Hogan's Heroes is an American television sitcom co-created by Bernard Fein and Albert S. Ruddy. The show is set during World War II, and concerns a group of Allied prisoners of war who use a German POW camp as a base of operations for sabotage and espionage purposes directed against Nazi Germany. It ran for six seasons, with 168 half-hour episodes being produced in total. The show premiered on CBS on September 17, 1965, and ran until April 4, 1971. The series was filmed in color except for the pilot episode, which was filmed in black-and-white.
From the beginning the show's producers decided that Stalag 13 would always have a snowy winter. Beyond recreating an extreme or adverse setting, this was to prevent problems with continuity and to allow the episodes to be shown in any order.
Like most sitcoms of its time, Hogan's Heroes was not serialized, so the episodes generally have no relation to each other, except for two composed of two parts: "A Tiger Hunt in Paris" (1966) and "Lady Chitterly's Lover" (1970).
The pilot episode, "The Informer", filmed in early 1965, aired on September 17 that year. The episode's plot centered on two new prisoners entering Stalag 13 (in this episode, referred to as Camp 13), Lieutenant Carter (played by Hovis), who escapes into the camp, and Wagner (played by Noam Pitlik), who is actually a German spy posing as an Allied prisoner. Wagner attempts to expose Hogan's operation to General Burkhalter (here known as Colonel Burkhalter), but Hogan and his men are able to discredit the spy. As punishment for his outlandish claims, the spy is sent to the Russian front.[1]
Although the series remained true to the pilot in most respects, there were some changes. Some of the prisoners' luxuries, such as an underground steam room, were eliminated to make the situation marginally more plausible. The character of Colonel Klink was made more of a fool than a villain, while his sharp accent was toned down. Klink's walk had less of the distinctive stoop. He also does not carry the riding crop he often affected during prisoner roll calls in other episodes.[1]
The major difference was that only the pilot was shot in black-and-white. After the series was sold to CBS, the network announced a major push in color programming for the 1965–66 season, and so the rest of the season (and the series) was filmed in color.
The character of Vladimir Minsk, a Soviet POW played by Leonid Kinskey, was intended to be a series regular. However, Kinskey declined to continue with the series. Stewart Moss, who played an American POW named Olson in the pilot, also declined an offer to become a series regular. Larry Hovis was intended to be a guest star in the pilot only. However, producer Ed Feldman was impressed by his performance and, after Kinskey and Moss declined to take part in the series, was offered a regular role. Hovis's character was changed from a lieutenant to a sergeant. According to Hovis, Feldman chose to do this because "sergeants are more sympathetic." Although Hovis's character had escaped at the end of the pilot, Feldman did not see this as a problem because he believed "no one will care".[1]
Pilot episode: At Stalag 13, a German prisoner-of-war camp, Colonel Robert Hogan and his fellow cohorts are a subversive group with many hidden talents. Lt. Carter (Larry Hovis) is brought to the camp and introduced to some of the other prisoners. Wagner (Noam Pitlik), a spy posing as an American, has been planted amongst the men by the Germans. Hogan knows he is a spy and instructs the men not to tell him anything. When Wagner learns of the gang's subversive operations, "Hogan's Heroes" must act fast to discredit him. Hogan shows Wagner their "underground operations" where even Klink's secretary Helga (Cynthia Lynn) is helping. The next day, Wagner and Col. Albert Burkhalter (Leon Askin) confront Hogan and his men. Every time Wagner tries to show what the prisoners are up to, the men have found a way for it to backfire on him.
Baroness Lili von Schlichter (Louise Troy) is smuggled into Stalag 13. Despite everyone looking for her, the plan is to smuggle her out of Germany. Hogan tells her they are rebuilding a plane to fly her out. Klink informs Hogan that he had Col. Crittenden transferred to the camp. Crittenden is now senior POW and will be replacing Hogan as man in charge. Crittenden discovers Lili and says he'll have to turn her in. Lili convinces him not to say anything for the time being. Hogan gets Crittenden to get Klink to agree to have a Camp Orchestra. The music actually comes from a record player and is used as a distraction to finish the plane. When the time comes to fly out, Newkirk, Carter, and Crittenden go to the fence. Crittenden does not know about the plane and thinks they are just trying to escape. Crittenden cuts a wire and a fence section falls down. Then the plane, with Baroness Lily in it, flies off. Klink transfers Crittenden back to Stalag 18.
