Hogan’s Heroes: Season 1 Episode 3, “Kommandant of the Year”

The 3rd Geneva Prisoner of War Convention governs how prisoners of war are to be treated and how they must be protected from any possible dangerous situations while they’re held in captivity. Hogan refers to this part of the Geneva Conventions frequently, especially when the Germans store weapons at Stalag 13. Not that it changes the situation that much: the Germans realize that the Allies won’t launch an offensive that could endanger their own people, so despite the protests, rockets, gasoline, bombs and other materiel are stored there. In which case, Hogan and his men take an active role in destroying said materiel.

In this episode, a Major Hauser arrives at Stalag 13 with a big rocket on a flatbed truck, guarded heavily. The POW’s hear (thanks to bugs planted in Klink’s office) Hauser and Klink talking about how it’s on its way to be fired at London. They communicate with London and ask what to do about it, and are told that a scientist, Dr. Schneider, and several commandoes are being dispatched to learn what they can about the rocket, and then to destroy it. Hogan’s job will be to get Schneider and his men into and out of the camp.

They come up with the idea of creating an award for Kommandant of the Year for Klink and a scroll for Stalag 13 as one of the ten-best prison camps in the Third Reich. Schneider and his men, disguised as German officers, will arrive and present him with the awards, and while Klink is speaking Schneider will wander off, get what he needs to understand the rocket, and set up an explosion which will destroy it.

Hogan is in Klink’s office lodging a complaint under the Geneva Convention about the rocket in the camp and Klink dismisses him, basically saying he doesn’t care. As Hogan starts to leave, Klink opens a letter (forged by the prisoners) telling him that he’s been made Komandant of the Year, and calls Hogan back. Hogan told him he needs to prepare a speech (which will divert enough attention so that Schneider can do his work).

Schneider and the commandoes, dressed in German uniforms made by LeBeau and Newkirk, arrive for the ceremony. Schneider presents the awards, and as Klink begins to speak, sneaks off to get pictures of the rocket and its controls. Hogan joins him and sets up and explosion which will launch the rocket. Here’s what happens next…

CAST:

• Bob Crane as Hogan
• Werner Klemperer as Klink
• John Banner as Schultz
• Robert Clary as LeBeau
• Richard Dawson as Newkirk
• Ivan Dixon as Kinchloe
• Larry Hovis as Carter
• Cynthia Lynn as Helga
• William Allyn as Hauser
• Woodrow Parfrey as Schneider
• Victor French as a Commando

A good episode that shows how Hogan plays to Klink’s narcissism to cover for what he and his men are really doing.