Series Timeline

Introduction
Hogan's Heroes was designed to be an entertaining television series, not a visual history lesson. Even so, many of those involved in its creation, writing, acting, and production were well schooled in World War II history. It should come as no surprise that one can draw rough parallels between series episodes and actual historical events in World War II. There are many references to famous battles (El Alamein, Stalingrad, Normandy), to wartime historical figures (Hitler, Rommel, Kesselring, de Gaulle, Churchill), to important Allied bombing targets inside Germany (Schwienfurt, Hamburg), and important wartime technological developments (German rockets, the American atomic bomb, Japanese kamikazes, etc.). It is possible, using these and other references within the series itself, to sort out how the series episodes occur in sequence of their conjectured historical dates, as opposed to production date or airdate.

This is a suggested chronological listing of all the episodes of Hogan's Heroes. Key items from the series and key historical events are noted for easy reference and comparison. Please consult the individual episode summaries for more detailed information.

Assumptions
The following assumptions are made, based on internal evidence within the series, in order to aid the process in coming up with reasonably consistent dates:

The Sergeant's Analyst.
 * Stalag 13 opened in September 1939, not long after the start of World War II. The exact day is never stated, although a safe guess would be that it was first used to house Polish POWs - which implies a date in the middle of the month. The real-life Luft-Stalag XIII opened on 17 September 1939.

The Sergeant's Analyst, How's the Weather?
 * Both Klink and Schultz have been at Stalag 13 since it opened.

Hogan Gives A Birthday Party.
 * Hogan was shot down in July 1942, with Hogan's Heroes (HH) beginning their operations shortly after. This date comes from an actual historical bombing raid that fits the description given of the event.

(see footnote 12)
 * The common interpretation concerning Schultz's statement to SS Major Hochstetter in Klink for the Defense, in that he was talking about Hogan's arrival date, is incorrect


 * Both Hilda and Helga worked as secretaries at Stalag 13 at the same time, with Helga leaving in 1944 Casanova Klink.
 * We often see Hogan using his wit, silver tongue or threats to talk Klink out of putting his men in solitary confinement. Therefore, it can be assumed that he does so off-camera as well to account for times when our heroes are released from the cooler sooner than expected.  (Example: LeBeau gets a week in the cooler in The Well, but apparently was released two days later as we see him in The Kamikazes Are Coming.)

Heil Klink.
 * Hochstetter first arrived at Stalag 13 at the end of 1943 as part of a SS special investigation unit operating out of Berlin.

Everybody Loves a Snowman, implied.
 * Hochstetter was reassigned to the Hammelburg Gestapo office to replace the late Kommandant Heydrich at the end of 1943.

Lady Chitterly's Lover, Part 1, implied. Baker remembers Crittendon, even though this is the only Crittendon story in which he appears.
 * Sergeant Baker has been present at Stalag 13, possibly as part of the Barracks 3 gang of supporting heroes, through the whole timeline of the series.

Observations
The following observations may be of interest to anyone else interested in researching the timeline of the series:


 * Most episodes average 4-5 days; a smaller number average 2-3 days. A few episodes take place over several weeks (Sergeant Schultz Meets Mata Hari, The Ultimate Weapon, et al); at least one over a month (No Names Please). Only one takes place within a single day (Look at the Pretty Snowflakes).


 * No attempt has been made to reconcile dates with the actual days of the week (Sunday, Monday, etc.), because such an effort is impractical. So, if you pick up any calendar from 1942-1945 and compare it with some of the dates listed here, you might find more than a few discrepancies. Anyone who wants to go to that extent is welcome to do so.


 * Priority is given to dating information in spoken dialogue first, spoken inferences second, then dates printed on signs and other documents, then inferences in printed materials, and so on.


 * Every effort has been made to take into consideration events referenced in previous episodes or side stories that take place across several episodes. Examples include Klink and Schultz's flirting with various barmaids at the Hofbrau (multiple episodes), SS Major Hochstetter's arrival in Bavaria and his eventual appointment as regional police chief (various), the state of affairs on the Russian front (various), and so on.


 * Whenever there is a contradiction between multiple dating references within a given episode, then the spoken word is usually given the most weight in determining dates. The dialogue tends to better fit with real-world events than do the various prop signs and placards, especially the ones in the background (the infamous VERBOTEN sign, for example), which tended to be used across multiple episodes and thus can confuse any serious attempt at dating. Remember, most of these -- save the ones intended for the viewers, like the "Great Escapes of 1943" placard -- are nothing more than set dressing with authentic period props. They were never meant to be seen up close, and can thus be safely ignored for dating purposes.


 * The changing layout of the camp, buildings, other landmarks, and building interiors - such as Klink's office and quarters - across seasons is ignored. This was due to TV production requirements, story issues, etc.


 * The presence of snow is generally ignored, unless it is mentioned in the dialogue or plays a significant part in the story. This was a production decision, so wardrobes and sets would not have to reflect seasonal changes.


 * Likewise, other minor production issues - Bob Crane's prominent gray temples in the sixth season, the gradual fading of the colors of Klink's uniform, as well as Carter's (his leather flying jacket completely replaced in the sixth season), damage to the insignia on Schultz's helmet in some episodes, etc - are also ignored.


