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Slightly unrelated but a year or so ago you dedicated a video to @RobSmithRacing flying along the white cliffs of Dover. Unfortunately he lost his battle recently but was always thrilled over your videos. Keep up the good work, you’ve got another subscriber.
Sir: You started this video with the comment of ("an act of mercy") toward a wounded P47 trailing black smoke as Pilot Crantell was limping back home. These two German fighter pilots could have easily shot him down? Both there fathers may haved survived WW 1. They served in the Air Amanda for the Kaiser. During the Victorian age 1888 to 1920 Chivery was practice. And these two German pilots new the war was over for the Fatherland. They extended a self pride of courtesy and upbringing and mercy. They were reared up properly by there fathers. I stop to write this letter to you at 4:39 mark. Just my opinion. Calif zip code 95370. I do like your presiditions.😊
Friend here is a true story from WW1 when a top French Ace named George Gidimiare I think is how you spell it when up against a 1 of the Top German aces (can't remember his name sorry )& the German managed to get the French man in his cross hairs for a second & fired BUT his guns jammed which happened alot BUT the French pilot saw that so German was of course doing alot of defensive moves till French Pilot flew towards German upside down & instead of firing into the German he waved his hand out at him knowing the German had nothing to fight with. The German pilot wrote in his memoirs he felt numb flying home but said he was glad to see chivalry does still exist.
Most soldiers on both sides were draftees. The average German soldier fought loyally for Germany, not Hitler. Allied pilots sometimes showed mercy on Axis pilots too. However, there is a downside to that. The man you spare today may kill you or a comrade tomorrow.
"It shows in a lot of these stories." -I disagree, these stories are rare, the exception to the rule. Many stories to the opposite -one is even mentioned: 19:10
I agree. The vast majority of German servicemen were not Nazis or even believers. They were fighting for their country and doing their duty. This isn't an isolated story like this either. There are quite a few incidents of Germans (especially airmen who considered it chivalry) taking mercy on "the enemy".
@@flimsyjimnz I do not disagree, you should read the book of the general of the fighters of the Luftwaffe Adolf Galland. One story is that he ordered to discard the crutches of the british fighter ace Bader over an english airfield, (which had come into German possession). The war on the eastern front was much more inhuman. You should also consider that the German pilots had to fight under the impact of the German cities bombed to ruins and hundred thousands of civilians killed by the allied airforces and fighting against an ennemy that outnumbered them hopelessly. A lot of reasons to fight desperately and merciless. It was the propaganda in England and USA that pictured the legend that all Germans were barbarian Nazis. My uncle was a fighter pilot on the eastern front. He was in his last week squadron leader (because the other squadron leaders had been shot down) and lead his last attack without ammunition and was shot down from the soviets. That is what a comrade of him who survived the war, told me.
I was born in Germany to an American father that flew on B-17s and German mother. My Opa (Grandpa) was in the Luftwaffe as a flak gunner in Ludwigshafen and was a very honorable man…not all german soldiers were Nazi Zealots and were compassionate to their foes
General Paton in his last months was often heard to say That Germans were the best of the Europeans. Paton was no saint and early on had ordered many prisoners shot so as not to be slowed down by them.
I know. A man who was the son of a German soldier KIA saved my life one day. He was the youngest of 8 sons. After the war, his family scraped enough $$ together to send him to the USA to get an education and a better life. His older brothers were in the Hitler Youth or German Army. They had no choice. If your family had teenage boys and weren’t Gung Ho to fight for the Fatherland, the whole family was ostracized, arrested or worse. He had nothing good to say about Nazis. He was a proud American. 🇺🇸🫡
@@mechcavandy986 This....this kind of view is driving me mad.... Do you think if America went to all-out war, and conscription was obligatory....would you say oh no I don't want to fight, without consequences? It's incredibly frustrating that what other countries do is OK, if the Germans did it, it's evil. Hypocrisy! Funfact: Evil warcrime Germany switched to WAR industry in 1944. UK: 1940. USSR: 1930s US:1941.. And Germany wanted WW2...yes...
This reminds me of when a B-17 called Yea Old Pub, was barely able to fly, one was dead, many were injured, only had one working gun, and most of the tail was gone..with a huge hole in the fuselage…….was escorted home by a German who only needed one more kill to get the Iron Cross. He instead escorted them back to the English Chanel. The incident was classified as Top Secret by the Allies, but in the 80’s the Pilot of the B-17 started to talk about it, and wrote a story about it in a Magazine. Leaving out details only the German would have known. The German read the article, reached out to the American, they meet, and became like brothers. He got to meet the other Americans who were on that B-17, and the 70 plus family members they brought with them. One son later became a professional baseball player for the Cardinals (?). The German became so emotional he had to sit down and cry seeing all the live his conscience saved. They died a a few months apart in the early 2000’s. A Swedish Metal band did a song called “No Bullet Shall Fly” about this incident. It’s on RU-vid. The German man’s grandson heard it on the internet, called his mom, and told her about the song/had her listen to it. She sent Sabaton a video thank you for keeping her father’s memory alive, and attended the next concert she could 🥲.
The name of the german pilot was Franz Stigler. I have the book abot this story. Its called " A higher call". In german " Eine höhere Pflicht". I can highly recommend the book. Here is the Video (no bullets fly) from Sabaton about this true Story. By the way, my absolute favorite band. 🤘 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dslO-3GgenY.html
@@equarg: Absolutely friend, I know that story well. The American pilot who somehow managed to fly her back & land told them when he jumped out but they didn't believe him of course. You know I always wondered why they wouldn't believe him & told him to keep his mouth shut & I thought it was because the Top Brass didn't want US Airforce pilots to maybe do the same thing for German Pilots in bust up planes ( Would've been Fighters ) by then as they ran out of bombers I think by then ( Or had a small amount) they didn't want Allies to show any mercy to get the war finished ASAP. If that was the case I find that pretty cold BUT I'm probably miles off the mark. Great outcome though that they became good friends 👍
@@equarg: I'm sure Franz Stigler the German Pilot lost his brother not that long before helping the US Pilot & crew get back safely & said I lost a brother in the war but also saved a brother. If he was seen by any German & was reported he could've got a Court Martial & being Nazis & upset losing war probably accuse the German with a Heart of Treason & put a bullet or 20 in him. Good end thankfully 👍
@@andrewblackie7170 might be more than that. im sure some of that is true to keep their pilots in attack mode at all times but it might be more political. if it got out that german pilots showed an american pilot mercy, funding and support for the war could also slow or stop.
@@equarg: Did you know that Franz had actually landed his plane before the incident with Ye Olde Pub. He was in the air with loads of other Fighters attacking Allied Bombers & he ran out of ammo. His plane got reloaded for the next mission with the bombers BUT he looked up & saw a bomber on it's own lagging behind & he was one kill short of the knights Cross so headed down the runway & took off. When he finally got behind it at first he was puzzled as to why they weren't firing at him until he got closer he then realised. He also remembered what his squadron leader said to all the pilots " If I ever hear of any of you shooting a pilot in a parachute " I'll shoot you myself. Also Franz never saw a kill ahead of him, if they couldn't defend themselves then it's not a fair kill I said. He done the right thing & deserves total respect & all good that came his way afterwards. 🙏
I was acquainted with the family of Wilhelm Dormann, a Luftwaffe night fighter ace who shot down 14 British bombers. He was careful to shoot at the engines, wings, and control surfaces so as not to kill fellow flyers. He was fluent in English and visited the POW camps to check up on his victims. I also heard this from the grandchildren of one of the British POWs. After the war he taught English to his neighbors and worked for reconciliation between the former enemies.
I think JG 57 but it has been a long time since I was in contact with his family and I'm almost 83. Maybe a net search could find out more since he was such a great ace. He was personally acquainted with Adolf Galland, the General of Fighters, and Later a big shot, Lieutenant General I think, in the West German Luftwaffe.
Im a 66 years old Australian. Back in the 1970s whilst I was an apprentice plumber working on large construction sites there were ex military guys from a lot of different nations working together. I worked with an Italian, a German and an Australian and New Zealander all ex army who served in the deserts of north Africa. Fought in battles against each other. Great guys. Very funny guys. Great stories. No animosity.
That's something that has happened many times over throughout history. After the American Civil War people would arrange reunions at the sites of old battles. Union - Confederate, it didn't matter. These men were the lucky ones to survive, considering the medical technology of the time & it was always very emotional. These men wept like babes in each others arms. Such reunions continued well into the 20th century. As I understand it there was similarly NO animosity among the troops in WW1. World War II was the first of "modern wars." There may have been those among them that held no animosity towards the other but by & large there was true hatred there. Vietnam, again, in some numbers the soldiers held no animosity. However for others there remains deep, deep, animosity. For the most part modern warfare has changed things. I cannot imagine there ever being an emotional reunion between Israelis & Arabs of the various Arab-Israeli Wars, for example. Similarly there will be no such reunions between Republican Guard soldiers & American soldiers who fought pitched battles during the Gulf War. Never will soldiers that fought in Afghanistan feel emotional upon being reunited with Taliban insurgents; Well I guess technically their official government now. Whenever this Russo-Ukrainian War ends the Ukrainians will never forgive or forget what had been done to them. If their allies abandon them it is likely they will never forgive that betrayal.
@@athelwulfgalland One thing that always bothered me and may me wonder was that back in 1975 I did Basic training in the Air Force and our sister squad were all Iraqi airmen. We trained together, ate together even graduated together. 15 yrs. later the USAF was bombing their airfields. Wonder if all made it? Hope you and your loved ones have a great/safe weekend.
