The cold tunnels provided a hostile environment. During the day, body heat from men at work made the tunnels tolerable. At night, the tunnels cooled considerably. Wood or coal stoves lacked practicality due to ventilation issues. The radiomen relied on winter gear and blankets. When London insisted on increased radio staffing, Hogan requested portable electric heaters. London acknowledged the request and sent one Dowsing heater. The long cylindrical bulbs and copper backing radiated heat outwards into the room making late night staffing bearable.
Kinchloe used the heater sparingly. Replacement bulbs meant airdrops. Despite precautions, the bulbs did not always survive transport. He knew that a Westinghouse Cozy Glow could do the same job, but replacement bulbs difficult to procure. Bulbs had a tendency to burn out when electricity waivered. The greatest danger occurred after nighttime air raids when searchlights suddenly relit.
Kinchloe looked at Hogan and said, "Danzig isn't available. One of his operatives is injured and needs medical assistance."
Hogan angrily shook his head, "Just great!" He did not blame Danzig. He relied too heavily on the man. The Underground had its priorities. While Hogan had dozens of men at his immediate disposal, Danzig suffered lack of manpower. Hogan had to come up with a diversionary plan.
Kinchloe said, "Colonel, you said Hahn wanted to go to Switzerland. Maybe we shouldn't do anything."
Hogan said, "He knows where they're manufacturing synthetic fuels. He said they're making over a hundred thousand barrels a day – including jet fuel. We need that intel."
Kinchloe sighed, "It's too cold down here to think properly."
Hogan chuckled, "Duly noted."
The two men returned to the barracks. In comparison to the tunnels, the barracks felt refreshingly warm. Most of the residents already indulged in sleep but Olsen wrapped a blanket around himself and followed the two men into Hogan's room. The stove heater adequately warmed the small room.
"I take it there's trouble," said Olsen.
"Underground can't help," Hogan said. "We'll have to move Hahn ourselves."
Olsen said, "I'll play pigeon."
"I don't want you going too far," stated Hogan. "I'll try to keep you out of the Cooler."
Olsen looked directly at Hogan and asked, "Is he worth it?" He watched his commanding officer's face twist and contort in doubt. He shook his head and continued, "I see."
Hogan said, "He's sitting on the fence. I'm hoping that if we grab him, he'll come quietly. Otherwise, we'll have to kill him."
Kinchloe offered, "Maybe not. Collins is on the outside."
"Hell no," swore Hogan. "If he was going to do something, he wouldn't have dumped Hahn in our laps. Besides, the man doesn't follow orders. He's a rogue. This is our assignment."
The three men discussed ideas. Two groups of men outside the wire seemed the best option. One team would intercept the staff car while another team would about the woods to delay the search efforts. Considering Hahn's anxiety, Hogan decided he wanted the recovery team disguised as Gestapo. Hahn would be less likely to question a hasty transfer.
Hogan knew exactly who he wanted to impersonate Gestapo. He wanted them to sleep. If he woke them now, they would toss and turn the rest of the night. They would be unusually irritable with the early reveille required to get into their costumes. They could catch up on their sleep later when in the Cooler, assuming all went well.
#HH#
Standing in formation, Hogan felt dread creep throughout his entire body. Carter, Newkirk, and LeBeau were already outside of the camp in Gestapo uniforms ready to intercept the staff car. Olsen, Foster, Garlotti, and Goldman lingered in the nearby woods. Schultz immediately became distressed at seven missing men in formation. Hogan felt sorry as he watched fear take hold of the guard.
Schultz whimpered, "Colonel Hogan, it is worth my life! Where are they?"
Hogan folded his arms across his chest and replied, "Over the wire."
Schultz stood dumbstruck, "This can't be happening. They'll send me to the Russian front. No more fun loving Sergeant Schultzie."
While Hogan hated Krauts, he had nothing against Germans. He felt sorry that Schultz suffered because of his antics. Despite the cold temperature, Schultz was sweating profusely. Schultz appeared short of breath while trying to lick his lips, moisture refusing to appear. Hogan felt alarmed as the large guard began trembling. Briefly, he thought Schultz might faint.
"Report!"
No games this time, thought Hogan. Schultz was in panic mode. Fight or flight was real. Schultz had to stand his ground or he would end up on a train headed to the front. Hogan sternly said, "Seven of my men went over the wire."
Klink snapped, "Sound the alarm!"
Schultz snapped out of his daze, "Jawohl, Herr Kommandant."
As Saunders approached the formation, she casually said, "Seven over the wire? That's an incredibly lucky number."
