community has no answers, only questions, regarding the possibility of brainwashing."
Hogan had been listening intently, when he began to feel anxious and broke out in a cold sweat. He had images flashing briefly through his mind of needles and hands….with voices….echoing words he couldn't quite make out.
"…..Colonel? …Colonel?"
His eyes came back into focus. "Wh..What? Did you ask me something?" He said, to nobody in particular. "Sorry, I was just thinking about what Wilson was saying." ~ Whew, what was that all about? ~
"That must have been some thought. You're dripping wet. Why don't you sit down Colonel?" Kinch stood to offer Hogan his seat.
Hogan frowned. "I'm all right. Sit down Kinch." He then turned back to Wilson.
"Ok, I'll accept we're fifty-fifty on this. But I think it's worth the risk. We'll continue according to plan. If we can convince the Nazi's that Strasser has switched sides and we were simply used by him, they may go away and leave us alone, and we might have a chance to keep our organization going."
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Hochstetter was sitting at his desk filling out the paper work on the investigation concerning the sabotaging of the small arms factory, when his door swung open. He was about to verbally lay out the insolent soldier, who dared to barge into his office unannounced, when his eyes made contact with the Oberst uniform of the SD. Falling over himself getting to his feet, he snapped to attention.
"Heil, Hitler," he swung his arm in an arc, until it landed in position and clicked his heels. The salute was returned and he dropped his arm back to his side, without breaking his rigid stance.
"Major Hochstetter, I am Oberst Knefler of the SD. I have a matter to discuss with you. You may sit, Major."
Hochstetter reached behind, feeling for his chair, not taking his eyes off of the Colonel. He recalled having briefly met the Colonel the night of the last underground fiasco. He waited anticipating being raked over the coals for his inefficiency.
"I have been assigned to investigate a security matter involving one of our agents." Knefler gave Hochstetter a brief run down of the occurrence at Stalag 13. "I will call in an interrogator, who will spend some time with Colonel Hogan getting to know him better. After which, I will turn him over to you."
Hochstetter smiled, relief flooded over him that he was not the subject of Knefler's visit. And did he hear right? Hogan was going to be given to him! He was about to speak, when Knefler continued.
"We will require that his resistance to the next phase, of his interrogation, be lowered. He should be exhausted to the point, where it interferes with his thought processes. I believe Gestapo persuasion tactics will do the job. No debilitating injuries. Do you understand?"
Hochstetter, smiling, squirmed in his seat, his anticipation getting the better of him.
"I believe so, Colonel. When you say 'debilitating', I assume you mean no physical injuries that would prevent him from answering your questions later, after he becomes more talkative."
"That is precisely what I mean, Major. Your reputation indicates that you are one of the best men in the field at obtaining information through coercion, and that you know how to take a man to the brink."
"I have made a through study of technique versus result, Herr Colonel." Hochstetter made a thoughtful pause, "I have had the pleasure of working with Colonel Hogan, a few times, in the past, and I know it will require a good deal of…. pressure to weaken him. How long do I get to keep him?"
"You may have him for five days that should be sufficient time. We will be ready for him by then. I know you have had experience with this prisoner before, which is one reason you were chosen. He has reason to fear you."
"Yes, sir, he does, though he occasionally needs to be reminded." Hochstetter mumbled the last half of his sentence, while cradling his right fist in his left hand and staring into space.
"I understand that occurred again just last night." Knefler watched as the Major quickly looked back to him.
~trying to read my intention, Major? Let's see how you react to a little more pressure. ~
"How is your investigation of the sabotage activity progressing, by the way?" Knefler asked.
"We will stop them, Herr Oberst."
Hochstetter's face turned angry as his fist hit the top of the desk, then almost embarrassed, he relaxed his fist and flexed his fingers.
Knefler nodded his approval. Standing, he turned toward the door and continued speaking.
"I will call you, when Colonel Hogan is ready for you. You will keep him isolated from any other prisoners. He will have no human contact, except when you come to administer to him. Corporal Scharff is his interrogator; he will be coming with the Colonel. It is important that Colonel Hogan views him as the controlling factor. You will reference that fact in your proceedings."
"Yes, Herr Colonel. Heil Hitler!"
Knefler saluted and started down the hall. ~ The man obviously enjoys his work. ~
He rounded the corner and took out his notebook. ~Masochistic tendencies, emotions uncontrolled, but remains focused with logical thought processes. ~
Knefler put his pen back in his pocket and with a satisfied smile he thought, ~Perfect ~
