Nazi Fighter Pilot Describes Terror At Facing Allied Bombers

To see the whole film go here: https://youtu.be/rcJPlRaY-JM

The first speaker, the man with the burned face, is Johannes "Macky" Steinhoff, was a German fflying ace who served during World War II. He served in various theaters of the war including the Battle of Britain and the Eastern Front. Steinhoff was credited with shooting down 176 enemy planes, making him one of the highest-scoring German aces of the war.

Steinhoff was shot down multiple times during World War II. On 18 December 1943, during a mission over the Eastern Front, Steinhoff was leading a formation of Messerschmitt fighters when they were attacked by a group of Soviet Yakovlev Yak-9 fighters. During the dogfight, Steinhoff's plane was hit by enemy fire, and he was forced to bail out. He landed behind enemy lines and was taken prisoner by Soviet forces.

Despite his success as a pilot, Steinhoff was critical of the Nazi regime and the leadership of the German Air Force. He was involved in a number of conspiracies against Adolf Hitler and was eventually arrested and imprisoned in 1944 and spent the next 15 months as a prisoner of war, during which time he was subjected to harsh conditions and interrogation. He was released by the Allies at the end of the war and went on to serve in the newly formed West German Air Force.

After the war, Steinhoff became an advocate for peace and reconciliation between former enemies. He worked to build relationships with Allied pilots and veterans, and he was instrumental in the creation of the German-French Fighter Wing, a joint military unit designed to promote cooperation and understanding between Germany and France.

During the interviews I encouraged these men and others who were interviewed for the television special to say how they felt about what they saw and experienced honestly and without holding back for any reason. Both Galland and Steinhoff were part of a German Air Force that felt pride and honor. I felt badly for them not for their war efforts where I was glad that they were defeated, but as men who believed in their nation and their efforts and were as they said, willing to die and expected to die during the war.

I was fortunate enough to interview these two German fighter pilots were famous in World War II as aces. Their interviews were part of a one hour primetime television special I made titled How Hitler Lost The War. Its premise was that Hitler made mistake after mistake. My team uncovered Germans some of whom worked directly with Hitler and willing to talk about him from a military perspective. Here is a longer section from my documentary -https://youtu.be/uCu7IT81gh8

Some of those who have watched this object to my calling these men Nazis. Of course they were part of the Nazi regime in Germany.

The second speaker is Adolf Galland. He was shot down by British spitfires in World War II flying a Messerschmitt on a combat mission over the English Channel. He was able to bail out of the aircraft and was rescued by a German rescue boat, but he suffered serious burns to his face and hands.

Despite his injuries, Galland returned to active duty and continued to fly and lead German fighter units throughout the war. He was shot down and injured several more times, but he survived the war and was eventually captured by the Allies.

Galland's experience of being shot down and surviving was not unique among World War II fighter pilots, as the risks of aerial combat were always high. Many pilots were injured, captured, or killed in action during the war, and Galland was one of the most skilled and respected pilots on either side of the conflict.

Galland was appointed as the commander of Germany's Fighter Forces in 1941 and was responsible for the air defense of the country. He was credited with shooting down 104 Allied planes and was known for his tactical and strategic skills and his ability to adapt quickly to new situations.

Despite his success, Galland had several conflicts with the leadership of the German Air Force, particularly with Nazi Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring. He was eventually relieved of his command in January 1945 and was captured by the Allies at the end of the war.

Дата на публикация: 25 юли, 2025
Категория: История и нации
Ключови думи: At Terror pilot Nazi Fighter Facing Allied Describes Bombers