Why This BF 109 Spared This B-17

On December 2nd, 1943, Charlie Brown’s B-17 is struggling to stay up in the air. Upon passing a German field, their plane was spotted by German Fighter Ace Franz Stigler, who was one kill away from receiving the Knight’s Cross. Stigler raced to intercept the heavily damaged plane. Unknown to him, this would lead to a series of unexpected events.

An Unfortunate Incident

Lt. Charlie Brown struggled to keep Ye Olde Pub, his B-17 bomber airborne as they were attacked by a barrage of anti-aircraft fire. After releasing twelve 500-pound bombs in Germany, they were met with a flak storm.

The Ye Old Pub made its way into the North Sea, barely fending off enemy attacks, not knowing that their last-minute detour would lead them straight to Jever German Air Base.

Trouble Brewing Ahead

German ace Franz Stigler couldn’t believe his eyes. A B-17 bomber was headed straight to their base. Knowing that he was just one plane away from receiving the Knight’s Cross, he raced to intercept the B-17.

However, he immediately knew something was off when he aimed his gun at the B-17’s tail. No tail gunner retaliated. Upon further inspection, he noted that the plane’s tail guns were drooping helplessly.

While his old self would have taken down the enemy plane without hesitation, his new self, heavily influenced by the chivalric codes of the Knights over Sicily, couldn’t take down a barely flying plane. Franz thought that downing the B-17 wouldn’t be a victory for him, and he couldn’t bear it on his conscience. He also knew that once the B-17 reached the coast, they would likely be taken down by flak fire.

Act of Mercy

Franz then strategically positioned his plane so that his silhouette could be seen in the skies and that German flak gunners could recognize his Messerschmitt Bf-109, and hold their fire on the B-17.

Miraculously, the flak gunners below held their fire, thinking it could be a captured enemy plane utilized for clandestine operations or training. The Pub’s crew were amazed that they were able to reach the North Sea unscathed.

Franz gestured to the American crew, mouthing the word “Sweden.” The country was only 30 minutes away and was the most viable option for the heavily damaged bomber. Still, Lt. Charlie Brown was wary of Stigler’s intentions, thinking it was a trap.

Defying the Odds

Brown flew 150 miles and successfully landed his crippled plane at RAF Seething. Stigler on the other hand, didn’t talk to anyone about the incident knowing that the incident could lead to a court martial.

When the war finally ended, Brown wanted to find the German pilot who saved their lives that day. He searched for years and in a last-ditch attempt, he wrote to a a combat pilot association newsletter. He finally found answers months later with a letter from Stigler who at that time was living in Canada. From 1990 up until they both died in 2008, the two men created a deep bond that was rooted in their extraordinary circumstances during WWII.