Reservations Are Required

Prisoners

 * Colonel Hogan - Bob Crane
 * Corporal Louis LeBeau - Robert Clary
 * Corporal Peter Newkirk - Richard Dawson
 * Sergeant James Kinchloe - Ivan Dixon
 * Sergeant Andrew Carter - Larry Hovis

Camp Personnel

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

Semi-Regulars

 * Fräulein Helga - Cynthia Lynn

Guest Stars

 * Braden - Robert Hogan
 * Mills - Dennis Robertson
 * Corporal Walter Comminsky - Michael Murphy
 * Soldier - Christopher Riordan
 * Prisoner - Gary Troy

Synopsis
When Hogan tries to arrange the unscheduled escape of twenty men, his mission is complicated when a captured sergeant jumps the gun.

Plot Details
The episode begins inside a darken Barracks 2 with LeBeau, who is dressed in black, with his face blackened, and carrying a small knapsack over his shoulders, preparing to secretly leave the camp. Once everything is set, Hogan walks over to one of the beds and wakes up a sleeping Newkirk, who is wearing only a nightshirt, so that he can exit through the barracks' front door and act as a decoy so that LeBeau can leave the building unnoticed. After hearing a comment from LeBeau on his nighttime attire and then being told to be careful by Hogan before he leaves the barracks, Newkirk immediately start to pretends that he is sleepwalking. Newkirk is quickly noticed by one of the camp's guards, who turns out to be Schultz, who orders him to halt. Schultz's voice quickly alerts the guards who are inside camp's watch towers. As the towers' searchlights begins to follow Schultz, a second guard who has joined him, and the fake sleepwalker, the alarm is sounded, while the guard dogs are released from their kennel. While all this is going on, LeBeau secretly exits through the barracks' window, before he heads towards the gate on the opposite end of the compound. By the time he reaches it, Schultz, as the guard with him watches, tries to gently wake up the 'sleepwalking' Newkirk. As he does, Newkirk finally stops and while placing his hands on Schultz's face, is soon claiming that Schultz is a female. At least he does until his fingers begin to feel Schultz's moustache. Meantime, LeBeau has finally reached the gate. Before he can go under it, though, LeBeau is confronted by several of the camp's guard dogs who seems to want to go with him. LeBeau spends several seconds asking them to go back to their kennel, before finally promising to bring back a cat for them to play with. After hearing that, they finally head back towards the kennel. Once they are gone, LeBeau lifts the gate and then leaves, without being noticed by any of the guards thanks to Newkirk's distraction. Once he is outside the camp, LeBeau quickly head towards the nearby woods, as he plans to pick up some fresh mushrooms for the prisoners' meals.

As LeBeau is out picking up mushrooms, he is suddenly confronted by a man who starts to talk to him in German. As he tells him that his German is awful, LeBeau is suddenly tackled from behind by a second man. The two men, who are both wearing American soldiers' field uniforms, soon have LeBeau under their control, and start to question him. The pair at first do not believe him when he tells them, after giving them his name and rank, as they have originally requested, that he is out there digging for mushrooms, as one of them asks him if he knew who has won the World Series in 1940. LeBeau complains about being asked that question, since he would not be able to answer it, being a Frenchman, but he would be able to answer them if the question had been about a certain spot in Paris. But when he mentions to them that he's a prisoner from Stalag 13, they quickly release him. After the trio have duck down, the two soldiers give LeBeau their names, Braden and Mills, and then informs him that they had just escaped from Stalag 9 on their own, and that they were headed for Stalag 13. LeBeau quickly tells them their ecape officer should've set up a reservation, much to Braden's surprise, since they were booked up to New Year's Eve, but Braden insists that he take them to see Hogan. Once Braden has finally convinced LeBeau to take them to the camp, the pair, as they get back up, suddenly make some short whistle sounds and a surprised LeBeau is soon confronted by eighteen other men who appear from within the woods, bringing the total number of escapees to twenty. LeBeau look them over for a while, before he look back at Braden and asks him if they had dug their tunnel through Times Square.

