Top_Gunn

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This was a tough one, Ernie, but I'm pretty sure it was the XNBL-1 "Barling Bomber," meant to show the effectiveness of air power by sinking a battleship. Hence the peacetime strike clue, which had me scratching my head for a while.

Wikipedia page here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witteman-Lewis_XNBL-1

Ernie P.

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You are correct of course, Top_Gunn; and you are now up to ask the next question. As you stated, the Barling Bomber was designed and built to sink a battleship, to demonstrate the power of aircraft. Which is what I meant by stating the plane could have fulfilled its reason for being in a single mission. Well done, Sir; Thanks; Ernie P.


What warbird do I describe?

1. This aircraft was designed to fulfill a single, limited and very specific mission.

2. In fact, it could have performed that complete mission during a single, successful strike.

3. Had it been successful in that single strike, it would have fulfilled its entire reason for being designed and built in that one strike.

4. And that one strike could have been flown by the single aircraft of its type produced. Yes; only one was ever produced.

5. And, oddly enough, that single strike would have been performed during peacetime.

6. It was an experimental aircraft.

7. Only one was built; although two were planned. But the entire budget, and quite a bit more, was spent in producing the single plane.

8. And the company was made to pay the cost overrun themselves.

9. The cost overruns doomed the company that built it.

10. Which was kind of odd in a way, because they hadn’t designed the aircraft; they just built it.

11. Interestingly enough, the designer was noted for having designed another aircraft; which crashed on its maiden voyage. And that aircraft never tried to fly again.

12. That crashed aircraft was the first, and only, aircraft ever built by its manufacturer.

13. The designer of the crashed aircraft, and our subject aircraft, had worked for a noted aircraft design and manufacturing facility; although he isn’t generally considered to be the designer of any of the many aircraft they produced.

14. This aircraft was so large only a handful of airfields could accommodate it.

15. It was successful in many ways.

16. But also quite unsuccessful in others.

17. Particularly so in regards to range.

18. And in service ceiling.

19. Which wasn’t as much of a handicap as at first might be thought; since the intended target would always be located near sea level.

20. It wasn’t long before the military realized a much smaller plane, intended as a “short range” aircraft, actually had a range of more than twice the range of this aircraft. And half the bombload.

21. At the time of its first flight, this was, by far, the heaviest aircraft in the world.

22. Even by the standards of today, it was still a large aircraft.

23. It had a number of innovative features; which included a flying tail and an internal bomb bay, as befitted a bomber of its weight and size.

24. The choice of engine had been dictated by the necessity of using readily available, and surplus, engines.

25. And, in the end, the six engines simply didn’t have the power to fly this bird.

26. Four pulling and two pushing just wasn’t enough. And, in fact, it wasn’t even able to take the high road over the relatively low Appalachians.

27. And a fuel load of 2,000 gallons of fuel just wasn’t enough to fly even 200 miles.

28. Oh…. And nearly 200 gallons of oil.

29. When it was discovered rain was collecting in the wings, a special hangar had to be constructed to get it out of the weather.

30. And the hangar cost even more than the plane!

31. Despite all its shortfalls, a lot was learned about creating a strategic bomber; which hadn’t been its original mission.

32. Seven crew members, two pilots and five gunners.

33. The five gunners had excellent field of fire.

34. Despite its three wings. 35. It wasn’t a true triplane, though. The middle wing was much shorter and narrower; making it more of a “two and a half wings” plane. 36. Other advanced, for the time, features included a fuselage using aluminum parts.



