Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

I read the vol.1 of JG 300 by Jean Yves Lorant and Richard Goyat and I´m reading the vol 2 and I´m astonished how many Luftwaffe pilots were killed while hanging on its parachutes.
I mean I know some histories about that, like a Bf 110 Luftwaffe pilot that kill a polish pilot during Fall Weiss in 1939 or that some USAAF members did this.
But reading these books, the frequency of that practice really astonished me.
I never read for example that the soviet pilots used this tactic on the eastern front.
Do you know another histories of german and other nation pilots doing this kind of killings?

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

2.WW, has been the " badest" war fought since centuries, seems that the planers found civil populations, to be more easy prays !!

Rémi

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Of Commonwealth and Desert Air Force pilots Clive Caldwell is known to have shot at least one German pilot on parachute. When asked later why he did that he said that he saw not any reason to let enemy to live. The usual justification of killing parachuting enemy airmen has been that they will be eliminated to take a new plane and going to fight again and possibly kill the ones of your side. This applies specially to cases when the enemy is parachuting to safety over his own territory.

However in some cases parachuting pilots have been shot in their parachute even when they were parachuting over hostile territory and thus likely to be captured. At least one such case happened during the Soviet-Finnish Winter War in 1939 when Finnish pilot was killed by Soviet fighter when he was parachuting over Soviet territory - the case has been recorded by Soviets. Totally unnecessary kill as the Finnish pilot would have been captured anyway.

The most systematic killers of parachuting enemy airmen were Japanese fighter pilots - of this more on: http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=38310

When it comes to Germans, there have been claims that Legion Condor pilots did strafe the parachuting enemy airmen during Spanish Civil War. However I do not know details and if it was systematic.

The Italians and Spaniards of both sides of Spanish Civil War were quite chivalrous - they usually left parachuting airmen in peace as far as I know. In one famous case one Spanish pilot even escorted the damaged enemy plane so long that it could make a safe forcelanding over its own territory! Sometimes they also escorted the parachuting enemy pilot circling around him until he reached the ground, greeted him and then flew away.

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Here's a start for a study, those pilots were killed under their chute against USAAF fighters. I never found any name of german pilots killed by russian, british or french pilots; neither names of allied pilots killed by japanese pilots. BUT, on the very few days of the fight of Operation Torch, two french airmen (Lieutenant de Vaisseau Hubert Le GRIX de La SALLE & Maître SORBIER of Escadrille 2B) were killed under their chute by american pilots... If you can provide more, please do so.
At last I had to point that if some german pilots were killed US pilots that's "negligeable" in comparison to the number of pilots killed due to the failure of their chutes

