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00:00It's December the 31st, 1944 and in the cockpit of his B-17, the Little Skipper, is Lieutenant
00:07Glenn Rojon alongside his co-pilot, Second Lieutenant William Leake.
00:13They're approaching Germany on a mission to flatten oil refineries in Hamburg.
00:20Flak erupts directly beneath them and all hell breaks loose.
00:25The men watch as they see B-17 after B-17 being shot out of the sky in the target
00:31area ahead
00:32of them.
00:36When the flak is at its thickest, Rojon sees a smoke target over the docks.
00:41It's the cue to drop the bombs.
00:43All the B-17s and Rojon's group that are still flying open their bomb bay doors.
00:47The flak intensifies with a ferocity that the pilots have never seen before.
00:54In the lead squadron, the B-17 falls rush in, is hit dead center with flak.
01:01It veers off to the right and crashes directly into another B-17 called Kramp's Tramps.
01:08The two planes crunch together and Kramp's Tramps is sliced in two.
01:14Both planes fall from the air.
01:17Rojon and Leake can't believe their eyes.
01:19They think everyone is lost, but incredibly, three crew members from each plane get pushed
01:24into the void and manage to release their parachutes.
01:27Four, I see six chutes.
01:29Rojon pushes the shot to the back of his mind and radios to the bombardier,
01:32Sergeant James Shirley.
01:33Confirm when bombs away.
01:41Bombs away.
01:42For the B-17's huge bomb bay doors drops a stream of 500 pounders which plummet towards the earth.
01:50On the little skipper, the ball turret gunner watches the bombs hit the target.
01:55Russel has the view, right on target.
02:00After dropping the bombs, the formation follows the original plan and does a 180 straight back out to sea.
02:07They tighten formation as much as they can for the trip home.
02:11But just as they get in their box formation,
02:15around 50 German defenders race at full speed to intercept the Americans.
02:21The first on the scene are the jet-propelled ME-262s.
02:27One screams past the Americans from above, firing its MK-108 cannons through the line.
02:33The Mr. Schmidt carries on below and pulls out in a wide arc, its contrails glistening in the sun.
02:41It's too fast to hit and is already gone before the gunners can target it.
02:44We'll be feeling still.
02:46Then BF-109s streak past the formation, attacking from the front and FW-190s buzz like hornets.
02:55The Faithful Forever on Rojon's right position is lagging slightly back and already damaged from flak.
03:01And it's hit once again.
03:03Its pilot, 2nd Lieutenant Leo Ross gets on the radio.
03:06Faithful Forever going down.
03:07Ross manages to get his plane down to 5,000 feet straight and level despite its damage and all its
03:13crew bail and survive.
03:17Back with the main formation, all hope is lost and the Germans are weak in havoc on the now ragtag
03:23formation.
03:28Then the beautiful sight of American P-51s comes into view.
03:33It's fighter support.
03:34The German interceptors have softer targets and immediately turn and run.
03:40The American P-51s, safe in the knowledge that the Germans have gone,
03:45depart to defend other B-17s further along the line.
03:48The P-51s leave to defend the ports in the upper front.
03:51Keep your eyes peeled, boys.
03:52Rojon and what's left of his formation fly on, alone.
03:58We're almost over the sea. Hold on, everyone.
04:01They approach the coast of Germany to the northwest of Hamburg and they can already see the flak starting up
04:06again.
04:07They battle through the flak once more but quickly they're out over the sea, moving slowly,
04:12but they might just make it home.
04:16The turbines is now so bad that the B-17s can't hold the formation.
04:22Then, across the intercom, there is a core. Everyone is dreading.
04:28Then another.
04:31Another wave of German fighters flying from bases in Bremen and Oldenburg
04:35force their way in to intercept the now loose formation over the sea.
04:40In a desperate fight for the turbulence, the B-17s are trying to keep in close together.
04:45The plane off the plane is hit.
04:50More holes in the formation start to appear as B-17s drift away, their engines streaming oil and fire.
04:57These are dangerous gaps for the German fighters to exploit.
05:00Nine o'clock! There are too many of them!
