IG Bowman Industries

IG Bowman Industries is a fictitious German company owned by Fritz Bowman that is mentioned in the Hogan's Heroes episode, Oil for the Lamps of Hogan.

IG Bowman Industries is a German company that is trying to create synthetic fuel for the Wehrmacht, when the company's owner, Fritz Bowman, along with General Burkhalter, arrive at Stalag 13 in a staff car during a prisoners' formation. The pair exits the vehicle and are met by Colonel Klink. After exchanging pleasantries, the trio walk into Klink's office, while being watched by Colonel Hogan and his men from Barracks 2. After being dismissed, Hogan tells Corporal LeBeau to hide in Klink's safe, and listen in on their conversation.

Inside Klink's office, as LeBeau secretly listens in on their conversation, Bowman and Burkhalter tells Klink why they are at the Stalag: They planned to turn the Stalag into a branch of IG Bowman Industries, using the existing barracks, believing that the Western Allies would never bomb what they think is still a POW camp. The main reason for this plan is that if they try to build a new synthetic fuel plant anywhere else in Germany, the Allies would bomb it upon learning of its location. In the meantime, a new Stalag 13 would be built and all of the prisoners would eventually be transferred there. Klink is at first reluctant, but he gives in when told by Burkhalter that it is his idea. Burkhalter then tells Klink that the pair would be back in a few days to look over the grounds. Upon being told the details of the conversation, Hogan sets up a plan which he believe will make the Germans forgot about turning the camp into a synthetic fuel plant: make them believe that there's oil under Stalag 13.

Hogan is able to convince Klink, and Klink in turn is able to convince Burkhalter, that there's oil underground. But, when Burkhalter tries to convince Bowman to look elsewhere for the new plant, Bowman refuses, even countering Burkhalter's suggestion of letting the Führer make the final decision by suggesting that they both give him their recommendations and let him decide. Seeing that his ruse has found a stubbling block in Bowman, Hogan tells Kinch to contact London as he comes up with another idea to end the Germans' scheme.

The next day, as Bowman and Burkhalter looks over the camp once again, with the later still trying to convince the former to put the plant elsewhere, they and everyone else inside the camp hear air sirens go off, as American bombers fly nearby. They then hear several explosions (all created by Hogan's men), then watch as leaflets slowly float towards them. Klink picks up one, and read it, with the leaflet declaring that this is only an example of what would happen if the plant is actually built there. Burkhalter then kills the project, with Bowman's agreement, although with him wondering how the allies have found out about their plans. Klink tries to finger Hogan as the leak, but that idea is rejected by the others since Hogan is a POW, and none of the Germans could believe that he would be able to contact the allies about their plans.

Although not mentioned in the series, this fictitious company is probably based on several real companies in Germany that during the war made synthetic fuel for the German military as a substitute for the oil that Germany lacked.