Hogan sternly said, "You're late."
"Woman's prerogative," shrugged Saunders.
Kinchloe calmly said, "That ain't the only thing that's late."
Hogan looked around. Barracks' guards kept men in formation. Klink looked annoyed. Schultz recovered from his panic attack and barked orders. Guards exited the compound. Dogs barked in anticipation of the chase. It seemed like everything was on target for a routine escape. Hahn stepped onto the Kommandantur porch with satchel in hand.
Realization set in and Hogan asked, "Where the hell is the staff car?"
Kinchloe suggested, "Apparently, still in the motor pool."
Stuck in formation, Hogan felt helpless. He had men ready to spring Hahn, who looked ready to go. The staff car was absent. Klink continued issuing orders to his men. Prisoners remained in assemblage, standard operating procedure with missing men. Had the escape distracted the Kommandant?
Hogan finally called, "Kommandant, hadn't you better get Herr Hahn's car? He's got a train to catch."
"Major Hochstetter will be here in two minutes," snapped Klink.
Hogan shot at angry glance at Saunders, who merely shrugged. He looked at Baker, who seemed confused as to why he might be subject to scrutiny. Hogan realized he made a critical mistake: he assumed Klink would transport Hahn to the train station. He had no way of warning his three men impersonating the Gestapo.
Never before had Hogan felt like an incompetent officer. His men needed him to make the right decision. As much as he despised Biedenbender, he learned one valuable lesson: keep it simple. Overelaborate plans in the espionage business meant increased opportunities for something to go wrong. However, Hogan prided himself on considering all contingencies. Watching the Gestapo car arrive, Hogan kicked himself.
Kinchloe quietly said, "Maybe the boys noticed."
"I hope so," said Hogan. "Let's hope they don't pad their parts."
"Horsy!"
Hogan shot an angry glance at Saunders, disgusted by the teenage outburst from a woman her age, and looked towards the Main Gate. Wagner's horse maintained a steady gait as several of his men on foot aided by camp guards escorted in Foster and Goldman. As Hochstetter exited the car, he shook an angry fist at the cavalry officer.
Klink cried, "Well done! Thank you for bringing back two of my escaped prisoners. Schultz! Get these two men to the Cooler!"
"Jawohl, Herr Kommandant," said Schultz, his courage returned.
As Wagner trotted toward the formation in front of Barracks 2, Saunders smiled, "I see you chose the more difficult path of capturing them alive. It is a better challenge, after all."
Wagner laughed, "Only for Wilhelm's sake!" He looked at Hogan and said, "Your men are so intimidated, it hardly seems an effort at all. Still, it's good training for my recruits."
Hogan tried keeping an eye on the staff car but knew he had to engage in the verbal fencing match with Wagner and said, "Down to eight weeks training, right?"
Wagner said, "Infantry standards are different. Calvary prefers three thousand hours in the saddle before going into combat."
Hogan toyed, "Four months?"
"A man needs sleep," Wagner casually said. "Try one year."
Hogan watched as Hahn entered the staff car and said, "Time is not a luxury for the Wehrmacht right now."
Wagner snapped, "Two years ago, infantry benefitted from sixteen weeks of training. Yes, time is a luxury, but not at the expense of my men. That is why officers like myself are committed to training our soldiers. The most qualified officers are physically and mentally capable to lead. You dare criticize our methods?"
"Our basic training is thirteen weeks," said Hogan. "It has advantages." He kept one eye on the departing Gestapo car but had to keep Wagner engaged. His men could fool the camp guards as Gestapo but Wagner was too cunning. He needed Wagner out of the picture.
Wagner scoffed, "You take men from different districts and put them together in the same units. They don't even know each other's names. You run down your units so much that after three months you've suffered one hundred percent turnover of manpower."
Hogan said, "I see. How do you do it?"
Wagner replied, "We form our divisions with men from the same districts. We provide replacements to our divisions from the same districts. The men know each other. They know their families. They know their towns and farms. That commonality gives them the strength to band together AS a unit."
Hogan said, "I can see logic in that."
"Your support troops pick the best men for themselves," Wagner said. "Oh, what a joy it is to me to know that your most capable men are directing the least capable to their deaths. That is why you will lose the war."
Hogan folded his arms across his chest and said, "I'm a pilot. I can't afford incapable men."
"You're not infantry," said Wagner. "You lead disgusting bombing missions and then you go home at the end of the day for whiskey and women. You kill indiscriminately."