05:03A BF-109 flying in from the front strafes the nine lives, the lead plane in Rojon's formation.
05:10Bullets riddle the cockpit and both pilots are instantly killed.
05:17But all engines continue working and the remaining crew carry on the flight, unaware that no one's alive
05:23on the front. Back on the little skipper, Rojon reacts quickly to fill the void, desperately trying
05:29to keep the formation together. Rojon nudges the little skipper into place, one hand on the column,
05:35the other ready to throttle back. He's looking for the nine lives, but the lead plane is nowhere to be
05:41seen.
05:41Pilot to crew! Anyone sees McNabb? Nine lives! Where did it go?
05:45Little does he know that the pilots, McNabb and Vaughan, are slumped in their cockpit seats.
05:51The nine lives is flying straight, but not level. Her two lifeless pilots have pulled back on the
05:58column and the B-17 moves on a slightly upwards trajectory. Ethan Porter, a captain in a nearby
06:06B-17, watches as the two planes get closer and closer. They're about to collide. Quickly,
06:13he gets on the radio and tries to warn the pilots, but it's too late.
06:21At 12.44, Rojon and Leek are catapulted upward in an almighty shudder that throws Rojon's hand from
06:29the throttle levers. Leek's knees slam into the column. What in God's name was that?
06:35Pilot to crew! What's the stabbing? Top turret! Leek and Rojon quickly test the hydraulics and the
06:39electrics. The systems are working, but they're losing control of their fort. You're not going to
06:44believe this. Rojon looks out to the left and behind and can't believe his eyes. We're riding
06:50another fort! The Nine Lives has crashed mid-air into the little skipper and has pierced the
06:57aluminium belly of Rojon's fortress. Jeez Glenn, we're stuck together like mating dragonflies.
07:04In the ball turret of the Nine Lives, Staff Sergeant Edward Woodall Jr. is covered in
07:10metal shards, the result of impact between the two planes. He's neither electrical nor hydraulic
07:15power, so he grabs his hand crank and prays that the lever does not snap. Agonizingly slowly, the guns
07:24drop to straight down and he's able to crawl backwards out of the turret and into the fuselage.
07:31Woodall looks down the fuselage. It's a mess of tangled metal. He knows that Corporal Joe Russo,
07:38ball turret gunner of the Little Skipper, hasn't a hope in hell. Russo's turret has been pushed down
07:44through the roof of the Nine Lives and is clamped in place by twisted metal. The gunner is trapped.
07:51Woodall sees Russo crossing himself through the plexiglass.
07:58The crew of the Little Skipper, still in contact with their gunner via the plane's intercom,
08:02can hear Russo reciting his fading Hail Marys. Bill Leak is deeply moved, hearing the anguish in his
08:12ball turret gunner's voice. He later said, I could not help him and I felt that I was somehow invading
08:20his right to be alone. To allow Russo his final prayers in private,
08:31Leak removes his helmet and his intercom. He later said that this was the hardest part of the ride for
08:36him. Meanwhile, engine number one on the Nine Lives is aflame and it takes a Herculean effort from
08:44Rojon and Leak to control the two planes' descent as they're locked together and are out of formation,
08:50now at 15,000 feet. The pilots brace their feet against the Little Skipper's instrument panel for
08:55added purchase on the control column, their faces grimacing.
09:03Rojon tries several times to break the planes free, he guns the Little Skipper's radial engines,
09:09even tries to rock the two aircraft apart, but it's no use.
09:13Damn it, the fire will spread out on a wing. Let's shut the engines up and try to turn this
09:17thing, Bill.
09:18Rojon knows crashing into the sea is certain death and to save his crew,
09:22he's gonna have to get his plane over land. We have to get above land to bail out.
09:26He doesn't know if he can manage to maneuver the two planes.
09:28Okay now. But he has to try. The engines of the Little Skipper are brought to idle.
09:35Slowly.
09:37In an incredible display of airmanship, Rojon and Leak manage to slowly get the two
09:43locked B-17s in a turn. It's working!
09:48The planes heave around slowly.
09:54The pilots are elated as they see the German coast slide once more into view.