37. An adjustable undercarriage with a lot of wheels.

38. Separate compartments for the crew.

39. It carried a flight engineer.

40. Electric instrumentation.

41. Rather advanced engine controls.

42. It Influenced development of the B-17.

43. And the B-29.







Answer: NBL-1 Barling Bomber

The Wittemann-Lewis NBL-1 "Barling Bomber" was an experimental long-range, heavy bomber built for the United States Army Air Service in the early 1920s. Although unsuccessful as a bomber, it was an early attempt at creating a strategic bomber. Development of the XNBL-1 (Experimental Night Bomber, Long Range) Barling Bomber is generally attributed (the press called it "Mitchell's Folly") to William "Billy" Mitchell, a U.S.Army Air Service General and most vocal advocate of strategic airpower, who in 1919 discovered Walter H. Barling, who had previously worked for the Royal Aircraft Factory. Mitchell asked Barling to design a bomber capable of carrying enough bombs to sink a battleship. Mitchell's goal was to demonstrate the effectiveness of airpower by sinking a battleship from the air, and needed a large, strategic bomber in order to accomplish this feat. Mitchell projected the cost of two prototype bombers at $375,000. On 15 May 1920, the Army Engineering Division sought bids for the construction of a bomber based on Barling's sketches, with the requirement that it be capable of carrying a 5,000 lb (2,300 kg) bomb load, to an altitude of 10,000 ft (3,000 m) at a speed of no less than 100 mph (160 km/h). Barling had previously designed the Tarrant Tabor, which was similar in concept but was destroyed in a fatal nose-over crash on its first flight in 1919. The nose-over had probably been caused by the high placement of two of the six engines – a compromise due to the lack of more powerful engines. Like the Tabor, the Barling Bomber was a large six-engined triplane with a cigar-shaped fuselage. Unlike its predecessor, the Barling had all of its engines mounted level with the fuselage. The aircraft used three wings, but was not actually a triplane in the conventional sense. More correctly, it was a two-and-a-half wing aircraft. The middle wing had no control surfaces, and was shorter and narrower than the two primary wings. The top and bottom wings had a chord of 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m), and each had a surface area of about 2,000 sq ft (190 m2). The stabilizer and elevator surfaces were 575 sq ft (53.4 m2) with an 8 ft (2.4 m) chord. The fins and rudders looked like a box kite, and had a surface area of 250 sq ft (23 m2). The undercarriage consisted of 10 wheels, including two wheels mounted towards the front of the aircraft (to prevent a nose-over on takeoff) and a tail skid. The Engineering Division was forced to use Liberty engines because of an abundant supply of the engines. To power the Barling, four 420 hp Liberty engines were mounted between the lower and middle wings in a tractor arrangement, and an additional two in a pusher position. The gross weight of the bomber was 42,569 lb. It had a fuel capacity of 2,000 gallons, and carried 181 gallons of oil. Two pilots occupied separate cockpits either side of the fuselage, while a bombardier sat in the nose. One or two flight engineers sat behind the cockpits to help tend the engines. A radio operator and a navigator were seated next to them. The Barling was armed with seven .30-caliber Lewis machine guns, which were operated from five stations. The gun stations gave the gunners a field of fire that covered practically the whole area around the bomber. Bomb racks were mounted in an enclosed bomb bay beneath the gasoline tanks. The bomb bay could accommodate any bomb in the air service inventory, including the 2,000- and 4,000-lb bombs that had been designed specifically to sink a battleship. The Barling incorporated bomb bay doors on the bottom of the fuselage, one of the first aircraft to feature such an innovation.

Production

The winning bid for construction of the massive bomber went to the Wittemann-Lewis Company of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. They received a contract to construct two aircraft at a cost of $375,000. Due to increased costs and the number of design changes required, the order was cut to one, by the time the aircraft was completed in October 1922, the cost had risen from $375,000 for two bombers to $525,000 for one. Wittemann-Lewis had to absorb the cost overrun, and went out of business a few months after shipping the completed aircraft to Ohio. There were only six airfields in the country large enough to accommodate the massive bomber, and after careful consideration the decision was made to base it at Wilbur Wright Field in Fairborn, Ohio (then known as Fairfield) because of its close proximity to McCook Field, and its resources. The bomber was shipped by rail to Wilbur Wright Field in Fairfield, Ohio in May 1923. After 94 days of assembly, the aircraft was ready for its maiden flight.



