"Friday the 13th, Hogan Style"
Chapter 2
October 13, 1944 1:00 am
"Colonel Klink, may I take a moment to remind you of some recent history? First, Colonel Hogan, may I congratulate you on your stellar record as commander of the 504th? Quite an accomplishment. All those bombing runs."
"What's your point, Captain?" Hogan demanded.
"My point? My point is this. Actually, I have two points. "Klink, you are aware of the orders handed down in May regarding captured airmen?"(1)
"What orders?" Klink stammered.
"It's possible the Luftwaffe never sent the orders down," Fritz said.
"Hitler's orders that enemy airmen should be executed without court-martial," Bergmann coldly replied.
"What?" Both Hogan and Klink said simultaneously.
"Terrorflieger. Do you know the term, Colonel?"
"I never deliberately bombed civilians," said Hogan in as calm a voice as he could muster.
"He's under Luftwaffe protection. Besides, he's been here since 1942. You can't retroactively apply an order that has just been issued," Klink argued.
"Well, I don't know about that." Bergmann went over to his partner and whispered something in his ear.
"Kommandant, I need to use the phone outside." Fritz left without waiting for Klink to respond.
"Colonel Hogan, I assume you were made aware of the, how should I say it, shift in policy regarding the recapturing of escaped prisoners."
"I'm not sure I know where you're going with this, Captain." Hogan did have an idea, but wouldn't admit it. He suddenly felt butterflies forming in his stomach.
"Kommandant, you did inform the camp of the mass escape at Stalag Luft III, and the consequences of that escape?" (2)
Klink, who had taken his chair, popped up. "I did. I met with Colonel Hogan as soon as I received the information. But, I have the right to discipline my prisoners as I see fit."
Fritz returned to the office and nodded at Bergmann.
"And the Gestapo has the right to countermand your orders. This man is a recaptured prisoner and a terrorflieger. He's to be executed."
"What!!" Both Klink and Hogan yelled.
"You heard me," Bergmann replied. "Lock him up, Klink, and arrange for a firing squad."
"I will not." Klink was adamant.
"Fine. We'll bring our own in, then."
Klink stood there, frozen, while Hogan, without thinking, began to back up towards the door.
"Where do you think you are going, Colonel?" Fritz pulled out his gun.
"To get my lawyer?" Hogan croaked.
"Come on," Bergmann ordered. "Let's go. Klink, put him in a cell for the rest of the night."
Bergmann opened the door and pushed the now stunned Colonel outside, while Klink followed. Schultz, who was waiting on the porch, scurried over.
"Schultz, take Colonel Hogan to the cooler," Klink said. He then whispered in Hogan's ear, "I'll make some phone calls. But after I get you out of this, there will be hell to pay."
Hogan had no time to respond as the two Gestapo agents rushed him along.
Fortunately, Schultz plopped him in an enclosed cell with a tunnel entrance. The two Gestapo agents arranged for two guards to patrol outside the window, and two more were assigned to the corridor. Hogan sat down on the bench and waited. Within five minutes he heard the telltale signs of movement beneath the floor. He got up and shifted the sink. It was Carter who poked his head through.
"One word, sir, and you can come down and hide. We'll have you out to the sub in a jiffy."
"Can't, Carter. Two guards out there." Hogan pointed to the door. "Two outside. They'll figure out soon enough I went through the floor."
Carter's face fell. "Figured you'd say that. Anyway, Klink is trying to reach Burkhalter. We'll keep you posted. The two goons left and Kinch can call as General Kinchmeyer if things get too heavy."
"Sounds like a plan," Hogan said glumly.
"Oh, I forgot," Carter snapped his fingers. "Your contact's been notified. He's moving out of the area."
"That's good, Carter. Thanks. Keep me posted."
"Will do, sir." Carter left and Hogan pushed back the sink and waited.
An hour later, Hogan, who was dozing, was woken up by the sound of keys turning. Finally. He stood up.
