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 13
Wilson and Carter had just left when Schultz entered and announced, "The Sicherheitsdienst are taking charge for a while."
"What do you mean Schultzie?" LeBeau asked.
"They are going to start interrogating you prisoners. I just came to tell you boys to be good. No monkey business, or it could be bad for you."
"We're not planning anything," Kinch assured.
"Good!" Schultz looked toward the barrack window. "Colonel Hogan has been taken to the Recreation building by his interrogator, Corporal Schaffer. Colonel Knefler said they would break him."
Looking around, Schultz asked, "Where's Carter?"
"He was pretty upset when you took Colonel Hogan away. I don't think he wanted us to see how he felt. He's been locked away in the Colonel's room," Kinch lied.
"Oh, I hope he doesn't think I wanted to take Colonel Hogan to them. Maybe I should talk to him," Schultz worried.
"Maybe later, Schultz." Newkirk stepped between Schultz and Hogan's door. "Right now I think he just needs to be alone."
Schultz looked at the door to Hogan's room, "Ok, I'll be back later. If he comes out, tell him I didn't mean it. I was only following orders."
"Sure, we'll tell him," Newkirk assured, as the door closed. Turning to LeBeau and Kinch, he asked, "Do you think they'll break him?"
"Colonel Hogan would die first!" LeBeau offered.
Kinch nodded, "I hope it doesn't go that far."
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Six and half hours later Schultz was back.
"Sergeant Kinchloe and Carter, you're wanted in the Kommandant's office."
"Us, Schultz?" Carter swallowed hard, "Right now?"
"Jawohl, I'm sorry…let's go." Schultz motioned toward the open door.
Louis grabbed Carter's arm, "You'll be okay. Just think about what you're saying."
Patting Carter on the back, Newkirk assured, "Yeah, Andrew, you'll do fine. Don't let em rattle you. Just remember what the Gov' told us."
Kinch putting his hand on Carter's shoulder guided him toward the door. "Come on, Carter. Let's get this over with."
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Hogan sat uncomfortably tied to a chair, his interrogator slowly circling him and asking questions which Hogan refused to answer.
"Colonel, I don't like doing this, believe me. I am just a family man trying to get through this war just like you."
Schaffer paused, "Let's change the questions."
Hogan swallowed, his mouth was dry, and sweat ran down his face. How long had they been at this? He had lost track of time.
"Tell me how it was that you and…" Schaffer referred to a paper on the desk in front of him before continuing, "…Lieutenant Miller told the same story to Kommandant Klink that Major Strasser had confided only minutes earlier?"
"You know the answer to that," Hogan choked out.
"I want to hear you say it, Colonel." Schaffer stopped pacing in front of Hogan and towered over him.
Hogan half expected to feel Schaffer's gloved hand pummel him again before he could answer.
"As I told the Kommandant, Miller came to me saying that Major Martin had told him to wait 15 minutes…" Hogan drew in a quick breath as Schaffer checked the cuffs securing his painful wrists to the chair.
"Please continue," Schaffer prodded.
"…and then go to the Kommandant saying his name was Hans Strasser, and that he had information on the next Allied Offensive."
His interrogator smiled. "Very good, Colonel. You see, you can answer my questions. And for that…"
Schaffer placed a cup of water to Hogan's lips.
Hogan sucked it in and felt it travel down his throat leaving a cold trail. He nodded appreciatively.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome…Robert."
Schaffer took the cup back to the desk and returned with cool wet cloth, that he used to wipe the sweat from Hogan's face.
Hogan grit his teeth. This was not an act of kindness. It was dominance.
"Feeling better, Rob?"
The familiar sound of his nickname coming from his tormentor made him sick to his stomach. A fleeting memory of having played this game before briefly filled him with rage, he lashed out.
"That's Colonel Hogan! I out rank you, Corporal."
"You gave up your privileges of rank, when you refused to answer Colonel Knefler's questions. Right now, you're - just my prisoner and I will address you however I please. As I said before, neither of us wants to be here doing this. But Colonel Knefler gave me this list of questions he wants answered. So how long we stay here is entirely up to you."