Captain Mueller (John Stephenson) brings a truck with a mysterious cargo into camp. He came to the camp because he knows the Allies will not bomb a POW camp. Mueller tells Klink that he is on the way to Berlin with cargo from Norway for a secret project. Everyone says that the cargo is just a barrel of water, but Hogan does not believe it. While Newkirk creates a diversion, Carter sneaks into the heavily guarded truck. Turns out the cargo is just water. However, they soon find out that the water is actually heavy water to be used for the Nazis' atomic research program. Hogan convinces Klink that the water comes from a fountain of youth and may help with his baldness. Klink wants to take the barrel and replace it with another. But he is interrupted by Mueller who tells Klink what it really is. Hogan and his men come up with another way to replace the barrel. Lawrence Montaigne as Sergeant Steinfeld. Eddie Firestone as POW Scotty.
New prisoner Captain Edward H. Martin (Tom Hatten) is brought into the camp. Schultz tells Klink about a truck filled with gold bricks looted from France that is going to a local bank. Hogan and the men eavesdrop and hear about the truck. Hogan slips a false map into Martin's items. Klink finds it and thinks that he has found a map of an air-raid that is going to happen at the bank. To save the gold from the Allied attack, Klink volunteers to store it at his camp. The men rig it so that Klink's wooden front steps fall apart. Hogan volunteers to rebuild the steps with brick. Major Krieger arrives with the truck full of gold. After drugging the guards, the prisoners take all the gold out of the truck. They then paint the gold bars red and the bricks gold color. Hogan then puts the fake bars back in the truck and builds Klink's steps with the painted gold bars.
Hogan gets instructions to retrieve a cigarette lighter from Klink's car. It has microfilm with information to fool the German's with. It will make them believe that the Allies will bomb one sight when they will really bomb another. Meanwhile, Carter gets a Dear John letter from his girlfriend, Mary Jane. Carter requests to escape back to the U.S. The men, and even Helga, try to get Carter's mind off of Mary Jane. Hogan gives Carter permission to leave. Carter volunteers for the mission to get the microfilm to the Germans. He tries to tell several German soldiers in a bar that he is an escaped prisoner with valuable information. They think Carter is a Gestapo agent testing them. Even a real Gestapo agent thinks Carter is with them. A waitress named Mady talks to Carter and cheers him up. Carter does manage to get the Gestapo agent to find the microfilm. Later, the men think Carter is getting ready to head home, but he tells them he is going to see Mady. John Crawford as Captain. William Christopher as German Private.
Hogan receives a message that London will air drop a man code-named Hercules near the camp. Klink tells the prisoners that Gen. Stauffen (Oscar Beregi) will be conducting an inspection of Stalag 13. Unfortunately, Hercules is hit by gun fire as he parachutes from the plane. Hercules is able to tell them that Stauffen is part of a plot to assassinate Hitler. Hercules brought with him a briefcase equipped with a hidden time bomb. The men where to switch briefcases with Stauffen so he gets the one with the bomb. Hercules winds up dying. Stauffen arrives and asks Klink if Hogan could join them for a discussion. The men create several diversions and Hogan is able to switch briefcases. Stauffen is about to leave when Schultz unknowingly arms the bomb. Hogan finds a way to catch up with Stauffen's car. He disarms the bomb with seconds to spare, thus saving Stauffen's life and the mission. Willard Sage as Maj. Gunther. Eddie Firestone as Sgt. Wilson.
Klink informs the prisoners that he will be taking a weeks leave in Paris. Schultz will be going with him. Hogan gets a tip that the Germans are building a secret underground fighter base near the camp. Tiger (Arlene Martel), a female underground agent, is coming to help the men find the base. Hogan finds out that Tiger has been captured by the Gestapo. She knows all about the underground operation including Stalag 13. It's just a matter of time before the Gestapo extract the information from her. Hogan and LeBeau become stowaways aboard Klink's staff car and head for Paris to free her. Hogan, using the name Frank Dirken, makes contact with Colonel Backscheider (John Dehner) from the Gestapo. Hogan tells Backscheider that he is in the black market and the two could make a lot of money. He learns that Backscheider has a fascination with astrology. Hogan is allowed to speak with Tiger and she tells him to make contact with Marya, a White Russian spy posing as an astrologist. George N. Neise as Captain Mueller
The Gestapo is hot on the trail of Wolfgang Brauner (John Banner, in a dual role), a financial genius who was talked into defecting. Brauner had been hiding with Agent Tiger. Hogan comes up with a plan to have Brauner drive into Stalag 13 pretending to be Hitler in disguise. Hogan convinces Klink that the Führer's life is in danger and he will be hiding at Stalag 13. Klink is given orders that Hitler is to be seen by no one except Hogan, who will serve as his food taster. Gestapo Major Hochstetter arrives and questions Klink about the man who just came into camp. Hochstetter thinks it's Brauner. Hogan gets Klink to believe that Hochstetter is there to kill Hitler. Klink refuses to let Hochstetter see the man. Carter, impersonating Hitler's voice, convinces Klink that he wishes to step down and he is naming Klink as his successor. With his new found confidence, Klink arrests Hochstetter. Klink gets a call from Berlin and finds out Hitler is there. Meanwhile, Hogan's men make Brauner look like Schultz. Brauner gets into a staff car with a disguised Tiger driving and leaves camp. Hogan helps Hochstetter and Klink come up with a story as to how Brauner went missing.
Hogan and underground agent Pierre (Theodore Marcuse) have information about German troop movements. While trying to leave the camp, something goes wrong and Pierre is captured. When LeBeau tries to retrieve Pierre's gun that they hid, a shot fires through Klink's window. This gives Hogan an idea. Hogan has Carter set up an explosion near Klink. Hogan then convinces Klink that someone is out to kill him. Hogan gets Klink to switch uniforms under the guise that it will be easier to catch the assassin with Hogan as a decoy. With Klink hiding and the guards watching him, it will be easy to get Pierre out of camp. Things get complicated when SS General Brenner (Larry D. Mann) comes to talk to Klink. Thinking Hogan is Klink, Brenner tells him that there will be a special meeting at his camp. The next day, Brenner and Field Marshall Von Galter (John Hoyt) arrive. Hogan has the office bugged and listens into the conversation. Hogan is able to have Pierre escape with the new information. Plus, he convinces Klink to not be concerned with Pierre's disappearance.
London wants Hogan to blow-up a convoy carrying rocket fuel through a secret underground tunnel. Hogan thinks it will be too risky for his men. London says that a plan to accomplish the mission is in the head of Colonel Crittendon, who is a prisoner in Stalag 16. Hogan remembers Crittendon as being incompetent. Hogan and Carter start out to free Crittendon. Kinchloe then hears from London that they've made a mistake. The Crittendon Hogan should be freeing is in Stalag 2. Hogan and Carter do free Crittendon and ask him about his plan. Clumsy Crittendon's plan is to plant geraniums along the runways of the British fighter planes. When meeting up with some Underground agents, Hogan tries to pass off Clumsy Crittendon as the other one. But Agent Carla (Victoria Vetri) finds out that Crittendon is not the right one. Hogan then improvises another plan. There are some complications, but the tunnel and convoy get blown up. Naomi Stevens as Nadya. Laurie Main as Major Shawcross. Cliff Osmond as Marko.
Six Luftwaffe pilots arrive at Stalag 13. Hogan learns that they have been training to fly RAF planes. General Burkhalter and Col. Richard Leman (John Doucette) explain to the pilots their mission. They are to fly among other RAF planes and shoot them down. Hogan and the men are eavesdropping on the conversation. Hogan flatters Leman into getting an invitation to a party that Klink and the other officers are having. Hogan pretends to pass out from drinking, then has Olsen switch places with him, giving Hogan an alibi. Hogan, Carter and LeBeau dress like German officers and head to the location of the planes. They meet up with some Underground agents along the way. The planes get blown up and Hogan gets back to the party in time to maintain his alibi.
Hogan is in London and is speaking with a British General (J. Pat O'Malley) about the impending Normandy Invasion. The Germans know that there is something in the works and Hitler's general staff will be meeting at Stalag 13. Hogan has orders to make contact with Lilli von Scheider (Gail Kobe), who is married to General von Scheider (Harold Gould). Before she married, she was an undercover Allied agent, but they lost contact with her. The Allies are not sure she can be trusted anymore. Back at camp, Hogan has Kinchloe impersonate Hitler on a phone call. He says he is fed up with his Generals not following his orders. He will pick the most incompetent colonel, but one who can follow orders, to be his new Chief of Staff. The von Scheiders arrive and Hogan makes contact with Lilli. She agrees to help Hogan. Hogan also informs her that she will be sent back to London. Carter dresses as a Gestapo agent and tells Klink, in front of the other Generals at the meeting, that he will be the new Chief of Staff. The other Generals are not pleased with the decision. To keep them off their toes, Kinchloe, as Hitler, informs von Scheider that he is the new Commandant of Stalag 13. The Generals learn of the invasion, but Klink does not know what to do and the others will not help him. Because of their indecision, the invasion is a success and Lilli happily leaves for London. John Hoyt as General Bruner. Ivan Triesault as General von Katz.