@@tonyperez4791 That's a reasonable question to ask. I'm sure a lot of them saw active service during the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s. Sadly Iran was very well equipped with Western equipment & they used their F-14As like AWACS aircraft that could engage targets themselves as well. The kill to loss ratio didn't exactly bode well for those you once knew. Most, if not all, were probably retired, training new pilots or desk jockeys by the time the Gulf War occurred. Worse still is that Desert Storm took care to bust any & all command centers within the first hours of the war. Thus the better ones among those that made it through the Iran-Iraq War had an even lesser chance of surviving. A lot of Iraqis flew their aircraft to Iran to be interned until the end of the war. I never did hear what became of those pilots but I believe that the aircraft were never returned. Why they flew their aircraft to Iran I still don't quite understand. The Iran-Iraq War was a bitter one & there was definitely still animosity there. By the time of the Iraq War I don't expect many were still in service at all. Even if they were I don't think Iraq bothered to scramble any aircraft to defend their airspace. Considering the North & South thirds of their airspace had been off limits to their aircraft already & had been meticulously enforced it made some sense. If there were any still in service with Iraq at that time they would have been forcefully retired & given the same sort of treatment that German officers were given after WW2. Most were not permitted to serve in the military, in a position of management, authority or assume political office. I genuinely hope that your friends made it through, against all odds described, but I wonder how they feel about Americans now? All the best to you & yours as well!
My Grandfather was in the Italian Amry as a Medic. Serving uder Gen Rommel in North Africa. And he told me he treated all Soldiers and POWs as human beings. No matter which side they fought on. He was however, glad that Italy switched sides in 1943.
Mr. Cottrell lives just up the road from me and I’ve had the honor of meeting him a couple times. My wife and I even met him for breakfast last year and we just sat and talked for over an hour. He is truly a great man. It’s amazing to see his story honored like this.
By and large, the German Pilots did show considerable restraint when dealing with a damaged allied aircraft. There are numerous stories depicting German Pilots escorting damaged Allied Planes back to friendly zones. That was most commonly referred to as Chivalry and it was common on all sides.
Polish pilots flying with the RAF had a different reputation, a pilot in a parachute was not always safe! Their young country was occupied at the time and would be after the war!
Not so in the Pacific theater. Such events were so rare in that theater of operations as to be practically non-existent. Don't be fooled, the Pacific, like the Eastern Front was a war of antihalation.
My grandfather had a little 20 acre farm when WW2 broke out, in a country east of Germany, west of Russia. The frontlines went over twice, so he had experiences with both German and Russian soldiers. Germans came in very polite and asked to buy eggs. They absolutely loved eggs and always offered to pay or barter for something, wristwatch or a small harmonica. Russians just came and demanded food with an undertone of possible violence if you didn't abide. My father was a little boy, he said Germans always gave him and other village children candy and choclate from their ration packs, Russians never did that. Germans loved to sing and play harmonica. Russians never did any of that, they always seemed afraid of some invisible threat, always suspicious about the locals. When Germans came in to eat all the soldiers left their rifles outside behind the front door, stacked against the wall. Only officer had his pistol in his holster. When Russians came in they held their rifles between their legs while sitting at the table and eating. Germans often were merciful in the battle, there's lots of stories about this, none about the Russians doing the same. Germans and Russians both had concentration camps where they both committed attrocities and systematically killed people but only German attrocities were spoken about because Russians ended up on the winning side. What you hear about history is only half truth, most of the time, unfortunately. You always have to consider which side was writing the history books, take that into consideration and then go look for the full story that's hidden from you.
@@charlescoker7752 Well, mostly yes. Althou there's pretty good books and movies from the viewpoint of the losing side as well. You should not complain too much, most of history is only one-sided.
@@mikeromney4712 No one knows, who financed the Nazis and communists. Let us say, without help Nazis would have never come to power. The same applies to Lenin and Stalin. The wallstreet creates the monsters, the US army has to deafeat later.
Most likely, had there been a verification of this event, Ed would have been ordered not to share his story publically. Which is exactly what happened to the crew members of the B-17 "Ye Olde Pub".
I read an interview with Robert Johnson, the top P-47 ace in WW II. He told a similar story about a guy in his squadron who was absolutely terrified of flying combat and had to be lifted into his airplane. He said that despite being terrified, when the time came the guy went down low with the rest of the squadron on ground attack missions and did his job. Johnson concluded by saying the guy "was the bravest man he had ever met.'
Yes, Franz's training CO said to that class "if I ever see you shoot a man in a parachute, I will shoot you myself". The Charlie Brown + Franz Stigler incident in December '43.
It's likely that they would have been shot if they were observed and identified. This was known and probably why the after action debrief was discounted. It was literally unbelievable.
@@mattmatt6572 - Germans were ramming bombers with their planes near the end of the war, so probably not. Flying in formation with the damaged plane meant German anti-aircraft crews would not fire on it either.
@@interociteroperator8539 Eh....the Sondercommando Elba was a specialized unit with the intent to ram. Other fliers generally didn't do that in the ETO. More likely these 2 pilots knew the war was lost....why fight on that way otherwise?
