Easy Come, Easy Go

Prisoners

 * Colonel Hogan - Bob Crane
 * Corporal Louis LeBeau - Robert Clary
 * Corporal Peter Newkirk - Richard Dawson
 * Sergeant Andrew Carter - Larry Hovis
 * Sergeant Richard Baker - Kenneth Washington

Camp Personnel

 * Kommandant Wilhelm Klink - Werner Klemperer
 * Sergeant Hans Schultz - John Banner

Semi-Regulars

 * General Albert Burkhalter - Leon Askin

Guest Stars

 * Eva - Cynthia Lynn
 * Lt. Mills - Stewart Moss
 * General - George Gaynes
 * Lieutenant - Brett Parker
 * Captain - Tom Hatten
 * Schindler - Judson Morgan
 * Col. Forbes - Paul Lambert

Synopsis
Hogan and Klink go to England to steal an allied airplane as part of Hogan's plan to expose Nazi spies in London.

Plot Details
It is night time at Stalag 13 and Klink's dining room has been lavishly prepared by Schultz. So much so in fact that the greedy Schultz cannot resist stealing some caviar while he is there. Klink soon joins him and is quick to spot the missing caviar, angrily insisting he will dock the difference from Schultz' pay. They are joined by General Burkhalter and two beautiful ladies, Eva and Greta (or charming as Burkhalter puts it). Burkhalter announces that the party is for "a very important officer" and instructs the ladies to make him feel at home and relaxed. The officer soon arrives for the party and it is none other than Colonel Hogan. Hogan looks quite surprised to be invited to a German party but soon settles in well.

After an enjoyable dinner and conversation with the two ladies, Hogan is left alone with Klink and Burkhalter who gets to the real reason behind the party: The American made P-51 Mustang is causing considerable damage to the Luftwaffe and naturally they want one to study. Since it would take an unacceptable amount of time to shoot them down and piece one together from the wreckage, Burkhalter asks Hogan to go to England, steal a P-51 and fly it back to Germany. Hogan cheerily tells them that they didn't need to throw him a party just to ask, as he would have told them no without one. Burkhalter further explains that Hogan will be given one million U.S Dollars and be escorted to Switzerland as payment for his part of the operation. Hogan points out the difficulty of the task given that all fighters are counted every night, but Burkhalter insists Hogan would be able to do it. He also states that a Luftwaffe officer will accompany Hogan as insurance in case Hogan tries anything, and if the officer is arrested, the prisoners of Stalag 13 will be executed. Hogan still expresses doubt the task could be done, but Burkhalter cites that he would be assisted by the German spy network in England, and that the accompanying Luftwaffe officer would know how to contact them. Hogan politely thanks them for dinner, but refuses, even after Burkhalter says another dinner would be held tomorrow night for him.

Later in the barracks, Hogan discusses the case with the rest of the Heroes. He expresses that for one moment, he was tempted by the deal before going to bed. The rest of the Heroes continue to discuss the deal with Newkirk putting forward that ANYBODY would be tempted, just as Hogan returns to them and declares he will do the deal for a different reason. Since the accompanying Luftwaffe officer can access the German spy organisation, Hogan can also find out about it and have the Allies neutralise it. Carter asks if Hogan is doing "the right thing" but Hogan merely asks if Carter would question a man with one million dollars in cash, to which Carter replies in the negative.

After dinner the next evening, Hogan convinces Burkhalter of his "change of heart" and even gets to see a briefcase contaning his payment before getting down to business. Hogan will be taken to a port on the English Channel where a ship has been provided to ferry him across to England. He is to report himself and the officer accompanying him as having escaped from Stalag 13. Hogan points out that the officer will have to know something about Stalag 13 as they will be questioned. Burkhalter has seen to that however, as the officer is in fact Colonel Klink since he knows of Stalag 13 and speaks English. Klink will be sent under the guise of Major William Davis, an American officer whose death has not been reported yet. Burkhalter wishes good luck to the two before leaving. Klink declares it to be a glorious adventure and tries to shake Hogan's hand, while the American colonel merely reminds "Major Davis" to stand at attention when addressing a superior officer.

Hogan relays what he has learned to the Heroes and has Baker deliver an emergency message to Colonel Forbes in London: to expect Hogan for a special mission. Baker asks why Hogan isn't giving them a more detailed explanation, but Hogan explains that it is so no one will be nervous around Klink and accidentally tip him off.

Hogan and Klink cross the Channel and are taken to London by train. During the ride, they are questioned by an American officer. They give their statement as having escaped from Stalag 13 by tunnel and travelling across Germany using fake travel permits and overcoming other problems due to "Davis" speaking fluent German. They then met with an Underground unit who smuggled them across the Channel. They are then met by Colonel Forbes who makes a show of informing them of their living arrangements. They are to be assigned to an airbase while their statement is being processed. Their questioner points out that "Davis" speaks German like a native, to which Hogan replies "well none of us are perfect" to Klink's annoyance.