Date Name Aircraft W.Nr. Markings Unit Place
30.01.1944 OTTO Gottfried Bf 109 G-6 27025 White 8 9./JG 26 Venlo P-47
08.04.1944 ZWERNEMANN Josef Fw 190 A-7 431164 White 11 1./JG 11 Anrewitz P-51
27.05.1944 WYRICH Heinz Fw 190 A-8 730357 White 4 5./JG 26 ?
08.06.1944 ZWEIGART Eugen-Ludwig Fw 190 A-8 170736 Black 3 Stab III./JG 54 Le Cambaux P-51
29.06.1944 KLEYSER Hans Bf 109 G-6 165109 ? 3./JG 300 Rotterschirmbach
18.07.1944 HILGENDORF Viktor Bf 109 G-6 413482 White 3 + I 9./JG 26 North of Dreux 373rd FG
22.07.1944 MÜLLER Erich Fw 190 F ? ? Stab II./SG 2 4 km NNW of Zilistea
28.07.1944 ZEMPER Ulrich Bf 109 G-6 20008 White 3 1./JG 53 Gojacoru P-51
06.08.1944 SCHINDLER Rudolf Bf 109 G-6 166010 ? Black 21 + I 8./JG 53 Bleckede P-51
07.08.1944 THRAN Hans Bf 109 G-6 200034 Black 12 10./JG 26 Mortain-Domfront 368th FG
22.08.1944 PAASHAUS Karl Bf 109 G-14/AS 780782 Red 1 + - 8./JG 53 France P-38
25.08.1944 ICKES Friedrich Bf 109 G-6 412171 Black 6 11./JG 1 Soissons
11.09.1944 PUSCH Hermann Bf 109 G-6 440602 Black 7 + I 11./JG 53 Nürnberg
19.09.1944 SCHOLZ Gerhard Bf 109 G-14 165742 White 4 8./JG 11 Joppe P-51
27.09.1944 RIEDEL Hans-Joachim Bf 109 G-14/AS 780935 ? 2./JG 300 Defence of the Reich
18.11.1944 HICKING Felix Bf 109 G-14 464132 White 11 + - 7./JG 53 Germersheim P-47
02.12.1944 STOLL Willi Fw 190 A-8 ? ? 5./JG 3 Laubach P-47
26.12.1944 GRAD Hermann Fw 190 D-9 210935 Blue 13 4./JG 26 Malmedy 361st FG
05.01.1945 FAUST Hans Fw 190 A-8 960540 Black 6 + I 10./JG 11 Kirchheimbolanden
16.01.1945 KUNZE Rolf Fw 190 D-9 210104 ? 3./JG 2 Grünstadt
23.02.1945 RINK Friedel Bf 109 G-14/AS 461466 ? 14./JG 53 Kornwestheim
02.03.1945 SCHMIDT Arno Bf 109 G-10 491209 ? IV./JG 300 East of Burg
18.03.1945 SCHREY Günther Me 262 A-1a ? ? 3./JG 7 Germany P-51
19.03.1945 SPAHN Johann Fw 190 D-9 ? ? 5./JG 26 Lingen 78th FG
07.04.1945 PROCK Eberhard Bf 109 G ? ? Rammkommando Elbe Enghausen

Regards

Alfred

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

It seems that Chivalry became less as WWII got worse. The dates seem to tell the story, sadly! That goes for all sides. An interesting book to read is "Fly for your Life", this boarders on some of this type of situation This is the story of Robert Stamford Tuck, RAF.
There is also alleged accounts where Luftwaffe Pilots were known to shoot Allied Pilots in their Parachutes during the Battle of France and Britain and yet there are also accounts of chivalry on both sides allowing the downed pilot to land safely.

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Well Afred, what is the evidence that Fw. Otto (30.1.1944) was shot while hanging at his parachute? The records show no evidence in my opinion.

John

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Oh no, not this topic again...

Capturing parachutes in Gun Camera Film
 

Important note: I am not trying to minimize the historical record (nor contest it) with this post.

I have read, (I do not know the source) that many USAAF fighter pilots attempted to capture images of the parachute (of Luftwaffe pilots) with their gun cameras to confirm the kill. During this process, the .50-cal. MGs were sometimes fired resulting in the death of the man in the parachute. There was a way to disconnect the gun camera from the MG trigger--it was possible to turn the gun camera on without firing the MGs--but this did not always happen.

Is the above scenario a plausible explanation for at least some of these deaths?

Bronc

Re: Capturing parachutes in Gun Camera Film
 

I don't think so. There was a camera switch/selector, which allowed the US fighter pilots to use gun camera without firing the MGs.

It was not rare to make pictures of the descending pilots on their parachutes, you can see such gun camera films. But in most cases, these US pilots not points their cameras directly to the chute or the opponent, just near them. To aim and hit a descending paratrooper/baled out crewmember, which was a small target, some serious aim was necessary. So the cases, when the descending pilots were shot and wounded/maimed/killed, were definitely deliberated ones.

This topic was discussed here several times already and I also collected a number of cases, when Hungarian pilots were gunned down on parachute (and also a case, when a B-17 gunner was shot by Hungarian pilots, while descending on parachute). These events were much more frequent, than most people thinks.

