You can say what you want, but this was a class guy who did something
he could have been shot for.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080511/franz_stigler_080511/20080511...

On May 11, 10:31 pm, Moose47 wrote:

Shame he died recently.

On May 11, 10:31 pm, Moose47 wrote:

The story is even better than this little snippet makes it sound -
after returning to England that day, the pilot and crew were
interviewed and a bewildered intelligence could only swear the crew to
silence, lest the identity of the "Nazi pilot" be discovered with
tragic results.

Stigler is a bit of an enigma in aviation circles. His wartime record
was a combination of great success and questionable claims that got
him in very hot water when he served on the Southern front. He flew
the Bf 109 on several fronts before transitioning to the Me 262.

Art of the incident:
http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/236/image001212d14ae1ta3.jpg

Rob

p.s. See other topic on Franz's 17 yr old wife Eva with his G-6.

On May 12, 1:31 pm, Moose47 wrote:

During the Battle of Britain 'witnesses' swore they saw Luftwaffe
fighters shooting at the
parachutes of downed RAF pilots.

No such thing ever happened at least not one pilots body or a
shredded parachute. No evidence ever found.

Indeed the rumors or propaganda got so strong that the commander of
JG51, Werner Moelders, threatened to shoot down
any of his pilots doing such a thing personally.

In fact the only occasion during the BoB was of an RAF pilots (Polish
Squadron) doing so to Luftwaffe Pilots downed over
the British mainland.

This raises the possibility that allied pilots may have 'started' the
practice first, perhaps in response to 'atrocity propaganda' or when
it became expedient to do so.

On May 12, 6:02�am, Eunometic yahoo.com.au> wrote:

Rob Arndt wrote:

Not the same story, but I came across a story by an American
P-51 pilot escorting bombers, who noted a LW fighter systematically
shooting crew in their parachutes exiting a bomber (over Germany).

He got quite angry about it and lined up on the guy and fired. He
said he *did not want* to kill the pilot. He wanted him to bail
which is exactly what happened.

He then came around and emptied a long burst into the German in his
parachute.

When he got home, his gun camera film got some questioning but when
he explained the story, the issue was dropped.

After all these years, the USAAF pilot said he had not become sorry
over what he had done.

On May 13, 2:03 am, Stephen Harding msn.com> wrote:

Stephen is right about the story.

Bud Anderson, P-51D Mustang, 357th FG

It was featured on a "Wings" segment from the History Channel. It
featured an interview of the late Bud Anderson, pilot of "Old Crow."
He talked of seeing one of his squadron mates getting shot up while
parachuting out of his stricken plane. He became enraged, and chased
after that German pilot, "picking at him and picking at him" until the
plane was on fire, and the pilot was forced to bail out. He passed by
him once, before circling back around to let him have it. He never
felt sorry for it, and felt completely justified in his actions.

~ Aircraft of WW2 Forum

http://www.cebudanderson.com/images/crosno.jpg
http://www.cebudanderson.com/images/youngbudncro.jpg
http://www.cebudanderson.com/images/SWA-09_lrg.jpg
http://www.cebudanderson.com/images/f16mustang01.jpg

Rob

On May 13, 1:44 am, Rob Arndt aol.com> wrote: