This is my first fanfiction story for Hogan's Heroes. I have been lurking on this site for a while, reading all of the other wonderful stories out there and decided to try one of my own! That means critique is extremely welcome.

This story idea comes from my job at a museum, where I read the story of the Chicago Tribune's journalist correspondent J. Thompson, who jumped with paratroopers into combat operations.

1944

xxx

It started out like every other morning in a POW camp.

Really, it did.

The prisoners were awoken (at what they saw as a completely unreasonable hour) to the unwelcome sound of Schultz in their barracks.

"Rrrrrrraus, raus, raus! It is time for roll-call! All prisoners outside at once! Raus!"

"Aw, c'mon, Schultzie, why don't ya come back in, say, six months?" came the reply of Newkirk, sliding out of his bunk. Carter came down after, ungracefully landing on the floor beside him.

"Newkirk's right, Schultz," came the voice of Colonel Hogan, making his way out of his quarters, "By then the Allies will have liberated the camp, and you and Klink'll be free to surrender at a much more agreeable hour."

"Ha! Jolly jokers. Out! Everybody out of the barracks!" exclaimed Schultz.

"Ah, Schultz, why can you not wait until after I have made breakfast, non? I will save some for you," LeBeau added, hoping to entice the guard with some of his wonderful gourmet cooking.

Before Schultz could answer, the bunk leading to the tunnel opened up to reveal Kinch, who jumped out and hit the secret lever to close the opening.

"Sorry, Colonel, London had some pretty lengthy messages. Did I get up before Sch- Oh. Sorry," the radioman said, looking sheepish as he spotted the German.

"Ooohhh, Colonel Hogan! Tell the prisoners to stop doing things like that in front of me! Things of which I know nothing about! Nothing!" Schultz added.

"You're a real good German soldier, you know that?" said Carter, slapping Schultz playfully on the back as he followed the rest of the men outside.

"Ja. If anyone knew how good, I would no longer be around to see nothing!" was the reply.

xxxxxx

The morning air was chilly, and the prisoners stood in line shivering and rubbing their hands together, trying in vain to warm themselves up in the cold German air.

"Hurry up, Schultz, we're freezin' out 'ere!"

"Yeah, I think I just lost a toe, boy! The little one! That one's the most important, you know!"

"We are all here, Schultzie! Take my word for it!"

"All prisoners be quiet! Be quiet so I may count you! Now, let me start." said Schultz, easily rattling off numbers in German as he counted the men of Barracks 2 as he had done so many times before.

"Report! Repooooooort!" came the call from Colonel Klink's office as the kommandant of Stalag 13 made his way out of his office, whip clutched in one hand and tucked securely under his arm.

"Herr Kommandant, all present and accounted for!" said Schultz with a salute.

Klink returned the gesture, and then turned to the men gathered outside the barracks.

"Now prisoners, as I have done in the past, I have decided to share some information with you on how the war- of which you are no longer a part of- is going." Klink said, smugly.

"Wait just a goose-stepping minute here, Colonel! Don't tell me the Luftwaffe has been holding their maps upside down this whole time!" came the voice of Colonel Hogan.

"Hogan! I will have you know that the glorious Third Reich, led by our fearless Fuhrer-" Klink didn't have time to finish his speech. A black car, swastikas waving, was quickly driving into the camp and making its way over to Klink's office.

"What is going on?" Klink asked to no one in particular.

Schultz shrugged.

Klink hurriedly ordered Schultz to dismiss the men, and, re-tucking his whip under his arm, began to make his way over to his office where the ominous car was waiting.

xxxxxxxxxxx

"Kinch, man the coffee pot. Carter, watch the door," ordered Hogan once the men were back in the barracks. "Did any of those messages from London give you a clue about who might be in that Gestapo car, Kinch?"

"Yes, sir," replied Kinch, taking off the lid and removing the speaker/basket, "They said that the Luftwaffe just shot down a C-47 transport plane near Dusseldorf. It was full of paratroopers as well as some flyers, and the Krauts only managed to catch one of them."

"I guess that makes for some sour Krauts," cracked Hogan, putting his hands on his men's shoulders as they waited for the activity to start in Klink's office.

"Ah, always a pleasure to have you here at Stalag 13, Major Hochstetter! Heil Hitler!" came the nervous voice of Klink.

"Yes, Heil Hitler. Now I have here-"

"Would you care for some refreshment, Major? Schnapps? The good stuff?"

"Klink! I did not come here on a social call! This is important Gestapo business!"

"Yes sir, Major Hochstetter, what is it?"

"This," said Hochstetter, gesturing to someone or something the men huddled around the coffee pot could not see, "is the only person that was captured from the plane that was shot down over Dusseldorf. The Gestapo has deemed this prisoner as knowing nothing that would be of any use to the Third Reich."

"What a pity, Major, I'm sure-"

"Quiet, Klink! We intend to keep searching for the others that were on the plane. In the mean time, I'm sure that you will not mind having one extra prisoner to guard, hmm?"

"Major, you can't be serious? Here? In Stalag 13? But-"

"It doesn't matter Klink! The Gestapo know what they are doing. I trust you will handle the matter as you see fit, that is if you are not refusing…" The Gestapo major's voice was laden with threatening implications.

"Of course not! It would be an honor, Major Hochstetter! You know there have been no successful escapes from Stalag 13, and I can assure you-"

"Bah! Just make the arrangements. I have to report to Berlin shortly, and I cannot be bothered to make sure that you do everything right. Just have your guards keep a close eye out for any of the others."

"Yes, Major Hochstetter! Of course! Heil Hitler."

"Heil Hitler. I'll be checking back soon Klink!"

With that, the men in Barracks 2 could hear the door to Klink's office shut, signaling the departure of one Gestapo major.

"Who d'ya think they got in there?" wondered Newkirk aloud. Hogan shushed him and returned his attention to the coffee pot, waiting for Klink to speak again. They didn't have to wait long.

"Well, I suppose I should assign you to a barracks. Though we don't have a barracks that-"

The sound of a door opening and closing again came over the coffee pot.

Klink's annoyed voice responded to the room's latest occupant.

"What is it, Schultz?"

"Herr Kommandant, I- Oh, hello."

"Never mind the pleasantries, Schultz. Take this prisoner to the delousing station at once."

"The delousing station, Herr Kommandant?"

"Yes, you idiot!" Klink thought for a moment. After a second he added, "And when everything is finished up there, you can assign our new prisoner to Barracks 2."

The men around the coffee pot looked at each other and then to Colonel Hogan.

Their commanding officer shrugged with a crooked grin.

"Well, the more the merrier."

To be continued! Please let me know what you think.