Later, inside the camp, the last of the twenty escapees are seen exiting the rising bed entrance, being processed by Kinch, as Hogan and LeBeau looks on. Once Kinch has informed him that they have all been processed, Hogan welcomes the twenty escapees to Stalag 13. He then informs them that since they weren't expecting them, things would be rough fror a while, before he informs Braden and Mills that they would still be able to get them out. He then starts to tell his men what he wants each of them to do: Newkirk to get some fake German civilian clothes and Carter to get forged papers prepared. After Carter tells the first ten men to meet him inside tunnel 4 so that he can take their pictures for German I.D. cards. Hogan then starts to tell them that when they're ready they'll move them out through Barracks 3. Hogan then tells Kinch to ask London to arrange a rendevous to pick up the twenty escapees. As Kinch leaves to do so, Braden informs Hogan, in a roundabout way, that he can't wait that long. Hogan tells Braden that he'll have to wait, before he leaves, so that he and his men can get everything ready. Later, inside tunnel 4, Carter is shown taking the picture of one of the escapees for his fake ID card, telling him to look more serious so that he wouldn't be noticed if someone took a look at his picture. As this is going on, Newkirk is taking the measurements of another escapee, as Kinch writes down the numbers for him. Kinch is soon surprised by how short the soldier is, before he informs them that he is a draftee.

As Hogan's men are getting the twenty escapees ready for the next part of their journey, Kommandant Klink is inside his office being informed by General Burkhalter about the escape, while Schultz listens in. As Klink comments about the escape, telling Burkhalter that he is sorry to hear that it has occurred, before he mentions that he knows the Kommandant of Stalag 9. When he tells Burkhalter that he is planning to speak with him, he learns from Burkhalter that the Kommandant has already been sent to the Russian Front. As this is happening, Hogan is in Helga's outer office, kissing her neck, before asking her why the Kommandant wanted to see him. She tells him that she can not tell him why, before they kiss each other, during which they soon both forget Hogan's question. Back inside Klink's office, he finishes his conversation with Burkhalter, reminding him that no one has ever escape from Stalag 13, before finally hanging up the phone. After commenting to Schultz that he has the support of his superiors, he ask him to send in Hogan. Hogan shortly enters Klink's office. After Klink has ask him to sit down, he proceeds to tell Hogan that the two of them are going to have a little chat. After asking him if he knew about the other Stalag that was near their camp, he proceeds to inform him about the escapes from Stalag 9. After hearing Hogan say that he is happy over the escapes, and then claiming that this is the first that he has heard of it since Schultz hasn't told him and his men anything, Klink stops Hogan before telling him that he intends to prevent something similar from happening at Stalag 13. He informs Hogan that he is going to keep an eye on him, since things has been too quiet around the camp. After being dimissed by Klink, Hogan asks him how the prisoners have escaped from Stalag 9. Klink replies that they had used a tunnel, before advising him not to try something similar. Hogan says that they wouldn't, as they would instead try to escape using helicopters and parachutes. After Hogan leaves, Klink tells Schultz to put the guards on special immediate alert while he plans to spot check the barracks, before Schultz in turn leaves Klink's office.

But, the escapee Braden has his own ideas, as he talk them over with Mills, after waking him up, while everyone else is asleep. He informs Mills that he has been told that there is a nearby road construction site which sends a tank truck to the camp every day to pick up water for the site. He suggests to Mills that the two of them, as the guards watch the driver, would walk over to the truck, via its blind side, climb onto its roof, and then slip inside the truck through its open hatch, and after going under the water as the driver comes by to close the hatch, would leave the camp hidden inside it. Mills doesn't think that it is a good idea, since Hogan is already planning to get them all out of there, but Braden, who seems to be growing impatient by the second, tells him that that could take weeks, since there's twenty of them that Hogan is trying to get out. After Mills tells him that if his plan doesn't work that it might blow it for everyone, Braden is finally able to convince him to go along with his idea after reminding him that he has gotten them out of Stalag 9. The two of them then go back to sleep.