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Hi all,

There is an interesting article regarding this topic at wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attacks_on_parachutists

Michael

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Hi all,

here are two more exsamples.
See copy of shot down reports and translation.

Best regards
Rüdiger
------

Uffz Emil Enenkel
Shot down at 16.8 1944. Made emergency landing. After jumped out of plane shot down by American Fighter by maschine gun fire. Dead. Grave located at Halberstadt, military cemetery grave5..


Uffz. Wilhelm Mertens
Shot down in airfight at 8.8.1944. Jumped out by parachute and shot by American fighters. Extremely Wounded. Died in Hospital at Salzwedel. Grave will be reported later

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Aside from any intentional attacks on parachutists, if you bailed out in the middle of an aerial combat, there must always have been a degree of risk from the dozens of automatic weapons being fired in the immediate vicinity, even if they weren't aimed at you.

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Yes I agree, and we must add the many aircrafts debris, but remember that the post it´s about intentional attacks.

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

The attacks on parachuted pilots seem to have been quite common. I wonder if it would be the logic on war to accept them as "logical" when one considers all the cruelties happened during WW2 and other conflicts? Thus making the chivalrous behaviour the one which is the "strange thing" in wartime and worth of psychological analysis: is cold-blooded killing or hate motivated behaviour more logical and understable than to spare the life of an enemy and letting him to parachute in safety?

Besides attacks in air, some parachuted pilots were shot from the ground when they were descending. Of this I know well documented cases during Spanish Civil War committed by both sides. Sometimes even own airmen were killed with the assumption that they were enemies.

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

I'm perfectly well aware of that but people in wartime often think badly of their enemies. Anyone finding the body of man who parachuted and had bullet wounds might well assume that he had been shot intentionally.

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Yes of course but the examples regarding here are shootings with one or more witnesses.

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Witnesses are not always reliable... especially in an air battle, where you can't stop and watch one point for some time.

As for the chivalry of air war... in WWII the most efficient tactic for fighter vs fighter was a bounce from above and the sun and then a zoom up. Most of the shot down pilots never saw their attacker, and so were as unable ro reply as an airman under his chute...

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

I guess that the post is very clear. Nobody ask about if a pilot "John Smith" or "Johannes whatever" that was finding death on earth with parachute and body full of holes, was murder in the air or not. I mean knowing cases with witnesses that tell that they were present at that moment and saw all the thing.
And Laurent, a pilot in his aircraft is a combat fighter he isn´t defenseless like a pilot hanging on his parachute. I think that you are capable of understand the difference between both cases.

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

@John Manrho : I've collected those data a long time ago and not retained the source. It can contain mistakes and this is probably one of them, thanks for pointing me that anyway

Regards

Alfred

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Walter Wolfram, an ace of 137 air victories, describes this matter in his memoirs Unbekannte Pflicht - Meine Erinnerung als Jagd- und Kunstflieger 1923-2009 in following way:

It would be foolish if now and here we would wash the hands of some combatant part of the war. The gruesome truth is that many wars - using the cynical words of Clausewitz - are continuing politics with other means, but all ends up in limitless savagery and violence. War in itself creates in a man naturally developing savagery, which most individuals are unable to resist. In one day came information spreading fast that Russians were shooting our pilots on parachute. First we did not want to believe it. Such thing had not happened before. Not at the Eastern Front. It may have been a individual case, probably exceptional case. In air combat there is lots of shooting - sometimes one hits something that was not meant to be. Probably the witness just mixed the things. But after then more cases came up and they were proven to be true. Indeed the Soviet pilots were shooting our guys on parachute. Not apparently all of them. And probably they attacked those who were descending at this side of front and could already tomorrow fly and combat...How should we react to this? What could we do to prevent it escalating? In tense discussions we weighed both the good and bad sides of it and we came to the conclusion that we will do the same. I try to get hold of my memories of those times - I do not remember if I was unwilling to do it, how down to the bottom we thought it or if the anger made us uncapable of understanding all the consequences of such action...