 * The same actor playing different parts in different episodes is as a rule ignored, unless some significance can be made of it. The best example of this is Howard Caine's early guest appearance as SS Colonel Feldkamp. This has been put before his semi-regular role as SS Major Hochstetter. The character of Feldkamp, an SS officer stationed in Bavaria before Hochstetter's arrival, is established by other episodes. On the other hand, Caine's second guest role as Wehrmacht artillery officer Major Keitel is placed in its proper historical context, which is after Hochstetter has already appeared on the scene. Another example is actress Arlene Martel, who had a semi-recurring role as Tiger, one of the key resistance leaders. She also played different resistance operatives in two other episodes, which some fans tend to retcon as appearances by Tiger under other names (see footnote 2). A good example of the normal situation for guest stars is John Hoyt's multiple appearances as various German officers. None of these are connected in any way, as each episode makes clear he is playing a completely different character.

Events Before The Series
c.1200

Drums Along The Dusseldorf
 * Newkirk will claim descent from Sir Robin of Locksley, aka Robin Hood.

c.1440s

''Oil for the Lamps of Hogan. He says his family name is 500 years old, "and now I will finally have some money to go with it!"''
 * The Klink family becomes part of the poorer Prussian nobility.

c.1840s

''Guess Who Came To Dinner. Klink says it's over 100 years old.''
 * The Klink family obtains the china that it will use for special dinners and formal occasions.

1863

Killer Klink
 * Oscar Schnitzer's father is born.

c.1870s (?)

Drums Along The Dusseldorf
 * Carter's Sioux grandfather fights alongside Chief Sitting Bull in the Indian Wars during the days of the American Wild West.

c.late 1880s or early 1890s (?)

''Cupid Comes to Stalag 13. Date is an educated guess.''
 * Alfred Hans Burkhalter is born. He has at least one sister, who is named Gertrude.

1893

''The Gypsy, Praise the Führer and Pass the Ammunition. BTW, Klink has a middle initial, per Bombsight, but we never find out what it is. Wolfgang is named in The Gypsy. Klink has two family portraits on his desk - one of two boys and one of a young girl. The two boys are most likely himself and his brother, so it follows that the young girl is his sister. In the pilot The Informer there are actually three pictures. From right to left, these are most likely his father, him and Wolfgang, and said sister.''
 * Wilhelm Klink is born in Leipzig in late April or early May. He has at least one sibling, a brother named Wolfgang, and possibly another - a sister.

1896

''Killer Klink. Middle name comes from the German dub of the series.''
 * Hans Georg Schultz is born.

1900 ''Hogan Gives a Birthday Party, Happy Birthday Dear Hogan, Axis Annie, My Favorite Prisoner. Middle initial comes from his bomber jacket. Timeline analysis seems to indicate that his birthday was on or around 4 April, but a fudge factor has been allowed for future researchers.''
 * Robert E. Hogan is born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, during the 1st week of April.

1903

To the Gestapo with Love, Is There a Doctor in the House, What Time Does the Balloon Go Up?, implied.
 * Louis LeBeau is born somewhere on the French Riviera. His father is a railroad worker. His family is moderately wealthy, and his mother has a concierge who takes all calls. His grandmother is a midwife. He has eleven brothers and sisters.

c.1905-1914

Hogan's Double Life, Klink's Old Flame, The Big Picture, Kommandant of the Year
 * Klink's family has moved to Düsseldorf by this time. He attends the local gymnasium (secondary school). Among his friends at the time is a future general, Mulendorf, and the lovely Maria Schnieder, with whom he has a brief but memorable romance. He graduates 43rd in his class.

1908

The Prince from the Phone Company, Is General Hammerschlag Burning?
 * James Ivan Kinchloe is born in Detroit, Michigan.

1909

The Flight of the Valkyrie, Go Light on the Heavy Water
 * Peter Newkirk is born somewhere in England. His father is English and his mother is Welsh. He has six brothers and sisters. One of his sisters is named Mavis.

c.1910-1918

The Empty Parachute
 * Hogan admitted to being something of a wild child in his youth. Among his many accomplishments was the artful vandalism of posters and billboards.

1913

Everybody Loves a Snowman, Drums Along the Düsseldorf, The Purchasing Plan
 * Andrew J. Carter is born somewhere near Bullfrog, North Dakota which according to him is "just a suburb of Crabapple Junction." He is the eldest of two brothers and is part Sioux Indian.

1914 Kommandant of the Year. Ironic, because in later years he actually became a halfway decent bookkeeper. This could be seen as one of the few handicaps that he recognized and worked to overcome.''
 * Klink fails the qualifying exams for law, medicine, and bookkeeping.''

Kommandant of the Year, Hogan's Double Life, The Safecracker Suite
 * Klink's uncle, the barber for the mayor of Düsseldorf, uses his political connections to wrangle for his nephew an appointment by the Kaiser to the military academy at Potsdam.

Hello, Zollie, The Safecracker Suite, Cupid Comes to Stalag 13, Klink's Rocket, Man in a Box
 * Klink will later have fond memories of his brief "university days" prior to the outbreak of World War I. His friend Mulendorf, who is destined to become a general during the next war, attends Potsdam with him. Also in his class are a number of other future generals, such as von Stofle, Heidelman, Kronman, and von Lintzer. Klink is given a dueling scar by von Stofle at this time. Klink's favorite instructor is one Colonel Schlessman, whose saying "authority is a dangerous thing in the hands of fools" he will remember for life.

Hogan's Double Life
 * Klink's class is graduated early due to the outbreak of World War I. He places 95th in his class.