@@jimwiskus8862 Franz Stigler in an ME109 escorted Charlie Brown in a seriously shot up and barely flying B17 north to the water's edge. Higher Call is the book written about the episode. This incident is confirmed. Stigler moved from flight instructor to fighter pilot in part to get even with the allies who he blamed for the death of his pilot brother. The two did find each other after the war and became fast friends. The incident was originally classified by the Americans to prevent publication.
The Bf 109s in this story seem to have been part of JG 27, the same one Franz Stigler was assigned to at the time. It seems JG 27 had a tendency to have considerably honorable pilots.
If you haven't already, check out the animated music video from the band Sabaton about the Charlie Brown story. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dslO-3GgenY.html. Be sure to watch to the very end
I salute those honourable German pilots. And can understand why that young American pilot, Art Summers, had difficulty wanting to fly missions. How any of the boys in the air or on the ground kept their mental fortitude and continued to fight is astounding to me.
Pierre Clostermann, a French officer who flew as a fighter pilot for the Royal Air Force in WW2, in his books about the air war, wrote that the German flak was absolutely deadly, in particular defending Luftwaffe airfields, and that any low level attack by allied fighter bombers was near suicidal, right up to the last days of the war.
@@frederico-d3l His "accidental" death was very suspucious, to say the least - but he was right and Churchill was the only western Allied leader who knew it and distrusted the Soviets in general, and Stalin in particular, but he was also silenced by the US leaders, first by Roosevelt, then by Truman, who naively believed Stalin was being honest. Luckily for Western Europe, the British and Canadians stopped the Russians invading Denmark and later Norway and the whole of Scandinavia by sending troops to the Baltic Sea coast in April 1945. It nearly came to armed conflict but the Russians backed down, unwilling at that time to confront the western Allies before Germany was totally defeated. As soon as that was accomplished, the Russians changed their tune completely - by annexing all of the eastern countries they had "liberated" but then turned into Communist satelite states in the Soviet Eastern Block. Churchill and Patton had seen this coming, and the future Cold War, but it was too late to save Eastern Europe - but thankfully Western Europe was saved the terrors of the Soviet dictatorship, as was Scandinavia, as I mentioned above. They couldn't touch Churchill, but Patton was a different matter, and he was....well, we all know.
I read a first hand account of an encounter a german nightfighter had with a Halifax that was flying back from a mission to France where the German crew trailed the bomber for quite a while during which they discussed the possibility that it was fligth returning a French spy to England. In actually, it was a bomber returning from a mission but the idea someone might be going home in the bomber made the German Crew softhearted and without saying anything, they just flew away. There were some really cool German nightfighters.
What is the "first hand account" please ? I really suggest that (a) Halifaxs might have dropped spies, but not landed to pick them up. That was the job of Westland Lysanders. (b) there was no way that Luftwaffe pilots had any idea of who was inside an enemy plane.
Read the book "A Higher Call" My Father was in the U.S.A.A.F. in WWII. I don't care what our history teaches us, I have heard first hand accounts of how the German Luftwaffe was the most honorable force in the entire conflict. There are MANY stories out there like this.
Most German soldiers were not Nazis, and I am sick of people claiming that they were. Most German soldiers felt they were saving Europe from Stalin, and they couldn't understand why the US was allied with the Soviet Union. I'm not justifying what was done, but it does explain some things.
There were many who afterwards said they fought wrong enemy, such as general George Patton and WInston Churchill. And now there is one Stalin's admirer leading Russia.
and while hitler and his ilk knew what could or would happen when they tried to solve the corridor-problem / poland question / go for more land in the east, the normal folk just saw that britain and france declared war on germany and started civilian bombing first. that plus loads of propaganda.
But isn't it the leadership, that was at fault, both Dictators, and not much to choose between them. Ruthless, b..... both. 'Ordinary men.. Don't make the policies, they just follow orders. Regards Stewart (UK)
Ed, I'm ex-Army, and I believe you. I've had people not believe me too when I was telling the truth, and it stings. But it is not your fault. Just remind yourself that some people's minds are so narrow, they can't imagine something extraordinary happening. All good wishes.
The pilots on both sides still shared a feeling of old fashioned chivalry. They were in the same dangerous situation with their lives in their own hands. Mutual respect. And the German pilots were obviously pretty young and unexperienced, not battle hardened veterans. Maybe.
@scriptsmith4081 Those Me-109's would have never escorted an enemy plane back to his lines while having no ammo, risking an encounter with American fighters. They would not risk that no matter how inexperienced they could be.
American airmen would have shot any German plane out of the sky.. need only 5 to become an ace .. Many Me 262 shot down when landing.. slow helpless.. gear down.. Germans needed 200 + to get any recognition..
Hey there, TJ3, another great video!. The top scoring Polish ace of the Second World War (and the first Allied ace of WW2 having shot down five German a/c in September 1939, Stanislaw Skalski, on Sept. 1, landed right next to the Henschel He-126 his squadron mate had brought down, bandaged the two crewmembers and protected them against the angry local farmers until the military arrived and placed the Germans in a hospital! Who knows, the two Germans may have later re-train as fighters and just COULD have flown escort to Cottrell in 1944... Greetings from Poland!
