109 shot down by Bill Overstreet (eiffel tower)

[Frank Olynyk]

As far as I know I have microfilm copies of all 8th Fighter Command combat reports from World War II, and they match completely the claims and credits listed in the 8th FC Victory Credit Board reports. I do not have a combat report by Overstreet at Paris. I have a combat report for April 11, 1944 for 3 Me-109s damaged (1150, 1215 and 1225, all W of Hanover) and 0.25 share in a He-111 destroyed also at 1215 W of Hanover (one of the sharing pilots is Bud Anderson). A second combat report for June 29 claims an FW-190 at 0910, SW of Leipzig. And a third combat report for July 29 claims an Me-109 at 1030, W of Merseberg. All of these claims are backed up by credits from the respective VCB reports.

So, if it happened he didn't file a combat report to be reviewed by the VCB.

Frank.
Historian, American Fighter Aces Association.

[brewerjerry]

Hi
Thanks for the replies,
So it looks like I jumped the gun, and the jury is still out then.
cheers
Jerry

[Kutscha]

Was having trouble posting on this board yesterday and this post was corrupted.

new link, http://www.flickr.com/photos/olaftheblack/273391969/ which shows the direction the Bf109/P-51 most likely flew. Note the trees on the left and right.

[drgondog]

Originally Posted by Stig Jarlevik

Hi Jerry

Must say I have my doubts. According to the victory list of 8th and 9th AF published by Frank Olynyk, Overstreet never claimed any certain victory during "spring" 1944. His most busy day was April 11th when he claimed 3 Bf 109 as damaged and part of one He 111 destroyed.
His only claim for a destroyed Bf 109 was on July 29th.

The "incidence" is not mentioned by Olmsted in his book the Yoxford Boys as far as I can see.

Finally the Mustang used by Overstreet was a B model and not a C model as stated.

Cheers
Stig

Stig - B6-O, 42-103309 P-51C was salvaged 12 July so that wouldn't fit July 29 credit. Overstreet's next ship was B6-O 43-24823, a P-51B-15. This was Bud Anderson's OLD CROW before Anderson got his P-51D 44-14450 B6-S.

[ssg keay]

Kutscha, that photo looks photo-shopped!!!
The people and vehicles have very weal shadows, so it must have been a cloudy day. The plane has none. It also looks wrong color and type wise. Danny

I just saw on CBS This Morning that Overstreet passed away this week @ 92.

Godspeed.


Chappie

[gilles collaveri]

I received this last week from my good old friend Steve:

WWII ace who flew through Eiffel Tower dies in Va.
USATODAY 8:09 p.m. EST January 2, 2014
William Overstreet Jr. died Sunday at a hospital in Roanoke, Va., a funeral home says.

ROANOKE, Virginia (AP) — World War II fighter pilot William Overstreet Jr., who gained fame for flying beneath the Eiffel Tower's arches in pursuit of a German aircraft, has died. He was 92.
According to Oakley's Funeral Home, Overstreet died Sunday at a Roanoke hospital.
Overstreet's famous flight in Nazi-occupied Paris has been credited with lifting the spirits of French Resistance troops on the ground. In a 2009 ceremony at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, the French ambassador to the United States presented Overstreet with France's Legion of Honor.
According to his obituary on the funeral home website, Overstreet worked as an accountant until retiring at the age of 65, then worked with numerous charities and veterans groups.
“The Berlin Express Arrives in Paris”, By Len Krenzler, www.actionart.ca



In the spring of 1944 Bill and his P-51C “Berlin Express” were near Paris when the scene that is immortalized in the artwork by Len Krenzler of Action Art that leads this article took place. Bill had followed this Bf 109 from the bombers he was escorting when most of the German fighters left. The two planes had been in a running dogfight. The German pilot flew over Paris hoping that the heavy German anti-aircraft artillery would solve his problem and eliminate Overstreet and the “Berlin Express,” though Bill managed to get some hits in at about 1500 feet. The German’s engine was hit, and Bill stayed on his tail braving the intense enemy flak. His desperation undoubtedly growing, the German pilot aimed his plane at the Eiffel Tower and in a surprising maneuver, flew beneath it. Undeterred, Bill followed right behind him, scoring several more hits in the process. The German plane crashed and Bill escaped the heavy flak around Paris by flying low and full throttle over the river until he had cleared the city’s heavy anti-aircraft batteries.

[Horst Weber]

Originally Posted by gilles collaveri

I received this last week from my good old friend Steve:

WWII ace who flew through Eiffel Tower dies in Va.
USATODAY 8:09 p.m. EST January 2, 2014
William Overstreet Jr. died Sunday at a hospital in Roanoke, Va., a funeral home says.

ROANOKE, Virginia (AP) — World War II fighter pilot William Overstreet Jr., who gained fame for flying beneath the Eiffel Tower's arches in pursuit of a German aircraft, has died. He was 92.
According to Oakley's Funeral Home, Overstreet died Sunday at a Roanoke hospital.
Overstreet's famous flight in Nazi-occupied Paris has been credited with lifting the spirits of French Resistance troops on the ground. In a 2009 ceremony at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, the French ambassador to the United States presented Overstreet with France's Legion of Honor.
According to his obituary on the funeral home website, Overstreet worked as an accountant until retiring at the age of 65, then worked with numerous charities and veterans groups.
“The Berlin Express Arrives in Paris”, By Len Krenzler, www.actionart.ca

In the spring of 1944 Bill and his P-51C “Berlin Express” were near Paris when the scene that is immortalized in the artwork by Len Krenzler of Action Art that leads this article took place. Bill had followed this Bf 109 from the bombers he was escorting when most of the German fighters left. The two planes had been in a running dogfight. The German pilot flew over Paris hoping that the heavy German anti-aircraft artillery would solve his problem and eliminate Overstreet and the “Berlin Express,” though Bill managed to get some hits in at about 1500 feet. The German’s engine was hit, and Bill stayed on his tail braving the intense enemy flak. His desperation undoubtedly growing, the German pilot aimed his plane at the Eiffel Tower and in a surprising maneuver, flew beneath it. Undeterred, Bill followed right behind him, scoring several more hits in the process. The German plane crashed and Bill escaped the heavy flak around Paris by flying low and full throttle over the river until he had cleared the city’s heavy anti-aircraft batteries.

Nice story !

Are there any penetrations of armour-piercing ammo in the the struts of the Eiffel-Tower, which can confirm this incident ?.

Best wishes !

Horst Weber

[Eagle0025]

I've always been fascinated by this aerial encounter and was surprised to find the lack of details about it, such as a firm date when it occurred. Has any more details surfaced since the last post on this subject?

When asked about this encounter, Bill Overstreet could not recall any details and often replied "I was a little busy at the time".

I too always wondered about such things as what direction did he fly under the Eifel tower, what was the Bf109, pilot and unit involved, and where did it crash.
Cheers, Gary Koch

[VtwinVince]

Sounds like pure mythology to me.