Schaffer offered a fake, sympathetic, smile. "Ok, let's go back to a previous question, now that you are feeling more talkative."
Hogan steeled himself for round two. If he had any hope of selling his bill of goods, it was still too early to give in.
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Kinch and Carter entered the Kommandant's office, as two burley guards were handcuffing Lieutenant Miller. Carter stopped abruptly causing Kinch to gently push him on and into the room.
"Lieutenant, this is Corporal Weimer" Knefler announced. "He will take you to a quiet location where you can talk…in private."
Corporal Weimer grabbed Miller's file and followed, as Miller was shoved out of the room by the guards.
Looking at Kinch and Carter Knefler commanded, "Well gentlemen, sit down."
Knefler took two files, and laid them on the desk.
"Sergeant Andrew Carter," Knefler raised his gaze and looked at Carter.
"Yes, sir," Carter croaked.
Knefler half smiled as he sized up the young American and thought, Soft spoken, nervous, and barely able to sit still. Not the type you'd expect to be part of a scheme such as Strasser suggests. Perhaps Colonel Hogan is more charismatic than I gave him credit for, or is Strasser lying?
"How well do you know the Lieutenant that just left here?"
Carter shrugged, "We've talked a little."
Kinch glanced at Carter, "Name, rank, and serial number, Carter."
Carter stopped talking and replayed his instructions in his head, don't give out too much too quick. "Uh…Carter, sir, Andrew, United States Army Air Corp, Serial num…"
"That will do, Sergeant." Knefler was looking at the muscular black man, who was sitting in the chair, next to Carter.
Knefler again looked at the files in front of him, "Sergeant James Kinchloe, it says here that Colonel Hogan has chosen you as his second in command, is that true?"
"James Kinchloe, Sergeant, United…"
"SILENCE! This is not a game. You are in great danger of being shot." Knefler studied the steeled face on this second American. No fear in those eyes, contempt maybe, anger definitely. Good choice, Colonel Hogan.
Knefler reached for the phone and called the outer office, "Send in Corporal Neiman."
The door opened and Neiman came in, flanked by two guards. "Corporal, Sergeant Kinchloe would like to spend some time with you."
The guards that had been standing, behind Carter and Kinch during their initial encounter with Knefler, 'helped' Kinch to his feet, handcuffed him, and turned him over to Corporal Neiman's guards.
Carter's anxiety went up two fold when he realized Kinch was being taken away. His heart began to race, and his breathing increased. Kinch looked back at Carter, as he was being cuffed, "You'll be ok, Carter."
Carter nodded and concentrated on what they had rehearsed. His demeanor changed as he answered, "Yes, I will."
The phone rang and Knefler answered, "WHAT! How did you loose him? I want him found. Have the Gestapo send in some help, and when you find him…and you had better find him…lock him up. I'm finished being nice!"
Knefler calmly turned back to Carter. "Now then Sergeant, I have some questions."
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Strasser awakened and found he was sitting in an alley. Struggling to his feet, he swayed like a drunk.
I've been drugged, he thought.
His Eyes out of focus, he leaned against the alley wall and tried to steady himself, before stumbling out onto the sidewalk.
The signs and writings on the businesses blurred and ran together. A passer-by tried to dodge him but Strasser grabbed him and tried to speak, but the words came out jumbled and slurred.
"Let go of me, you drunk! Wait a minute." Pulling a paper from his pocket that had been thrust at him minutes earlier he began to yell. "Here, here, I have captured Hans Strasser!"
Every business in Berlin had been told to watch for the Major. The Gestapo soon made their appearance.
"Well, Herr Strasser, we have been looking for you," the Gestapo officer frisked the Major, and soon pulled Greta's note from his pocket. Unfolding it, he asked, "What's this?"
Quickly reading the note, the Gestapo officer's ordered, "Put him in the car." In a matter of seconds the staff car disappeared down the street with Strasser and the Gestapo on board.
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Miller was pretending to be in a stupor, and slightly disoriented after the crack to his head that knocked him out, which wasn't too big of a "stretch".
"What? I..uh…what was it you wanted?" The Lieutenant closed his eyes pretending to go to sleep. This earned him another slap on the cheek.