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

There was also incidents where an airplane would fly close to a parachutist causing the parachute to collapse, so I have read.

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Walter Wolfram served in the JG 52 at the Kuban peninsula during the summer of 1943 and his account if from that time. On other sources it has been stated that shooting parachuted pilots at Eastern Front had started well before that. For example the famous case when Clive "Killer" Caldwell shot a German pilot of JG 27 on a parachute in North Africa, there were at that time also some pilots transferred from the German Eastern Front to Africa and according to them it was commonplace practice in East Front and that Caldwell´s kill was not such an unusual thing to happen during air combat.

Anyway Wolfram describes well the feelings of the combat pilots of that time. In the end it is irrelevant who pulled the trigger first to kill a parachuted man when it has escalated to merciless killing of parachuted enemies in which both sides are equally committed.

However the commanders of JG 27 in North Africa decided that there would not be retaliation act of "Killer" Caldwell´s action as it would only escalate the killing of parachuting pilots of both sides and because it certainly would not look good for their record once the war was over. One good point was also that they wanted their captured airmen to be treated well by the enemy. I guess it depended lot of the commanding officers of the units and in last stand it was up to individual pilots what they decided to do if there was a chance to kill without risk a parachuted enemy.

Although many famous German pilots condemned the killing of parachuting pilot as too cold-blooded murder, it seems that German pilots where the first to attack parachuting enemy pilot during WW2 as this has been documented by the Polish sources of the September 1939. IIRC, it started already in first air combats of 1.9.1939 between the Bf 110´s and PZL P 11. This in turn may have developed a legend that specially Polish pilots of RAF/USAAF were eager to kill parachuting German pilots whenever chance - as a revenge of earlier German action (and also as a "payback" of all the cruelties that German occupiers were doing in Poland).

From the point of the previous point that parachuting pilots were killed also by other means that strafing there are Japanese sources confirming it - Japanese did not hide it that they killed parachuted pilots and recorded the successfull "pilot kills" without bullets. The fighter pilots of Imperial Japanese Army Air Force used the wingtip of their plane to cut off the cords of parachute of an enemy. This they did in such a perfection that the method was probably well studied to employ it without risk.

Of course the war is very much of killing - killing the enemy before he kills you or those of your side. However where is the line to be drawn upon? Why not execute all the POW´s after they have been interrogated and all valuable information has been taken from them (with hard means if necessary) - why to keep POWś after that alive - feed, clothe and accomodate them and thus waste valuable resources on them when they are no use anymore and may even escape when chance? When it comes to the logic of killing during war or any conflict, everything can be justified if one wants to do it.

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Well, I did read an account by a shot down Typhoon pilot hiding out in France who watched a Bf109 shot at the parachutes of a shot down B-17. It was in an old copy of FLYPAST

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

What is right or wrong in a war?, that concerns with moral values and ethics of each culture in the human history. And I mean not the international law, I mean humans concern.
Look on the Hollywood movies characters, who is the guy that in a duel fight, use a cracked bottle against the other guy with nude fists? the bad guy; who kill the innocent? the bad guy: who shoot to the sailors in the water? the bad guy (remember the movie "Action in the North Atlantic" with Humphrey Bogart, and who kill a pilot that hang defenseless in his parachute? of course, the bad guy; why? because it´s wrong, it´s a bad thing whatever justification that you want to give it. That considering the occidental and others civilizations indeed and present values.
But, as GuerraCivil told, if you want, you can justify anything, from killing desarmed people to kill children or whatever you want.
I remember a question that was asked to Madeleine Albright about the iraqui children deaths as consequence of USA sanctions in the nineties : “We have heard that a half million children have died. I mean, that’s more children than died in Hiroshima. And – and you know, is the price worth it?”
And her answer was: “I think this is a very hard choice, but the price – we think the price is worth it.”