It would be one heck of a story if that was the case but highly unlikely. Then again, what do i know, i wasn't there. We'll never know the true story, i guess.
I knew a bit about Stanislaw Skalski, any Brit into the Battle of Britain is aware of 303 squadron, but I've never heard this story before, nice piece of information.
ED is still with us! Thank you for your service Ed Cottrell! Jul 10, 2024Lt. Col. Edwin Cottrell, 102, was honored Tuesday afternoon in Brevard by the French Consulate for his service during WWII.
That is an incredible story. Sad for those lost and a fortunate US pilot to be spared by two German pilots. I hope those two germans survived despite the side they were fighting for. At that moment they showed respect for a fellow airman even if opposite sides of the war. God bless all and to the veteran pilot who lives to tell the story of thise most frightening moments of his life. I believe the story. Im sure many do. God blees.👍🇭🇲🦘🐨✌️
One of those very rare stories where Germans fighting for Germany in 1939-1945 get a fair hearing. They were of course almost all conscripts, a fact people conveniently forget.
In addition I thought that Luftwaffe pilots were volunteers, and very eager defenders of the Homeland. I don't get this story if they were not out of ammo.
@Wolf-hh4rv- By that point in the war, a lot of the ground troops were conscripts, but the majority of the remaining pilots were still volunteers. Most if not all combat pilots were officers and while not all were loyal Nazis, they were loyal to their profession.
@@flparkermdpc These pilots were gentleman , they had respect for each other . The Germans had a prison Stalag Luft 3 only for pilots , wich was more likely a hotel with a pool and gym and so on . There is also a movie about , were some brake out of that . The problem is that people like you only know Nazi Germans from Hollywood movies , they were only bad guys with Stormtrooper aiming . They rarely show good guys , these two pilots would never escort a P47 without having ammo . If they encounter enemy fighters they are done , is it hard to believe that they also had a heart or emotions ?
@@5co756a hotel with a swimming pool and gym? 😂 Not sure where you got that from. It was Stalag Luft III from whence the “great escape” took place, and it was most definitely NOT like a hotel with a pool, etc..
@@antoniomik100 god wasn’t with all those Jewish people, huh? In reality, if you knew history, god was on hitlers side. The Catholic Church was their best friend.
Considering that there were pilots on both sides, Allied and Luftwaffe, who considered it totally legitimate to shoot and kill an ememy pilot who had bailed out and was descending to earth by parachute, the actions of those two German pilots is quite astounding, particularly at that late stage of the war. Not only did they endanger themselves from allied fighters roving in the area, but if their actions had been witnessed by other Luftwaffe pilots, they could well have been accused of aiding the enemy, then court martialed and shot for what the Nazis called "Wehrkraftzersetzung" i.e. "submersive action". Whatever we think of their actions now, 80 years after the war, at the time Germany was fighting for its life and allowing an enemy pilot to fly his damaged, but repareable, fighter back to allied territory would have been considered as an act of treason by many German airmen, and not necessarily only fanatical Nazis either. I myself applaud those pilots for their humanity and fairness and sincerely hope that they survived that brutal war.
Mostly American pilots were the ones shooting enemy pilots in parachute. They were also shooting at farmers and farm animals as apart of policy of opportunity: anything moving is a target.
@@jacobjonm0511 True, but it is also true that Luftwaffe fighter pilots captured during or after the Battle of Britain also admitted to shooting up anything that moved on roads in southern England, including cyclists and buses...and this in a period (1940-1942) when revenge for bombed out German cities by the RAF was not a factor.
According to Eighth Air Force historian Roger Freeman there is no evidence Mayer was anywhere near the area. Fellow 56th Fighter Group ace Gerald Johnson told Freeman he came on the scene and shot down the FW-190 attacking Robert S. Johnson as it was coming around to make another pass. Indeed, Gerald Johnson was credited with a FW-190 that day.
Whoever the 190 pilot was, he had no intention of sparing Johnson. It was possible he was out of cannon rounds but worked Johnson's P47 with his mgs during several passes. I've never heard the part about Gerald Johnson arriving on scene. According to Robert S, the 190 eventually gave up, wagged its wings and peeled off.
@@TheSaturnV Roger Freeman’s “Wolfpack Warriors” relates the story from Gerald Johnson. Martin Caidin’s “Thunderbolt” was written about fifteen years after the war, but there were a few mistakes, or things left out or exaggerated, which I guess Johnson either signed off on or didn’t realize until the book was published. I have no doubt anything Robert Johnson told Caidin was exactly the way Johnson remembered it. Caidin never hesitated to play loose to juice up a story.