Operational historyOn 22 August 1923, the Barling Bomber made its maiden flight from Wilbur Wright Field in Fairfield, Ohio. At the time, it was by far the heaviest aircraft in the world, and remains large even by today's standards. On its first flight, it was piloted by Lt. Harold R. Harris, and Lt. Muir S. Fairchild, future U.S. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff. The flight engineer was Douglas Culver. Barling flew along as a passenger. Critics had claimed that the bomber would roll all the way to Dayton before it ever took off, but the aircraft became airborne after a 13-second, 960 ft (290 m) takeoff run. The flight lasted 28 minutes and reached an altitude of 2,000 ft (609 m). On 3 October 1924, the aircraft set a duration record of 1 hour 47 minutes for an aircraft "with 8,820 lbs (4,000 kgs [sic]) useful load". It also set a record in the same class for altitude with 4,470 ft (1,363 m). Although capable of carrying a 5,000 lb (2,300 kg) bomb load, it was soon discovered that the aircraft was seriously underpowered, and performance was disappointing. The overly complex structure of three wings and their accompanying struts and bracing wires created so much interference drag that the six engines could barely compensate. Fully loaded, the XNBL-1 had a range of only about 170 miles (270 km) with a top speed of 96 mph (155 km/h). In contrast, the "short-range" Martin NBS-1 had a range of about 450 miles (725 km) and could carry a 2,000 lb (900 kg) payload at the same speed. On a flight from Dayton, Ohio to a scheduled appearance at an airshow in Washington, DC, the Barling Bomber failed to fly over the Appalachian Mountains and had to turn around. A problem with water collecting in the aircraft's wings during rainstorms necessitated the construction of a special hangar at a cost of $700,000. The hangar was constructed in 1925 at the nearby Fairfield Air Depot. Although the XNBL-1 was not put into production, it had advanced features such as aluminum fuselage components, adjustable multi-wheel undercarriage, separate compartments for crew, a flight engineer, electrical instruments and advanced engine controls. One unusual feature was that the incidence of the tailplane could be adjusted in flight using a lever in the cockpit. The XNBL-1 was the largest aircraft built in the United States until the Boeing XB-15 in 1935. Frequently characterized by opponents of airpower as "Mitchell’s Folly" (after Brig.-Gen. William "Billy" Mitchell, who had championed the project), in 1927, the aircraft was disassembled by Air Service personnel and placed in storage at the Fairfield Air Depot. In 1929, then-Major Henry H. "Hap" Arnold was assigned as commander of the Fairfield Air Depot. He submitted a Report of Survey to the Office of the Chief of Air Corps, asking permission to salvage parts from the stored bomber, and burn the rest. Several members of Congress still held an interest in the aircraft, and the request was denied. Maj. Arnold then submitted a similar request to burn the "XNBL-1", omitting any mention of the name "Barling". That request was approved, and the bomber was burned at Fairfield in 1930. Although the Barling Bomber was considered a failure at the time, it led the way in the development of large, strategic bombers. Even Gen. "Hap" Arnold, who ordered it destroyed, later stated "if we look at it without bias, certainly [the Barling] had influence on the development of B-17s... and B-29s." · One main tire and one nose tire from the bomber are on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. The tire's original B. F. Goodrich marking are still clearly visible. The main tire is nearly 48 in (1.2 m) in diameter. The XNBL-1 in flightData from Witteman-Lewis XNBL-1 Barling BomberGeneral characteristics· Crew: Seven (two pilots, five gunners)· Length: 65 ft (19.81 m)· Wingspan: 120 ft (36.58 m)· Height: 27 ft (8.23 m)· Wing area: 4,017 sq ft[14] (373.2 m²)· Empty weight: 27,132 lb[14] (12,307 kg)· Loaded weight: 42,569 lb[14] (19,309 kg)· Powerplant: 6 Χ Liberty L-12A, 420 hp (313 kW) each Performance· Maximum speed: 96 mph (83 knots, 155 km/h) at sea level· Cruise speed: 61 mph (53 knots, 98 km/h)· Range: 170 mi (149 km, 274 km) with full bomb load (varied by bomb load carried)· Service ceiling: 7,725 ft (2,355 m) Armament· Guns: 7 Χ .30 cal (7.62 mm) machine guns· Bombs: Up to 5,000 lb (2300 kg) bomb load

Top_Gunn

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Looking for the name of a pilot.