There is something going on with one of the buildings in camp. Hogan would like to find out what it is. Schultz is gambling with the men and has a lot of US dollars. He also has a lot of English Pounds. The men figure out that the money is counterfeit. Hogan learns that the Germans are printing the money in the suspicious building because no one will bomb a POW camp. They intend to flood the world market with the money. Newkirk tells Klink and SS Major Bock (Sandy Kenyon) that he would like to help print the money. Bock does not trust Newkirk and sends him out. Bock tells Klink not to mention this incident in his report. It would show a breach of security and Bock himself would probably be killed. Hogan and the men eavesdrop on the conversation and record it. They then doctor the recording. The plan is to make Herman Stoffel (Jon Cedar), the lead printer, think that his life is in danger. With Stoffel's help, the men find a way to destroy all the printing equipment.
Newkirk and unpopular POW Jack Williams (Paul Picerni) get into a fight when Newkirk catches Jack cheating at cards. Captain Hermann (John Crawford) tells Klink he has to store a secret weapon at Stalag 13 until his truck can be repaired. Hogan is eavesdropping on the conversation. Williams tells Carter that he is going to break out of camp that night. Hogan gets word he is to destroy the weapon. Williams does try to escape but is caught by Schultz. He believes that Hogan tipped off the Germans. Williams tells Klink he has important information, but in exchange, he wants his freedom. Hogan and the men are listening in and fear that Williams will sell out Hogan's entire operation. Hogan brings in Underground agent Felix (John Stephenson) to help. Hogan gets Klink to believe he needs to go to Berlin. Felix will pretend to be Maj. Weber and take temporary command of the camp. Felix tells Williams that he has a deal for his freedom. Williams gives Felix all the information he has. He then signs what he thinks is that information, but is actually fake information. Thanks to the fake information, Hogan is able to blow up the secret weapon while having Williams freed from the cooler. He has Williams sent to London with Felix to be tried as a traitor while telling Williams that he'd better pray that one of the judges isn't a former POW. Using Williams' jacket, Hogan fools Klink and Hermann into thinking that Williams died in the explosion. Barbara Babcock also guest stars as Maria Schmidt.
Burkhalter tells Klink about a top secret meeting of Nazi Generals, Staff Officers and Admirals. Hogan and his men are eavesdropping on the conversation. The meeting will be held in Hammelburg, not far from Stalag 13. Burkhalter wants Klink to hold a banquet the night before. London wants Hogan's team to perform a mass assassination. Though it is probably a suicide mission, the men agree to the job. They bring in Jacques Mornay (Maurice Marsac), a French resistance fighter, who was a chef before the war. Hogan gives him fake Gestapo orders so Klink will have him cook for the banquet. Carter will build bombs with timers to put in the banquet room. The bombs are in place for the banquet when Hogan gets a message from London. Turns out one of the Generals, Felix Mercer (Ben Wright), is actually a British agent. London wants the mission cancelled. Hogan has to figure out how to stop the timers on the bombs or get Mercer out of there. Mercer tells Hogan that there are very important battle plans in the room that must not be destroyed. Hogan finds a way to get everyone out of the banquet room, but also get one copy of the plans, before the bombs went off.
Hogan and his men learn that a rocket fuel depot is being built near Stalag 13. Marya the White Russian (Nita Talbot) and General Freidrich von Heiner (Theodore Marcuse) are talking to Klink. The Germans are building the depot as a trap because there has been so much sabotage in the area. Marya asks Klink if Hogan is still at the camp. Hogan is suspicious because Marya knows about their operation and he thinks she may have sold them out. The General tells Hogan about the depot and how it may be a trap. He then finds the men's listening device in Klink's office and starts to trace where it leads to. But the men work fast and it leads to a dead end. Hogan talks to Marya and wants to know on whose side is she. She tells Hogan to trust her. Hogan and the men place a bomb under the depot. The General has Hogan's barracks searched. He also tells Hogan that he will be a hostage at the fuel depot. Hogan now knows that Marya gave information to von Heiner. While at the depot, Hogan tells Marya that the bomb will go off soon. She brings in the General and Hogan gives him misleading information about the attack in exchange for being sent back to camp. The bomb goes off killing von Heiner. Marya tells Hogan that was the plan all along.
Hogan learns from London that the Germans are building a chemical weapons factory and they want it destroyed. The men must learn the location of the factory. Carter's acting skills will be put to the test when he must convince the Nazis that he is a chemist and willing to turn traitor. Hogan makes it look as though his men want to kill Carter instead of him going to the other side. This makes Klink believe Carter wants to defect. Klink brings in General Wittkamper (John Myhers) and Leni Richter (Antoinette Bower) to interview Carter. Wittkamper and Klink leave Carter alone with Leni and she proceeds to seduce Carter. She then pours Carter a drink. Leni leaves the room for a moment and Hogan comes through a trap door and tells Carter not to drink what she gave him. It turns out to be poison. Wittkamper tells Hogan that he is taking Carter to the factory so Hogan will not be able to kill him. Hogan and the men dress as Gestapo agents wearing masks and intercept Wittkamper's car. Leni admits to being a traitor and that she has been sabotaging the progress of the factory. Hogan reveals himself to Leni and she admits she tried to kill Carter because she believed he was actually going to help the Germans. Hogan will protect Leni and send her to the Allies along with Wittkamper.