My mother grew up in WWII Germany. Her and her sister were walking down and open road and an American bomber they called them Stuka which was actually the name of the German bombers of the day, turned in overhead to strafe them they heard the stories and and a new friends that were killed that way, so they thought they were done but the pilot, who did see them flew overhead and waved his wings as he went by. Only the fanatics were animals most Germans answered the call, just as us Americans did. My Opa was Wehrmacht German army, my father was 2nd Armored they were both good men, as was that pilot who flew over my mom and her sister that day as was the ME109 pilots who would never think of killing a helpless opponent. It takes more courage to help your enemy up than it does to knock them down. Many of our so-called leaders today could learn a valuable lesson from this story if they only have the capability to listen. Thank you for telling this story. May God have mercy on us all.🙏🙏🙏
I guess today Art Summers would have been diagnosed with battle fatigue, just like the soldier that got slapped by Patton. These things happen, real war is no John Wayne movie, accentuated with bombastic music, but the crudest reality possible. A German pilot also did the same thing with a crippled B 17, he later met with the American he refused to shoot down in such conditions. He too flew together with the B 17, to make sure the German air defense would not shoot it down, and only left when he had a fair chance to get across the Channel, half of the crew dead. I assume such chivalry is possible in the air, not sure if ground war allows such galantry. It would be great if the two German pilots could be identified, and the families meet, just like what happened with the B 17 pilot.
Retroscoop, theres a video on here somewhere of an interview with an American soldier who was treated and helped to the American lines by a German medic
The poor pilot that didnt want to go on the mission its like shell shock from the troops poor old body can only take so much. I read a story about a pilot over in Europe flying P-47s on a mission over 10 never came back and got shot down. He came back and landed his P -47 and when he learned 10 of his buddies didnt make it back he stood up and in the cockpit pulled out his Colt 45 and emptied the clip into the dash of the plane he just had a melt down
Thrilling story. The Me 109s in this film must be version K-4 not a mix of G-14 and K-4. The K-4 had no dents over the engine but a aerodynamic bonnet.
@@NashmanNash Only K-4 hade this large bulges on the wing (source german Flugzeugdatenblatt/englisch aircraft data sheet). In this film the plan is just a fiction and mix of a K and a G version. This is for the people who doesn't believe it anyway.
This is a case of one of the few instances of pilots, actually showing respect and being knights of the air. I have rarely heard of German pilots being this nice, and one of those was the B-17 that got spared by BF109 pilot Franz Stigler. This proves that honor did fact exist. In the skies above Germany during World War II. Ultimately, great video love the content
Mr. Edwin Cottrell, my sincere thanks and my respect and esteem to you for recording this story for later generations. I know the USA and I am not a friend of American politics, and the Americans have been the biggest enemies of the Germans since 1898 (Manila) to this day, even if the politicians want to sugarcoat it. When America seized the Spanish colonies, the US and the German navy faced each other a week before Manila, ready to fire. But this is about the individual soldier and it is very rewarding to hear this story from Mr. Edwin Cottrell and to record it for later generations. Of course, nobody believed him in 1944. The Germans were all Nazis, animals and beasts. There were some, but even the SS were not all butchers. But his story is not the only incident in which German planes escorted shot US or British planes to the front and then turned off with a salute. I saw a movie of US soldiers in the Battle of the Bulge and how the US soldiers were covered. The German artillery liked to shoot at tree tops, which then exploded and the splinters shredded the soldiers on the ground. A Veteran reported that he was in the Hürtgen Forest again a few years ago and the memory came flooding back and he cried like a little boy. War is a dirty business and humanity can only be found through the humanism of the individual soldier. The Australian soldiers who carried Manfred von Richthofen, their most dangerous opponent, to his grave with gun salutes should also be remembered here. Such stories do not make the war any better, but they do show that this war had not yet reached the brutalization and barbaric level of the Thirty Years' War.
Two German fighter pilots WITHOUT ammo would NEVER have flown escort to a crippled US pilot heading back towards American lines! That's nonsense! What would be the chances of running into US fighters either heading back to base or fresh pilots joining the fight. With no ammo, they would be shot down - period! These Germans simply had a heart for a fellow airman, even from the other side. I'm a former pilot that served in the military.
Its entirely possible they didnt have ammo but your correct even without ammo this is incredibly rare and they waved at him which indicates they wished him well ammo or no.
Even without ammo one of them can still shake him down with their wing as they are in German territory. and if they really wanted to kill him they would have landed already for a quick reload instead of wasting time flying behind him without ammo and risking possible attack from other ally aircrafts.
I know that one German aviator escorted a B-17 that was all shot up back into friendly territory and then turned Around. They met up with each other after the war so who knows?
My wife's grandfather was wounded during Normandy. He was in a glider that landed troops behind enemy lines. In this case, the glider he was in was hit and the pilot and co-pilot were killed. He crash landed the glider, but was severely injured. A retreating German medic happened upon him. The medic patched him up, then hightailed it out of there, since the Allies were advancing.
That's amazing Bob... If you don't mind my saying, you, I guess are American, but you have a German surname. Or have I guessed incorrectly. Stadelmayer. I'm a Brit ,so please excuse me if, I'm wrong about your surname.. Your wife's grandfather sounds an amazing guy. Did he recover from his wounds having, crash landed the glider.. It's wonderful that he was treated by a German Medic, but I imagine, medics maybe sign what we call , the Hippocratic Oath, from Greek Mythology. So they concentrate on trying to save lives, rather than 'take them'. even German medics. Be very interested to hear from , Regards, Stewart.
It's not a similar tale, unlike this story the enemy German tried killing him and even deceived him several times into thinking that he will spare him only to turn around and try gunning him down. He only stopped because he ran out of ammo
@@archimedesfromteamfortress2 The way I read the story was that the German pilot kept coming along side the American and signaled him to bail out, not knowing that the canopy was jammed. In other words, The German was trying to let the American live.
@@kyledorsty906 Was that the battle of Y29 you're talking about friend ? With J.C .Myers & the Blue Nose Bastards in the P51's ? Yeah I think may have been Litgy that helped R.S Johnson who was hit by 2 ME109's & he was hit & wing set on fire so stayed in instead of low jump bud he managed to turn it round against the 2xME109's knocking one out helped to head into the clouds were fire went out.
@@archimedesfromteamfortress2 Are you guys talking about the pilot in the Hurricane which was barely flying when German flew in formation then hit the throttle to get behind the Hurricane to hammer him then formation then 2nd hammering then formation then 3rd hammering then formation then waggled his wings to salute pilot in Hurricane because German couldn't believe it was still flying & pilot alive ??
Perhaps what happened with Lt. Sommer was the same thing that happened with Cougar in Top Gun: he was 'holding on too tight & lost the edge'. And still they forced him to fly & fight. So sad.
You're partially correct. Germany does have a strong sense of honor and would even compliment opponents occasionally, but WWII wasn't fought by the normal German army. It was fought by the dictatorship under threats of violence or worse. Many of the German soldiers in WWII were only acting under orders because they knew that if they didn't, they probably wouldn't have a family to return to. Actions like these and the Charlie Brown event were so rare because, had Adolf H heard of them, he'd have executed them for treason. Many of these events probably did happen, but who knows how many lived to tell of them or how many classified documents there still are, or were. WWII Germany wasn't just at war with the world. They were at war with themselves and their own humanity as well.
@MidnightRoselle222 You haven't the slightest idea of the german soul. Nor do they have the slightest idea who supported national socialism in germany. Take a look around your own front door.
Amazing story from a grim reality, that many people today, have hard to understand. Myself wasn't borne when WWII was in action, but Im very interested to hear storys from both sides, and I understand that normal German soldiers wasn't bad persons, but there where many who was. Im an old Sea Captain crossing the North Atlantic for more than 20 years in Summer and Wintertime, Ive been close to die many times in bad Storms/Hurricanes not possible to avoid, I said goodbye to my crew a few times when I was 100% sure , that this is the end for all of us, but in some miracles way, we survived with a few minutes away from disaster, and on places with no help to get, I know the feeling when your stomach feels like lead, and I been in contact with others who sink and disappeared in the angry waves, without no way to help. And we could do nothing to help in this severe weather. We saved once two men in a Sailing Boat outside Brest(France) in a bad storm, 2 other ships tried before us, but they could do anything, so we where no 3 to try, and we manage to get the sailors onboard, while their boat sunk, it was a British and a French sailor, and they where happy as we were that we could save them. I have lost a rudder in a Hurricane south of New Foundland, drifting to the rocks in 5 knots, but managed to go astern with a lost Rudder, and a damaged propeller, between Islands on both sides out to the Atlantic, and no rescue boats or chopper could help us, until a couple of days later, when it calm down. So Im lucky to be alive, and even due to all dangerous situations, I don't regret a single day of my life.
Mercy is often associated with Christianity, adding these German pilots would have known Germany was absolutely going to lose the war, so why not start post war relations with blatant compassion.
Horrendous cruelty, also, e.g. the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, right through many wars to the treatment of unmarried mothers by the Catholic Church. And many other religions also, I don't single out Christianity.
JG27 was used to dealing with Americans - having fought them in North Africa and Tunisia. Big trouble if they chose to be! Most of them fought on to the end in Austria until they chose to surrender to the Americans, rather than the Russians. They used to regularly score 3 kills to 1 loss against P-38's but at the end they were losing 8 to 1 kill against P-47's/P-51's. Franz Stigler was one of JG27's pilots.
That’s such a cool story/event. Very considerate of those two pilots. And Id also say, a very human act, as well. Especially that it was in the midst of a literal attack mission & a world war.
My cousin was Eduard Neumann who flew in and later commanded JG 27 in N Africa. He respected those he fought in the air and I can confirm the honor and mercy that was shown to Lt Cottrell.
Having attended reunions with my grandfather, Atlas, (callsign), a PBY pilot out of the south pacific, I have heard some amazing stories about those Pratt & Whittney engines, and all of his life that I knew him, anytime he got anything with an engine (outside of a car, as those didn't have the option), he would do his best to only get Pratt & Whittney engines, I recall him swapping out the one in the lawn mower for one when I was little.
