Gun Camera Footage of 1945 Mistels being shot down...while still piggybacked

[Changeup]

Great film of the dumbest aviation idea ever...notice in the last shootdown of Mistel's, there is a guy hanging off the tailwheel of the 111 carrying it.  Just bizarre.

https://youtu.be/89ZAONQVF5I

[Guppy35]

Nice find.  I've seen a still of that where the guy is below the tail.  I remember the caption stating he was bailing out.  But it sure didn't look like he had a chute and he was awfully low to open it anyway.  Considering those things below the fighter were packed with explosives I'd want out of the 190 in a hurry before it blew up.  Interesting that the one Ju88 had been detached.  I imagine there was no one actually flying it at that point.

[JimmyC]

Vulch  fest!!

[Guppy35]

Here's the still from that film that I remembered seeing.  Mustang pilot Bernard Howes of the 55th FG shot this one down.   It sure didn't look like the pilot had a chute and if so it still looks too low to open.  I imagine the choice of burning to death in that cockpit on fire vs falling were his only options.  Not a cartoon game in that case...

As an aside Howes was an Ace with five kills.  He was taken POW when he deliberately landed to try and rescue a buddy.  As they tried to take off they struck a ditch and crashed.  Needless to say they were a long way from home.

[Changeup]

Those looked like 111s to me but wow anyway.  It appears in the film that they were over some water.  Maybe he got lucky, lol

[Guppy35]

I think it's snow on the ground we're seeing.

[Changeup]

I think it's snow on the ground we're seeing.

Oh.  Hope it's deeeeeeep...lmao

[Phoenix3107]

Here's the still from that film that I remembered seeing.  Mustang pilot Bernard Howes of the 55th FG shot this one down.   It sure didn't look like the pilot had a chute and if so it still looks too low to open.  I imagine the choice of burning to death in that cockpit on fire vs falling were his only options.  Not a cartoon game in that case...

As an aside Howes was an Ace with five kills.  He was taken POW when he deliberately landed to try and rescue a buddy.  As they tried to take off they struck a ditch and crashed.  Needless to say they were a long way from home.


(Image removed from quote.)

I can't say that he had a soft landing, but it beats a plane ready to blow up by a gunblazing 51.

[Scherf]

Poor fellow - desperate measures.

[mbailey]

Poor fellow - desperate measures.

Agreed

[JOACH1M]

I'm not to convinced that he was alive after he bailed. Will the amount of gunfire he was probably killed upon bailing.


The price of war unfortunately. 

[Charge]

I'd say the shooter of that loose Ju88 Mistel realized at some point what would happen if he hit the bomber in a wrong place at that close range. 

-C+

[eagl]

Look at the cockpit area of the 190 on the one with the guy hanging from the tailwheel.  Looks like the chute opened in the cockpit, and the pilot just climbed out and was probably hoping to fly over a drop into a river or lake or something.

[MiloMorai]

Those Ju88s didn't have the nose of the explosive filled Ju88s.

[Flench]

Nice find , poor dude .