The next day, Hogan is seen exiting one of the other barracks. He then walks over to LeBeau, Newkirk, Carter and Kinchloe, who appear to be sitting in front of the building, smoking and playing cards. Kinch soon tells him that London says that the sub will be standing by for the next several days to pick up the escapees, starting with the next day. After Newkirk and Carter informs him that the clothes and the papers should be ready later that day, he tells them that they will be shipping the twenty escapees out tomorrow night, using the tunnel under Barracks 3. The group is soon looking at the tanker truck, which is at the moment being filled up with water, when Kinch notices Mills and Braden walking towards it, instead of hiding inside the tunnels. Although the others quickly suggest that they try to intercept the duo, so that they won't ruin things for all of them, Hogan instead, as they see the pair climb onto the truck's roof, and then climb through its open hatch, that since Klink is expecting them to try something, to give him what he wants and then tells them to get ready to move in, while he goes over to talk with Schultz, who is seen standing near the truck. Upon reaching Schultz, he asks him what would he think it he told him that a couple of prisoners are trying to use the truck as a way to escape the camp. After finally convincing him what he meant, Schultz gets one of the other guards to open up the hatch, thus revealing Braden and Mills. At this point, Hogan calls in the other prisoners, who are soon crowding around Schultz and the other guard, thus allowing Braden and Mills to go under the truck and then run back into Barracks 2, while at the same time attracting Klink's attention. Hogan then calls for a couple of his men to come over before he tells Braden and Mills to go hide in his office. He then explains to the duo that since they couldn't give up Braden and Mills, those two were giving to take the rap in their place, before he covers them with water. After Klink enters the barracks, he points the two wet prisoners out to him. After looking at them, Klink order them both to be put in the cooler for 30 days. After they are taken away, Klink himself leaves the building, after Hogan tells him that what he is doing to them is cruel. After Carter mentions that what the pair is getting is a bum rap, Hogan agrees with him before he mentions that this should make Klink relax a little, before he tell the others that they will be sending the twenty out tonight instead. After that, LeBeau asks permission to punch the just saved pair in the nose, which surprises everyone in the room.

A short time later, as Kinch, Carter and Newkirk are seen inside the barracks sitting at a table, smoking and playing cards, Hogan walks into building. He quickly reminds them about the escape planned for that night. They tell him that they know and are ready before they then tell him that they have also finished creating the tunnel and moving the entrance to it before suggesting to him that he look for it, figuring that if he can't find it, the Germans shouldn't. Hogan accepts their challenge and starts looking around, trying to see if he can discover any clues to its location based on the others' facial expressions. Hogan finally gives up. Newkirk then gets up from the table before leading Hogan and the others towards a wash basin, which is then lifted up to reveal the new entrance to the tunnel. Hogan, after congratulating them, then tries to claim that he knew its location all along, before finally revealing to the unhappy looking trio that he is only kidding. Later, the twenty escapees are shown dressed up in civilian garb, all ready to leave. After informing them that they would go out in teams of two, Hogan tells them that LeBeau would be leading them out through the other end, before they lift up the new entrance to the tunnel and start sending them through.

But, at the other end of the tunnel, inside the woods, are a couple of camp guards, who are presently walking around the area with a couple of guard dogs. Upon reaching the tunnel's exit, LeBeau tells the group with him to quiet down before he goes up the ladder to make sure that the coast is clear. But, almost as soon as he lifts up the exit, he sees the two guards. After going back down, he tells the escapees that there are some goons nearby, before he tells one of them to go back and pass along the information to Hogan. Just as another escapee is about to enter the tunnel, one of the others reappear to tell them that the escape tunnel is being blocked by a couple of goons. After hearing the bad news, Hogan quickly comes up with a new plan, after rejecting Kinch's suggestion that they give up for the night, since Klink is only now relaxed enough for them to be making their present move. He then tells Carter and Newkirk to enter the tunnel, before informing them, to their surprise, that they are to give themselves up which will hopefully cause the Germans to abandon that end of the tunnel to try and find the start. After the pair have both complained to Hogan about his idea, they are sent into the tunnel. Hogan then tells Braden to get the rest of his men down there and to await a signal, a couple of loud stomps on the floor, before sending them out. Braden agrees to the new plan before he enters the tunnel himself. Meanwhile, at the other end, an irate LeBeau, after being told about Hogan's new plan, complains about it as he heads up the ladder, soon followed by Carter and Newkirk.