World War I (1914-1918)
Hello, Zollie, Will the Blue Baron Strike Again?, The Missing Klink, How to Escape from a Prison Camp Without Even Trying, photos on wall of Klink's office, medals on uniform.
 * Klink volunteers for the fledgling German Air Force despite a lifelong fear of flying. One of the members of his squadron is the future General von Stofle, who will remember him fondly. In stark contrast, he will be remembered with contempt by the famed Blue Baron, Manfred von Richter, with whom he collides during what is later described as "a routine training flight" on 4 August 1917. Klink will walk away from the crash uninjured, while the Blue Baron will suffer from a pronounced limp for the rest of his life. The plane Klink seems to have flown the most during the war was the Fokker D.VII - a picture of which he will still have over 20 years later. His nickname among his fellow pilots is the Iron Eagle. Klink will eventually win both the Iron Cross First Class and the Pour le Merite for valor in combat - the reasons for which are never disclosed during the series. This is the start of Klink's military career.

The Rise and Fall of Sergeant Schultz.
 * Schultz is drafted into the Imperial German Army. He eventually winds up in the Ardennes in the thick of the fighting, where he saves the life of Lieutenant Kammler, his company commander, during a fierce firefight. It is a deed of bravery that the future General Kammler will never forget.

(medals on uniform)
 * Burkhalter, as a young officer in the Imperial German Army, wins the Iron Cross First Class for valor in combat.

1919 - 1939
''The Late Inspector General, Is General Hammerschlag Burning?, Cupid Comes to Stalag 13, War Takes a Holiday, Easy Come, Easy Go, Don't Forget to Write, Kommandant of the Year, The Great Impersonation, Will the Blue Baron Strike Again?, Will the Real Adolf Please Stand Up?, The Rise and Fall of Sergeant Schultz, Man in a Box, medals on uniform. Service with the Condor Legion is implied, based on Klink's statement in Some of Their Planes Are Missing that he has not achieved ANY flight combat experience to date during World War II. He had to get those medals from somewhere, folks, and the only candidate for combat action within this timeframe is the Spanish Civil War.''
 * Klink rises rapidly through the ranks of the post-war German Army (Reichswehr). During this time he serves as an instructor at the German War College, where one of his pupils is a future general named Hammerschlag. His crowning achievement is to make the rank of colonel in 1923 - largely due to the influence of his brother's wife. It is the last promotion he will receive in his military career. In between the wars he will spend most of his time as a bookkeeper, until he is "borrowed" by the German Air Sports League (the disguised German Air Force) due to his flight skills. He switches services once the Luftwaffe's existence is declared and is given a full-grade transfer. Klink qualifies as a bomber pilot with the new Heinkel He-111 and serves as a senior officer with the 410th Bomber Squadron. Klink's squadron is rotated through the Condor Legion, fighting in the Spanish Civil War, and this will be the last combat action in which Klink participates. During this tour of duty, his squadron is involved in the accidental bombing of a village, and he orders them to go on their way "as if nothing happened." About this time, or not long after, Klink's eyesight deteriorates in his left eye, and he is grounded. He will wear a monocle for the rest of his life. For his valor in combat he will receive a bar to his Iron Cross and the Luftwaffe Ground Combat Badge. Klink works for a time as a Luftwaffe tower dispatcher "due to his resonant voice" at many airbases, including Stuttgart. The thing he will remember most during this brief period is his getting the chance to meet the Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler, in person at a party rally in Munich. The outbreak of World War II finds Klink in Berlin, awaiting his next assignment.

''Killer Klink, The Prince from the Phone Company, War Takes a Holiday, Top Hat, White Tie and Bomb Sight, The Rise and Fall of Sergeant Schultz, The Purchasing Plan, The Informer. Schultz's date of re-enlistment comes from Clearance Sale on the Black Market.''
 * Schultz marries a young fräulein named Gretchen. After the wedding they settle down in Heidelberg, where they have five children. Schultz leaves the military and goes into private business. He eventually becomes involved with the Schatze Toy Company, and by 1939 he will be its president. A cheerful fellow whose only vices are beer, girls, and gambling, he is a typical German businessman. In politics, he is a Social Democrat in public and an avowed monarchist in private. When Hitler comes to power, Schultz's position makes him a natural target for the Nazi Party. His business is taken from him and he is left without any income. His wife Gretchen gets a job in a munitions plant disguised as a man. Their bad situation puts a noticeable strain on their marriage. Eventually, in 1939, just before the war begins, Schultz is forced to re-enlist in order to help provide some means for his family. His age and weight bar him from the front lines, but the Reich finds his past experience useful. He is reinstated to his former rank of staff sergeant and passed on to the Luftwaffe for a posting. When Germany invades Poland, Schultz is at home with his wife in Heidelberg.

''Implied, uniform. When we first see Burkhalter in The Informer, he is wearing an infantry colonel's uniform. The next time we see him, and for the rest of the series, he wears the uniform of an infantry general.''
 * Burkhalter remains with the German Army between the wars, rising to the rank of colonel in the infantry of the Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic.

''The Defector, The Missing Klink, medals on uniform. Most fans believe that Hochstetter earned his Iron Cross either in Poland or during one of Hitler's "peaceful" occupations of his neighboring countries, although the series itself never says.''
 * Wolfgang Hochstetter joins the Nazi Party in 1931. He soon finds a home in its growing SS branch, and quickly rises through its ranks. His specialty is cryptography, and he will graduate crypto school as the top man in his unit. He also sees combat prior to World War II, and for this he is given the Iron Cross, First Class.