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Atrocities did not end with the shooting down of enemy pilots in the air. To quote an extract from "The blond knight of Germany - a biology of Erich Hartmann" by Toliver & Constable in the chapter "Stalin Hawks"

.....in a remarkable incident near Oriel.... Lt Vladimir D Lavrinenkov, an ace with 30 kills, downed a 109 in battle, and watched the German pilot land in a flat field.The Luftwaffe pilot scrambled from the cockpit and dashed for cover....
Circling low over the scene Lavrinenkov saw that the Red Army units would probably not be locate the German..... The Russian Lieutenant landed his fighter next to the 109 and led the searching infantry to the thicket....
Lavrinenkov found the downed German, pounced on him, and strangled him to death with his hands. The Russian returned immediately to his fighter and took of, leaving his dead foe to the infantrymen.

This was a terrible act but not uncommon as reports of Russian atrocities at the war's end were rife.

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Yes, as you said, atrocities were appaling and from all sides. But as I said, the topic is pilots hanging on parachutes.

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Well, to put it in analysis:

1) Japanese: attacking parachuting enemies was a systematic practice endorsed by the doctrine of "aerial extermination action". The so-called Bushido code with "no mercy, no prisoners" attitude played also a part, but it was a secondary motive. Most important was the doctrine of "aerial extermination action" which considered enemy pilots as an enemy asset to be eliminated whenever possible.

2) Americans: attacking parachutig enemies often, but probably not a systematic practice as much as with Japanese.

3) Germans: at the Western front individual cases, at the Eastern front quite common practice but perhaps not as systematic as it was by Japanese. The nature of warfare at the German Eastern Front was more ruthless than at the Western Front, because ideological hate propaganda of both sides was more strong and demonised the enemy much more. One German officer described the Western Front being a "waiting room for hell" whereas the Eastern Front was the hell itself.

4) British/Commonwealth pilots: seems not to have been systematic practice, but individual cases existed.

5) Others: Polish - motivated by the revenge spirit to make frequent attacks? Italians - not known cases as far as I know.

But difficult to tell when it comes to individual cases - anyone can have a moment of anger which will lead to action to be regretted later and not repeated after second thoughts. To some other person it is maybe just the crossing of the decisive line after which the similar action is repeated always when given a chance.

One should also make a difference between parachuting paratroopers and parachuting pilots when they have been shot from the ground. The former are "fair game" as it makes reason to eliminate them well before they get to the ground and take armed organized action. The parachuting enemy pilot is not so much threat - he is a individual combatant knocked out of air combat and can be taken as a POW without much difficulty.

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Hi Ruediger,
I have send you a PM.

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Hello

I am still puzzled by the info I read from Roba's book ("la guerre aérienne dans la région de Charleroi") when he wrote Oblt. Georg-Peter EDER (5./JG 2) was shot up after his bailout (from Bf 109 G-6 WNr.20733) on the 5th November 1943. His staffel transfered this day from Deelen to Creil and met some Spitfire in the Binche area (Belgium). Eder was wounded and sent to Jemappes Lazarett I./617 before being moved to Paris-Clichy for recovering and came back to combat in February '44.

Does anymore have a proof EDER was shot down this day (and gunfired beneath his chute)? Or his loss was more a matter of a technical problem ? It seems there is no allied claim which may match this.

Sorry to insert this unverified fact in this topic. I can open a post following moderator suggestion.

Best regards

ClinA-78

Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Hi ClinA-78

Prien has the following for the incident that you are interested in:

5 November 1943: Oberleutnant Georg-Peter Eder, Staffelführer of 5./JG 2, wounded in Bf 109 G-6 (W.Nr. 20 733), crashed near Mons, Belgium due to engine damage, baled out, 100%

As you can see there is no mention of aerial combat. I hope this helps.

Horrido!

Leo

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Story closed! Thanks you Leo.

ClinA-78

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

@GuerraCivil : Do you know the name (or any other details) of the JG 27 pilot killed by Caldwell ?

Regards

Alfred

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

I believe this was Ofw. Hermann Förster of the 2./JG 27, KIA 14.Dec. 1941, 15km NW of Tmimi.

