A dogfight under the Eiffel Tower in Paris during WW2

[Dronescapes]

A dogfight under the Eiffel Tower in Paris during WW2. P-51 vs. Messerschmitt Bf 109

View: https://youtu.be/gYdB6thCLfg?si=-sHXD7fCQbdIx2H7

 

[Gnomey]

Nice one!

 

[GrauGeist]

Bill Overstreet didn't exactly dogfight the Bf109.

A few bits about Bill Overstreet:
He was one of the few pilots to survive a P-39's fatal flat spin.
His P-51C "Berlin Express" had red wheels and white-wall tires.
He (and some mates) did loops around the Golden Gate Bridge (and didn't get busted).
He was an Ace with 16 victories to his credit.

 

[BC1]

Great story - but did it actually happen?

 

[GrauGeist]

Great story - but did it actually happen?

The French seem to think so, Bill was awarded the French Legion of Honor in 2009.

 

[Barrett]

Total fabrication. Which is a shame because Bill Overstreet was one of the nicest people you'd ever meet.
NO DATE.
Despite his assertion, no witnesses have come forward and
WHERE DID THE 109 CRASH?
He never claimed a victory over Paris (nor France for that matter) and therefore never filed a relevant combat report.
All his 2 1/4 victories were claimed over Germany: Hanover, Leipzig, Merseberg.
According to other 357th FG pilots, Bill never mentioned the episode during the war.

 

[Dronescapes]

Total fabrication. Which is a shame because Bill Overstreet was one of the nicest people you'd ever meet.
NO DATE.
Despite his assertion, no witnesses have come forward and
WHERE DID THE 109 CRASH?
He never claimed a victory over Paris (nor France for that matter) and therefore never filed a relevant combat report.
All his 2 1/4 victories were claimed over Germany: Hanover, Leipzig, Merseberg.
According to other 357th FG pilots, Bill never mentioned the episode during the war.

The lack of records does not necessarily mean it did not happen.
You would assume that a French Ambassador did not hand out medals randomly.
I am not necessarily disputing your comment, as it is factually correct, but as a reminder, a lot of events did not get recognized until decades after the war.
To mention one, Mr. Perlasca saved countless lives by posing as a Spanish diplomat.
When he came home he did not mention anything to friends, family, or anyone for that matter.
It was thanks to a group of Jewish survivors, and many decades after the end of the war, that he was tracked down, and celebrated.
You would think that with over 5000 Jews that were saved, and most likely them telling the story to many others, his effort would have been recognized immediately, but it took until 1987 to do so, and up until then newspapers did not report the long-lasting event.
It is one example of a major event, involving 1000s of people that was unknown to the public for more than 40 years.
I am sure there are countless other examples.
As I said, this does not disqualify your comment, but events did not necessarily always happen as they would today.
Another factor to keep in mind is the state of Paris at the time.
Was there a free press, for example?
It would be interesting if you could contact the French Ambassador and ask him why he would give him the Legion of Honor simply based on a tale.
You might find out something you were not aware of (or perhaps not).

 

[fubar57]

Interview with Overstreet, no tower mentioned.... Interview with Captain William B. "Bill" Overstreet, 363rd FS - Bud Anderson: To Fly and Fight

 

[drgondog]

A dogfight under the Eiffel Tower in Paris during WW2. P-51 vs. Messerschmitt Bf 109

View: https://youtu.be/gYdB6thCLfg?si=-sHXD7fCQbdIx2H7

Never happened. Overstreet was mocked by Yeager and Anderson later for this whopper.

357 Fg was nowhere near Paris on that day.