''Hogan's Double Life, Easy Come, Easy Go, Hogan Gives a Birthday Party, Never Play Cards With Strangers, To the Gestapo with Love, The Battle of Stalag 13, The Prince from the Phone Company, Klink vs. The Gonculator, Will the Blue Baron Strike Again? In Easy Come, Easy Go Hogan quipped about not being promised any girls "at the induction center." His age would put his induction date in 1918, at the end of World War I, while the draft was still in effect. Hogan and Kinch discuss the football game while Kinch is disguised as Prince Maka Bana in The Prince from the Phone Company. There was no reason for Hogan to lie, since Klink wouldn't have known any better and Kinch could have easily followed Hogan's lead in establishing that "Maka Bana" knew Hogan well. Carter's home was in Muncie per German Bridge is Falling Down. While it's a bit of a stretch that he and Hogan might have bumped into each other before the war, it's at least conceivable given the geography.''
 * Hogan is drafted by the U.S. Army for service in 1918, near the end of the war. It is the beginning of a lifelong military career. He joins the fledgling Air Corps, taking his pre-flight training in Palm Springs, California, and graduates third in his class from flight school. As he moves up in the ranks of the Army Air Corps, he quickly gains a reputation as an able officer, excellent pilot, and skilled strategist. Most of his assignments are in the American Midwest, where many of the Army's top flight schools and training facilities are located at this time. He will claim both Cleveland, Ohio and Milwaukee, Wisconsin as home at various times during this period and also makes regular visits to Indianapolis, Indiana. Hogan gains a reputation as a ladies' man at this time, but he never lets this interfere with his duties. It is fairly certain that Hogan first met Kinch during this time, most likely in the late 1930s or early 1940s, after Kinch had joined the Army, and Hogan will later recall going to the Army-Notre Dame football game with him. It is also possible that he might have bumped into Carter at this time, since Carter's business in Muncie was within Hogan's general area of postings. By the time the war begins Hogan is claiming Cleveland as his home, although he has been assigned to the Pentagon, which is still under construction.

''The Prince from the Phone Company, Is General Hammerschlag Burning?, The Softer They Fall. Hogan befriending Kinch before the war is implied. They both lived in the Midwest, they were both in the Army, Hogan was a pilot and Kinch was trained as a navigator, Kinch knows as much as - if not more - of HH's operations as does Hogan himself, and so on.''
 * Kinch grows up in his home town of Detroit. As a teenager, he gets a job as a plumber's helper. He has a crush on the local school beauty, Carol Dukes (and she for him, although he doesn't know it), but he is too shy to tell her about it and the opportunity slips away. In spite of this, Kinch is a good athlete and is also an experienced boxer, having once fought in the Golden Gloves tournament. After graduation, Kinch finds a job working for Bell Telephone. Seeing which way the wind was blowing, Kinch enlisted in the Army (some accounts say he was drafted) and despite the racism at the time rises to the rank of staff sergeant. He apparently ran into Hogan at some point shortly before the war, and the two quickly developed a deep friendship. Hogan respected Kinch's skills, and would make sure that his Afro-American friend and fellow soldier would be with him when HH was organized.

The Informer, The Safecracker Suite, Monkey Business, Drums Along the Dusseldorf, Diamonds in the Rough.
 * A youthful Peter Newkirk rises to fame as a stage magician, working British playhouses both large and small. At one point he joins up with a traveling circus. He also becomes an expert impressionist, pickpocket, and safecracker - learning the last under the tutelage of England's best, Alfie the Artist. While on the vaudeville circuit he rooms for a time with an act known as the Amazing Bloomingtons - Freddie the chimpanzee and George his trainer. Like Hogan, he earns a reputation as a ladies' man. One of his girlfriends during this period he will later describe as "a duchess" who was "just crazy about diamonds." Not long before the onset of war, he will hook up with a beautiful and popular fan dancer named Rita Tottingham, who will remain his girlfriend "back at home" throughout the conflict.

''Hold That Tiger, Is There a Traitor in the House?, Anchors Aweigh, Men of Stalag 13, To the Gestapo with Love, Reverend Kommandant Klink, Drums Along the Düsseldorf, Monkey Business, Operation Hannibal. One gets the impression that LeBeau is the renaissance man of HH. All this from one short and unassuming Frenchman!''
 * LeBeau grows up as a typical young Frenchman - passionate about his country, revelling in good food, and desirous of beautiful women. Unlike most of his countrymen though, LeBeau learns many diverse skills between the wars - gourmet chef, boatbuilder, railroad lineman, vaudeville perfomer, winemaker, and so on. He is also an experienced adventurer, when he finds the time to travel. He can shoot as well as any big game hunter and is also a skilled mountain climber.

Everybody Loves a Snowman, No Names Please, Drums Along the Düsseldorf, To the Gestapo with Love, German Bridge is Falling Down, Request Permission to Escape, The Purchasing Plan, Color the Luftwaffe Red, The Scientist.
 * As a youth, Carter wins a snowman building contest. He also joins the Boy Scouts, and is formally inducted as a member of the Sioux Nation at the appropriate age. As a student at Rutherford B. Hayes Polytechnic, he hated the school so much that he tried to blow it up using his rapidly developing chemistry skills. He did not succeed, but he did manage to destroy the chemistry lab, the cafeteria, and the balcony in the school auditorium. Eventually, he somehow managed to stay out of trouble long enough to graduate high school, earned a degree from a local business school, and got a job running a drugstore in Muncie, Indiana. In his spare time he studies for the state pharmaceutical exam, and he has aspirations of someday becoming a brain surgeon. He even has a girlfriend, Mary Jane, to whom he will be "practically engaged" by the time the war rolls around.


 * Rodney Crittendon earns a promotion to Group Captain (i.e "Colonel") in the British Royal Air Force, c.1930. It is the last promotion he will receive - and for largely the same reasons as Klink's career stall. The Flight of the Valkyrie

The Safecracker Suite
 * Alfred Burke, aka "Alfie the Artist," begins his lifelong career as a safecracker. By the time of World War II he will be the best in all the British Empire.