1. He was an ace, though not a particularly high-scoring one for his service.

2. He was killed fairly early in his war.

3. He is remembered today for an achievement that, although war-related, did not involve him flying.

Ernie P.

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Al; how about a Polish ace more noted for his escapes from German captivity than for his flying escapades? Thanks; Ernie P.

Answer: Miroslaw Feric

Mirosław Ferić (June 17, 1915 – February 14, 1942), was a Polishfighter pilot, a flying ace of World War II.
Ferić was born in Travnik in Bosnia and Herzegovina, his father was a Croat (who died during World War I) and his mother was a Pole. In 1919 his family moved to Poland. He graduated in 1938 from a cadet flying school in Dęblin as a fighter pilot, and served with fighter escadre No. 111 with a rank of podporucznik pilot (2nd Lt. pilot).
During the Invasion of Poland in 1939, he served with Escadre No. 111, assigned to the Pursuit Brigade (Brygada Poscigowa) and defending the Warsaw area. On 3 September his PZL P.11c fighter was damaged in combat but he successfully bailed out. During the campaign he shot down a Hs 126 on 8 September as a 'shared' victory (other sources also credit him with a Bf 110 shared with others, but this victory was not officially credited).

On 17 September he and other pilots were ordered to evacuate to Romania. There he was interned, but escaped and travelled to France by sea. After training on French aircraft, he was assigned to a flight commanded by Kazimierz Kuzian flying Morane MS-406 fighters protecting aircraft works around Nantes. However, Ferić saw no air combat. After the fall of France, Ferić evacuated in June 1940 to Great Britain.

After advanced training at an RAFOTU he was assigned to the newly formed Polish No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron, based at RAF Northolt flying Hawker Hurricanes and entering service in the Battle of Britain on 31 August 1940. On his first day of combat he shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109. On 2 September he probably shot down another one, but his plane was damaged and he made a forced landing. On 6 September he shot down another Bf 109, and on 15 September a Bf 109 and Bf 110. On 27 September he shot down a Bf 109 and a Heinkel He 111, and on 5 October a Bf 109.

After an operational break the squadron was back in combat in January 1941, flying Supermarine Spitfires on missions over France. On 22 June during a bomber escort he shot down a Bf 109, and on 27 June damaged another. In October he was sent to a six-month rest tour to an Operational Training Unit as an instructor, but after three months he volunteered to return to a combat posting.

Ferić returned to No. 303 Squadron in January 1942. On 14 February, he was killed at RAF Northolt after his Spitfire (BL432) broke up at 3,000 feet (910 m) and the resulting G-forces as the aircraft corkscrewed held him inside and prevented him bailing out.


Mirosław Ferić was the 11th ranked Polish fighter ace with 8 and 2/3 confirmed kills and 1 probable kill. From September 1939 he had kept a personal diary, which became No.303 Squadron's unit history.

Top_Gunn

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Not Feric (sorry, my keyboard doesn't do that thing on the c), but I think this one won't go long. Here's the bonus clue:

Looking for the name of a pilot.

1. He was an ace, though not a particularly high-scoring one for his service.

2. He was killed fairly early in his war.

3. He is remembered today for an achievement that, although war-related, did not involve him flying.

4. He was born in a country that was neutral in the war in which he fought.

Top_Gunn

My Feedback: (6)

Today's clue:

Looking for the name of a pilot.

1. He was an ace, though not a particularly high-scoring one for his service.

2. He was killed fairly early in his war.

3. He is remembered today for an achievement that, although war-related, did not involve him flying.

4. He was born in a country that was neutral in the war in which he fought.

5. He claimed an impressive number of victories that were unconfirmed, including an ace-in-a-day-plus claim with no witnesses. But there is no doubt that the achievement that made him famous was real.