At the top of the tunnel, LeBeau quickly spies the two guards talking to each other. He quickly exits the tunnel, walks up behind them, and then tapped the two surprised guards on their shoulders, before he tries to convince them that he is there by himself. One of the guards then goes back to the now revealed tunnel entrance, and starts to tell Carter to exit it, just as LeBeau pretends to make a run for it. One of the guards then fires his rifle, which soon alerts the camp. Klink is soon seen entering the sidecar of a parked motorcyle, trying to put on his right boot, while several guard dogs and some guards, including Schultz, are soon seen going through the now opened front gate. Meantime, LeBeau has stopped running, allowing himself to be captured. Klink shortly arrive on the scene in the motorcycle, soon taking a quick look at the tunnel and after being told that no one else seems to have tried to escape, looking at Carter, LeBeau and Newkirk, soon trying to find out from them where the tunnel has originally started, while at the same time trying to get his boot to fit. Newkirk, (rather comically) "faints" after Klink threatens them and "reveals" to Klink where the tunnel began: Barracks 3. Klink, while still trying to put on his boot, heads back to the camp with the guards, while the three 'captured' prisoners are led back to camp and true to Hogan's plan, the end of the tunnel is left unguarded.

Meanwhile, in Barracks 3, Hogan is looking towards the door, waiting for Klink's arrival, while Kinch stands by at the still raised sink. After he tells Kinch to be ready to give Braden the double stomp signal, he looks out the door. He tells Kinch to get ready, and Kinch then pretends to make an attempt to raise up the sink, allowing an entering Klink to stop him. A gloating Klink then starts to chastise Hogan about him still trying to attempt an escape in spite of his warning, while he is still trying to put on his boot, even after Schultz offers to help. Schultz soon stops, telling Klink that his foot is presently swollen because of the excitement. Klink then stomps his foot twice, giving Braden the signal, who then tell the twenty escapees to get going, which they soon do. Back at the front end of the tunnel, Klink pretends to admire their work, before asking Hogan what has happened to their helicopter idea. Hogan replies that they're waiting for spare parts. An unamused Klink quickly orders Schultz to have the prisoners fill in the tunnel for the rest of the night, before he informs Hogan that he will have another corrective idea for him in the morning. He then asked Hogan what he thought of that. Hogan replies that you can't win them all, but, you can try, much to Klink's chagrin.

The next day, inside Helga's outer office, Hogan sees a dirt-covered Newkirk enter the room, quickly informing him that the job of filling in the tunnel is finished, before he appears to fall asleep from both exhaustion and lack of sleep. Schultz then comes in, telling Helga that he needs to see Klink. Helga informs him that he is on the phone, but that he will be out soon. He tells her that he can wait, while he looks her over. As that happens, Newkirk informs Hogan that the twenty escapees have all escaped and should soon be back in England. Schultz, noticing their conversation, asks them what they are talking about. Hogan tells him that they both thought that he could lose some weight, which should make him look twenty years younger. Schultz replies that he didn't need to before asking Helga for her opinion. Before she could answer, though, Klink would appear from his office, appearing to be in a happy mood, before he hears from Schultz that the tunnel has been filled in. Upon hearing that, he turns to face Hogan and Newkirk, telling Hogan that his men are all to be sent to the cooler for 30 days as punishment for the tunnel. He then orders Schultz to turn the prisoners out for formation. After saluting Klink, Schultz leaves the room with Newkirk, while Klink asks Hogan if he plan to personally lead his men into the cooler. Hogan says that while he would love to, he couldn't and when Klink asks him why, he tells him that someone has to warm up the helicopter, before he leaves a shocked Klink alone in his office.

Story Notes

 * This is the eighth produced episode of the series, but is the fifteenth one to be shown on television.
 * This is the series first "extensive" smoking episode: Klink, Kinchloe and Newkirk are all shown smoking cigarettes within the episode. Early Hogan's Heroes episodes showed a superimposed pack of brand name cigarettes during closing credits. This advertisement does not appear in the DVD collection.
 * This is the first time we see Klink's motorcycle in the series. Later episodes would establish that Klink only used it whenever his staff car was not available or in the shop.
 * An American city is mentioned in the episode: Hackensack, New Jersey.
 * A famous American landmark is mentioned in the episode: Times Square.
 * The helicopter, which was being developed during the war, is mentioned in the episode.
 * Guest actor Robert Hogan, who plays one of the escaped prisoners in the episode, is a friend of the series' co-creator, Bernard Fein, and his name was used for the name of the series' title character, Colonel Robert Hogan.

Timeline Notes and Speculations

 * This is probably the series' analog of the so-called "Great Escape," which in real life occurred at Stalag Luft III on March 25-26, 1944. If so, this would date this episode to the last week of March 1944.