The Assassin
 * The future Dr. Vanetti is a classmate of Enrico Fermi during the latter's 1920 semester spent at the University of Gottingen.

Is General Hammerschlag Burning?
 * Carol Dukes leaves America and emigrates to France, where she becomes a popular torch singer named Kumasa. She is bitter at America for the racism prevalent in the era, which would not acknowledge her talents in her homeland.

c.1932-1933
''Bad Day in Berlin. Morrison's career is somewhat at odds with actual history, but every effort has been made to make it fit as best as possible.''
 * Robert J. Morrison, an intelligence officer in the U.S. Army, has until now posed as Hans Keppel, a German-American who has open sympathy with the Nazi Party and has joined the German-American Bund. He is approached by the Abwehr and allows himself to be recruited as a German intelligence agent, thus beginning a career with the German Army that will have lasted for almost 10 years by the time he meets Hogan in Berlin. Maintaining his cover, he soon emigrates to Germany and works openly for the Nazis, renouncing his American citizenship in the process. By the time of the series Morrison will be working as a major in German Army Intelligence.

After 1933 but before 1939

Man in a Box
 * Klink takes his aging mother on a canoeing excursion as part of a Strengh Through Joy summer trip. While on the trip, he will lose a pillow that was embroidered by her with Colonel Schlessman's saying about authority.

D-Day at Stalag 13
 * The future Lili von Schieder, a British intelligence agent, is inserted into Germany as a wealthy expatriate socialite.

''The Big Dish. It's possible that Lady Stanford was part of the Cliveden Set; ref. Lady Chitterly's Lover.''
 * Lady Valerie Stanford, a gifted British electronics expert who is thought by many as somewhat unstable, goes to Germany to further her education. She will remain there after war breaks out.

My Favorite Prisoner
 * Baroness von Krimm becomes a Gestapo agent.

1936
Bad Day In Berlin
 * Hogan buys a motorcycle for off-duty recreation.

1938
''Implied. The closeness of Hammelburg is shown in multiple episodes. Also, the camp already had to be built or at least partially built by 1939 in order for it to begin accepting prisoners at war's start.''
 * Stalag 13 begins construction. It is built on a small plain near the city of Hammelburg.

1939
Go Light on the Heavy Water
 * Newkirk's father was unemployed prior to the start of the war.

''To the Gestapo with Love, implied. In real life, the French began full mobilization shortly before the outbreak of World War II. One of the few things we never see LeBeau do is fly a plane.''
 * LeBeau is drafted into the French military. He will eventually wind up as a corporal in the ground support services of the French Air Force.

1 September 1939, actual historical date
 * Germany invades Poland; World War II begins.

The Rise and Fall of Sergeant Schultz
 * Klink is in Berlin when the war breaks out. Schultz is at home in Heidelberg with his wife. Since neither is fit to serve in front-line combat, both are reassigned to a new prison camp that is opening just outside of Hammelburg.

medals on uniform
 * Burkhalter, at this time a colonel, serves as an infantry commander during the Polish campaign, and distinguishes himself in combat. For this he will receive the 1939 Clasp to his Iron Cross, First Class, and will also receive a Wound Badge.

medals on uniform
 * Hochstetter distinguishes himself during the Polish campaign, and is wounded in combat. For this he receives the 1939 Clasp to his Iron Cross, a Wound Badge, and the War Merit Cross.

''The Sergeant's Analyst, Clearance Sale on the Black Market, comparison of the camp map on Klink's office wall with the one Carter later makes for Hogan and the actual exterior sets. The lack of on-site medical facilities is mentioned off-hand in some episodes, most notably Bad Day in Berlin and How to Catch a Papa Bear. The prisoners having their own infirmary is implied by Sergeant Wilson, who was HH's medic, per Operation Briefcase. The planned size of the camp is confirmed by two things: the map in Klink's office, and the fact that he orders 5000 wooden plates for use - presumably by the prisoners - in Hogan's Hofbrau. The wall separating the built part of the camp from the unbuilt part can be seen in many episodes; if you look out its gate, you can see the main gate of the camp. Beyond this wall is where the motor pool was relocated in later seasons; hence the notion of the area being used as a storage depot. Some fans have theorized that the wall may have actually been put up during the war, due to the events of The Flight of the Valkyrie. The real reason it was there was to hide the employee parking lot during long shots of the lot, from the gates, where the camp exterior sets were located. The actor who plays Klink's adjutant in The Informer is never named, and is unique to the episode. However, it does establish that Captain Gruber was a later addition to the staff of Stalag 13.''
 * Stalag 13 opens for business (mid to late September?). Wilhelm Klink will be its one and only commandant, and Hans Schultz will be its one and only senior staff sergeant. Klink is also given an adjutant, although there will be many others in the years to come. The camp is still incomplete, but is planned to have a maximum capacity of some 1500 prisoners. It will never achieve this due to the needs of the war, housing at most only 100 or so, with the rest of the camp being walled off and used most of the time as a storage depot. Among the things that never get built is any kind of real medical facility, even for the guards, although the prisoners themselves will establish a basic infirmary.

Langenscheidt is a recurring background character.
 * Karl Langenscheidt, a corporal in the Luftwaffe ground forces, is assigned to Stalag 13 as a camp guard.