Top_Gunn

My Feedback: (6)

Today's clue:

Looking for the name of a pilot.

1. He was an ace, though not a particularly high-scoring one for his service.

2. He was killed fairly early in his war.

3. He is remembered today for an achievement that, although war-related, did not involve him flying.

4. He was born in a country that was neutral in the war in which he fought.

5. He claimed an impressive number of victories that were unconfirmed, including an ace-in-a-day-plus claim with no witnesses. But there is no doubt that the achievement that made him famous was real.

6. He had a hereditary title.

Top_Gunn

My Feedback: (6)

Today's clue:

Looking for the name of a pilot.

1. He was an ace, though not a particularly high-scoring one for his service.

2. He was killed fairly early in his war.

3. He is remembered today for an achievement that, although war-related, did not involve him flying.

4. He was born in a country that was neutral in the war in which he fought.

5. He claimed an impressive number of victories that were unconfirmed, including an ace-in-a-day-plus claim with no witnesses. But there is no doubt that the achievement that made him famous was real.

6. He had a hereditary title.

7. A popular movie about his escapade was made by a studio in one of the countries against which he fought, about twelve years after the war was over. He was portrayed positively, and the movie was quite accurate.

Top_Gunn

My Feedback: (6)

Today's clue, and a useful one it is, I think:

Looking for the name of a pilot.

1. He was an ace, though not a particularly high-scoring one for his service.

2. He was killed fairly early in his war.

3. He is remembered today for an achievement that, although war-related, did not involve him flying.

4. He was born in a country that was neutral in the war in which he fought.

5. He claimed an impressive number of victories that were unconfirmed, including an ace-in-a-day-plus claim with no witnesses. But there is no doubt that the achievement that made him famous was real.

6. He had a hereditary title.

7. A popular movie about his escapade was made by a studio in one of the countries against which he fought, about twelve years after the war was over. He was portrayed positively, and the movie was quite accurate.

8. He crashed twice. The first time, his plane was shot down over enemy territory, and he survived the crash with no injuries. The second time, his engine failed over the ocean; his body was not recovered.

Ernie P.

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Useful indeed. Thanks; Ernie P.

elmshoot

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Antoine de Saint-Exupιry

Sparky

Top_Gunn

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Not Saint-Exupery.

Today's clue:

Looking for the name of a pilot.

1. He was an ace, though not a particularly high-scoring one for his service.

2. He was killed fairly early in his war.

3. He is remembered today for an achievement that, although war-related, did not involve him flying.

4. He was born in a country that was neutral in the war in which he fought.

5. He claimed an impressive number of victories that were unconfirmed, including an ace-in-a-day-plus claim with no witnesses. But there is no doubt that the achievement that made him famous was real.

6. He had a hereditary title.

7. A popular movie about his escapade was made by a studio in one of the countries against which he fought, about twelve years after the war was over. He was portrayed positively, and the movie was quite accurate.

8. He crashed twice. The first time, his plane was shot down over enemy territory, and he survived the crash with no injuries. The second time, his engine failed over the ocean; his body was not recovered.

9. The feat he finally pulled off followed several unsuccessful attempts.

Top_Gunn

My Feedback: (6)

Today's clue, which may help, but Clue 8 is the one to focus on.

Looking for the name of a pilot.

1. He was an ace, though not a particularly high-scoring one for his service.

2. He was killed fairly early in his war.

3. He is remembered today for an achievement that, although war-related, did not involve him flying.

4. He was born in a country that was neutral in the war in which he fought.

5. He claimed an impressive number of victories that were unconfirmed, including an ace-in-a-day-plus claim with no witnesses. But there is no doubt that the achievement that made him famous was real.

6. He had a hereditary title.

7. A popular movie about his escapade was made by a studio in one of the countries against which he fought, about twelve years after the war was over. He was portrayed positively, and the movie was quite accurate.

