There, alongside the defenseless B-17, German ace Franz Stigler decided to break the cycle of violence, to spare the bomber and escort it out of Germany
Although the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress prototype first flew in 1935, only a relatively small number were in service when the United States entered the war in 1941. Production soon accelerated, and Boeing, Lockheed-Vega, and Douglas built thousands of Flying Fortresses. The B-17 served in every combat theater during World War II, but its most important role was over Europe. Together with the B-24 Liberator, it formed the backbone of the USAAF’s strategic bombing force and helped turn the tide by devastating Germany’s war industry.
On December 20, 1943, amid the sorrow and devastation of World War II, a rare moment of compassion and honor took place over northern Germany. An American bomber crew was struggling home in its badly damaged B-17 after raiding Bremen when a German fighter pilot in a Bf 109 came upon them. Although they were sworn enemies, what happened between the pilot and the crew that day — and the way the story unfolded years later — seems almost unbelievable. It had never happened before and has not happened since, and it stands as one of the most extraordinary acts in the history of war.
It seemed like a Christmas miracle in the making. The American B-17 was crippled and defenseless, and Franz Stigler’s Bf 109 appeared ready to make an easy kill.
Near the German coast, Stigler had never seen a B-17 in such terrible shape. “My God, how are you still flying?” he thought. Inside the bomber, rookie pilot Charlie Brown was thinking the same thing.
The fighter attack had torn the plane apart. As Charlie leaned forward to check an engine, his heart sank at the sight of a gray Bf 109 just three feet from his wingtip. He shut his eyes and opened them again, but the German fighter was still there. He thought they were doomed.
Instead, Franz did something astonishing: he nodded to Charlie. Face to face with his enemy, he chose a different path. He had become a fighter pilot to avenge his brother, who had been killed earlier in the war. But beside the helpless B-17, Franz chose to end the violence, spare the bomber, and escort it out of Germany.
Choosing to spare the bomber, he escorted it toward the North Sea, saluted the American pilot, and then flew off.
Charlie and the rest of the crew still had a chance of making it back to England, thanks to the unidentified German ace who chose not to fire. Brown ultimately managed to nurse his B-17, “Ye Olde Pub,” home after the grueling mission. As he struggled to keep the aircraft aloft, P-47s that had also taken part in the Bremen raid came across “The Pub,” were astonished by its condition, and helped guide it safely to Seething Air Base in England.
But now, Franz’s own life was at risk. Below him lay a picturesque German village, seeming peaceful and welcoming just four days before Christmas. Yet it was wartime, and if anyone had reported Franz for sparing the enemy, he could have been executed as a traitor. Fortunately, no one saw his markings, and Franz made it through the war.
Charlie never forgot what Franz had done. Later in life, Brown searched the world for him, and in 1990 they reunited—not as enemies, but as brothers separated for 46 years. Over time, their bond grew so strong that Stigler came to regard Brown as dearly as the brother he had lost.
A HIGHER CALL: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II is available to order here.
Prints available at ValorStudios.com and “The Guardian Returns” by Nicolas Trudgian.