Ehrenvoll - honorable Luftwaffe pilots. Thank you for sharing this story. I am a German-American and proud of my heritage. There is evil on both sides of every conflict. I am your newest subscriber!
I looked up Ehrenvoll, literally 'honour full' in English. I used to speak German, having studied the language in that European country. I think you will agree they've achieved 'great things' economically since WW2. There was definitely honour amongst airman, on both sides, RAF and Luftwaffe. I don't know whether American aircrew were volunteers as were British aircrew. But remember as now, aircrew are amongst the most intelligent, and well educated servicemen. When I look at how the youth of today have deteriorated, I feel, the poor education here in the UK, has contributed to this. Regards, Stewart
@@stewartbliss6112 - agree with you on all points. Currently working towards an MA in Military History at one of the military academies here in the US, I am a retired civilian. One of my classmates last semester was a B-1 Lancer aka Bone, pilot. Very impressed by the student body at this academy, it has not gone WOKE like some of the others. As for the RAF during WWII, Bomber Harris, in my opinion, led by a corrupted ego and many of his bombing raids such as Hamburg and Dresden were at the very least repulsive and reprehensible. It was very telling how he was ostracized by his men and the people after all the facts came out. I wish you luck with your new government. Wish us luck at well on what occurs in November. Cheers!
Hi WolfMage 888 Your email, and your personal 'stuff', is really of interest to me. So although I need to go out shortly. I will read your post in depth when I return, and get back to you, in more detail..😃😃 I am also retired, so I possibly, we have lots of time to get to know each other PS. I would be interested to learn what your full name is... Vielle Grusse, Stewart Bliss😃😃
Air combat in WWII was still seen as a fight of chivalrous virtues. Shooting on wounded or bailed out personnel was seen as a disgrace. The Interrogator: The Story of Hans Joachim Scharff Master Interrogator of the Luftwaffe - is a masterpiece when it comes to an insight of that because both sides are very well reviewed.
My father spent 18 months as a POW in stalag luft 1. It was run by the Luftwaffe and while it was no stroll in the park, the prisoners were thankful it was them as by and large, they followed the rules of the Geneva Convention unlike many other camps.
Hoping the next video would be 1st. Lt. Stanley M. Sabihon, the only Filipino-American B-17G pilot, who flew 51 combat missions with the 301st Bomb Group, 352nd Bomb Squadron from July to December of 1944.
I remember an interview with British Ace pilot Peter Townsend. He said that most pilots aimed at the engines and not the pilot and that when an enemy plane had been hit he would always try and see if the pilot bailed out. I have friends who are pilots in the Italian Military Air Force and they speak of a special bond amongst pilots that often still exists in battle situations. However I don't think such respect existed in the Pacific War.
JG27 had very honorable pilots in fact they had one spare a B 17 Adam Mako interviewed both the pilots of the B-17 and of the BF 109 from JG 27 and wrote a book called a higher call that tells their tail
Likely they didn't want to shoot him down now that his airplane was crippled. They followed him closely, knowing that he might have to put it down any minute. If he'd had to make a forced landing, they could report his location back to their headquarters so rescue teams could find him quickly.
Franz Stieglar did the same when he saved Capt. Charlie Brown by protecting his outright disabled B-17. Stieglar himself said tht his commander and mentor Gustav Rödel told him that "If I hear of one of you shooting a man in a parachute, I'll shoot you myself!". Charlie's B-17 was litterally even MORE defenseless than a man in a parachute the man in a parachute could likely at least take pot shots with their (i would assume) side arms, but Charlies B-17 literally had all guns frozen, destroyed, or the crew manning the guns were killed. not only that, but 3/4 engines were destroyed/damaged, leaving only 1 engine fully functional. the tail of the plane was nearly shot off, and the wings barely hanging on. Stieglar also said (again with paraphrasing) "Just before christmas, i had the opportunity to save a B-17 from her destruction; a plane so badly damaged it was a wonder she was still flying." he then continued "i'd recently lost my only brother as a night fighter." he then continued "to me, Charlie is as close to me as my brothers was." when he was asked about his feelings of willingly giving his chance to get his long wanted Knights Cross (the big brother of the Iron Cross), he simply replied "I got something better." they then died 6 months apart after finding each other again; 50 years after the end of the war.
As far as I know, the fighter pilots were generally not Nazis and much more humane. They were out to destroy machines. If a machine was damaged beyond usability, many times it was left alone. There were a number of stories like this. As far as I know. Please correct me if I am wrong.
@@carltonstidsen8806 the german army shwoed aloot of mercy to the polish most of the polish soldiers went home a few weeks after the capitulation already wtf are you talking aboout bud?
@@tavish4699 About 1 million polish military and 6 million of polish civilians could tell a different story about "german chivalry" if they stayed alive to do so.
