The United States Navy looked at George Preddy and said no. Three times. Too small. Too frail. Not pilot material.
The Army took him. Within two years, he was flying a P-51 Mustang over occupied Europe with more aerial victories than almost anyone in the Eighth Air Force.
On August 5, 1944, his squadron got the night off. A party started. Preddy drank. Hard. Then at one in the morning, the mission was back on — escort bombers to Hamburg. His commander said he was unfit to fly. One man stepped in and vouched for him. Hours later, Preddy was at thirty thousand feet with a pounding headache, shaking hands, and more than thirty Messerschmitts closing on the bomber formation.
What he did next should have been impossible. What happened to him after should never have happened at all.
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The Army took him. Within two years, he was flying a P-51 Mustang over occupied Europe with more aerial victories than almost anyone in the Eighth Air Force.
On August 5, 1944, his squadron got the night off. A party started. Preddy drank. Hard. Then at one in the morning, the mission was back on — escort bombers to Hamburg. His commander said he was unfit to fly. One man stepped in and vouched for him. Hours later, Preddy was at thirty thousand feet with a pounding headache, shaking hands, and more than thirty Messerschmitts closing on the bomber formation.
What he did next should have been impossible. What happened to him after should never have happened at all.
Subscribe for forgotten WW2 stories ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@ww2dispatchh
Like if you think this story deserves to be remembered.
Comment below — where are you watching from?
#worldwar2 #ww2 #militaryhistory #ww2stories #ww2dispatch
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LearningTranscript
00:00August 6th, 1944, 0600 hours, RAF Bodney, England.
00:06Major George Preddy was gripping the edge of a briefing table, trying not to vomit on
00:10the mission map, while his group commander looked him over and concluded this pilot had
00:15no business leading 36 fighters into combat today.
00:1825 years old, 19.83 aerial victories, leading the entire 352nd fighter group into combat
00:26over Hamburg in two hours.
00:28The Luftwaffe had sent more than 30 Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters to intercept the morning
00:34bomber formation.
00:35By early August 1944, the 8th Air Force had lost 206 P-51 Mustang pilots in four months.
00:4317 had died in July alone.
00:46The average P-51 pilot survived 93 combat hours before being shot down or killed.
00:52Preddy had logged 487 hours.
00:55Most fighter aces never made it past their 20th victory.
00:59German pilots were getting better at targeting American squadron leaders.
01:03Three majors had been killed in the past six weeks.
01:06George Preddy should never have been in that briefing room.
01:08The United States Navy had rejected him three times in 1940.
01:20The Navy called him physically unqualified for flight training and sent him home to Greensboro,
01:25North Carolina three separate times.
01:27He worked at a cotton mill.
01:28He attended Guilford College for two years.
01:31He watched other men become naval aviators, while recruiters told him his body wasn't good
01:36enough.
01:37The Army Air Corps accepted him in September 1940.
01:40He received his pilot wings at Craig Field, Alabama, on December 12, 1941, five days after
01:47Pearl Harbor.
01:48The Navy's rejection had given the Army Air Forces its future top Mustang ace.
01:53His first combat posting sent him to Darwin, Australia, with the 49th Pursuit Group flying
01:58P-40 Warhawks.
02:00He named his first aircraft Tar Heel.
02:02On July 12, 1942, during a training flight, 2nd Lieutenant John Sauber's P-40 collided
02:09with Preddy's aircraft at 2,000 feet.
02:12Sauber died in the crash.
02:13Preddy spent three months in a hospital with severe leg and hip injuries.
02:18The collision nearly ended his flying career before it began.
02:21In July 1943, Preddy arrived in England with the 352nd Fighter Group.
02:27He flew Republic P-47 Thunderbolts out of Bodney Airfield.
02:31He was a habitual gambler.
02:33Craps was his game.
02:34When he rolled the dice, he shouted,
02:36Cripes amighty, for luck.
02:38He painted those words on every aircraft he flew.
02:41His first European kill came on December 1, 1943.