8. He crashed twice. The first time, his plane was shot down over enemy territory, and he survived the crash with no injuries. The second time, his engine failed over the ocean; his body was not recovered.

9. The feat he finally pulled off followed several unsuccessful attempts.

10. One of those unsuccessful attempts came close to succeeding. If he had managed it, it would have involved flying. A few years later, an American pilot did succeed in doing what the subject of this quiz almost did (though in a different country).

Ernie P.

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Hello. I'm Ernie P. and I have trouble keeping my mouth shut. I've been up a lot lately, but I can't hold back any longer. Maybe I'll learn one day; but it won't be today. Thanks; Ernie P.

Answer: Franz Xaver Baron von Werra

Franz Xaver Baron von Werra (13 July 1914 – 25 October 1941) was a GermanWorld War II fighter pilot and flying ace who was shot down over Britain and captured. He is generally regarded as the only Axisprisoner of war to succeed in escaping from Canadian custody and returning to Germany, although a U-Boat seaman, Walter Kurt Reich, is said to have jumped from a Polish troopship (presumably the ex-liner Sobieski) into the St. Lawrence River in July 1940. Werra managed to return to Germany via the US, Mexico, South America, and Spain, finally reaching Germany on 18 April 1941. Oberleutnant von Werra was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 December 1940. His story was told in the book The One That Got Away by Kendall Burt and James Leasor, which was made into a film of the same name, starring Hardy Kruger.

Franz Baron von Werra was born on 13 July 1914, to impoverished Swiss parents in Leuk, a town in the Swiss canton of Valais. The title of Freiherr (equal to Baron) came from his biological father, Leo Freiherr von Werra, who after bankruptcy, faced deep economic hardship. Because his relatives were legally obliged to look after the Baron's wife and six children, his cousin Rosalie von Werra persuaded her childless friend Louise Carl von Haber to permit the Baron's youngest, Franz and his sister, to enjoy the benefits of wealth and education. The von Habers did not tell the children their true origin.

In 1936, Werra joined the Luftwaffe. Commissioned a Leutnant in 1938, the beginning of the Second World War found him serving with Jagdgeschwader 3 in the French campaign. An able officer, he became adjutant of II Gruppe, JG 3. He was described as engaging in boisterous 'playboy' behavior. He was once pictured in the press with his pet lion Simba, which he kept at the aerodrome as the unit mascot.

Werra scored his first four victories in May 1940, during the Battle of France. Downing a Hawker Hurricane on 20 May, two days later he claimed two Breguet 690 bombers and a Potez 630 near Cambrai.

In a sortie on 25 August during the Battle of Britain, he claimed a Spitfire west of Rochester, and three Hurricanes, as well as five destroyed on the ground for a total of nine RAF planes eliminated. The details of the actions are unknown, as the incident has not been found in British records.Capture and escapes

On 5 September 1940, Werra's Bf 109E-4 (W.Nr. 1480) bearing the markings "< + –" was shot down over Kent. It is unclear who was responsible for this victory, which was originally credited to Pilot Officer Gerald "Stapme" Stapleton of No. 603 Squadron RAF. However, the Australian ace Flight Lieutenant Paterson Hughes (234 Sqn RAF) was posthumously given half of the credit, in the Citation (London Gazette, 22 October 1940) awarding him a bar to his DFC. Some sources suggest that P/O George Bennions of 41 Sqn may have initially damaged Werra's fighter before Hughes and Stapleton also scored hits on it. Other sources suggest F/L John Terence Webster of No. 41 Squadron as the victor.

Werra crash-landed his Bf 109E-4 in a field and was captured by the unarmed cook of a nearby army unit. Werra was initially held in Maidstone barracks by the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment, from which he attempted his first escape. He had been put to work digging and was guarded by RMP Private Denis Rickwood, who had to face Werra down with a small truncheon, while Werra was armed with a pick axe. (There is no mention of this escape attempt in the book The One that Got Away.) He was interrogated for eighteen days at Trent Park, a country house in Hertfordshire which before the war had been the seat of Sir Philip Sassoon. (After the war it became Trent Park teachers' training college). Eventually, Werra was sent to the London District Prisoner of War "cage" and then on to POW Camp No.1, at Grizedale Hall in the Furness Fells area of pre-1974 Lancashire, between Windermere and Coniston Water.

