The Basket
Senior Master Sergeant
- 3,712
- Jun 27, 2007
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How widespread was shooting aircrew in their parachutes?After bailing ouf of a doomed aircraft.
Was it ever ordered?
It certainly happened even though it was supposed to be bad practice.
Makes military sense. Kill pilot and one perhaps skilled capable pilot to be replaced by a novice.
I doubt if ever ordered, I know it happened on both sides and, for Allied side,it was pointed out the stupidity of shooting at a German pilot in a chute when there were so many more USAAF pilots/crews in chutes over Germany in 1943 and early 1944.
In my father's group there was at least one pilot that considered the German pilot to be fair game until he left the ship. He was not unique. Having said that I am unaware of a specific example of an American pilot actually shooting at a german pilot in his chute.
I have heard and read from German pilots that German pilots were killed in a parachute but wondered if he was wounded in the cockpit and died during descent. I would imagine it would be easy to speculate that holes in a parachute and body would be difficult to trace before/after bailout? I have also heard of eyewitness accounts so that would not explain all such possible incidents.
Both sides.
i saw a very similar interview not sure it was anderson though but used very similar language, the guy talked about the rage he felt watching the german pilot going from chute to chute killing aircrew in their parachutes that he pecked away at the aircraft wanting the pilot to bail out, then talked about the damage six 50 cal's could do saying all that was left was mincemeat but he never told anyone about the incedent and regreted it when he calmed down after landingTwo specific examples I'm aware of. I read an account of the Polish RAF squadron (In Wings magazine, in their Sentry days.) The article said that Polish pilots had no compunctions about shooting a German pilot in the chute over enemy held territory, much to the horror of the Brits. Their reasoning was that the pilot, if he made it to the ground safely, could come back to kill them later, and made no apologies for it.
The other example I remember from an episode of the old "Wings" show from the history channel. It featured an interview of I believe the late Bud Anderson, pilot of "Old Crow." (Someone correct me if I'm wrong please.) 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.
i saw a very similar interview not sure it was anderson though but used very similar language, the guy talked about the rage he felt watching the german pilot going from chute to chute killing aircrew in their parachutes that he pecked away at the aircraft wanting the pilot to bail out, then talked about the damage six 50 cal's could do saying all that was left was mincemeat but he never told anyone about the incident and regretted it when he calmed down after landing
I wouldn't do it. Once the pilot has bailed out, I no longer consider him a threat.