02:45A BF-109 over Solingen.
02:47In April 1944, the 352nd converted to P-51 Mustangs.
02:53Preddy fell in love with the aircraft immediately.
02:56Better range, better speed at altitude, better cockpit visibility.
03:00He scored his fifth victory on May 13, and became an official ace.
03:04By early August, he had 19.83 confirmed kills.
03:08He was approaching the end of his 200-hour combat tour.
03:12He had requested four successive 50-hour extensions to stay in combat.
03:16He wanted more kills.
03:17The night of August 5, 1944, was supposed to be a free evening.
03:22The morning mission had been scrubbed due to forecast bad weather.
03:25War bond rally money was burning holes in pockets.
03:28Someone organized a party.
03:30The drinking started at 2100 hours.
03:33Preddy joined in.
03:34Bourbon, beer, more bourbon.
03:36Fighter pilots celebrating another day alive.
03:39At 0100 on August 6, the mission was back on.
03:42Weather forecast had changed.
03:44Bombers needed escort over Hamburg.
03:47Someone shook Preddy awake.
03:48He stumbled to the briefing room, still drunk.
03:51His group commander took one look at him and made a decision.
03:54Preddy was not leading the group.
03:56He was not fit to fly.
03:57Lt. Col. John Meyer, Preddy's former squadron commander, stepped forward.
04:02Meyer was already an ace himself.
04:04He vouched for Preddy.
04:05He promised Preddy would be ready by takeoff time.
04:08The group commander relented, but warned Meyer this was on him.
04:12Six kills.
04:13One hangover.
04:14And you haven't seen any of it yet.
04:16Hit that like button so more people can find this story.
04:19Please subscribe if you're new here.
04:21Now, back to Preddy.
04:22At 0930, Preddy climbed into the cockpit of his P-51D Mustang,
04:28Kripes Amighty III.
04:29His head was pounding.
04:31His hands were shaking slightly.
04:33In 90 minutes, he would be at 30,000 feet over Hamburg, with more than 30 BF 109s attacking
04:39the bomber formation.
04:40And he would have to prove Meyer's faith in him wasn't a fatal mistake.
04:44The Mustang's Packard Merlin engine roared to life at 0945.
04:49Preddy ran through his pre-flight checks twice.
04:52His vision was slightly blurred.
04:53His mouth tasted like metal and stale alcohol.
04:56The instrument panel seemed to vibrate more than usual.
04:59He blinked hard and focused on the airspeed indicator.
05:0370 miles per hour for takeoff.
05:05Simple.
05:06He had done this 142 times before.
05:0936 P-51 Mustangs from the 352nd Fighter Group lifted off from Bodny and three ship elements.
05:16Preddy led the formation.
05:18His wingmen stayed tight on his wings.
05:20They climbed to 28,000 feet over the English Channel.
05:24The flight to Hamburg would take 90 minutes.
05:26Preddy used the time to force his body back into combat readiness.
05:30Deep breaths.
05:31Eyes scanning the horizon.
05:33Hands checking the gun switches.
05:358 .50 caliber machine guns.
05:371,800 rounds of ammunition.
05:39He needed every bullet to count today.
05:41The bomber stream appeared at 1043.
05:4396 Boeing B-17 flying fortresses in staggered boxes.
05:48Each fortress carried 10 men and 6,000 pounds of bombs.
05:52The target was Hamburg's industrial district.
05:55Oil refineries.
05:57U-boat construction facilities.
05:59The Luftwaffe would defend Hamburg with everything available.
06:02German fighter pilots knew that losing Hamburg meant losing the war.
06:06B-17 gunners had already shot down 341 Luftwaffe fighters in the past month.
06:12But the bombers had also lost 112 aircraft.
06:161,120 crewmen.
06:18The mathematics were brutal.
06:20Every bombing mission over Germany was a calculated massacre for both sides.
06:24The side that could sustain losses longer would win.
06:28America had more pilots.
06:30Germany had more experience.