On 7 October he tried to escape for the second time, during a daytime walk outside the camp. At a regular stop, while a fruit cart provided a lucky diversion and other German prisoners covered for him, von Werra slipped over a dry-stone wall into a field. The guards alerted the local farmers and the Home Guard. On the evening of 10 October, two Home Guard soldiers found him sheltering from the rain in a hoggarth (a type of small stone hut used for storing sheep fodder that is common in the area), but he quickly escaped and disappeared into the night. On 12 October, he was spotted climbing a fell. The area was surrounded, and Werra was eventually found, almost totally immersed in a muddy depression in the ground. He was sentenced to 21 days of solitary confinement and on 3 November was transferred to Camp No. 13 in Swanwick, Derbyshire, also known as the Hayes camp.

In Camp No. 13, Werra joined a group calling themselves Swanwick Tiefbau A.G. (Swanwick Excavations, Inc.), who were digging an escape tunnel. The tunnel can still be seen at the Hayes Conference Centre. On 17 December 1940, after a month's digging, it was complete.[5] The camp had forgers who equipped the escape group with money and fake identity papers. On 20 December, Werra and four others slipped out of the tunnel under the cover of anti-aircraft fire and the singing of the camp choir. The others were recaptured quickly, leaving Werra to proceed alone. He had taken along his flying suit and decided to masquerade as Captain van Lott, a Dutch Royal Netherlands Air Force pilot. He told a friendly locomotive driver that he was a downed bomber pilot trying to reach his unit, and asked to be taken to the nearest RAF base. At Codnor Park railway station, a local clerk became suspicious, but eventually agreed to arrange his transportation to the aerodrome at RAF Hucknall, near Nottingham. The police also questioned him, but Werra convinced them he was harmless. At Hucknall, a Squadron Leader Boniface asked for his credentials, and Werra claimed to be based at Dyce near Aberdeen. While Boniface went to check this story, Werra excused himself and ran to the nearest hangar, trying to tell a mechanic that he was cleared for a test flight. Boniface arrived in time to arrest him at gunpoint, as he sat in the cockpit, trying to learn the controls. Werra was sent back to the Hayes camp under armed guard.

In January 1941, Werra was sent with many other German prisoners to Canada on the Duchess of York, in a convoy departing Greenock on 10 January 1941, guarded by HMS Ramillies among others. His group was to be taken to a camp on the north shore of Lake Superior, Ontario, so Werra began to plan his escape to the United States, which was still neutral at the time. On 21 January, while on a prison train that had departed Montreal, he jumped out of a window, again with the help of other prisoners, and ended up near Smith's Falls, Ontario, 30 miles from the St. Lawrence River. Seven other prisoners tried to escape from the same train, but were soon recaptured. Werra's absence was not noticed until the next afternoon.

After crossing the frozen St. Lawrence River, Werra made his way to Ogdensburg, New York, arriving several months before the US entered the war, and turned himself over to the police. The immigration authorities charged him with entering the country illegally, so Werra contacted the local German consul, who paid his bail.[6] Thus, he came to the attention of the press and told them a very embellished version of his story. While the U.S. and Canadian authorities were negotiating his extradition, the German vice-consul helped him over the border to Mexico. Werra proceeded in stages to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Barcelona, Spain and Rome, Italy. He finally arrived back in Germany on 18 April 1941. Return and death

Franz von Werra became a hero. Adolf Hitler awarded him the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). Werra was assigned the task of improving German techniques for interrogating captured pilots, based on his experiences with the British system.[7] Werra reported to the German High Command on how he had been treated as a POW, and this caused an improvement in the treatment of Allied POWs in Germany. He wrote a book about his experiences titled "Meine Flucht aus England" (My Escape from England), although it remained unpublished.

