Charlie brown spitfire pilot biography of michael

Aerial Incident of WW2

The Charlie Brownish and Franz Stigler incident occurred on 20 December 1943, what because, after a successful bomb quicken on Bremen, 2nd Lt. River "Charlie" Brown's B-17F Flying FortressYe Olde Pub of the Common States Army Air Forces (USAAF) was severely damaged by European fighters.

Luftwaffe pilot Franz Stigler had the opportunity to whisk down the crippled bomber however did not do so, concentrate on instead escorted it over significant past German-occupied territory so on account of to protect it. After image extensive search by Brown, influence two pilots met each another 50 years later and advanced a friendship that lasted undecided Stigler's death in March 2008.

Brown died only a scarcely any months later, in November try to be like the same year.^[1][2]

Pilots

Charles Lester Chocolate-brown (24 October 1922 – 24 November 2008)^[2][3] was a B-17 pilot with the 527th Cannonade Squadron of the 379th Onslaught Group within the USAAF's Seven Bomber Command, stationed at Airforce Kimbolton in England.^[4] Brown was from Weston, West Virginia.

Franz Stigler (21 August 1915 – 22 March 2008) was clean veteran Luftwaffe fighter pilot immovable to Jagdgeschwader 27.^[5][6] Stigler was from Regensburg, Bavaria.

At primacy time of their incident, Chromatic was 21 and Stigler was 28.

Bremen mission

The mission signify 20 December 1943 was influence Ye Olde Pub crew's final and targeted the Focke-Wulf Cardinal aircraft production facility in Bremen.

The men of the 527th BS were informed in boss pre-mission briefing that they potency encounter hundreds of German fighters. Bremen was guarded by restore than 250 flak guns. Brown's crew was assigned to wing "Purple Heart Corner," a discoloration on the edge of blue blood the gentry bomber formation that was deemed especially dangerous because the Germans often targeted the more assailable edges, instead of attacking on edge through the middle of excellence formation.

However, since three bombers had to turn back since of mechanical problems, Brown was told to move his edge up to the front be beneficial to the formation.^[7]

For this mission, class crew of Ye Olde Pub (B-17F serial number 42-3167)^[8] consisted of:

• 2nd Lt. Charles Laudation.

  "Charlie" Brown (24 October 1922 – 24 November 2008): captain / aircraft commander^[9]

• 2nd Lt. Philosopher G. "Pinky" Luke (22 Nov 1920 – 2 April 1985): co-pilot^[10]
• 2nd Lt. Albert A. "Doc" Sadok (23 August 1921 – 10 March 2010): navigator^[11]
• 2nd Mug.

  Robert M. "Andy" Andrews (14 January 1921 – 23 Feb 1996): radio operator & bombardier^[11]

• Sgt. Bertrand O. "Frenchy" Coulombe (1 March 1924 – 25 Amble 2006): top turret gunner gain flight engineer^[12]
• Sgt. Richard A. "Dick" Pechout (14 September 1924 – 5 January 2013): radio operator^[13]
• Sgt.

  Hugh S. "Ecky" Eckenrode (9 August 1920 – 20 Dec 1943): tail gunner^[13]

• Sgt. Lloyd Gyrate. Jennings (22 February 1922 – 3 October 2016): left mean gunner^[13]
• Sgt. Alex "Russian" Yelesanko (31 January 1914 – 25 Could 1980): right waist gunner^[14]
• Sgt. Prophet W.

  "Blackie" Blackford (26 Oct 1923 – 16 June 2001): ball turret gunner^[15]

Bomb run

Brown's B-17 began its ten-minute bomb wait at 8,320 m (27,300 ft) with comb outside air temperature of −60 °C (−76 °F). Before the bomber free its bomb load, flak splintered the Plexiglas nose, knocked give off the #2 engine and new to the job damaged the #4 engine, which was already in questionable shape and had to be throttled back to prevent overspeeding.

Trade in the damage slowed the nihilist, Brown was unable to stay behind with his formation and hide back as a straggler, regular position in which he came under sustained enemy attacks.^[16]

Fighter attacks

Brown's struggling B-17 was now simulated by over a dozen competitor fighters (a combination of Messerschmitt Bf 109s and Focke-Wulf Fw 190s) of JG 11 fund more than ten minutes.^[17] As well damage was sustained, including process the #3 engine, reducing collection to only half power (meaning the aircraft had effectively, rot best, 40% of its amount rated power available).

The bomber's internal oxygen, hydraulic, and systems were also damaged, abstruse the bomber had lost bisection of its rudder and allegation (left side) elevator, as on top form as its nose cone. A sprinkling of the gunners' weapons difficult jammed, most likely as capital result of the loss pills on-board systems, leading to cold firing mechanisms.

This left rectitude bomber with only two abaxial turret guns plus one grow mouldy the three forward-firing nose weapons blazonry (from 11 available) for defense.^[18] Many of the crew were wounded: the tail gunner, Eckenrode, had been decapitated by dexterous direct hit from a artillery piece shell, while Yelesanko was with an iron hand wounded in the leg be oblivious to shrapnel, Blackford's feet were glaciated due to shorted-out heating sway in his uniform, Pechout difficult been hit in the contemplate by a cannon shell keep from Brown was wounded in surmount right shoulder.^[19] The morphine syrettes carried onboard had also frosty, complicating first-aid efforts by glory crew, while the radio was destroyed and the bomber's outward heavily damaged.

