Captain Heismann

Captain Heismann is a villain appearing in the TV series Combat!

Biography
Heismann was an officer serving in the Heer. He was a sniper who'd taken up a position in one room of an abandoned French winery. When two Americans, Sergeant Chip Saunders and Private William Kirby, entered the property, Heismann fired at them. He managed to wound Kirby, and sent Sergeant Brunner to lock the winery gates, trapping the Americans inside. After Brunner was killed attempting to get behind Saunders, Heismann emerged from his hiding place and took the injured Kirby prisoner.

He interrogated Kirby in English as to whereabouts of the radio the American had been carrying, and in particular whether or not he'd used it. Kirby was either unwilling or unable to respond due to his bullet wound, and so Heismann searched his pockets for anything useful. Then, going to the window, he called out to his remaining enemy, telling Saunders to surrender, because he knew that they hadn't used their radio to report his position. In lieu of responding, Saunders attempted to get closer, prompting Heismann to abandon negotiations and fire on him.

Missing, he turned and took up what he considered to be a better firing position, calling down to Saunders, telling him that he was a hunter and had used the same rifle throughout the war. He then demonstrated his prowess by shooting a particularly difficult target, a small sign over a door, but he nevertheless failed to hit Saunders when he tried due to the American's cover. Frustrated, Heismann went and got Kirby, holding him out the door to show Saunders how badly he was wounded in an effort to force the American NCO to surrender again.

Although Saunders appeared to consider Heismann's demands, a voice from the Germans' radio made Heismann retreat back inside, taking Kirby with him. Throwing Kirby down, Heismann answered the radio and conversed with his gunnery leutnant, discussing the position of an Allied column. He then petulantly threw Kirby's captured rifle under a table and returned to attempting to snipe Saunders outside. Behind him, Kirby managed to get to his feet and threw the German radio outside, smashing it on the ground. An angry Heismann punched him, then returned to alternately shooting at Saunders and trying to persuade him to give up.

Kirby slowly came to and attempted to retrieve his rifle from under the table, but Heismann kicked him and then smashed the weapon against the wall, breaking it. As Kirby began to become delirious from bloodloss, Heismann pretended to be his brother George and tried to make him tell him where he'd left the radio. Kirby was unable to remember where he'd left the radio, but he was able to tell "George" that he hadn't been able to warn the other Americans about a nearby German artillery corps. Heading up to the tower, Heismann took up a position to shoot Saunders, but the American went inside, forcing the German sniper to escape across the roof.

Hopping down, he tried to flank Saunders, who'd managed to retrieve the American radio where Kirby had set it down earlier. He managed to give his superiors the location of the German guns, and then, hearing Heismann approaching, climbed to an upper floor of the winery. Heismann, overhearing an American radio op's voice through the radio, went over to it, unintentionally positioning himself directly underneath Saunders, who prepared to leap down on him. Heismann, realizing that Saunders must have reported the position of the German guns, angrily vowed to kill his opponent in a "hunting game." He smashed the American radio and ran away.

When Saunders went to retrieve Kirby so they could escape, Heismann shot him and wounded him. As he lamented the end of the "game" and prepared to finish Saunders off, he stopped upon hearing explosions outside, which Saunders identified as American artillery. A blast knocked Heismann off his feet. He dropped his rifle. Recovering, he turned and fled by climbing up a nearby ladder. Saunders pursued him and the two fought, but Heismann knocked him aside and continued climbing. At the top, the two men again grappled, and the conflict ended when Saunders knocked Heismann off of a ledge, whereupon the sniper fell to his death.