''The Informer, Hogan Gives a Birthday Party. Helga is very eager to help HH and appears to have been far more involved in their operations than Hilda. She is the only one of Klink's two secretaries who knows about the tunnels, for example. Hilda lives not far from Stalag 13, per It's Dynamite and Hogan's Trucking Service. She is able to walk home and one of the area maps seen in the series shows a small village or garrison within walking distance of the camp. The fact that she was ordered to work at the camp she notes herself in Klink's Rocket.''
 * Hilda and Helga, two local Bavarian women, are assigned to Stalag 13 as secretaries to Colonel Klink. Hilda is the senior secretary, and Helga the junior. Both initially resent their jobs, and Hilda will later say that she was ordered to take it, but they make the most of it.

''Implied. Schnitzer is a recurring background character. Members of his family show up now and again in various episodes, always helping him and HH in whatever mission is underway.''
 * Oskar Schnitzer, a Hammelburg dog kennel owner and qualified vet, earns the contract to provide guard dogs for Stalag 13. He has deep hatred for the Nazis, as does his entire family, and will be ripe for recruiting once HH shows up during the war.

''Implied. Newkirk mentions the draft in Hold That Tiger. He is familiar with aircraft but is not a pilot, ref. Hogan Gives a Birthday Party. This implies that he has worked with them at some point.''
 * Newkirk is drafted into the British military. He eventually winds up as a corporal in the RAF, working with ground support personnel.

1940
implied
 * Burkhalter will serve a brief stint in the Luft Stalag organization at this time before being transferred to a combat assignment. It is during this time that he will meet and begin his relationship (you can't really call it friendship) with Klink.

Will the Blue Baron Strike Again? The producers probably intended the WWI battle but this is impossible due to the date of the accident that injured von Richter's leg. What Klink was doing at the Second Battle of Verdun is anybody's guess, but the dialogue says that they last met at Verdun. That's another likely candidate for where he got his Luftwaffe Ground Combat Badge, since he made clear in Some of Their Planes Are Missing that he was not involved in any aerial combat during WWII. Alternatively, some fans have speculated that Verdun was the place where Klink and von Richter had their crash during World War I.''
 * Klink will be briefly reunited with Manfred von Richter at the Second Battle of Verdun, during the fall of France.''

''I Look Better in Basic Black. Newkirk has been a POW longer than any other member of HH.''
 * Newkirk is assigned to the British Expeditionary Force and sent to France. He is captured by the Germans during the fall of France, probably in May of 1940.

Cuisine à la Stalag 13, Bad Day in Berlin, cross of Lorraine patch on uniform
 * LeBeau is captured near Salon, France, not long before France surrenders to Germany - most likely in June of 1940 - or just after, before Germany orders the Vichy régime to stand down the soldiers still fighting (July 10th). At some point he hears that Free French use the cross of Lorraine as a symbol of resistance and stitches it on his sleeve under his corporal's chevrons. At first he is a prisoner of the Gestapo, who at one point string him up by his thumbs during interrogation. Eventually, he is turned over to the Luftwaffe for incarceration in a POW camp.

Don't Forget to Write, rank patch on uniform
 * Having enough sense to see which way the winds of war are blowing, Carter enlists in the U.S. Army Air Corps. By the time that America joins the war, he will have risen to the rank of technical sergeant. His specialty is explosives. On the other hand, his good friend Charlie is a draft dodger, who will hide under the front porch of his home for two years until the draft board catches up with him.

The Scientist
 * Dr. Henri Dubois (no relation to Maurice Dubois) and his daughter Marie are captured by the Germans during the fall of France. As he will admit later, he keeps them both alive for the next three years by pretending to collaborate with the Germans, wasting his time frittering away on useless experiments.

''Nights in Shining Armor. Dubois gives the date in the episode. Dubois is a semi-recurring character in the series.''
 * Lt. Maurice Dubois, a fighter pilot with the French Air Force, is shot down by the Germans two days before the surrender of France. He is forced to bail out over Belgium. Reasoning that he would be more easily captured if he tried to go back to France, he instead sneaks into Germany. He will lend his talents to the French and German resistance movements for the next few years.

22 June 1940, actual historical date.
 * France formally surrenders to Germany.

Hogan and the Lady Doctor
 * Dr. Suzanne Lechay, a prominent French expert in synthetic fuels, is taken prisoner by the Germans. She is quickly shipped off to Germany to help with its own synthetic fuel production efforts.

1941
''"The Informer," "Will The Blue Baron Strike Again," "Cupid Comes To Stalag 13," et al, medals on uniform. He is constantly reminding Klink about the horrors of the Russian front, which he saw for himself.''
 * Burkhalter is one of many German officers who participate in Operation Barbarossa - Hitler's spectacular yet ultimately doomed effort to conquer all of European Russia. He will later describe the opening day of the campaign as "the most fun" he ever had in his life. Later, though, as the seasons change and Russian resistance stiffens, the hard fighting takes its toll on him. His brother-in-law and fellow officer, Otto Linkmeyer, is lost in combat and declared missing in action. He witnesses firsthand the power of the Russian winter and the horrors of winter fighting with troops not properly equipped to do so. He is wounded in the closing days of Barbarossa and sent back to Germany to recover in a rest camp. For his valor in combat he will receive the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross.

"Klink Versus The Gonculator," "Will The Blue Baron Strike Again?"
 * Hogan is assigned to work at the Pentagon, despite the fact that it is still under construction. This assignment will be changed once America enters the war.

''"Is General Hammerschlag Burning," rank on uniform. Friendship implied in multiple episodes.''
 * Kinch joins the U.S. Army - or is drafted, according to at least one account. His old flame Carol Dukes, now living in France, is aware of this. He will eventually rise to the rank of staff sergeant. He is befriended by Hogan around this time or not long after.

"The Flame Grows Higher," "I Look Better In Basic Black"
 * Newkirk is sent to Stalag 13. He is the first of the future members of HH to arrive there.