06:32At 1107, 31,000 feet above the German coast,
06:36Preddy spotted the contrails.
06:38High and southwest.
06:39Multiple aircraft in formation.
06:41The contrails were too organized to be friendly.
06:44He keyed his radio and called out the sighting.
06:46His flight leaders acknowledged.
06:48Every P-51 pilot in the formation saw them now.
06:52Messerschmitt BF-109 fighters.
06:54More than 30 of them at altitude.
06:56They were positioning for a diving attack on the third bomber box.
07:00The tactical situation favored the Germans.
07:02They had altitude advantage.
07:04They had numerical superiority against Preddy's immediate section.
07:08They had the sun at their backs.
07:10Standard Luftwaffe doctrine.
07:12Climb above the bombers.
07:13Wait for the escort fighters to burn fuel chasing you.
07:16Then dive through the escorts and hit the bombers in a single, devastating pass.
07:21The BF-109s could dive at 450 miles per hour.
07:25A P-51 could only dive at 420.
07:28The Germans would be through the formation and gone before the Mustangs could react.
07:32But the BF-109 pilots had made one critical mistake.
07:36They had not seen Preddy's formation climbing behind them.
07:39The German pilots were focused on the bombers below.
07:42They were scanning for American fighters coming from below or from the flanks.
07:46They were not checking their 6 o'clock position.
07:48Preddy had 30 seconds before the Germans would spot the Mustangs and scatter.
07:52His hangover had disappeared.
07:54The nausea was gone.
07:56The blurred vision had cleared.
07:57Combat did that.
07:58The body knew the difference between a training flight and a fight for survival.
08:03Adrenaline overrode alcohol.
08:05Training overrode fear.
08:07Preddy's hands were steady on the control stick.
08:09His breathing was calm.
08:11His eyes were tracking the lead BF-109 in the enemy formation.
08:15He had two choices.
08:16He could call for his entire formation to attack as a group.
08:1936 P-51s hitting 30 BF-109s.
08:23A massive dogfight that would scatter both formations across 50 miles of sky.
08:27Some Germans would escape.
08:29Some would reach the bombers.
08:31Or he could take his immediate flight of four Mustangs and hit the Germans now.
08:35Fast and violent.
08:37Before they knew the Americans were there.
08:39Four against 30.
08:41Terrible odds.
08:42But surprise was worth 20 fighters.
08:44Preddy made his decision in 3 seconds.
08:46He pushed his throttle forward.
08:48His wingmen followed.
08:49The four Mustangs accelerated to 340 miles per hour.
08:53Preddy armed his guns.
08:55The BF-109 formation was 1,000 yards ahead.
08:59900 yards.
09:00800 yards.
09:01The German pilots still had not seen them.
09:03The lead BF-109 started to roll into his dive toward the bombers.
09:08Preddy's gun sight settled on the German's fuselage.
09:11600 yards.
09:12500.
09:13His finger moved to the trigger.
09:15This was the moment where 19.83 victories became something extraordinary.
09:19Or where a hungover major made the worst decision of his life and got four American pilots killed.
09:25Preddy opened fire at 400 yards.
09:28Eight .50 caliber machine guns converged on the lead BF-109.
09:32Tracer rounds walked up the German fighter's fuselage.
09:35The Messerschmitt's canopy shattered.
09:37Pieces of aluminum skin tore away from the wings.
09:40Black smoke erupted from the engine cowling.
09:43The BF-109 rolled inverted and fell away, trailing fire.
09:47First kill.
09:48Time elapsed since opening fire.
09:50Four seconds.
09:51The German formation exploded into chaos.
09:5430 BF-109 pilots simultaneously realized they were being attacked from behind.
10:00Radio discipline collapsed.
10:02Fighters broke in every direction.
10:04Some tried to dive away.
10:05Some tried to climb.
10:07Some rolled left.
10:08Some rolled right.
10:09Training said stay in formation.
10:11Survival instinct said scatter.
10:14Survival instinct won.