"Lieutenant, you were doing so well. What can I do to make this easier for you?" Corporal Weimer asked.
Miller did not answer. He, too, had his orders. Don't make it look too easythe Colonel had said.
Miller was to restate the information given to Klink, and then let out just a little more detail of the story they were fabricating. The problem was he had been knocked out and didn't know how long they had been at it. The shadows in the room had shortened considerably he guessed maybe four hours had passed.
"Look at me, Lieutenant. Why did Major Martin want you to discredit his story to the Kommandant?"
Miller, stumbled over his words. "So the…K..Krauts would'nt know."
Weimer looked over at his stenographer and raised his eyebrows. "Yes, we have established that he wanted the 'Krauts' not to know. That was very clever of him."
Miller looked at Weimer through half closed eyes.
"Do you think the Luftwaffe knew that Martin was…how did you put that again…playing them?" Weimer urged.
"Hmm?" Miller responded.
"I said, do you think the 'Krauts' knew about the Major?"
"No, they couldn't know." Miller answered.
Weimer was down at eye level with the Lieutenant now. "Right," Weimer watched Miller intensely.
Miller shook his head in the negative, "No way for them to know… Klink had him locked in the cooler… can't blame him." Miller smiled. "No way they could… suspect him of… treason… phony information. The m..major said… this would keep him out of suspicio…" Miller pretended to pass out again. This time he wouldn't come back to consciousness for the Corporal. He had just given up his piece of the puzzle.
After 30 more minutes of gibberish, Weimer had the guard take the Lieutenant back to his barrack, and sat down with the stenographer to go over his hard-won information.
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"Andrew…may I call you Andrew?" Knefler began.
Carter shrugged, "Oh sure, I guess. I mean that is my name. Though some people call me Andy, but…."
"Andrew," Knefler gently guided Carter back on track, "you say you've talked with Lieutenant Miller?"
"I don't think I'm supposed to talk about that, Colonel…sir!" don't make it too easy. Stay focused. Carter was reviewing his instructions from Colonel Hogan.
Knefler spent the next hour getting to know Carter. He asked about the short time he spent in Muncie, Indiana, if he liked small towns, how it compared to Bullfrog, North Dakota, and about getting new tires for his motorcycle, when he got back "state side". He, also, talked with him about his family, high school friends, and his girl, Mary Jane.
Knefler realized, He cares about people, their feelings, their needs, and their wants. Let's approach it from that angle.
"Ok, Andrew, lets talk about Colonel Hogan. There are no rules against talking about him are there?"
"I guess not," Carter hesitated. "What do you want to know?" The Colonel told me to be myself, but not to give the information out all at once.
"Does he seem happy here?"
"Considering, we're in a prison camp, I guess he's doing ok." Where are you going with this? Carter wondered.
"You seem to like Colonel Hogan… is that true?"
"He's fair with us, tells us the score, and isn't uppity like some Colonels." All of a sudden it dawned on Carter that Knefler was a Colonel too. "I...I didn't mean you were uppity, just that some Colonels are." Carter paused, and then continued, "Colonel Hogan has a lot on his shoulders."
"Yes, he does, and right now, he's in a lot of trouble."
Carter did not answer, but watched as Knefler leaned across the desk from the chair he was sitting in.
"You could help him by corroborating his story. There is nothing wrong with that. It is information that your Colonel has already given us, but we need to have somebody agree that it is true. Can you do that for him?"
Ok, I see where you're going. "If it will help the Colonel, and it is information he already gave, I guess there is nothing wrong with it." You don't think I know what you're doing, but I do.
"Colonel Hogan was explaining how he played a trick on Major Martin. That he and two other prisoners made the Major think he was in Berlin, so he would volunteer some information. All I need is for you to confirm, that there were only three people involved."
"How is that again?" Carter asked. The Colonel didn't tell you that. It's too soon for Colonel Hogan to tell you anything. But I'm about to give you an earful.
"Isn't that how you heard it?"
"No sir, Major Martin passed that information off before he came to camp. The underground met him and… wait a minute, did you just trick me?"
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