A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II
Book by Adam Makos
DETAILS
Publisher : Dutton Caliber; 1st edition (December 19, 2012) Language : English Hardcover : 400 pages ISBN-10 : 0425252868 ISBN-13 : 978-0425252864 Item Weight : 1.39 pounds Dimensions : 6.31 x 1.33 x 9.4 inches Best Sellers Rank: #28,963 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #31 in Military Aviation History (Books) #49 in WWII Biographies #179 in World War II History (Books) , THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER: “Beautifully told.” —CNN • “A remarkable story...worth retelling and celebrating.”— USA Today • “Oh, it’s a good one!” —Fox News A “beautiful story of a brotherhood between enemies” emerges from the horrors of World War II in this New York Times bestseller by the author of Devotion , now a Major Motion Picture. December, 1943 : A badly damaged American bomber struggles to fly over wartime Germany. At the controls is twenty-one-year-old Second Lieutenant Charlie Brown. Half his crew lay wounded or dead on this, their first mission. Suddenly, a Messerschmitt fighter pulls up on the bomber’s tail. The pilot is German ace Franz Stigler—and he can destroy the young American crew with the squeeze of a trigger... What happened next would defy imagination and later be called “the most incredible encounter between enemies in World War II.” The U.S. 8th Air Force would later classify what happened between them as “top secret.” It was an act that Franz could never mention for fear of facing a firing squad. It was the encounter that would haunt both Charlie and Franz for forty years until, as old men, they would search the world for each other, a last mission that could change their lives forever. Read more
REVIEW
I read a review of this book online in December. I think it was USA TODAY. I immediately ordered the book from Amazon. I have been interested in WW II aviation since I was a young teenager when I built model airplanes and read books like " The First And The Last" by Adolf Galland and "Stuka Pilot" by Hans Ulrich Rudel. I have been reading books about WW II aviation ever since and have been especially interested in books about the USAAF and the Luftwaffe. There is a family connection for me too as my mother's cousin was a B-17 pilot who flew 30+ missions in 1944 and was killed as a member of the 3rd Scouting Force while on a mission on January 15, 1945. Also my girlfriend's father was a bombardier flying A-20's and A-26's over Europe in late 1944 and 1945. About two thirds of this book "A Higher Call" is about Luftwaffe Lt. Franz Stigler. The name did not ring a bell at first. I researched him and found his name on lists of Luftwaffe Aces and he is also mentioned in the book " Battle Over Bavaria" by Robert Forsythe ( in connection with JV 44) and "Fighters Over The Desert" by Christopher Shores and Hans Ring ( in connection with North Africa in 1942 and the "Vogel flight" controversy), The book shows Franz Stigler as a human being which is refreshing because Luftwaffe aces are usually portrayed as arrogant killers- a prime example being " Pretty Boy" in the movie "Red Tails". In the USAAF, bomber crews initially flew 25 missions and were then rotated home ( this was later increased to 30 and then 35 toward the end of the war). American fighterS flew 200 " combat hours" before rotating out. Luftwaffe pilots flew until they were killed, captured, severely wounded or had a mental breakdown. A few lucky ones were detached as flying instructors or were promoted to a non-flying position. Due to this policy, a few highly skilled ( and lucky) pilots flew hundreds of sorties and many victories, Erich Hartmann, the top German "expert" had 352 victories and flew 1456 sorties. Gerd Barkhorn flew 1104 sorties to gain 301 victories ( he had flown more than 100 sorties before his first victory). Adolf Galland had 103 victories and 705 sorties. Franz Stigler was credited with 28 victories ( and 30 damaged or probables) in 487 sorties. Franz Stigler was shot down a total of 17 times crash landing or ditching 11 times and taking to his parachute the other 6. This contrasts with American aces such as Francis " Gabby" Gabreski who had 28 kills in 166 sorties, Robert Johnson 27 kills in 89 sorties, "Hub" Zemke with 11 kills in 154 sorties and Chuck Yeager who had 12.5 aerial victories in 64 sorties. It must also be remembered that the Germans were on defense at this stage of the war and had no shortage of targets and if shot down over their own territory they were often able to return to duty while surviving allied aircrew were usually made POW. The book tells the story of Steigler from his interest in aviation as a boy ( his father was a WW I pilot) to his stint as a Lufthansa airline pilot and years as a flight instructor. By the time he was posted to JG 27 in North Africa in 1942 Franz was an unusually experienced pilot having flown many different types of aircraft ranging from small single engine trainers to ponderous multi-engined seaplanes. Franz had good luck in meeting the great ace Hans Marseilles who gave him advice on the best way to shoot down enemy aircraft which was simply to get close until the enemy airplane filled your gun-sight and you were so close you could not miss. Franz also had the misfortune to be associated with the "Voegel flight" where his flight leader and his wingman was suspected of making false claims of aerial victories. This tainted Franz Steigler's image for a while as his comrades thought he had a case of " throat ache" in that he was anxious to be awarded the coveted " Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. ( This brings to mind subplots of the movies " The Blue Max" and " Cross Of Iron"). Franz goes on home leave ( partly to escape the taint of the " Voegel flight" scandal). In early 1943 Franz is posted to Sicily. He is engaged in the so called " Palm Sunday Massacre" where dozens of Ju 52 transports are shot down by allied fighters and Franz and most of his squadron are shot down and Franz is forced to ditch his Bf 109 off the coast of Sicily. It is also over Sicily where Franz has his first encounter with the American Boeing B-17 heavy bomber and realizes how difficult it is to shoot down and a change in tactics is needed. Later in 1943, Franz Stigler and his unit II/JG 27 is posted to north-west Germany for defense of the Reich duties. It is here where he has the memorable encounter with Charlie Brown and his B-17. This encounter seems to have changed Franz to some extent. He lost his case of " throat ache" and often does not claim victories for allied planes he has shot down or gives credit to new pilots to bolster their confidence. Franz is wounded in 1944 and is withdrawn from combat. In early 1945 he learns to fly the Messerschmitt Me-262 wonder weapon and becomes an instructor. He later joins Adolf Galland's JV 44, bringing his own jet " White 3" with him. Here he joins a squadron of experts such as Walter Krupinski, Gerd Barkhorn ( who Franz taught to fly a few years earlier), Johannes Steinhoff, Heinz Baer, Guenther Luetzow and several others. Franz flies several sorties with JV 44. He claims 2 more victories and is put in for the Knight's Cross by Galland but in the confusion of the last weeks of the war, neither the medal or confirmation of the victories goes through. Franz survives the war and after much hardship in postwar Germany moves to Canada. Many years later he reunites with Charlie Brown in an incredible set of circumstances outlined in the book. The book is very good but not enough to give it 5 stars. It is obvious that the authors are not pilots and some aviation terms are not properly used. ( This does not bother me as I am not a pilot either), There are a few minor historical things that are not correct ( not counting transistors in WW II radios which all used tubes). Franz's brother August flew with Kampfgruppe 806 ( K. Gr. 806) not KG 806. The book indicates that the crew of "Ye Olde Pub" shot down German Ace Sgt. Ernst Suess of 9/JG 1 on December 16, 1943. All the sources I have found indicate he was shot down by American fighters, probably P-38's. Suess was able to get out of his stricken Bf-109 but was shot and killed while hanging in his parachute. I would like to have heard more about the crew of " Ye Olde Pub" and some of Franz Stigler's exploits are out there on the 'net and should be in the book. Finally, this book should have an index. However I can recommend this book to both the WW II buff and casual reader.
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