GRM

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

Yes, it was the case mentioned by G.R. Morrison in previous post.

Wiki mentions that German pilot shot on 4.7.1941 Caldwell´s friend Donald Munro on parachute. And then the usual motive of revenge is offered as an explanation, although Caldwell´s own explanation was: "... there was no blood lust or anything about it like that. It was just a matter of not wanting them back to have another go at us. I never shot any who landed where they could be taken prisoner."

But the above is just more or less reliable wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clive_Caldwell

According to German sources (JG 27) they did not intentionally attacked parachuted enemy pilots even if these were descending over their own territory. At least the commanders of JG 27 said that they were strongly against such practice and made it clear also to those under their command. To my knowledge attacks against parachuted enemy pilots were not commonplace practice in the airwar over Norht Africa between Allied and Axis pilots, but maybe I have not enough knowledge of this matter.

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

When it comes to German Eastern Front, both sides accused each other of being the first to attack parachuted pilots. A classical case of one word vs. another word. Claiming that the enemy was the one who pulled the trigger first and is therefore more to be blamed. Revenge was more or less justified motive to do the very same.

Anyway this raises much controversiality and the attacks against parachuting airmen have been considered repugnant by many veteran pilots in their memoirs and statements. If it would have been totally OK for them, we would read memoirs and combat reports claiming openly "full kills" with both the enemy plane and parachuted pilot eliminated in this style: "I did shoot the Spitfire/Messerschmitt down, but the enemy pilot escaped by bailing out. Fortunately my wingman took care of him". But such memoirs and statements are not to be read by us. If anything is mentioned, it is presented usually as "justified revenge". Very few German, American, British and Commonwealth pilots have openly admitted killing parachuted enemy. Not such talk also in "minor" European pilot memoirs (Italian, Romanian, Finnish etc.) - Also Soviet accounts - as far as I know them - seem to be quiet about it if they shot parachuted enemy pilots, but yes willingly pointing to the Germans as the ones who shot helpless Soviet airmen on parachute. I know only one Soviet combat report in which the killing of parachuting enemy airman is admitted, but that combat report came to the light only after the Soviet archives were opened also to Western European researchers.

Only Japanese seemed to be open about this in their wartime combat reports. Maybe a difference of culture - for many Western pilots it was something quite repugnant and something that needed at least good explanation (revenge or other "justified" motive), for flying samurais it seemed to be totally OK and no further explanations were needed. It was even important to mention in Japanese combat reports that not only the enemy planes, but also the parachuting enemy pilots had been "eliminated" (=killed from further fighting). Japanese themselves flew often without parachute and if they were shot down over enemy territory, they went down with the flaming plane without trying to rescue themselves. Parachute was to be employed only if there was a chance to avoid being taken POW. Of all the "Westerners" the Soviets (Russians are Europeans and have clearly European culture, so Westerners) had the most similar mentality - one who surrendered to be a POW was considered a traitor. And "taran" = ramming attacks were common and highly regarded by both Japanese and Soviets.

However after the lost war killing of parachuting enemy pilots was something that even Japanese understood that it was controversial for many (Western) people and then there was a need to explain/justify it or even better to be totally quiet about it. Did even the most famous Japanese ace celebrities kill parachuted enemies? Looking for general practice of IJA/IJN air forces it seems very likely, but the survived aces did not want to talk about it after the war.

Re: Luftwaffe pilots shot while parachuted
 

I would be skeptical to assign the evidence of a shot up German pilot corpse to being shot up in his chute. I have seen a lot of combat film showing heavy strikes in the cockpit area, and shooting continuing at the pilot was trying to bail out.

In a dogfight, the idiot that hangs around to get a shot at a German flier is setting himself up the be shot down himself.

Hartmann recounts his fear that the four Mustangs that chased him down would kill him in his chute - but of course it didn't happen.

There were a lot of pilots strafed while crash landing after being shot down.