Quotes
After Hogan has just woken up Corporal Newkirk, who is wearing a long nightshirt, so that he can leave Barracks 2 to create a diversion to help LeBeau can escape from Stalag 13:


 * LeBeau (in a sarcastic tone): Sleepy, grandma?
 * Newkirk: Leave off.
 * Hogan: Get going. (As Newkirk reaches the door) Be careful. Don't get yourself shot.
 * Newkirk (looking at Hogan as if he's joking): In this outfit, could you blame them? (He then exits the barracks).

After the twenty escapees have been debriefed by Hogan and he has told Newkirk and Carter what he wanted them to do:


 * Hogan: Kinch, contact London. Tell them to send a big submarine, with a trailer.

After Colonel Klink has finished talking to the General (Obviously General Burkhalter) about the twenty escaped prisoners from Stalag 9:


 * Klink (As he sits down): You know, it is most gratifying to have the confidence of one's superior officers.
 * Schultz (smiling): Jawohl, Herr Kommandant.
 * Klink: Too bad that's not the case with you, Schultz.
 * Schultz (frowning slightly): I am only a humble Sergeant, Herr Kommandant.
 * Klink: Yes. An accident of war. (After several seconds has elapsed) Now where's Hogan? I'd sent for him twenty minutes ago.
 * Schultz (salutes): At once, Herr Kommandant!

After Klink's men have taken away the two men that Colonel Hogan was willing to sacrifice for Braden and Mills after the pair's misguided attempt to escape via a water truck:


 * Hogan: Thirty days is a cruel, inhuman, unjustified punishment to be inflicted only by a sadist.
 * Klink: Flattery will gain you nothing, my dear Colonel.

After Klink leaves, the other prisoners start to complain:


 * Carter: 30 Days? Why that's a bum rap, Colonel.
 * Newkirk: It's shocking.
 * Hogan: Alright, Klink has had his fun for the day. Now he'll relax. (Snaps his finger) We move the Stalag 9 boys out tonight. Ready or not.
 * Newkirk: Yes, Colonel
 * LeBeau (Looking angry): One last detail, sir.
 * Hogan (Curious): What is it, LeBeau?
 * LeBeau: Permission to punch both Braden and Mills in the nose?

LeBeau gets looks of surprise from Hogan and the others.

Newkirk, Carter and Kinchloe show Hogan a new tunnel entrance, after Hogan is unable to find it.


 * Newkirk, Carter and Kinchloe (As they revealed the tunnel to Hogan): Ta-da-da-DA!!!
 * Hogan: Gee dad(?), it's a tunnel.
 * Newkirk: You never had a chance.
 * Hogan: You do good work, you really do.
 * Newkirk: Well, let's face it, Colonel, what would you do without us?
 * Kinchloe: Yeah.
 * Carter: That's right.
 * Hogan: You fellows wouldn't be mad if I told you, ah, ah, that I knew it was there all the time?
 * Newkirk (annoyed): Yes, I would.
 * Hogan: Ah, alright then I won't tell you.

After a few moments of silence, the four start to laugh.

As Newkirk and Carter informs LeBeau what Colonel Hogan wants them to do so that they can get the guards to move away from the tunnel exit:


 * Newkirk: The Colonel wants us to give ourselves up?
 * LeBeau (Shocked at the order): Let the goons capture us?
 * Carter: That's what the man said.
 * LeBeau: (to Newkirk) What happens in your army if you shoot a Colonel? (Starts to climb up the ladder, then stops and look at Carter) In my army, we get the Croix de Guerre.

As Klink looks over the fake tunnel entrance, not knowing that the 20 escaped prisoners from Stalag 9 were escaping from the other end:


 * Klink: A nice little tunnel. (Starts to get up while clapping his hands in glee) Colonel Hogan, what happened to your helicopter, huh?
 * Hogan: We're waiting for spare parts.
 * Klink (Not amused): I will not forget this madness. Schultz, they are to begin work immediately filling in that tunnel. A little hard labor all night won't hurt them.
 * Schultz: Jawohl, Herr Kommandant.
 * Klink: And then tomorrow, when the job is done, we will take the next corrective measure. (He looks at Hogan) What do you think of that, Colonel Hogan?
 * Hogan: Well, look at it this way. You can't win them all.
 * Klink: Of course not!
 * Hogan: But you can try!