It was Klink and he did not look happy. "I can't find General Burkhalter. He's on an inspection tour in Poland and no one can seem to reach him."
"That's not good." Hogan sat down.
"But," Klink raised his hand. "Somehow a General Kinchmeyer got word of this and called. He said this is an outrage and should be stopped immediately."
"Then that's good!" Hogan stood up.
"But," Klink stopped Hogan. "I called that agent, Bergmann. He said he would get authorization that trumped General Kinchmeyer's. Actually, he said he never heard of General Kinchmeyer."
"But, sir, you've mentioned him before."
"True," Klink replied. "But, now I have to see who trumps whom."
"What is this?" Hogan shouted. "Bridge?"
"I need to go." Klink shook his fist.
"Kommandant," Hogan pointed to his watch, "We're running out of time."
Hogan began to pace. He counted the cracks in the ceiling. He estimated the square footage of the cell. He looked out the window. The two guards were there. He cursed Burkhalter's niece, the hotel, the niece's fiancé and the agent who was caught. The sink began to move; this time revealing Newkirk.
"LeBeau thought you might need a little something, sir." He handed Hogan a sandwich.
Hogan refused. "My stomach is off," he complained. "What's going on?"
"No word from Burkhalter. The goons are on their way back with authorization."
"From whom?" Hogan asked.
"We don't know. They went to Dusseldorf, which is where they're from by the way. We're trying to find out if any big-wigs are up there."
"Good," Hogan was impressed. "You're all one step ahead of me."
"Learned from the best," Newkirk grinned, but he looked worried. "Klink's now going crazy. He put in a call to Hochstetter. Like that would help."
"No, wait a minute." Hogan thought for a second. "Hochstetter's been after me for years. He might start a turf war."
"A what?" Newkirk asked.
"A war over jurisdiction. Of course, he'd probably be the one to pull the trigger."
"He'd want to question you first, wouldn't he?"
"Yep. And I was caught outside camp in a civilian suit. I'm doomed," Hogan now realized.
"Don't give up 'ope, Colonel. We'll think of something." Newkirk hopped back into the tunnel.
Another few hours went by and the clock ticked close to the final hour. The next visitor was Klink. He looked pale and shaken.
"I take it it's not good news, sir."
"Does the name Goering mean anything to you? That's who signed the authorization. He was in Dusseldorf." Klink showed a piece of paper to Hogan. Sure enough, it was signed by the head of the Luftwaffe.
"I guess that trumps Burkhalter," Hogan sighed.
"I'm afraid so," Klink replied. "I could try the Fuhrer, but he's the one that ordered the executions of the escaped prisoners. And it's the middle of the night."
"I know." Hogan turned away. "Thanks for trying."
"Hogan, why? Why did you try it? After all this time and with the Allies getting closer?" Hogan turned around. Klink really believed it was an escape.
"It's the duty of every officer to escape, sir."
October 13, 1944 5:00 a.m.
Dawn came, and with it a visit from Kinch and LeBeau.
"We heard about Goering," LeBeau looked distraught.
"There's been no word from Burkhalter or Hochstetter," Kinch reported. "You need to come down now and we can start the evacuation…if those are your orders," Kinch quickly added.
"No evacuation."
"But sir," LeBeau protested.
"Some of the men will be recaptured and they'll be shot. I'm not risking it." Hogan told him. "That's my final decision. No arguments."
"But this whole scenario is so ridiculous," Kinch argued to no avail. "It's not like you were caught red-handed. They'll still believe you escaped."
"I'm not so sure," Hogan retorted. "And it doesn't matter now. Kinch, LeBeau, you know your orders." This was Hogan's sign that the discussion was over.
"The safety of the rest of the prisoners comes first," Kinch recited.