10:01Rojon sees that the fire is now blanketing his left wing,
10:04and the heat is penetrating the fuselage of the Little Skipper.
10:07He can feel the heat on his face through the aluminium skin.
10:11As they get closer to the coast, the flap starts again.
10:16And then, the fireworks begin. It's a .50 caliber machine gun ammunition,
10:21cooking off in the flames, and the bullets are spewing into the air all around.
10:27Rojon and Leak lock eyes in a moment of silent terror.
10:31The horizon is nearing, and Rojon takes to the intercom.
10:34We're almost over land. Get ready to bail out crew.
10:37You all gotta jump from the tail door!
10:39The door is directly in the wake of the relentless flames blackening and buckling the Nine Lives,
10:45and the Little Skipper above. But there's no other way out.
10:50In the waste area, three crewmen, Elkin, Newhouse and Little, are trying to free Russo.
10:56They can hear him inside still praying.
11:00They try with all their might, but the ball turret is completely jammed.
11:05He's a man.
11:07Elkin later said,
11:08They would not move.
11:10There was no means of escape for this brave man.
11:13Hail Mary, full of grace. Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
11:19Hail Mary, full of grace.
11:20Hail Mary, full of grace. Pray for us now.
11:21Reluctantly, they move to Bale, and with one final look back towards Russo,
11:27they jump through the flames into the air.
11:30On the ground, German battery gunners on the North Sea coastal island of Wangaruga
11:35cannot believe their eyes.
11:37This eight-engined double bomber is careering landwards.
11:42A Wehrmacht captain looks up at the spectacle
11:44and realizes that these bombers are doomed and there's no need to fire.
11:48Fire, fire! This poor guy has no chance more!
11:54It's now minutes until impact. Rojon knows it's Leek's last chance to bail out.
11:59Bill, you gotta jump! Go! Now!
12:02Leek, in defiance of Rojon's orders, is still inside the cockpit.
12:07He knows Rojon can't control the plane alone.
12:10Without Leek's additional muscle, the two planes would enter a spiral
12:13and Rojon would be unable to bail.
12:16Bill! I'm staying, Glenn.
12:17I'm staying, Glenn.
12:20Russo, in his ball turret, encased by the fuselage of the Nine Lives,
12:24perhaps mercifully, did not see the ground rushing upwards.
12:29The ground accelerates towards him.
12:32The pilots are shouting their prayers as it fills their view.
12:35Leads not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
12:39The Nine Lives explodes and disintegrates on impact,
12:42vaulting the little skipper upwards like an athlete on a pole.
12:46The skipper, momentarily airborne again, barely flops back to Earth,
12:50and her left wing slices through a wooden building,
12:53splitting the fuselage in the process and launching the nose of the ship forwards,
12:57until finally…
12:59It stops.
13:01There's silence.
13:04Incredulous, the two pilots dare to look at each other.
13:08They're both alive, neither as badly injured, with just cuts and bruises to report.
13:16Leek crawls from a gaping hole behind the cockpit and emerges into the daylight.
13:21Finding his feet, he pats his breast in search of a well-earned smoke.
13:27He's just about to light up, when a gun muzzle, pointing straight between his eyes,
13:33forces him to pause.
13:36A German soldier gestures wildly to the gasoline pouring out over the wing from the ruptured fuel
13:42tanks.
13:48In no small part, because of Rojon and Leek's airmanship and their ability to turn the two
13:53planes around towards land, six crewmen survived from the little skipper, and four crews survived
13:59from their nine lives. Rojon, humble to the end, didn't talk much about the distinguished flying
14:04cross he earned for his actions. He always maintained that he owed his life to Leek.
14:09In all fairness to my co-pilot, he's the reason I'm alive today.
14:14Please check out the amazingly researched book The Piggyback Flight Pilot's Journey by Cindy Rojon
14:19for all the details on this incredible story.
14:22That was incredible, but have you heard about the B-17 tail gunner that fell without a parachute and
14:28survived? Click here and watch the film to find out more.
14:40please if there's your control pointer that fell before going before!
14:42To see who he is now, I just like that I also wanted the Matt D Hussein in the background
14:43You
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