The Lamest of Plot Resolutions

I suppose you could lump that resolution under the 'Klink was really Nimrod and knew all along what was going on' theory. He herds the guards back to the barracks precisely so the men could escape. But since nothing in the show ever really suggests this, other than the fact that all of these events take place under Klink's nose and he never catches on, you're simply left with either that theory or the idea that Klink really is that incompetent/dumb. The problem with both of those posits is that they became too much of a sort of catch-all which was used too often to explain or patch up virtually every otherwise incredible hole in the plots.

I just saw the episode with James Gregory playing a Nazi general who thinks he's one step ahead of Hogan. Instead, at the end, the smug general boards his Luftwaffe bomber which has been commandeered by Hogan's men. Hogan pilots the plane to a Nazi oil refinery and Carter the bombardier drops bombs he, himself, manufactured, destroying the target!

There's more. Hogan's team bails out and returns to Stalag 17. The RAF crew remains aboard with the Nazi general, now a prisoner and all fly to London. There's even more. Sergeant Schultz, who was also aboard, bails out too! All unbelievable even for Hogan's Heroes.

I recall one episode where the Heroes had to find a way to slow down a panzer division which needed them to shovel snow and clear the road during a heavy snowstorm. Schultz has a pretty bad cold which Klink catches, so they're both sneezing all the time. Meanwhile there's a threat of an avalanche which the prisoners believe will stop the panzer division. After failing to trigger the avalanche with an impromptu jam session at the Hofbrau, as they're about to be taken back to camp, Klink sneezes and suddenly the avalanche starts.

Of course, it's hard to imagine how anyone can trigger an avalanche with a sneeze, but that was the plot resolution for that episode. Maybe it was just a miracle or something out of I Dream of Jeannie.