When A German Ace Taunted A P-47C Pilot

On June 26, 1943, three squadrons of P-47C Thunderbolts swept over occupied France, heading to meet B-17 bombers returning from a deep strike into enemy territory. Flying near the rear of the formation was 2nd Lt. Robert S. Johnson, scanning the skies for trouble.

It didn’t take long to find it.

16 Focke-Wulfs from Above

Johnson spotted 16 Focke-Wulf 190s diving toward them from above. He radioed a warning — “Bandits, 5 o’clock!” — but got no reply. A second call brought the same silence. Moments later, cannon shells and machine-gun fire tore into his Thunderbolt. Hydraulic fluid sprayed into his face, hot oil poured into the cockpit, and a flash fire briefly ignited inside. Wounded, partially blinded, and struggling to breathe, Johnson wrestled his crippled P-47 out of a death spiral.

Attempts to bail out failed — his canopy jammed and his parachute snagged on the frame. With no choice but to stay, he leveled off, hoping to limp back to England.

The Yellow-Nosed Foe

Out of the chaos above, a single yellow-nosed Fw 190 appeared, its 20 mm cannons pounding Johnson’s damaged plane. The German overshot, then pulled alongside, giving Johnson a military salute. Thinking he’d been spared, Johnson returned an uneasy wave.

But the respite was a ruse. The 190 swung back into position and opened fire again — now with machine guns, peppering the P-47 from tail to nose. The German repeated the maneuver twice more, each time saluting before breaking away, mocking the helpless American. Finally, out of ammunition, the Fw 190 rolled its wings in farewell and disappeared.

A Bullet-Riddled Landing

Against all odds, Johnson made it to Manston Air Base. The landing gear held, the tires were still inflated, and he touched down perfectly. Medics found him burned, cut, and bleeding, with shrapnel in his thigh and a bullet nick to his nose.

When Johnson later inspected his aircraft, he stopped counting bullet holes after reaching 200 without moving from the tail.

Rumor has it the attacking pilot was Luftwaffe ace Egon Mayer, who would be killed in action less than a year later. Johnson survived, scoring 27 confirmed victories by war’s end — making him the second-highest-scoring American ace in the European theater. He would earn the Purple Heart, Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, nine Distinguished Flying Crosses, and more before passing away in 1998 at age 78.