Werra returned to active service with the Luftwaffe and was initially deployed to the Russian front as Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 53. He scored 13 more aerial victories during July 1941, raising his overall confirmed total to 21. In early August 1941, I./JG 53 withdrew to Germany to re-equip with the new Bf 109F-4, after which it moved to Katwijk in the Netherlands.

On 25 October 1941 Werra took off in Bf 109F-4 Number 7285 on a practice flight. His aircraft suffered a complete engine failure and crashed into the sea north of Vlissingen. Werra was presumed killed, though his body was never found. Werra's story was the subject of the 1957 film The One That Got Away starring Hardy Krόger as Franz von Werra. The film was based on a book by Kendall Burt and James Leasor published in 1956. A documentary called von Werra (with clips from The One That Got Away) was released in the 2000s.

Top_Gunn

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It is indeed von Werra. The last clue is, I think, the only one not covered by Ernie's details. The American pilot who pulled off an escape that von Werra almost managed was Bob Hoover, who as a POW stole a German plane and eventually made it back to allied territory.

The movie was pretty good, and closer to what actually happened than most "based on a true story" films. It was popular in the UK and a huge hit in West Germany.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

We all read things; some remembered, some not. In this case, I remember reading a story in a "men's" magazine, perhaps Argosy (There were some scantily clad ladies featured in the magazine as well if I recall. At the tender age of 14 or so, I didn't pay much attention to the pictures of the ladies. Yeah, right.....), about a German pilot who escaped captivity in Canada and made his way back to Germany during WWII. I think this was around 1961, maybe 1962. Anyway, that's why I was able to narrow this one down pretty quickly. Once elmshoot eliminated Saint-Exupery, I knew it had to be von Werra. Okay, I'm up again. If anyone has a question they would like to post, feel free to jump in. Otherwise, I'll post a question tomorrow. Since this one was about a pilot, I'll make my next one about an aircraft. Thanks; Ernie P.

elmshoot

My Feedback: (6)

[QUOTE=Ernie P.;12443378 Once elmshoot eliminated Saint-Exupery, Ernie P.[/QUOTE]

I kind of knew it wasn't St. Ex but thought I'd do a drive by.

Sparky

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

And away we go. Thanks; Ernie P.


What warbird do I describe?

1. This warbird was an improved and enlarged development of an earlier aircraft and was intended to perform the same general mission.

Hydro Junkie

How about the Handley Page Halifax?

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Good guess, Hydro Junkie; but not where we're headed. And, of course, here's a bonus clue for your effort. Thanks; Ernie P.


What warbird do I describe?

1. This warbird was an improved and enlarged development of an earlier aircraft and was intended to perform the same general mission.

2. It remained in service for nearly a decade.

elmshoot

My Feedback: (6)

B-29

Hydro Junkie

IIRC, the B-29 was a totally new design, not an enlarged and improved something else

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Not the B-29, elmshoot; but here's an afternoon clue and a bonus clue to aid your search. Thanks; Ernie P.

What warbird do I describe?

1. This warbird was an improved and enlarged development of an earlier aircraft and was intended to perform the same general mission.

2. It remained in service for nearly a decade.

3. And was considered to be the standard aircraft of its type and service.

4. And it was considered to be the standard against which new aircraft of its type were to be judged for even longer.

JohnnyS

F100 Super Sabre?

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Not the F-100, JohnnyS; but I guess you're owed a bonus clue in addition to an evening clue. Please try again. Thanks; Ernie P.


What warbird do I describe?

1. This warbird was an improved and enlarged development of an earlier aircraft and was intended to perform the same general mission.

2. It remained in service for nearly a decade.

3. And was considered to be the standard aircraft of its type and service.

4. And it was considered to be the standard against which new aircraft of its type were to be judged for even longer.

5. Twin engine.

6. The landing gear was simplified from the earlier model.