WWII German Luftwaffe ace fighter pilot, Franz Stigler, risked his own life and spared a wounded American bumber and the enemy crews.
The Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler incident occurred on 20 December 1943, when, after a successful bomb run on Bremen, 2nd Lt Charles "Charlie" Brown's B-17 Flying Fortress (named "Ye Olde Pub") was severely damaged by German fighters. Luftwaffe pilot Franz Stigler had the opportunity to shoot down the crippled bomber but did not do so, and instead escorted it over and past German-occupied territory so as to protect it. After an extensive search by Brown, the two pilots met each other 50 years later and developed a friendship that lasted until Stigler's death in March 2008. Brown died only a few months later, in November of the same year.
Bomb run
Brown's B-17 began its ten-minute bomb run at 8,320 m (27,300 ft) with an outside air temperature of −60 °C (−76 °F). Before the bomber released its bomb load, accurate flak shattered the Plexiglas nose, knocked out the #2 engine and further damaged the #4 engine, which was already in questionable condition and had to be throttled back to prevent overspeeding. The damage slowed the bomber, Brown was unable to remain with his formation and fell back as a straggler, a position from which he came under sustained enemy attacks.
Franz Stigler
Brown's damaged bomber was spotted by Germans on the ground, including Franz Stigler (then an ace with 27 victories), who was refueling and rearming at an airfield. He soon took off in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (which had a .50-cal. Browning machine gun bullet embedded in the radiator, which risked the engine overheating) and quickly caught up with Brown's plane. Through the damaged bomber's airframe Stigler was able to see the injured and incapacitated crew. To the American pilot's surprise, Stigler did not open fire on the crippled bomber. He recalled the words of one of his commanding officers from Jagdgeschwader 27, Gustav Rödel, during his time fighting in North Africa, "If I ever see or hear of you shooting at a man in a parachute, I will shoot you myself." Stigler later commented, "To me, it was just like they were in a parachute. I saw them and I couldn't shoot them down."
Twice Stigler tried to get Brown to land his plane at a German airfield and surrender, or divert to nearby neutral Sweden, where he and his crew would receive medical treatment and be interned the remainder of the war. Brown and the crew of the B-17 did not understand what Stigler was trying to mouth and gesture to them and so flew on. Stigler later told Brown he was trying to get them to fly to Sweden. He then flew near Brown's plane in a formation on the bomber's port side wing, so German antiaircraft units would not target it; he then escorted the damaged B-17 over the coast until they reached open water. Brown, unsure of Stigler's intentions at the time, ordered his dorsal turret gunner to point at Stigler but not open fire to warn him off. Understanding the message and certain that the bomber was out of German airspace, Stigler departed with a salute.
Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler's video footage
Stigler's life risks are from several aspects:
If the incident was spotted from the ground and reported to German officals, he would be excuted for his act. American Beoing B-17 Flying Fortess bumber could be equiped up to 13 defence machine guns, without knowing his intention, they could fire to him, luckily they all jammed, but Stigler did know that. A wounded defenseless bumber to an ordianary fighter pilot was a free meal, and Stigler is no ordianary, he is an Ace, he did not take the free; FYI, shoot down a bumber will count 3 three victories, which will increase air combat victories from 27 to 30, and he did not take it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Brown_and_Franz_Stigler_incident
I just ordered the book A Higher Call which is based on this true story as a gift to my best friend Richard, who is retiring next week. He is a Canadian British, we share many common hobbies.
True! Whilst, airman & infantry differ from mentalities... ...
Airforce possesses different mentalities vs. infantry who fought face to face bloody battles.
An airforce pilot views battles as machine to machine fighting, i.e. he shot down an enemy aircraft instead of killing human beings.
Franz Stigler had down two American aircrafts earlier on the day, if they were B-17s, would be 11 crews per plane,
How come he only had mercy on Charlie Brown?
Earlier, only he did not see any human in front of his gun , what he distoried were machines.
Charlie Brown's B-17 could be his 3rd victory of the day, but through the bullets ripped holes he saw the wounded crews plus one dead , real human faces, the moment humanity or military morale came up first, he could not pull the triger..
No body blamed Franz killed 2 more planes with 22 people down together, that was just his job.
WWII German Luftwaffe ace fighter pilot, Franz Stigler, risked his own life and spared a wounded American bumber and the enemy crews.
The Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler incident occurred on 20 December 1943, when, after a successful bomb run on Bremen, 2nd Lt Charles "Charlie" Brown's B-17 Flying Fortress (named "Ye Olde Pub") was severely damaged by German fighters. Luftwaffe pilot Franz Stigler had the opportunity to shoot down the crippled bomber but did not do so, and instead escorted it over and past German-occupied territory so as to protect it. After an extensive search by Brown, the two pilots met each other 50 years later and developed a friendship that lasted until Stigler's death in March 2008. Brown died only a few months later, in November of the same year.
Bomb run
Brown's B-17 began its ten-minute bomb run at 8,320 m (27,300 ft) with an outside air temperature of −60 °C (−76 °F). Before the bomber released its bomb load, accurate flak shattered the Plexiglas nose, knocked out the #2 engine and further damaged the #4 engine, which was already in questionable condition and had to be throttled back to prevent overspeeding. The damage slowed the bomber, Brown was unable to remain with his formation and fell back as a straggler, a position from which he came under sustained enemy attacks.
Franz Stigler
Brown's damaged bomber was spotted by Germans on the ground, including Franz Stigler (then an ace with 27 victories), who was refueling and rearming at an airfield. He soon took off in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (which had a .50-cal. Browning machine gun bullet embedded in the radiator, which risked the engine overheating) and quickly caught up with Brown's plane. Through the damaged bomber's airframe Stigler was able to see the injured and incapacitated crew. To the American pilot's surprise, Stigler did not open fire on the crippled bomber. He recalled the words of one of his commanding officers from Jagdgeschwader 27, Gustav Rödel, during his time fighting in North Africa, "If I ever see or hear of you shooting at a man in a parachute, I will shoot you myself." Stigler later commented, "To me, it was just like they were in a parachute. I saw them and I couldn't shoot them down."
Twice Stigler tried to get Brown to land his plane at a German airfield and surrender, or divert to nearby neutral Sweden, where he and his crew would receive medical treatment and be interned the remainder of the war. Brown and the crew of the B-17 did not understand what Stigler was trying to mouth and gesture to them and so flew on. Stigler later told Brown he was trying to get them to fly to Sweden. He then flew near Brown's plane in a formation on the bomber's port side wing, so German antiaircraft units would not target it; he then escorted the damaged B-17 over the coast until they reached open water. Brown, unsure of Stigler's intentions at the time, ordered his dorsal turret gunner to point at Stigler but not open fire to warn him off. Understanding the message and certain that the bomber was out of German airspace, Stigler departed with a salute.
Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler's video footage
Stigler's life risks are from several aspects:
If the incident was spotted from the ground and reported to German officals, he would be excuted for his act. American Beoing B-17 Flying Fortess bumber could be equiped up to 13 defence machine guns, without knowing his intention, they could fire to him, luckily they all jammed, but Stigler did know that. A wounded defenseless bumber to an ordianary fighter pilot was a free meal, and Stigler is no ordianary, he is an Ace, he did not take the free; FYI, shoot down a bumber will count 3 three victories, which will increase air combat victories from 27 to 30, and he did not take it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Brown_and_Franz_Stigler_incidentI just ordered the book A Higher Call which is based on this true story as a gift to my best friend Richard, who is retiring next week. He is a Canadian British, we share many common hobbies.
不止 Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler，还有你和Richard！
Airforce possesses different mentalities vs. infantry who fought face to face bloody battles.
An airforce pilot views battles as machine to machine fighting, i.e. he shot down an enemy aircraft instead of killing human beings.
Franz Stigler had down two American aircrafts earlier on the day, if they were B-17s, would be 11 crews per plane,
How come he only had mercy on Charlie Brown?
Earlier, only he did not see any human in front of his gun , what he distoried were machines.
Charlie Brown's B-17 could be his 3rd victory of the day, but through the bullets ripped holes he saw the wounded crews plus one dead , real human faces, the moment humanity or military morale came up first, he could not pull the triger..
No body blamed Franz killed 2 more planes with 22 people down together, that was just his job.
very grateful person.
Experienced life and death， experienced war，
their outlooks on the world，values，and life must be sublimed.
what was your favorite tail gunner?
if nobody else knew what Stigler did at that time.
在他们内部的newsletter 里发布他的来信。Charlie Brown 看到后回复了，并提供了一些只有他才会知道的细节。这二位就此联系上了！
"What did you own Franz Stigle?" "My life" bursted out to tear, me-too at time 6:23