"Cuisine à la Stalag 13. He arrived after Newkirk because of his being detained by the Gestapo for a time.
 * LeBeau is sent to Stalag 13.

''"The Informer," also implied by historical events. He can't arrive until Operation Barbarossa, during which he was most likely captured.''
 * Victor Minsk arrives at Stalag 13.

"D-Day At Stalag 13"
 * Baron von Schieder, the future Chief of the German General Staff, marries his wife Lili. He has no idea of her true identity as a deep cover British intelligence agent. The British have cut all contact with her, fearing for her life, thus leaving her alone and isolated in a land full of enemies. Marrying von Schieder provides her with at least some sense of security.

7 December 1941, actual historical date.
 * The Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, forcing the United States to enter World War II.

1942
''"Hogan Gives A Birthday Party," "The General Swap," "The Meister Spy," "Easy Come, Easy Go," "To The Gestapo With Love," "Two Nazis For The Price Of One." In real life the 504th was not formed until the middle of the war, but it obviously existed at this point in the world of the series.'' ''Implied. Code name comes from "How To Cook A German Goose By Radar." Kinch's presence is difficult to reconcile with the racism prevalent in the American military at the time, but one can probably credit Hogan's personal charm with winning the day. Most likely, he pointed out that Kinch would become the first black POW of the war, and that would be quite a prize in Hitler's hat - thus explaining the startled stare that Biedenbender gives Kinch later on in "Hogan Gives a Birthday Party. Hogan's orders with regards to HH are given in various forms in "Request Permission to Escape," and "The Collector General." Hogan roughly confirms his own date of insertion in "Axis Annie," Klink confirms it in "Operation Hannibal," and Hogan does it again in "Rockets and Romance."''
 * On 19 January 1942, the American Eighth Bomber Command is established in England at Fieldstone. Its primary mission is to fly daylight bombing raids against German targets in Europe, while the RAF continues with its night bombing campaign. Commanding the Eighth is General Aloysius Barton. Attached to the Eighth is the 504th Bomb Group, commanded by Hogan. Hogan's second and chief of operations is Lt. Colonel Pruitt. Among the missions he will fly before he is shot down is a bombing raid against a secret U-boat base at Bremen.
 * A plan is hatched to help downed Allied airman escape German hands by running an underground network out of the most unlikely of places: a German POW camp. Hogan is placed in charge of making this plan work, and his good friend Kinch is his first recruit. The plan is for them to allow themselves to be shot down during a future bombing raid, after which they will be sent to the camp in question and set up their organization - code-name Unsung Heroes. The choice of code name is ironic, since due to their situation they must never receive public credit for their work. Hogan's orders are to help Allied prisoners to escape, cooperate with friendly forces, and use every means to injure, harass, and sabotage the enemy. The POW camp in question, that will serve as their base of operations, is Stalag 13.


 * Hedy von Behler, daughter of General von Behler of the Führer’s strategic planning staff and a member of the anti-Hitler conspiracy, begins feeding the Allies high-grade intel on German troop movements. "Operation Hannibal"

"The Big Dish"
 * Lady Valerie Stanford begins helping the Germans advance the state of their radar technology, which is not as advanced as the British.

"Hogan Gives A Birthday Party"
 * General Biedenbender, one of the Luftwaffe's top officers, begins taking note of the combat tactics of the 504th Bomb Group. He learns that its commander is Hogan, and begins planning a way to use the man's own tactics against him.

"Don't Forget To Write."
 * Carter's friend Charlie is finally caught by the draft board.

''"Happy Birthday Dear Hogan," rest implied. Date of Hogan's shoot-down comes from an actual historic bombing raid that roughly fits the event as described in the series.''
 * As planned, Hogan and Kinch are shot down during an American daylight bombing raid - most likely the one on Hamburg on 28-29 July 1942. Biedenbender's fighter squadrons are at hand doing the shooting, and the proud German general claims credit for downing Hogan. Hogan and Kinch are soon sent to Stalag 13, where they quickly set up HH by recruiting the prisoners incarcerated there. To their delight, they find that the prisoners have already dug a number of escape tunnels, and they work this into their own plans.

"The Informer"
 * Among Hogan's recruits for HH at Stalag 13 are the men that will become his key support personnel in the months and years to come: Newkirk, expert thief and voice impersonator; LeBeau, whose wide-ranging talents prove most useful, especially his culinary wowing of their warders; and Minsk, HH's first tailor.

''Implied. Hogan talks about Schultz's recruitment in "Happiness Is A Warm Sergeant," and Schultz agonizes over his predicament in "Anchors Aweigh, Men of Stalag 13." Schnitzer's co-operation is established in the pilot episode, "The Informer," as is Helga's. Langenscheidt's cooperation with HH is first seen in "Art For Hogan's Sake." We know that not all the tunnels were finished due to "Bad Day In Berlin," because the tunnel to Klink's quarters is implied to be unavailable in that story. Most of the tunnel network was in place, though, per "The Informer." Many fans have surmised that HH found and expanded a small cave system that ran under the camp. This theory would certainly explain how they got so many tunnels that were so large in so short a time! HH doesn't appear to commit its first act of overt sabotage outside the camp until late fall of 1942, in "The Tower."''
 * Among Hogan's recruits for HH from the camp personnel and local Germans are Helga, Klink's junior secretary; and Oskar Schnitzer, the camp dog provider - whose regular trips in and out of the camp are critical until the tunnel network can be finished. Through them, he makes contact with the German and French resistance movements, and they aid him in his efforts. Two others on whom Hogan is working prove harder nuts to crack, but he eventually wins them over. They are Hilda, Klink's senior secretary; and Schultz, senior camp sergeant. Hogan will later comment that "it took six months for us to convince Schultz to look the other way," but he soon wins Hilda as he did her junior Helga. Schultz's co-operation with HH will later convince Corporal Langenscheidt to behave in a similar manner. Thanks to the help of his personnel and contacts - and with Schultz, Langenscheidt, and Klink's secretaries turning the obliging blind eye - Hogan is able to get HH up and running on a operational basis within two months - right under Klink's nose! Even so, some of his more ambitious plans, such as regional sabotage, have to wait a while longer.

