So much has been said about Franz Stigler's involvement in the Expert Flight (Experte Schwarm) and everyone cites the same source, a few paragraphs written in a book back in 1969.
Does anyone question the veracity of that book? Did anyone ask Franz for his take? Because now, in 2013, new research has show the truth is far different from the long accepted tale.
Those who doubt that Franz Stigler spared the B-17 of Charlie Brown often cite the same reason: “Franz couldn’t have done it because he got in trouble once as a young pilot in Africa, so he’s a liar and can’t be trusted.”
Their statements are based on the 1969 book, which has now been proven to contain many inaccuracies.
Here's the proof:
In his early days as a pilot in North Africa, Franz Stigler was the youngest member of a four pilot flight that wound up in hot water. The flight was named “The Expert Flight” or “Experte Schwarm.” It’s no secret, this is all discussed in “A Higher Call,” a book I helped research.
The Expert Flight was accused by pilots (from competing squadrons) of “over-claiming.” What happened to them? They were given a collective slap on the wrist and a warning to tighten up their claims. Their victories were kept intact and their careers went on.
But what happened to them later, in 1969, seemed far worse. That’s when some historians heard of the story and wrote it up a book called “Fighters over the Desert” (FOTD). The FOTD authors blew the incident out of proportion and turned it into a “scandal.” Why? To make news? To sell books? I don’t think it was malicious. But I do know the FOTD authors based their claims on incomplete evidence.
While researching “A Higher Call,” I read nasty accusations on this forum, leveled at Franz Stigler because of his involvement in the Expert Flight. Every accusation had a commonality—it was based FOTD, a source whose accuracy has never been examined in depth.
I could write pages about the errors in FOTD as pertaining to the Expert Flight but for the sake of time, I’ll dissect just one day of battle—August 16, 1942.
On August 16, 1942, the FOTD authors say that the German ace Stahlschmidt and his wingman single-handedly were involved in "two combats" and battled 19 DAF fighters (11 Tomahawks of 5 SAAF and 8 Kittyhawks of 2 SAAF squadrons), shooting down two of them and damaging another three.
The FOTD authors then imply that after Stahlschmidt's battle, the Expert Flight took off, presumably to join the fight, but that they never actually entered combat. What proof did FOTD rely on to make this claim? They relied on the
absence of proof, writing: "no details of any such heavy combat are to be found in British records."
But wait. This statement is false. There are details of combat in the British records. The details are there today, if you go to the British Archives (or just look below). Here's what our research turned up (all of this can also be found in: "A Higher Call"):
Stahlschmidt and his wingman did get into a dogfight with Desert Air Force (DAF) fighters and shot down one (suspected to be from 2 SAAF Squadron) at 9:15 (according to both FOTD and Wood's victory claim database). Shortly before that moment, likely after he first sighted the DAF fighters, he radioed for reinforcements which were scrambled at 9:12. Guess who took off? The Expert Flight. Stigler, Vogel, Bendert, Sawallisch, and a new pilot named Just.
When the Expert Flight arrived, they sighted 12 P-40s from 5 SAAF squadron. This is evident not only based on what Stigler told us, but backed up by the British records. Wait? I thought FOTD said there were “no details of any such heavy combat”?
Yet we found in the 5 SAAF Sortie Report that their squadron was jumped at approximately 9:30 by "6 plus Me 109F's." The Sortie Report went on to state that 5 SAAF lost one P-40 and had three damaged during the ensuing dogfight, all occurring at approximately 9:30.
This timing is particularly important since Stahlschmidt's final claim that day came at 9:15, proving that he was not responsible for shooting down or damaging any of the 5 SAAF aircraft. Who did? Franz Stigler and the Expert Flight.
Which pilots from the Expert Flight shot down or damaged aircraft that day will never be fully confirmed. However in talking with Franz Stigler (something the authors of FOTD never did) he firmly believed he downed two aircraft in the swirling air battles on August 16th. In fact, his first claim occurred at the same time 5 SAAF reported being jumped.
In addition to being wrong about the air battle on August 16, FOTD takes their claims further. In adherence with the view that the Expert Flight “invented” their account of combat that day, FOTD relates a story wherein Stahlschmidt claimed to have seen "the aircraft of II Gruppe [Expert Flight] shooting off their ammunition into the Desert sands in the course of a mock dogfight."
When we asked Franz about this he laughed and said "Of course we did, the new guy had some ammo left over so Vogel had him "shoot the shadow" as we often did to practice gunnery."
August 16th case closed.
Did Franz Stigler and the Expert Flight pilots over-claim during WWII? I’d bet most fighter pilots did in WWII. Even the great Stahlschmidt over-claimed on August 16th if you study the records. But did anyone make up victories that day or tales of combat as the Expert Flight is often accused of? The records say that all of those men entered life and death combat. And if FOTD's August 16th reporting is so wrong, you can imagine what the days of lesser significance look like.
The authors of FOTD held the legacy of brave men like Franz in their hands and in my opinion, were sloppy in the way they handled the Expert Flight. They didn’t interview Franz or his commander, Rodel, or the living members of the Expert Flight who were still around in 1969, or if they did, they didn't publish it since not a single interview with any of these pilots appears in the back of the book along with the others. They made serious implications without using complete records. When I asked one of the FOTD authors he confirmed that he never had full access to RAF records in the first place.
This leads me to believe this misinterpretation of history was unintentional. The FOTD author struck me as a nice fellow. But still, look what damage that book has done.
There are people on this forum who now call Franz Stigler a "liar," "fraud," and a "fake who can't be trusted,” thanks to FOTD. To them, I say, look at the facts I just presented. There’s two sides to every story. But the records don't lie, when you care to look for them.
- Bryan Makos