Later at the airbase, Klink and Hogan discuss the case. Klink believing that they have fooled the Allies completely, and Hogan pointing out that Klink almost blew their cover by acting too German on the train ride. As Klink longs for his custom nightly cup of cocoa, a drunken flight lieutenant stumbles into their room. The lieutenant happily declares that he is due to be sent home as he has finished his 50th mission, and he heartily pours drinks for the three. Klink reluctantly drinks his, before suddenly falling asleep. The suddenly sober Lieutenant Mills introduces himself to Hogan and informs him that the Brass is waiting for him. Leaving the drugged Klink (as Mills had spiked his drink) lying on his bed sound asleep.

Hogan meets with Colonel Forbes and several other high ranking Allied officers (including an unnamed general) to discuss the issue. Hogan reveals his plan to crack the spy ring in England which he feels could be accomplished if just one member was identified. As Klink is to go to his contact in London for help if needed, Hogan plans to trick him into doing so and asks that someone follow them when they leave. The general is not thrilled about handing the plane over to the Germans, but the wily Hogan happily declares that they will crack the spy ring and give the Germans nothing in exchange.

The next morning, Klink and Hogan observe the P-51's. Klink feels that they could simply walk out and take one, but Hogan points out that they would be seen and shot if they tried. With Klink's attention caught, Hogan plants the idea of using the spy contact, which Klink agrees to. They meet with the contact codename Brewster, real name Schindler. Hogan asks if Schindler can arrange a scramble order to be given at the base, and contact Burkhalter so the Luftwaffe leaves them alone during the operation to which Schindler agrees.

Hogan confers with Forbes the next morning, the Allies have tagged several of Schindler's contacts and prepared fighter 108 as well as two flight suits and parachutes for their use.

At nine o'clock, the scramble order goes out as scheduled and Klink and Hogan quickly board fighter 108 and takeoff without a hitch. As they near the landing zone Klink asks Hogan for a loan, citing his contacts in the armament industry. Hogan agrees to give Klink a loan at ten percent interest just as the plane starts to lose altitude with engine trouble (only after Hogan flips a certain switch). Klink demands Hogan land the plane, but Hogan writes it off and insists they bail out. Klink tries to jump, but is overcome with fear and has to be pushed out by Hogan first just before the American colonel joins him.

Back at Stalag 13, Hogan tells the story to the Heroes and also Schultz, adding that the plane landed eight miles from Hammelburg. Hogan soothes the Heroes' fears that the Germans will piece the plane together and study it, as the plane had been fitted with a captured Messerschmitt engine. Hogan of course will not be receiving the million dollars, which he writes off as being too much trouble. The Heroes scoff at this, and Schultz happily declares what he would do with the money (go on a lavish holiday) before dancing with the imaginary money, to Hogan's amusement.

Story Notes

 * This is both the one hundred and fifty-ninth produced episode of the series and the one hundred and fifty-ninth to be shown on television, and is also the fifteenth episode shown for the Sixth Season.
 * This is actress Cynthia Lynn's (Helga) second guest appearance after her departure from the series.
 * The drunken airman mentions the Red Baron and his Flying Circus.
 * Klink reveals that he got his promotion to colonel largely through the influence of his sister-in-law ("my brother's wife.")
 * Klink mentions that he has connections in the armament industry. He could be referring to his brother Wolfgang or, less likely, a connection in Otto von Krubner's company.

Timeline Notes and Speculations

 * This is among the handful of episodes that is quite easy to date, thanks to the ones quoted within the episode itself. The episode starts on December 14, 1943 and ends on or shortly after January 2, 1944. Hogan and Klink cross the English Channel on the night of the 16th, two days after the start of the episode. The drunken airman tells them that they've arrived at Fieldstone on New Year's Eve. They steal the Mustang the evening of the next day, on New Year's Day, and wind up back at Stalag 13 the following morning.
 * An alternative position is that when Lt. Mills (the drunken airman) says, "it's New Year's Eve, pal," he's probably not referring to the actual calendar date, but the fact that he's going to be celebrating as if it's New Year's Eve because he just finished his 50th mission and is going home.
 * This takes place after "The Meister Spy." In that episode, we learn that Klink had not been on any kind of espionage missions.
 * There is a reason for Burkhalter wanting to get his hands on a Mustang, although it is never stated in the story. The P-51 Mustang was the most powerful and agile piston-engine fighter, on either side of the European theater, in the latter part of the war. This was because of its Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. That's why the folks at Fieldstone switch out the engine in the plane they allow Hogan and Klink to steal, substituting one taken from a downed Messerschmitt fighter instead. That engine was the Mustang's edge over its German counterparts.

Bloopers

 * The depictions of the P-51 Mustang, one of America's most famous and powerful fighter planes during World War II, are inconsistent from scene to scene. Recycled stock footage seems to alternate between the C and D models, the latter being the more powerful and recognizable to the postwar generations. The canopy of the mockup cockpit used in close-up shots only bears a passing likeness to the C model, lacking the distinctive bubble canopy of the D model, and even then there is a major discrepancy - the extra space for the "jump seat" behind that of the pilot. Then again, in all fairness to the story, this was a mockup Mustang that had been specially built by Allied intelligence for Hogan and Klink to steal. It only had to have enough of a likeness to a real Mustang to fool Klink, and he was a man easy to fool.
 * Likewise their are connunity problems: the P-51 was a single -not double seat fighter!
 * When Hogan arrives for dinner, Werner Klemperer flubs his line and says "ah, General Hogan" instead of "ah, Colonel Hogan."