Hogan brings in Janine Robinet (Brenda Benet) from the French Underground. The men have to keep her hidden for two days before she can be sent to a British submarine. She will be smuggled aboard Klink's car when he goes to a staff meeting and then the Underground will transfer her for the rest of the trip to the sub. Schultz tells Hogan that Klink is sick. LeBeau gives Klink a Bearnaise sauce mustard plaster and the men find a way to give Klink a shot of penicillin. The next day, Klink feels better and greets Doctor Kronk (Anthony Eustrel). Maj. Hochstetter comes by and says no one is to leave camp because a female from the French Underground might be in the area. They are going to bring in some tracking dogs to find her. Hogan and LeBeau convince Klink that he is still a little sick and give him some more Bearnaise sauce mustard plaster. The tracking dogs follow Klink around and Hogan is able to safely get Janine into Klink's car for the trip to the staff meeting. The men later learn that Janine made it to the sub.
The Allied High Command in London is ordering Hogan back to the states. Much to the surprise of his men, Hogan is initially happy to head home. The men decide to throw him a farewell party. Hogan tells the men he is not leaving, but Kinchloe says a replacement is already on the way. Klink tells Hogan that a prisoner is coming to camp who is senior to Hogan. Klink then tells Hogan that the prisoner is Colonel Crittendon (Bernard Fox). Crittendon arrives and he is as bumbling as ever. Because of a mission the men are planning, it would be too risky for Hogan to escape from Stalag 13. Hogan gets Klink to transfer him to a different Stalag. Hogan finds out he is to be put on the very train that the men had planned to blow up. The men try to intercept the truck Hogan is in, but Crittendon bungles the attempt. The men finally get Hogan and bring him back to camp. Crittendon is transferred to Stalag 15 and the men's sabotage mission is a success.
Maj. Hochstetter brings several captured Underground leaders to Stalag 13 and wants maximum security until they are sent to Berlin. An Inspector General is due at the camp soon and Hogan hints that Klink might be transferred to Stalingrad unless improvements are made, including the issue of new mattresses and disposal of old ones. Hogan hopes to get into the building where the leaders are being kept under the guise of fixing it up for the inspector. Hochstetter arrives and thwarts an attempt to smuggle the leaders out in old mattresses. Hogan then comes up with an elaborate plan to get Klink and Hochstetter to believe the war is over. Hogan convinces Hochstetter to release the Underground prisoners and even give them his car. After the leaders drive off, Inspector General Busse (Frank Marth) arrives at camp. Busse tells them that the war is not over and Hochstetter is in trouble while Klink works to keep his current prisoners from leaving.
Hogan meets with an Underground agent posing as a Nanny (Celeste Yarnall). She tells him that World War One flying ace General von Richter (Henry Corden), a.k.a. the Blue Baron, has been seen in the area. She also says that there is a rumor that von Richter has moved a secret airfield to this section. Back at camp, London informs the men they want the location of the airfield so they can bomb it. Hogan learns from Klink that Klink and von Richter took pilot trainer together. Hogan talks Klink into throwing a party for von Richter and some other generals. Turns out von Richter does not have fond memories of Klink and will not attend. Hogan gets Hilda to make some calls to inform von Richter and the others that Honey Hornburg and her Exotic Dancers will be the entertainment at the party. General Burkhalter now also wants to attend. It is the night of the party and the generals are having a good time. Hogan only has a couple hours to find out from von Richter where the airfield is. Because von Richter does not want to leave the party, Hogan pretends to be him. Hogan, Carter and Newkirk get into von Richter's car and the driver will take them to the airfield. Things get a little complicated, but the men are able to signal the Allied bombers and the airfield is destroyed. Jon Cedar as Cpl. Langenscheidt.
It is the middle of the night and Kinchloe brings a message from London to Hogan. He starts to read it to his men when Klink and Schultz show up. Hogan hides the message in a book. Klink wants to know what the men are doing up at this time of night. After a brief discussion, Klink leaves and takes the book with him. The men have to get the book back to find out what the urgent message was. The next day, General Burkhalter comes by with Colonel Sitzer (Alan Oppenheimer), who is with the Ministry of Propaganda. For the propaganda value, Klink is to receive an award in a week for his no escape record at camp. The ceremony will be broadcast over the radio. Meanwhile, the men manage to get the book back. The urgent message was that they are to silence Leslie Smythe-Beddoes (Ruta Lee), an Allied defector who join the Propaganda Ministry. Thinking Leslie is a man, Hogan plans to give Leslie an electric razor that will explode when operated. Hogan then finds out Leslie is a woman and has second thoughts about following London's orders. Leslie arrives at camp to talk to Klink about the radio broadcast. Instead of having to kill Leslie, Hogan finds a way to have her embarrassed over the radio. She is then sent to the Gestapo.
