- Col. Hogan is less than thrilled when he is assigned to help an obnoxious American general flee Stalag 13 - and the secret plan, involving a prisoner swap, winds up as trying and difficult as the arrogant escapee himself.
- At the start, Hogan, Carter, Kinchloe, and LeBeau and in the barracks with a prisoner named Houlihan in civilian clothes waiting to escape. Hogan says he is not wearing the right hat, so LeBeau gives him a replacement. Houlihan goes down into the tunnel, and another prisoner comes back up to take his place. Carter is watching the door, but Schultz comes in; Schultz sees the replacement and Hogan says that it is Houlihan. Schultz disagrees, and puts up an argument. Just then, there is an ambulance siren heard; a truck comes in with a prisoner and 6 guards. The prisoner is taken to the cooler. Schultz will not tell the men who it is or what is going on.
Shortly later, Klink is in his office, and Hogan comes in, supposedly with a complaint. Klink, without hearing the complaint, denies the request, whatever it is. Hogan starts to butter up Klink, he says that the men are worried about him. Hogan says that Klink has a record, he has been there for 2 years and no escapes. He makes a reference to Colonel Steuben of Kleinfeld prison. While they are talking, Klink pours schnapps out of his decanter. When he turns away, Hogan pours some schnapps. Then he drinks that, and pours another one. Klink tells Hogan that there is a new prisoner. Hogan refers to a second lieutenant. Klink says that it is not a second lieutenant, first lieutenant, or captain; he tells Hogan that he is no longer the highest-ranking prisoner in camp. Klink says that tomorrow, he will be photographed in front of his plane that was shot down, along with Field Marshall von Heinke and others. Just then, a truck towing a trailer with a fuselage of a plane comes into camp. Hogan finishes the schnapps and leaves; Klink tries to pour more schnapps, but the decanter is empty; he wonders what happened to the schnapps.
Hogan goes and talks to the men. Kinchloe says that he got a message from London that the new prisoner is General Barton, the head of all daylight bombing. (Note that Barton is wearing just one star.) Just then, a car with another prisoner arrives in camp. Hogan asks LeBeau to get a general's insignia out of his stash. He does, and brings it back to Hogan. Hogan goes over to the new prisoner and tells him to give nothing but name, rank, and serial number; he then whispers something fast in his ear. Klink comes out, and the new prisoner says that he is General Aloysious Barton. Hogan tries to convince Klink that many prisoners carry general's insignia and claim to be a general. Klink does not accept that, so he takes Hogan to the cooler to meet the first prisoner. At first, Hogan says that the prisoner is not Barton, and tells him that he will be going to the barracks with the rest of them. Barton then claims that he really is General Barton, and demands the privileges of his rank. He remembers Hogan as the commanding officer of the 504th (he does not say squadron, bomb group, or any other organization). Klink says that Hogan has been cooperative; Barton calls Hogan a traitor, and tells Klink to get him out of there. Hogan admits to Klink that this is really General Barton.
Back in the barracks, Hogan gets a message from London that they are to spring Barton at all costs. Carter says that there is no time to dig a tunnel. After thinking, Hogan says that the only way is a direct attack. Newkirk pulls a pistol out of a drawer, and says that he would like to trade the pistol for a tank. When he said 'trade', that gave Hogan an idea to trade an American General for a German General. They are going to capture Field Marshall von Heinke tomorrow when he comes to camp.
The next day, a staff car is coming down the road, and stops at a fallen tree. The driver and von Heinke get out to try to move the tree. Hogan, Carter, Newkirk, Kinch, and LeBeau knock out the guard and take von Heinke prisoner. As they knock out the guard, Kinch says something in a British accent, making the guard think that they are British Commandos. They then knock von Heinke out and put him in the trunk of the car. The driver comes to, and drives the car to STALAG 13. He tells Klink and others that the Field Marshall has been captured by British commandos. Klink sounds the alarm and has men go out to try to find him. While this excitement is going on, Kinch, Newkirk, and LeBeau pull von Heinke out of the car trunk and put him in a garbage can, and wheel it to the barracks. Still unconscious, they get him down into the tunnel. Hogan says that they are going to pretend to fly him to England, in Barton's shot down plane.
Outside in the compound, Schultz is guarding the plane. Hogan goes out and talks to Schultz, as a distraction. The men attach a rope to the trailer, and slowly pull the plane away while Schultz is distracted. They take the plane apart, form a human chain to take the parts down into the tunnel, and put it back together down in the tunnel. Later, when von Heinke wakes up, he is in the plane with Hogan and Kinch. Hogan says that he is Colonel Foster, Intelligence. The plane is going to England; if you look out the window, the lights of Dover can be seen. What is really happening is that outside the plane, LeBeau is rocking the plane like it is flying, Newkirk is shining lights on the window, and Carter is holding smoke bombs making it look like heavy clouds out the plane's window. There is a record player playing engine sounds; at one point, the player comes to the end of the record, and LeBeau resets the arm of the record player so that it plays the engine sounds again.
Hogan has von Heinke blindfolded, and takes him to his office in the barracks. There are two other prisoners dressed as military police guarding the door, and the office have been redone to look like an English prison camp. Carter, dressed as a British sergeant, comes in and says that someone suggested a swap, von Heinke for Barton. Hogan says no, that von Heinke is a nobody. Von Heinke objects vociferously, names some of his decorations, states that he is a Field Marshall, and insists on the swap.
Meanwhile, Klink is outside, and goes to Schultz. Schultz says that he is guarding the plane, but there is no plane there. Klink then goes to the barracks. LeBeau whistles a warning and Carter looks out the office door and sees Klink. Klink almost gets into Hogan's office when a guard comes in and says that London is calling on the radio and for Klink to get back to his office at once. Hogan and von Heinke broadcast the terms of exchange. Klink notices that the signal is coming in clear, that London must have a good transmitter. General Burkhalter says that they have a good receiver. Klink then says that he recognizes one of the voices, and thinks that it is Hogan. Kinch hears this on the coffee pot, and sends a signal to Carter, who is also in the room with Hogan and von Heinke. Carter puts the earpiece to Hogan's ear, and Hogan excuses himself for a few minutes. He goes to Klink's outer office. Burkhalter and Klink see Hogan sitting there, and Burkhalter tells Klink that he is wrong, that Hogan can not be broadcasting from London. Just then, Newkirk is impersonating Churchill on the radio, suggesting a trade; Burkhalter and Klink hear that also. Burkhalter says to notify Communications that they accept the trade.
The next day, Hogan is in the compound asking the men about the plane that will pick up Barton. The Underground will hold von Heinke until Barton takes off. Meanwhile, Newkirk is talking to Barton by the car before he leaves. Klink comes up and tells Barton to get in the car; Barton calls to Hogan, salutes him, and Hogan returns the salute. Barton gets in the car and leaves, and Klink wonders what that is about.
At the end. Klink is in his office and Hogan comes in. Klink wants answers, and says that there is going to be an investigation. He asks Hogan three questions. Hogan agrees with Klink on all three. Hogan then tells Klink that the whole thing is rigged. He says that von Heinke is getting too big, and says Goring and Himmler rigged his 'capture'. Hogan says that he would like to see Klink's face when he accuses goring and Himmler of the plot. Hogan picks up the phone and asks for General Burkhalter; Klink takes the phone, says to cancel the call, and slams it down. Hogan then tells Klink that he admires him for putting his country ahead of himself. He then ushers Hogan out. As he shuts the door, Klink looks worried.
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