As much as it hurt Hogan to continue the repartee, he needed Wagner engaged so he continued, "I dropped bombs on military targets."
"We've had this discussion before," said Wagner. "Yes, you are a terrorist and you refuse to admit it. Still, you prove more dangerous than the non-battle worthy front soldiers that your army sends to my beloved Fatherland. Our men fight hard, return from the front to rest and refit, and then return to the front and fight even harder!"
Hogan casually said, "It's a wonder they don't desert while in the rear."
Wagner laughed, "Most amusing! Desertion is an American problem, not German. Herr Oberst, you cannot win this argument. Ah! Two more prisoners recovered! That leaves three more in need of recapture. For you, the war is over! Guten tag."
Hogan did not like Wagner. The man was a nationalist. He loved his country but not enough to oust Hitler and company like the true patriots within the Underground. Hogan had to let it go and refocus his attention on Carter, Newkirk, and LeBeau.
#HH#
Three men sat huddled behind the trees as the Gestapo staff car drove past. The road led to one place, which did not bode well for the mission. Further complicating matters, a training platoon passed by wearing tactical gear in route step march. For some unknown reason, Wagner was conducting operations in the area.
"Blimey," muttered Newkirk.
Carter asked, "What does that word mean anyway?"
Newkirk looked at Carter, lightly smacked the head, and replied, "It means I wish the Almighty would blind me right now so I wouldn't see what's happening."
LeBeau said, "Not very practical. We're here. We've got a job to do."
Newkirk tried controlling his voice, "Jerry is all over the road."
Carter shrugged, "I dunno. We're the Gestapo. People are afraid of us."
LeBeau asked, "Yeah, but what about Hochstetter?"
Newkirk replied, "We can fool those Wehrmacht but Hochstetter is trouble."
Carter shrugged, "We'll just kill him. We can be one of those death squads."
"We don't have black kerchiefs," moaned Newkirk. He continued, "Alright, we'll stop the car. We'll play it like the governor told us to, that Doctor Hahn needs better protection. When Hochstetter grumbles, we'll tell him he's compromised. If he don't go for it, kill him."
"Kill him anyway," growled LeBeau.
Newkirk calmly said, "We have to be careful."
Carter said, "Too bad Colonel Collins isn't here as Feldkamp. I know Colonel Hogan doesn't like him but Hochstetter does what he tells him too."
Newkirk was about to swat Carter on the head but slowly retracted his hand. The governor did not like the intrusion by a scoundrel that had no genuine reason to remain in the vicinity. Just the man's proximity brought bad luck. Newkirk realized the team was in a unique position to recover Hahn and dispatch Collins under a dark cloud with Hochstetter's report of interception by a squad citing Feldkamp's name.
LeBeau sighed, "Something tells me that boche gets to live today."
Newkirk smiled, "Beautiful! We get the professor, discredit Feldkamp, and send away that Collins chap in one fell swoop. Get the roadblock set up."
As Carter started moving one of the barricades, he said, "Three isn't the luckiest number."
Newkirk scoffed, "You need to play some cricket, Andrew. Ain't you never heard of a hat trick?
Carter retaliated, "Four is a better and luckier number."
LeBeau sighed, "Oh here we go again." He dragged his barricade into the road, dreading the ill timing of the philosophical debate. As long as no one cut the yarn linking Nenette and Rintintin together, their luck would hold out. Discreetly, he checked his pocket and felt the yarn. Yes, luck remained with them.
Carter continued, "Sun, moon, planets, stars. Earth, air, fire, water. Winter, spring, summer, fall. North, south, east, west. Birth, child, adult, death. See? All good things come in fours."
Newkirk snapped, "Hurry it up."
Carter smirked, "I outrank you."
"Bloody inconvenient time to remember that," grumbled Newkirk. He cried, "Death is not a good thing, Andrew."
LeBeau casually announced, "Car coming."
Newkirk moved into position but mumbled, "Andrew's a few sandwiches short of a picnic today."
LeBeau sternly said, "Get your head in the game, Pierre."
The men knew their duty. Applying it to their jobs was another thing. They had to take the initiative in the absence of instructions due to the current situation. Newkirk understood the risks. He had been in the business longer than the Americans had. He did not blame them for their tardiness. Politicians delayed entry into the European Theater. He and LeBeau managed before their arrival.
However, Newkirk conceded that Hogan achieved the unthinkable. He would take any risk for that man. Do nothing and the mission suffered. Do something and the odds became that of the typical soldier – either it would or would not succeed, a fifty-fifty chance. He assuredly stood as the staff car slowed upon approach.
