OT: Bridge diving in the spirit of Bruno Stachel

[Hellshade 110]

I was being chased by a 109 over Berlin in WoP and I decided, "what the hell?" and pulled a Bruno in my P-51D passing under two bridges while I had the throttle firewalled. That stuff is scary in just a fight sim. I can't imagine how intense it must have been for the pilots that actually did it in The Blue Max.

 

Bridge Diving (1:07) 1080HD

 

Hellshade

[Olham 164]

So they still got you in the end? Well, they were veterans or aces, I'm sure, and just waited

until you would be ready with your stunt show. Were those Bf 109 K types?

[Hellshade 110]

So they still got you in the end? Well, they were veterans or aces, I'm sure, and just waited

until you would be ready with your stunt show. Were those Bf 109 K types?

 

They were veterans flying 109 G6 series. I was closing in for a shot on a damaged and smoking aircraft when a sudden burst of cannon fire instantly flamed me. I didn't see anyone behind me but I think they came in at an angle and got off a great shot. It was about 45 seconds after I pulled up from the bridge that the second one must have shown up. I don't fly with any radar and it's easy at those speeds for someone way off in the distance to be upon you before you know it. Ah well. War is hell.

 

Hellshade

[Ratatat 0]

I'm sure the German pilots applauded you before they opened fire!

[Olham 164]

Yes, good veteran pilots would sure have thought something like "See that daredevil - very good performance!"

It may have often been hard to shoot down someone who fought so well.

I saw an interview with the German pilot, who had shot down Antoine de Saint- Exupéry (The Little Prince).

He had assumed all the time whom he had downed, since he had heard where and in which type of craft

the writer had been flying on his last mission. But only some time ago, the wreckage was found and it was

finally really clear. The German pilot liked literature and poetry; he loved "The Little Prince". He tried to say, that

he would have never shot down the plane, if he had only known that was Saint-Exupéry in front of him - but his

voice almost broke and failed him; and the camera team cut.

Shot down in a second - on your mind for the rest of your life.