General von Behler (John Hoyt) tells a German Captain (Jack Riley) about a plan he has developed that will guarantee victory. Meanwhile, Hogan and his men are helping to build a railroad. A woman comes by with food for the men. When Schultz says she cannot do that, she identifies herself as Hedy von Behler (Louise Troy), the General's daughter. Schultz arrests LeBeau when he takes a cheese sandwich. While Klink has LeBeau on trial, Hogan takes the paper that was wrapped around the sandwich. The note says that Hedy has vital information that must be delivered soon. Hogan knows that Hedy has been giving London information for more than a year, but nothing that could harm her father. Hogan dresses as a German Officer and meets with Hedy. He is then introduced to General von Behler. Later, Hedy tells Hogan about her father's plan called "Operation Hannibal". The German army will begin guerrilla attacks against the Allied armies which could extend the war for years. Hedy would like to see the war be over and Hitler gone. The paperwork for the entire operation is in her father is safe and she will help Hogan get the plans to the Allies. But, Hogan cannot take the plans, only photograph them. Hedy says she will do anything to protect her father and if Hogan or his men are caught, they will be shot. Things get a little complicated, but Hogan and his men are successful in their mission.
Hogan and his men watch as the Germans set up a gasoline refueling depot at Stalag 13. It will be used to refuel convoys heading to France. They can store the fuel there because they know the Allies will not bomb a POW camp. The Underground wants one of Hogan's men to meet with a contact in town who will be code named Eskimo. Hogan meets up with Eskimo, whose real name is Lousia (Marianna Hill). The Underground would like Hogan to destroy the gas pumps. The next day, Klink turns down a request to remove the gas drums from barracks 12. He also will not move the prisoners out of the barracks to prevent any sabotage. Hogan decides to destroy the convoy instead of the gas pumps. Newkirk, dressed as an old woman, meets in town with Eskimo to get more detonators. The convoy arrives and getting the explosives on the trucks is complicated and dangerous. Captain Streicker (Eric Morris), who is commanding the convoy, confronts Newkirk, who is dressed as a German guard. Newkirk manages to convince Streicker that he was stationed there by Klink. Hogan's plan works and the convoy is destroyed. The next day, Klink tells Hogan that Berlin has ordered him to dismantle the gas pumps. Bruce Kirby as Franz.
The men learn that the Germans are storing large crates of something labeled "chicken hawk" in camp. General Burkhalter arrives and he brings with him the blueprints for the chicken hawks. He wants to put them into Klink's safe, which now has a new lock and combination. Hogan and his men eavesdrop on Burkhalter and Klink's conversation. The chicken hawks are a new type of bomb that can pin point radio signals and direct the bomb toward the target. Burkhalter claims these bombs will win the war for the Germans and they will be tested here at camp. The General is about to explain how the bombs work when the men lose the microphones signal. Hogan tricks Klink into opening his safe and Newkirk sees the combination through the office window. Newkirk is caught by Klink trying to open the safe. Hogan tricks Klink into letting him punish Newkirk. Hogan and the men do find a way to get pictures of the blueprints. But, because of something Klink does, the negatives get ruined. Before the bomb test, the men manage to place radios in various places around the camp. The bombs destroy these locations and miss the target. Burkhalter cancels further development of the bomb.
Hogan is in the compound briefing his men on a trainload of precious stolen artwork that may be headed in their direction. A very proud Schultz lets it slip that he has been selected to escort Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring from town to the Stalag. Schultz goes to the hotel room expecting to meet Göring, but instead finds Marya, the White-Russian spy. Marya tells Schultz that whenever Göring makes a public appearance, he is likes to have a double do it for him. Marya and Schultz arrive at camp and go directly to their quarters. Hogan wonders what connection there is between Göring showing up and the train coming soon. Hogan, Carter and LeBeau go to kidnap Göring. The men are surprised when they find Schultz and not Göring. Marya has a plan using Schultz to get the artwork. Marya tells Klink that Göring wants the artwork to be stored at camp. The crated artwork is brought to Hogan's barracks and London is told when to pick it up. Maj. Hochstetter arrives and wants to know why the artwork was sent to the camp. Klink tries to tell him that Göring ordered it. Hogan is eavesdropping on the conversation. Hogan convinces Schultz to continue to pretend to be Göring. Hochstetter is asking a lot of questions when Hogan's men create a diversion and make it look as though the artwork was stolen. The artwork is smuggled out of camp and is on its way to London. Hogan convinces Hochstetter to not pursue the matter any further.
The men bring in 4 escapees from Stalag 12 and give them all they'll need to be sent to London. Meanwhile, Klink is having a romantic evening with Heidi Friederich. General Burkhalter bursts in bringing news of a prisoner escape from Stalag 12. There have been far too many escapes and Burkhalter wants Klink to increase his guards. He also wants a surprise inspection now. Burkhalter believes that the escapes are far too organized. He thinks there must be a processing center to manage such a large number of escapees. Hogan is concerned about the large number of Allied bombers being shot down in their attempts to destroy a nearby tunnel. Hogan would like to destroy the tunnel but the increased guards will make that hard to do. Hogan knows that Klink and Burkhalter would like to find the processing center. Hogan makes up a story for Sgt. Schultz, where a POW camp commandant arranged for prisoners to escape and be followed to their contacts. Schultz tells Klink the idea and Klink immediately takes credit for it. The next day, Klink provides the men with several opportunies to escape. Klink is happy when he overhears the men say they plan to escape that night. Klink makes it easy for the men to have German uniforms and a vehicle. He placed a radio transmitter in the trunk of the car, but Newkirk removes it. Hogan gets Klink to be his hostage so they can get through Burkhalter's roadblocks. Newkirk puts the radio transmitter in Burkhalter's car. Burkhalter leaves the camp with Heidi. Schultz, not knowing it is him, follows at a distance. Meanwhile, with Klink blindfolded, Hogan and his men are able to set the explosives at the tunnel. Schultz and some guards break in on Burkhalter and Heidi. Hogan brings Klink back to the camp saying they changed their minds about escaping. Not long after, the tunnel blows up. Tom Hatten as Lieutenant.
Klink is entertaining General Wexler (John Hoyt) and Captain Richter (Jay Sheffield). General Wexler is on the promotion board. Klink has LeBeau prepare a special meal for them. It turns out that Richter is an Allied sympathizer, and he has documents of interest to pass on. While the dinner is going on, Newkirk gets the documents from his briefcase and the men take pictures of them. Most of the documents have low-grade information. But one has a message that at the next dinner, Richter will be bringing plans for German West Wall underwater obstacles. Hogan, Newkirk and LeBeau meet with Underground agent Marie Bizet (Brenda Benet), give her what they have and tell her more is to come. Marie tells LeBeau that Gen. de Gaulle has issued a call for all free Frenchmen to rally in England in preparation to liberate France. LeBeau says he will go to England. The men try to talk him out of it but get nowhere. So as to not ruin the next dinner party and their chances at more information, LeBeau tries to teach the other men to cook. LeBeau is about to leave and the men say their goodbyes. He is to stay with Marie until he can be brought to England. Klink discovers LeBeau is missing and starts a search for him. While Hogan tells LeBeau that Klink is looking for him, agent Karl comes in and tells them that the Gestapo have picked up Marie. Hogan says the men will help free Marie if LeBeau stays and cooks the meal for Wexler and Richter. LeBeau can leave for England after that. The men find a way to free Marie, LeBeau cooks the meal and they get the vital information from Richter. LeBeau tells the men that he has decided to stay.
It is late at night and Hogan is having some alone time with Hilda in Klink's car. He witnesses the Gestapo pull into camp. Major Stern awakens Klink and tells him that he is there to arrest two recent staff additions, Captain Metzler (Noam Pitlik) and Sgt Holtz. Hogan and his men are eavesdropping on the conversation. Klink tells Stern that Holtz is on guard duty and the Metzler is on leave and will be back in three days. Hogan looks through the sink periscope and witnesses the Gestapo gunning down Holtz in the compound. The next day, Lebeau and Carter procure the personnel files of the two men and Baker takes pictures of them. It turns out that both men are radio communications specialists and were both assigned to the same headquarters in Berlin. The men learn from the Underground that Metzler is at his girlfriends apartment in Hammelburg. Hogan goes to see Metzler and Maria (Barbara Babcock), but Metzler is reluctant to reveal any information. Newkirk and Underground agent Luisa (Sabrina Scharf) come by to say the Gestapo are going through town looking for Metzler. Metzler still does not completely trust Hogan and wants proof that Hogan has connections in London. In exchange, Hogan also wants a little information. Metzler tells him that he was part of a group installing the most important communications center in the world. He can describe it and tell how it can be sabotaged. A few days later, Hogan gets Metzler the proof he wants. Hogan finds a way to get the Gestapo out of Stalag 13 and he brings Metzler and Maria back to camp. At camp, Metzler gives Hogan the rest of the information he needs. The men prepare Metzler and Maria for their trip to London.