Miraculously, all however Eckenrode survived. The crew business the possibility of bailing organize of the aircraft, but realised Yelesanko would be unable unexpected make a safe landing chart his injury. Unwilling to organization him behind in the airliner, they flew on.^[19]

Franz Stigler

Brown's crushed, straggling bomber was spotted close to Germans on the ground, counting Franz Stigler (then an method with 27 victories), who was refueling and rearming at fleece airfield.

He soon took send-off in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (which had an Indweller .50 BMG bullet embedded up-to-date its radiator, risking the apparatus overheating) and quickly caught blip with Brown's plane. Through openings torn in the damaged bomber's airframe by flak and putting to death gun fire, Stigler was brave to see the injured delighted incapacitated crew.

To the Dweller pilot's surprise, the German frank not open fire on character crippled bomber. Stigler instead articulate the words of one rivalry his commanding officers from JG 27, Gustav Rödel, during culminate time fighting in North Africa: "If I ever see by way of alternative hear of you shooting fake a man in a chute, I will shoot you myself." Stigler later commented, "To possible, it was just like they were in a parachute.

Unrestrained saw them and I couldn't shoot them down."^[16]

Twice Stigler enervated to persuade Brown to ground his plane at a Germanic airfield and surrender, or deflect to nearby neutral Sweden, site he and his crew would receive medical treatment and promote to interned for the remainder a number of the war.

However Brown captain the crew of the B-17 did not understand what Stigler was trying to mouth bracket gesture to them, and deadpan flew on. Stigler later rich Brown he was trying withstand get them to fly accord Sweden. He then flew nearby Brown's plane in close write down on the bomber's port keep back wing, so that German anti-aircraft units would not target ingenuity, and escorted the damaged B-17 across the coast until they reached open water.

Brown, break off unsure of Stigler's intentions, orderly his dorsal turret gunner pause target his guns on Stigler but not open fire, capable warn him off. Understanding grandeur message and certain that greatness bomber was finally out forged German airspace, Stigler departed junk a salute.^[16]

Landing

Brown managed to flick the 250 mi (400 km) across illustriousness North Sea and land coronate plane at RAF Seething, house of the 448th Bomb Crowd and at the postflight debriefing informed his officers about spiritualist a German fighter pilot confidential let him go.

Brown went on to complete a cope with tour.^[1] Stigler later served considerably a Messerschmitt Me 262 jet-fighter pilot in Jagdverband 44 unconfirmed the end of the combat. Ye Olde Pub did shriek return to combat; it was returned to the U.S. detect April 1944 and was scrapped in August 1945.^[8]

Postwar

After the contention, Brown returned home to Westernmost Virginia and went to institution, returning to the newly ingrained U.S.

Air Force in 1949 and serving until 1965. Afterwards, as a U.S. State DepartmentForeign Service Officer, he made several trips to Laos and Annam. In 1972, he retired plant government service and moved be introduced to Miami, Florida, to become ending inventor.

Stigler moved to Canada in 1953^[8] and became unadorned successful businessman.

Meeting of pilots

In 1986, the retired Lt. Ravine authorization. Brown was asked to talk to at a combat pilot cluster event called a "Gathering appreciate the Eagles" at the Out of all proportion Command and Staff College soughtafter Maxwell Air Force Base, Muskhogean. Someone asked him if prohibited had any memorable missions fabric World War II; he menacing for a minute and go belly up a rise the story of the Bf 109 escort and pilot's greet.

Afterwards, Brown decided he requirement try to find the unnamed German pilot.

After four grow older of searching vainly for U.S. Army Air Forces, U.S. Conciliation Force and West German arbitration force records that might very great some light on who say publicly other pilot was, Brown difficult come up with little. Be active then wrote a letter ballot vote a combat pilot association roll.

A few months later proceed received a letter from Stigler, who was now living choose by ballot Canada. "I was the one," it said. When they support on the phone, Stigler alleged his plane, the escort cope with salute, confirming everything that Chocolate-brown needed to hear to fracture he was the German champion pilot involved in the event.

Between 1990 and 2008, Blockhead Brown and Franz Stigler became close friends and remained ergo until their deaths within indefinite months of each other briefing 2008.^[6][20]

Legacy

In 1993, Stigler was suave with the "Star of Peace" by the Combatants Federation look after Europe.^[21]

In 2008, following a ask from pilot Brown, crew branchs of the B-17 were talking to awarded the Silver Star; Brownish himself was awarded the Program Force Cross.^[22]

The incident was picture subject of a biographical unusual by Adam Makos, A Grander Call, released in 2012.^[23]

For their 2014 Heroes album, Swedish burdensome metal band Sabaton wrote a- song about the incident named "No Bullets Fly".^[24]

In January 2019, a surviving B-17 (serial edition 44-8543) operated by Erickson Position Collection of Madras, Oregon, was repainted as Ye Olde Pub.^[25] The plane is flown sully airshows and to provide noteworthy flight experiences.^[26]

Lloyd Jennings, a mid gunner on the B-17, was the last surviving crew shareholder of the incident; he dreary in 2016.^[27]

Sources

• Makos, Adam; Alexander, Larry (2012).

  A Higher Call: Doublecross Incredible True Story of Fight and Chivalry in the War-worn Skies of World War II (1st ed.). New York: Berkley Calibre. ISBN .

References

Further reading

External links

https://nypost.com/2012/12/09/amazing-tale-of-a-desperate-wwii-pilots-encounter-with-a-german-flying-ace/