Hogan nodded. LeBeau was holding back tears and Kinch's eyes were glistening. They both reluctantly climbed into the tunnel. Hogan again shoved over the sink and waited. The Colonel fidgeted for the next hour. He drummed his fingers on the edge of the cot. Paced back and forth, again. Looked out the window. Stared at a spider's web and tried everything he possibly could to forget about what had happened and what was about to happen. As 6 a.m. grew closer, he became more agitated. Reluctantly, Hogan recalled that he had always assumed he would be brave and calm in the face of death. But he never imagined it would happen like this. Chances were he would have been caught at a sabotage job, rescuing an airman, or smuggling plans. Not at a simple meeting with a contact; by running into a Gestapo agent with a photographic memory, who met him once, over a year ago. The scenario was, as Kinch said, ridiculous. And the fact that they sort of bought his escape story, made it worse. Yeah, I thought I would be calm and brave, for the men, especially if they were out there with me. Oh, brother. Better hide it. Hogan's palms were beginning to sweat.
6 a.m.
Shortly after this epiphany, he heard the key turn in the lock and to his surprise, Schultz and Langenscheidt walked in. Was this a last minute reprieve?
"Please tell me this is good news!" Hogan asked them hopefully.
"Sorry, no. But the Kommandant asked us to fetch you instead of those Gestapo men." Schultz stepped forward.
He and Langenscheidt looked so forlorn, that Hogan felt he had to apologize.
"Gee, I'm sorry I've had to put you two through this. But I do appreciate the friendly escort."
"It's okay, Colonel," Langenscheidt said quietly, as he pulled out a set of cuffs. "We volunteered. I'm sorry, I have to put these on. Regulations."
Hogan turned and closed his eyes briefly as the corporal cuffed his hands behind his back. Schultz and Langenscheidt then led him up onto the compound where the firing squad had assembled near the rec hall. No prisoners were outside, having obviously been confined to their barracks. Klink was still arguing fruitlessly with Fritz and Bergmann, while several guards stood by.
Schultz gave the two Gestapo agents a nasty look as he brought Hogan forward.
"This is utterly ridiculous," Klink continued to argue.
"I agree with him," Hogan's mouth now felt like he had swallowed a bucket of sand.
"Quiet!" Bergmann looked at Hogan. "You have no say in this matter." He waved a sheet of paper. "The head of the Luftwaffe has spoken. There's no protection for you now," he said a little too gleefully.
"He gives the German air force a really bad name," Hogan responded.
"Oh, let's get this over with. Have him stand over there." Bergmann signaled Schultz and Langenscheidt, who refused to budge. "Klink! Control your men," Bergmann yelled.
"I'll go." Hogan, who had given up at this point, started to walk towards the rec hall, but stopped as a Gestapo staff car came screaming through the gate and screeched to a halt next to the small group of men. An obviously extremely enraged Hochstetter stepped out.
(1) May, 1944: Hitler issued a decree making everyone in the Allied air forces a terrorflieger (terror flyer), allowing them to be executed without a court-martial if shot down. The Nazi's encouraged civilians to lynch captured pilots and allowed those who were turned over to the SD (intelligence arm of the SS) to be killed. Hitler was apparently angry over the destruction caused by Allied air raids. The policy was carried out haphazardly and sporadically and the Luftwaffe did not pass down the order.
(2) "The Great Escape" 76 men made it through the tunnel, but # 77 was spotted. (200 men were slated to go through) At first, Hitler ordered all the recaptured prisoners to be executed, but he later reduced the amount. 50 were shot and only 3 out of the original 76 successfully made it out of the country.
Research from: Bard, Mitchell. The Complete Idiot's Guide to World War II. 2nd ed. New York: Alpha Books, 2004. 262-264.
a/n I originally purchased the above book to get a easy to decipher timeline. But, I discovered that it has a terrific chapter on POW's. And yes, it does mention "Hogan's Heroes." It is one of the few printed sources, by the way, that actually delves into the fate of Jewish POW's.
Would these incidents legally justify Bergmann's actions in this story? I don't know. However, he does appear to hold a grudge!