Maj. Hochstetter tells Klink that he'll be storing dynamite in the camps "cooler". He will also use one of the cells as his office. Hochstetter will not tell Klink what the dynamite will be used for. Hogan and the men are eavesdropping on the conversation. Schultz is to drive some of the stored dynamite to a secret location to be used. Hogan plans to intercept the truck, take the dynamite and store it out of camp for future use. Somehow, Schultz is not on the road where Hogan thought he should be and there is no intercept. There is another truckload leaving that night and Hogan would like to find out where it is going. Again the men lose track of where the truck went. Hogan asks Underground agent Berger to have some of his men search the area. Later, Hogan gets a message that Berger has located some of the dynamite. The explosives are hidden in bunkers in the ground. Hogan figures that the Gestapo plans to use it to destroy bridges and other resources as the Nazis prepare to retreat from advancing Allied Forces. Hogan believes that Hochstetter has a list of the places that will be blown up. Carter pretends to be the Fire Chief of Hammelburg and Underground agent Elsa (Lyn Peters) is his secretary. The two go to see Hochstetter and the Major is quite taken with Elsa's beauty. While Elsa keeps Hochstetter occupied, Carter plants several smoke bombs in the office. The distraction allows Hogan to get the paperwork that he needs.
The men find a new type of rocket that landed near camp. Hogan would love to be able to send it to London, but it is too large. Marya (Nita Talbot), the White Russian, arrives at camp with Dr. Otto von Bornemann (Henry Corden). Otto is the man that made the rocket and they are at camp to look for it. Marya told Otto that Hogan had worked with the Allied missile program and he might be able to help. Marya and Hogan are alone and she asks him where the rocket is. Hogan does not trust Marya, but she makes him give up the location. The rocket is brought into camp and Marya wants to talk to Hogan again. She tells him she wants to steal the rocket but Hogan does not know how that's possible. Marya helps the men gain access to the rocket. Otto finds the rocket missing and Marya sends him to various locations in camp to look for it. Maj. Hochstetter shows up and wants to search the camp again. Marya tells Hochstetter that Hogan has defected to their side. Hogan gives them a location where the rocket was taken out of camp. Hogan and Marya blackmail Otto into manning the rocket to London. Hogan then comes up with a story for Hochstetter as to why the rocket was fired.
The men are outside of camp and see someone bail out of an Allied plane that was hit. The men then find General Sharp (Johnny Haymer) and bring him to Stalag 13. Back at camp, Klink is entertaining beautiful Karen Richter (Leslie Parrish), not knowing she is an Underground agent. When he leaves the room for a moment, she looks through some of his papers. Karen later tells Hogan that she saw plans to move the guard towers further into the woods. Hogan worries that the towers will now block their escape tunnels. Klink tells Hogan that General Burkhalter and his sister, Gertrude Linkmeyer (Kathleen Freeman), will be coming for an inspection. Gertrude introduces to Klink her fiancé, Major Wolfgang Karp (Lee Bergere). Burkhalter tells Klink that Wolfgang will be his new adjutant. Meanwhile, General Sharp is tired of being stuck at camp and wants out. Klink throws an engagement party and Gertrude tells Hogan that Wolfgang might take Klink's job some day. Hogan finds a way to have Wolfgang stop the moving of the towers. They will now be able to get Sharp out of camp. But then, Gertrude has Wolfgang suggest to Klink to put a guard in every barracks. Hogan realizes that Gertrude is starting to run the camp and he needs to get rid of her. Hogan has Karen break up Wolfgang and Gertrude.
The men are doing some road work outside of camp with Schultz guarding them. Major Heintzen (Norman Alden) drives up with a flat tire and asks Schultz to have the men change the tire. Heintzen, who is really with the Underground, tells Hogan that three mobile rocket launchers have been moved into the area. They know the general location where two of them are, but Hogan needs to find the third and report to London. General Burkhalter is speaking with Klink and the men are eavesdropping. He says that one rocket launcher will be placed in camp. It will be fired at England the next day to coincide with an all out Blitz. London wants the location of the two launchers and the men will have to destroy the one in camp themselves. Hogan goes to the lookout shack to meet an agent and try to spot the launchers. Lily Frankel (Marlyn Mason) shows up and things get quite cozy between the two. Lily comes up with a way to alter the course of the rocket in camp. When Hogan sends a message back to his men, a radio detection truck picks up his location. Lily spots the two launchers, Hogan sends a message to the bombers and the rockets are destroyed. Newkirk and Baker find a way to send the detection truck in another direction.
The following DVD sets were released by CBS Home Entertainment.[3]