Compassion took the better part of valour. But Luftwaffe Ace Stigler had other thoughts.Īs he circled the wrecked B-17 he could clearly see the dead tail-gunner and other badly wounded men obviously unable to bail out. It wasn’t long before Franz Stigler’s Bf109 was spotted approaching at speed all on board believed their days were now finally numbered. Somehow, Brown managed to keep her in the air – just.
Turning for home, the damage was starting to show and the straggler now became a magnet for encircling Luftwaffe fighters, who pulverised the already battered Fortress.
20 December 1943 – rookie pilot Charlie Brown and the crew of B-17 Ye Old Pub manage to bomb the Focke-Wolf factory in Bremen despite severe damage over target.
