Operation: Stalag 13
A/n: I don't own or claim to own any of the Hogan's Heroes Characters
Chapter 2Hogan was lying on the bed in the interrogation cell where he had been for the past week. He knew that the Germans would question him, but he hadn't expected it to last as long as it had. He looked up at the sound of the door opening.
"What do you want now Feldkamp?" He asked not bothering to get up from where he was.
Major Feldkamp was the Gestapo officer in charge of getting as much information out of Hogan as he could. However the only thing he managed to get out of Hogan was name, rank and serial number, along with a few insults.
"Fortunately for you, I don't want anything at the moment." He nodded to the two guards that had followed him into the room. Before Hogan knew what was going on, they pulled Hogan roughly off the bed and were putting handcuffs on him.
Hogan didn't resist because he didn't want any trouble. He already had a few cuts and bruises and he didn't want any more at the moment. He just looked Feldkamp straight in the eye. "Then why are you here? We both know your not gonna get anything out of me, no matter how hard you try."
"Unfortunately I have been ordered to take you to Stalag 13." He stepped closer to Hogan. "But believe me colonel, you will see me again, and I will get the information I'm looking for, no matter how long it takes me."
"I doubt that" Hogan said. Feldkamp left the room and Hogan was pushed out the door behind him. Five minutes later he was in the back of a truck heading towards Stalag 13.
"Colonel Hogan you are the new senior prisoner of war officer for this camp." Colonel Wilhelm Klink, the kommandant of Stalag 13, was saying to Hogan. "As a result you will come to me with any requests or complaints the other prisoners have." Hogan said nothing. He just continued to stare at a layout of the camp that was on the wall behind Klink's desk. "Schultz will show you around the camp. Don't get any ideas about trying to escape either. There has never been a successful escape as long as I have been in charge of this camp and there never will be." Klink added when he turned around to see what Hogan was staring at.
"Schultz!" Klink called. A moment later the Sergeant of the Guard walked into the office. "Show colonel Hogan around the camp, then take him to barracks 2 where he will be staying."
"Jawohl Herr Kommandant." Schultz saluted then turned to Hogan. "Colonel Hogan?" Hogan nodded and walked out the door ahead of the guard.
As Hogan was being casually shown the camp, Schultz was continually talking to him, trying to be as friendly as he could be. By the time they reached the barracks, Schultz had told him just about everything there was to know about the camp and Klink. He was starting to feel a bit more confident that he could pull this assignment off after all. From what he could tell from his meeting with Klink, he didn't seem too bright.
"Hey Shultzie, 'Ow's it going?" Hogan heard someone say in an English accent as he walked inside behind Schultz.
"Englander please, not today, I have a lot to do and I'm already late for guard duty." Schultz pleaded. "This is Colonel Robert Hogan, he will be your new senior officer so be nice to him and make him feel welcome. Between us the kommandant didn't do a very good job of welcoming him."
"Sure Schultz, you know we always make new men feel welcome, even if Klink doesn't." another man said, American this time. "See you later Schultz." He called as the guard headed out the door.
"Now that Schultz is gone we can introduce you to everyone in the barracks." The American said after a moment. He introduced himself first, as Sergeant James Kinchloe ("But everyone around here calls me Kinch") then went around the room and introduced the others.
Hogan was alone in his room, pacing in the small area between his bed and the desk. Hogan sighed and sat down on the bed. He went over everything that he would need to do, but so far, had come up with no way of getting it done. // How do I get myself into these situations?? //
"Come in" He called as a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. "Hey Newkirk, Kinch what can I do for you guys?"
"Nothing' at the moment sir. I just thought you should have this, you know with everythin' we're gonna have goin' on around 'ere." Newkirk grinned at Hogan as he handed over a medium sized box.
"What are you talking about?" Hogan asked.
"It's the last part for the radio colonel." Kinch saw the look Hogan gave him and added "It's okay, Newkirk's with us. So is Hilda, she's the one that managed to get most of the radio parts for us. I still need to put it all together though."
"So Hilda is the underground agent we're working with?" Hogan asked slowly.
"That's right colonel. She was assigned here abou' six months ago. We only found out ourselves last month when she started giving us the parts."
"So why didn't they tell me about her?"
"Dunno sir. You might need to ask them 'bout that."
Hogan nodded. "Yeah I think I might. I knew about you being here Kinch but they didn't tell me who my other two contacts where."
"Kinch and I started up an escape committee. It's all the men in our barracks and two men from each of the other barracks. They all seem trust worthy enough, and we think they'll be willin' to help out if we ever need 'em." Newkirk said as he took the seat offered to him.
"Okay then, I guess we'll tell everyone about what we're planning during the meeting. Only I think we should keep it on a need to know basis at the moment." Hogan smiled as he looked out of the window in his room.
The meeting with the escape committee had gone rather well the previous night. All the men that had turned up had been told by Hogan, Kinch and Newkirk what was going to happen there at Stalag 13 and everyone had agreed to do what they could to help out.
So far the core group contained three men; Corporal Peter Newkirk – the camp's conman, pickpocket and, on occasion, tailor. He was also reasonably good at doing German accents when the time called for it.
Sergeant James (Kinch) Kinchloe – the camp's radioman and was also skilled with anything that had to do with wiring and electricity.
Then there was the leader of the operation, Colonel Hogan. – He would be in charge of everything that went on in the operation and the camp. From keeping the guards and Klink from finding out what was really going on, to planning and carrying out missions, along with anything else that came their way.
The men of Barracks 2 stood outside in the compound, waiting impatiently for Klink to come out of his office. It was the middle of winter and they were freezing.
"Come on Schultz, Where's Klink? He's ten minutes late for morning roll call." Hogan called from the head of the formation.
"Colonel Hogan please be patient, the kommandant will be here any minute now."
Hogan was just about to argue but was cut off by the sound of Klink bellowing at the top of his voice "Repoooort!!"
"Herr kommandant all prisoners present and accounted for" Shultz replied happily, saluting as Klink stopped in front of the formation.
Klink addressed the men standing in front of him "On occasion, I am able to bring you news from the war of which you are no longer a part of"
The prisoners booed and called out insults that Klink couldn't quite make out because they were said all at once. Hogan smiled slightly, not bothering to stop them.
"I am happy to report that things are continuing to go well for the victorious 'Third Reich.'" He continued. "Our raids are continuing to show that we are indeed a superior people…"
"Oh please" Hogan muttered quietly, but just loud enough for Klink to hear him.
"Do you have something you wish to say Colonel Hogan??" Klink said turning towards him.
"Well, since you asked" Hogan smirked. "It's just hard to believe that things are going well for you guys, when it took about 5 of your so called best fighter pilots to shoot down my plane, which I might add, was flying solo. If that's the best you have going for the 'Third Reich', just surrender now."
The other men of Barracks 2 cheered and laughed. Hogan smiled and turned to look at his men giving them a small bow before turning back to Klink who was looking completely dumfounded.
"Hogan, it may have taken 5 pilots to bring down your plane but let me assure you that they were not our best." Klink said trying to sound convincing. "Diss-missed"
Everyone walked back into the barracks to get something to eat, while Newkirk and Kinch stayed behind to talk to Hogan.
"That was bloody brilliant Guv'nor." Newkirk could barely hold back the laughter in his voice.
"Thanks, but that was nothing fellas. Just you wait until things are up and running. It's going to be very…interesting to say the least." Hogan smiled and led the way inside.
Hogan and Newkirk were watching the volleyball game between barracks 4 and 6 when Kinch saw them as he walked out the barracks. He had been inside all morning trying to find a new entrance for the emergency tunnel they had just finished two days ago.
"Hey Kinch, How's everything going inside?" Hogan asked as they watched the game, trying to look as innocent as they could. Klink had been watching them all morning and they didn't want to look as though they where doing anything suspicious.
"Actually sir. I've found the perfect place and it was easy enough to set up. I've just finished it."
"Where is it?" Newkirk asked.
"That my friend, you have to guess. If you two can't find it then the krauts definitely won't be able to.
It had been ten minutes of searching the entire barracks. They had found nothing. Hogan had found two different indications that might lead to a tunnel entrance but neither one had led anywhere but to the floor beneath them, so Hogan had given up. Newkirk gave up five minutes ago.
"Okay Kinch, you have us, where is it?" Hogan asked.
"Behind you." Kinch said.
"The only thing that's behind me is the bunk you share with Olsen."
"Exactly sir. Hit the wooden frame twice and see what happens." Hogan did as he was instructed and Kinch's bed rose into the bunk above it.
"Colonel Hogan" Olsen came into the barracks looking around the common room.
"What is it Olsen?" He looked up from the drawing of the compound Hilda had given him. He had been going over, with the help of Newkirk and Kinch, some possible tunnels that could branch off of the main one.
"New man just arrived sir; they're taking him into Klink's office now."
"Thanks" He got up and headed for the door. "You guys keep working on the plans for the tunnels, we need to figure out how many tunnels we need and where each of them will need to lead to."
Hilda looked up as the door opened and Hogan entered the room. She smiled as walked over to her. // Being assigned here does have its good side to it. // She thought to herself.
"Good morning colonel." She smiled sweetly at him from behind here desk.
"Hi Hilda, what's going on?" He spoke quietly not wanting to be overheard
"His name is Corporal Louis LeBeau. He's part of the French Resistance. I'm sorry Colonel, but that is all I could find out about him. I never saw his file."
"That's okay; I'll just go in and rescue him from Klink." He said half-jokingly.
"Hi, I'm Colonel Robert Hogan." He said when he spotted the young Frenchman. He completely ignored Klink.
"Corporal Louis LeBeau, French Resistance" He replied, saluting as he spoke.
"At ease corporal, there's no need to be so formal around me. None of the other men are." Hogan returned the salute then held out his hand for LeBeau to take. "The rest of us are friendlier then our kommandant, so you're in good company."
"Colonel Hogan" Klink interrupted. "If you are finished…"
"Oh sorry, was I interrupting something?" Hogan smiled when he saw that Klink was getting annoyed with him.
"You are always interrupting something Hogan. However, since you are here, you will show Corporal LeBeau around the camp and explain everything to him. I have already told him the main rules of Stalag 13. I will leave the rest to you and your men. Diss-missed"