Question: In many episodes, why does Colonel Klink claim that nobody has ever escaped from Stalag 13, considering that many people actually have? Even in the pilot episode, a soldier managed to escape from Stalag 13.
Answer: Not from any of the prisoners. Only the ones Hogan smuggled in and out of the camp. Under Klink's nose.
What about when Hogan or one of his team is caught outside of Stalag 13? There were many episodes where Burkhalter, Klink, or even Hochstetter were surprised to see Hogan or one of his friends out in public instead of the Stalag.
They are always back in camp by the end of the episode, so it doesn't count as a successful escape.
Klink's boast was, invariably, "There has never been a successful escape from Stalag 13," meaning prisoners who escaped but were recaptured and returned to the stalag do not count as escapees.
Answer: Colonel Klink always puts in a caveat regarding escapes from Stalag 13: he always says there has never been a successful escape from Stalag 13, meaning that escaped prisoners were caught and returned to the custody of Klink.
Scott215