True Story B-17

trk29 · #1 06-24-2009, 03:45 PM

I just received this e-mail the other day and thought I would share it with the forum. Enjoy.

Look carefully at the B-17 and note how shot up it is - one engine dead, tail, horizontal stabilizer and nose shot up.. It was ready to fall out of the sky. (This is a painting done by an artist from the description of both pilots many years later.) Then realize that there is a German ME-109 fighter flying next to it. Now read the story below. I think you'll be surprised.

Charlie Brown was a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot with the 379th Bomber Group at Kimbolton, England. His B-17 was called 'Ye Old Pub' and was in a terrible state, having been hit by flak and fighters. The compass was damaged and they were flying deeper over enemy territory instead of heading home to Kimbolton.

After flying the B-17 over an enemy airfield, a German pilot named Franz Steigler was ordered to take off and shoot down the B-17. When he got near the B-17, he could not believe his eyes. In his words, he 'had never seen a plane in such a bad state'. The tail and rear section was severely damaged, and the tail gunner wounded. The top gunner was all over the top of the fuselage. The nose was smashed and there were holes everywhere.

Despite having ammunition, Franz flew to the side of the B-17 and looked at Charlie Brown, the pilot. Brown was scared and struggling to control his damaged and blood-stained plane.
BF-109 pilot Franz Stigler B-17 pilot Charlie Brown.

Aware that they had no idea where they were going, Franz waved at Charlie to turn 180 degrees. Franz escorted and guided the stricken plane to, and slightly over, the North Sea towards England. He then saluted Charlie Brown and turned away, back to Europe. When Franz landed he told the CO that the plane had been shot down over the sea, and never told the truth to anybody. Charlie Brown and the remains of his crew told all at their briefing, but were ordered never to talk about it.
More than 40 years later, Charlie Brown wanted to find the Luftwaffe pilot who saved the crew. After years of research, Franz was found. He had never talked about the incident, not even at post-war reunions.

They met in the USA at a 379th Bomber Group reunion, together with 25 people who are alive now - all because Franz never fired his guns that day.

(L-R) German Ace Franz Stigler, artist Ernie Boyett, and B-17 pilot Charlie Brown.

When asked why he didn't shoot them down, Stigler later said, I didn't have the heart to finish those brave men. I flew beside them for a long time. They were trying desperately to get home and I was going to let them do that. I could not have shot at them. It would have been the same as shooting at a man in a parachute.
Both men died in 2008.

This is a true story http://www.snopes.com/military/charliebrown.asp
THIS WAS BACK IN THE DAYS WHEN THERE WAS HONOR IN BEING A WARRIOR...THEY PROUDLY WORE UNIFORMS, AND THEY DIDN'T HIDE IN AMBUSH INSIDE A MOSQUE, OR BEHIND WOMEN AND CHILDREN, NOR DID THEY USE MENTALLY RETARDED WOMEN AS SUICIDE BOMBERS TO TARGET AND KILL INNOCENT CIVILIANS...HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED......

Douglas Bader · #2 06-24-2009, 03:53 PM

Great story TRK. There must be hundreds of stories just like this. If any of you know stories like this, please post them. It's wonderful reading material.

Anton Yudintsev · #3 06-24-2009, 04:04 PM

Sad thing, that most of such generous gestures from German pilots happened to US/UK pilots.
Since 42 German fighters were shooting bailed out Soviet pilots, on parachutes.

haitch40 · #4 06-24-2009, 04:05 PM

i have a story about a p47

this guy in the p47 was shot up by fw190s and thought he'd be dead any second he then couldn't bail and on top of that a german ace used all his ammo shooting the p47 but somehow this guy got home

philip.ed · #5 06-24-2009, 04:34 PM

It's amazing how that b-17 story gets around! I was e-mailed that a couple of years ago. It really is amazing

xNikex · #6 06-24-2009, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haitch40

i have a story about a p47

this guy in the p47 was shot up by fw190s and thought he'd be dead any second he then couldn't bail and on top of that a german ace used all his ammo shooting the p47 but somehow this guy got home

I believe that was on an episode of dogfights called 'Long Odds'.

xNikex · #7 06-24-2009, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anton Yudintsev

Sad thing, that most of such generous gestures from German pilots happened to US/UK pilots.
Since 42 German fighters were shooting bailed out Soviet pilots, on parachutes.

I couldn't imagine.

haitch40 · #8 06-24-2009, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xNikex

I believe that was on an episode of dogfights called 'Long Odds'.

yes it was but it was a special about the p47
long odds was about another heroic b17. man i love that show but i cant get channel with it on any more

Raw Kryptonite · #9 06-24-2009, 06:09 PM

Dogfights is worth buying. Both seasons together are pretty cheap and it just doesn't get old. Same for Battle 360.

xNikex · #10 06-25-2009, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haitch40

yes it was but it was a special about the p47
long odds was about another heroic b17. man i love that show but i cant get channel with it on any more

Oh yeah, thanks for correcting me.

Still, it the guy did have long odds of surviving. I remember when they actually animated the pilot trying to fit the through the broken canopy and gave up.

And don't sweat over that channel anymore. They don't play it as often as they used to.