What you need is a bunch of triggers with setCaptive true/false commands.
loon1 setCaptive false
Your original POWs are setCaptive true at the beginning of the mission. When the time limit is up, set them to setCaptive false and the enemy loons will shoot them automatically.
Similarly, you can make loons surrender: just make them setCaptive true when they detect the enemy, or the enemy get within a certain distance or whatever. Follow that with making them move towards their captors, say, and perhaps a switchmove.
For animations see the tute in Pending in the Ed Depot.
Oh, and Osamahunter
Welcome to the forum!