''This was the series pilot and has several minor differences from the series proper. I won't go into these here, save that in this story Carter is an officer, a lieutenant rescued by HH and sent back to England. I'm assuming this is a different Carter even though both are played by Larry Hovis. Its inclusion in this timeline is for reference purposes only.''
 * The events on which "The Informer" is based appear to take place in early September of 1942.

Between Pilot and Series
''Comparison of the uniform he wears in "The Informer" with the one he wears in the series proper. Somebody in production probably reasoned he didn't have enough shirt salad for a colonel. He was awarded the Citation of Merit by General Stauffen in "Operation Briefcase."''
 * Klink receives at least one new medal, which he will wear from this point on. This is the last he will earn until he receives the Citation of Merit, Second Class, in 1944.

''"Kommandant of the Year" is the first episode productionwise in which Burkhalter's new rank is mentioned, although he does not appear himself. When we next see him, he is wearing a general's uniform. Also, Burkhalter's position as head of the Luft Stalag Organization is mentioned several times in the series.''
 * Burkhalter is promoted to the rank of general and placed in charge of the Luft Stalag Organization.

"Request Permission To Escape," "Hold That Tiger," implied
 * Carter arrives at Stalag 13, the last of the HH team to arrive. He is brought in by Hogan himself.

Other Events of Note (1943-1945)
''Information Please. Important for understanding why Klink would occasionally offer work to HH, and even pay them for it.''
 * The labor shortage in Germany becomes so severe that by 1942 Klink is authorized to accept volunteers from his prisoners.

It is not certain exactly when Gruber arrived, but he was definitely at the camp by early 1944. Gruber was a semi-recurring background character beginning with the third season.''
 * Captain Fritz Gruber is assigned as the new second-in-command at Stalag 13. He will remain there, save for occasional leaves of absence forced upon him by General Burkhalter for various reasons, for the rest of the war.''

Annotations
HH - Hogan's Heroes, aka the Unsung Heroes, et al. xx - exact dates uncertain

early - early part of the month mid - middle of the month late - late part of the month

C - continuity reference from another episode or other episodes D - chronological reference in dialogue H - historical reference, either mentioned or is focus of story P - real-world historical figure appears as part of the story V - visual dating reference of some kind

1942 Episodes
Start of series proper (gap to allow for Carter's arrival, Burkhalter's promotion, et al) 1-episode gap covering 31 October to 1 November 1942 2-3 episode gap covering Christmas 1942

1943 Episodes
2-3 episode gap covering 11-19 January 1943 Gaps amounting to 12 episodes or so total, at any time, during the summer of 1943

1944 Episodes
15-17 April 1944 - Unfilmed adventure with Tiger, as mentioned in "Operation Tiger" (10) 6-10 June 1944 - Second half of "No Names, Please" (9)

1945 Episodes
Up to 8 episodes from most of January 1945 through mid-February 1945 The rest of 1945 is clear up to Stalag 13's liberation date - but there is one historical event of note during this period. (H - General Patton's first failed attempt to liberate Luft-Stalag XIII occured near the end of March 1945 - hence the late February 1945 date for the end of the series in this timeline.)

After The Series
1945 - Luft Stalag 13 is liberated by the US Army's 14th Division 6 April 1945 - date of liberation for real-life Luft-Stalag XIII.

AFTER THE WAR (all speculation, of course)....

- Hogan finally gives Captain Kurtz the punch in the nose he's been saving for him for after the war. Everyone Has a Brother-in-Law

- Hogan marries Hilda and moves to Cleveland, Ohio. The Top Secret Top Coat, To the Gestapo with Love

- The Hogans visit Hollywood at the personal invitation of actor Byron Buckles. Hogan Goes Hollywood

- Kinch is reunited with Carol Dukes, aka Kumasa. Is General Hammerschlag Burning? She promised to return to America after the war.

- Kinch is reunited with Prince Maka Bana's wife during a visit she makes to Toledo, Ohio. ''The Prince from the Phone Company. Just how he worked things out with himself, Kumasa, and the princess would be a story in and of itself!''

- Newkirk is reunited with his long-suffering girlfriend, fan dancer Rita Tottingham. Drums Along the Dusseldorf, Is There a Traitor in the House?

- LeBeau adopts some of Stalag 13's former guard dogs as his own. Operation Briefcase

- After a period of detention by the Allies, possibly even incarceration for his actions during the Spanish Civil War, Klink returns to civilian life. He is spectacularly unsuccessful in his efforts to start his own business, despite ambitious plans for working in the armaments industry in postwar Germany. Eventually, he humbles himself and begs a bookkeeping job from Schultz, his former sergeant. Easy Come, Easy Go, War Takes a Holiday, Kommandant of the Year

- Schultz is restored to the presidency of the Schatze Toy Company, which he held before the war. War Takes a Holiday.

- HH holds a reunion in London. This is most likely the last time all of them meet together in person. ''Sticky Wicket Newkirk. One can but surmise that they might have invited their German friends to attend. What a reunion it must have been, if so!''