Franz Stigler and Charlie Brown - When a BF-109 Spared A Stricken B-17 in World War 2

The Franz Stigler and Charlie Brown incident. December 20th 1943 World War 2. When a BF-109 spared a stricken B-17.

There's never been two people less likely to be friends than Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler.

Charlie Brown is piloting his stricken B-17 Flying Fortress bomber on his first ever mission. Taking off from RAF Kimbolton, Charlie Brown's bomber, Ye Olde Pub is part of a formation of B-17 bombers which has attacked the German city of Bremen.

Over the target, Ye Olde Pub was badly damaged with flack. The nose of the B-17 is destroyed, one engine has shut down and one is on reduced power.

The damage caused Ye Olde Pub to drop back from the formation.

Alone and vulnerable, Ye Olde Pub is brutally attacked by BF109's and FW190's. The B-17 takes yet more damage, the tail gunner, Hugh "Ecky" Eckenrode is killed, a third engine is damaged and almost all of the crew are wounded.

Charlie Brown and his crew are in serious trouble.

Meanwhile, Luftwaffe pilot Franz Stigler is refuelling his BF-109 when the stricken B-17 roars over his airfield.

Franz Stigler was an ace pilot who needed just one more victory to win the Knights Cross.

But when Franz Stigler's BF-109 gets close to Ye Olde Pub, before he can pull the trigger, he sees the appalling state of the stricken B-17.

Franz Stigler stares long and hard at Ye Olde Pub, amazed the bomber is still able to fly. Stigler decides he has no choice but to spare the stricken B-17.

The story goes way beyond World War 2 though.

In 1986 a retired Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Brown decides to track down the German fighter pilot who spared his stricken B-17.

Astonishingly, Franz Stigler sees Charlie Browns letter in a magazine and in 1990, the two knights of the air reunited.

The story of Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler is captured perfectly by Adam Makos and Larry Alexander in the book, A Higher Call. I've read hundreds of books about World War 2 and A Higher Call is one of the best.

________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for watching this Superfuse video!

If you like the videos we make here at Superfuse please subscribe to our channel (It's free! 👍) so you can always keep up to speed with new videos!

Superfuse on Social Media
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

#worldwar2 #ww2 #b17

[googrit]

I watched about a dozen videos about this story, before finally discovering this one that included the details I was so curious about. Much appreciated.

[Sterge]

I’ve seen a few videos about this on YouTube before, but this video is definitely the most detailed one. Great to see your channel growing so fast!

[shaggygabe]

Rest in peace, Hugh "Ecky" Eckenrode and all the other airmen that served in WW2

[LancashireAndYorkshire]

Thought this was gonna be a simple history copy, boy was I wrong. This is amazing! Nice video!

[unkwonpolar]

Every video becomes better and better, your one of my favorite history channel’s!!

[Schrödinger]

Amazing video, Franz and Charlie will forever be my favorite friendship

[sof]

I know you will get a few I've seen a different video on this story but dont let that detract from anything. This and your recent videos are great. Hope you keep them coming.

[stormus]

A very good video, well paced and researched, but a few minor errors in it though.

Charlie Brown didn't take Ye Olde Pub to a lower level, he had passed out due to lack of oxygen at over 25, 000 feet, the Pub going into a freefall for 4 miles until Charlie came round and managed to pull the bomber out of her dive at around 1000 feet.

SSgt Blackford returned to the Ball Turret with the intention of scaring off any enemy aircraft that could try to shoot down the Pub despite knowing his guns were frozen. He and Franz locked eyes, to which Blackie shook his fist at Stigler.

I know of this because one of my friends is a son of the late Sam 'Blackie' Blackford and another friend of mine is a daughter of the late Bertand 'Frenchy' Coloumbe.

Stigler's BF109 was a BF109-G6 model which didn't have supporting struts under the horizontal stabilisers, these were deleted on the F model onwards and the emblem of .JG27 was that of a black bear in a red bordered shield with a white background surmounted by a red flared tower representing Berlin

One final note is that the 4 vents on the upper side of the wings of a B-17 were for cold air to vent from the turbosuperchargers and there would be no sooting or streaking coming from them.

I mention this cos I was commissioned to build a pair of models depicting this event for the karting club that is built on the former home of the 379th BG at Kimbolton ^.^

[BradleyPennyAviation]

Excellent video, keep up the great work.

[phantom]

What a wonderful story of mutual respect and general human decency. Much respect for this German fighter pilot who did the honorable thing and didn’t pick off easy prey.

[unsinkablekiko]

Holy crap, i didn't realize this video was already out! As always, I loved the video! I would love to see a video on Capt. Ernest E. Evans and the sacrifice of Taffy 3.

[sabineb.]

This video is really good! It's not so much the animation which cannot even begin to do justice to this emotional story. But the story telling is good and very detailed. And there are some informations which were really new to me, although I have watched many videos about this subject. It was interesting to read Charly Brown's letter which he published in thr German gazette for veteran pilots in order to find the German pilot who had helped them to get out of danger. And I am fascinated that after this incident Stigler stopped to claim credit for planes he had shot down. This tells us that this incident had a deep emotional impact on him.
Here is a very interesting tidbit which I found in a German newspaper: after the two pilots had become good friends, Stigler's wife Helga said to Charly's wife Jackie, that she was very relieved that Charly Brown turned out to be a really nice guy! It might have been deeply upsetting for Franz if he would've found out after all these decades, that the pilot whom he had saved was a complete as.hole 😉
But this concern of his wife also demonstrates that the incident was very important for Franz, and I think it's a great happy end that both pilots found each other and were able to discover the missing half of their great story.

[KotobKotob]

Back then pilot highly respect each other. Some just salute pilot in parachute after destroy their plane

[teamleebo]

Also on December 20 1943 have mercy for the pilot
Charles brown please😉😉😉😁🛬🛬🛬🛬🛬🛬

[lachlanpike]

Franz stigler didn't deserve the knights cross he did get a better medel

[BirdsOfGlass]

Thank God the Boeing that made these planes are not the planes Boeing makes today.... 😏

[notniko]

don't mind me just stealing the bf

[teamleebo]

If you like the olde pub b17 I will reply also leave a comment on my comment