Hochstetter angrily stormed out of the vehicle and demanded, "What is the meaning of this?"
Newkirk stood his ground, "Orders from Oberst Feldkamp. Hand over the prisoner."
Hochstetter shook his head, "Herr Doctor is not a prisoner."
Newkirk said, "He is now. He intends to go to Switzerland and abscond his duties to the glorious Third Reich."
"We'll see about that," growled Hochstetter as his driver exited the vehicle with pistol at the ready. Likewise, he drew his pistol. Yet the sight of one man aiming a pistol as two others pointed machine guns at him made the police officer reconsider his stance. He did not like Feldkamp interfering.
Newkirk calmly said, "Mine are bigger than yours. I have my orders from Oberst Feldkamp. He is not someone to be disregarded."
Hochstetter angrily holstered his pistol and snapped, "He should have told me! Bah!"
Newkirk said, "Sometimes he lets the Maschinengewehr 34 do the talking. It speaks at nine hundred rounds per minute."
Hochstetter acerbically said, "I know."
Keep the poker face, thought Newkirk. One false move and everything could still gaffe. Internally, he smiled as Hochstetter led Hahn out of the car before instructing the man to move to the side of the road. Then, he kept a careful eye on Hochstetter and his man as the two returned to the staff car. LeBeau helped him remove the roadblock while Carter kept his machinegun trained on the Gestapo.
When the car took off down the road, Newkirk sighed, "Bloody hell that worked." He saw Hahn's eyes widen and continued, "England ain't so bad. Don't worry, Doc. Someday you'll make it to Switzerland."
#HH#
Confinement in the barracks did not stop the operation. It meant Kinchloe took charge of the tunnels waiting for the team's return so Hogan was available in case Klink wanted to talk. Most of the men remained topside. Baker staffed the radio. Only two forgers worked at the station preparing documents for Hahn. Kinchloe remained by the ladder leading to the tree stump.
Sidearm at the ready, Kinchloe stood in perfect form as he heard the trapdoor open. He could not let down his guard in case the enemy found the tunnel entrance. He immediately lowered his weapon as three men scurried down the ladder. He stood ready, waiting for Newkirk, who appeared a few seconds later.
Newkirk sighed in relief, "It's secure, mate."
Hahn's eyes widened in disbelief, "What is this place?"
"Underground Railroad," smiled Kinchloe. "Welcome, Herr Doctor."
LeBeau said, "Pardon the haste but we have to get back into our real uniforms."
Hahn shook his head, "Why? You're very convincing."
As the three men started removing enemy uniforms, Kinchloe calmly said, "Herr Doctor, we're prisoners of war. These tunnels have seen hundreds of men escaping Germany. Kommandant Klink's perfect no-escape record means they don't look too hard for tunnels. That's how we stay in business."
Hahn turned to the three men and incredulously asked, "You're going to willingly be captured?"
Newkirk replied, "I don't fancy thirty days in the Cooler, but yes. The old Kommandant has to find us."
LeBeau said, "Someday, I'd like to go to Switzerland too, but after the war."
Carter said, "Hurry it up. The sooner we get captured, the sooner Colonel Hogan can get Doctor Hahn out of here."
Kinchloe made sure the men were correctly attired before allowing them up the ladder. He followed, making sure they were clear before securing the latch. He rejoined Hahn, who still experienced a sense of captivation with the tunnel. First time visitors experienced it frequently. Kinchloe maintained a friendly smile before climbing the ladder to Barracks 2.
As expected, Kinchloe led Hahn into the common room and watched the sense of awe continue. Finding oneself in the middle of a POW barracks after climbing up from a tunnel system had that effect on people. The prisoners allowed Hogan to do his job.
Hogan smiled, "Welcome, Doctor Hahn. We're a little short on luxury items, but we'll make you comfortable until we can get you to England."
Hahn spoke as if in a daze, "Yes, I understand. This is brilliant."
As several men laughed, Hogan said, "We're still confined to barracks. Wilson, how about a cup of coffee for our guest?"
Scotty continued looking through the sink periscope as he announced, "They're bringing in Newkirk, LeBeau, and Carter."
Hahn asked, "Should I hide?"
Hogan replied, "Nah. They're being taken to the Cooler. I'll miss LeBeau's cooking for a while."
Wilson shrugged, "I can make pizza, maybe, if we can get the ingredients."
Hogan laughed, "It may just come to that. Garlotti might not appreciate the gesture, though."
Kinchloe said, "It won't be so bad. We'll break out Louis at night."