10:15The neat attack formation became a swarm of individual fighters trying not to die.
10:21Preddy had already acquired his second target.
10:23A BF-109 breaking hard right.
10:26The German pilot pulled four Gs trying to turn inside the Mustang's turning radius.
10:30Preddy pulled five Gs.
10:32The P-51 turned tighter.
10:34Blood drained from Preddy's head.
10:36His vision narrowed.
10:37He ignored it.
10:38The gun sight tracked across the BF-109's wing route.
10:41He fired a two-second burst.
10:43Armor-piercing incendiary rounds punched through the German fighter's fuel tank.
10:48The BF-109 detonated in mid-air.
10:51Pieces of wreckage tumbled through 30,000 feet of empty sky.
10:55Second kill.
10:56Time elapsed.
10:5711 seconds.
10:58Other American fighters were engaging now.
11:00Preddy's three wingmen had each selected targets.
11:0350 caliber machine gun fire crisscrossed the sky.
11:07Two more BF-109's were burning.
11:09The German advantage had evaporated in 15 seconds.
11:12Altitude advantage meant nothing when you were being shot in the back.
11:16Numerical superiority meant nothing when your formation was shattered.
11:20The Luftwaffe pilots who survived the next 60 seconds would be the ones who ran immediately.
11:25Preddy spotted a pair of BF-109's diving away together.
11:28They were staying in formation.
11:30Disciplined pilots.
11:31Dangerous pilots.
11:33He rolled inverted and pulled through into a vertical dive.
11:36The Mustang accelerated past 400 miles per hour.
11:39The airframe shuddered.
11:41Wind noise screamed through the cockpit.
11:43The two BF-109's were diving at maximum speed trying to escape.
11:47They were pulling away.
11:49Preddy pushed his throttle past the red line.
11:51The Merlin engine howled.
11:53430 miles per hour.
11:55440.
11:56He was gaining.
11:57At 22,000 feet,
11:58Preddy pulled level behind the trailing BF-109.
12:02300 yards.
12:03250.
12:04The German pilot saw him and broke hard left.
12:07Preddy anticipated the break and fired as the Messerschmitt turned.
12:11His bullets caught the fighter broadside.
12:13The BF-109's left wing disintegrated.
12:16The aircraft snapped into an uncontrollable spin.
12:19Third kill.
12:20Time elapsed.
12:2131 seconds.
12:22The lead BF-109 pilot was running.
12:25Preddy chased him down through 20,000 feet.
12:2718,000.
12:2815,000.
12:30The German was diving at 50 degree angle straight toward the ground.
12:33Preddy followed.
12:34The Mustang was faster in a dive.
12:36At 12,000 feet, he closed to firing range.
12:39He triggered a long burst.
12:41The BF-109's tail section separated from the fuselage.
12:45The fighter tumbled end over end toward the German countryside below.
12:49Fourth kill.
12:50Time elapsed.
12:5149 seconds.
12:52Four other P-51 Mustangs had joined the fight.
12:55The sky was full of burning aircraft and parachutes.
12:58German pilots who had been hunting bombers 60 seconds ago were now fighting for their lives,
13:03or already dead.
13:04The Luftwaffe formation had lost at least eight fighters.
13:08The survivors were scattering in every direction.
13:10Some headed east toward German airfields.
13:12Some dove for the deck.
13:14Some kept fighting.
13:15Preddy spotted a group of five BF-109's descending in formation toward lower altitude.
13:20They were staying together.
13:22That made them dangerous.
13:23Preddy followed them down.
13:2515,000 feet.
13:2610,000 feet.
13:277,000.
13:28The German fighters were heading home.
13:30They thought they had escaped.
13:32Preddy closed to within 800 yards.
13:34The BF-109's continued descending.
13:375,000 feet.
13:38The Americans continued pursuing.
13:40At 5,000 feet, the German formation leveled off and accelerated to maximum speed.
13:46One of the BF-109 pilots finally looked back and saw the lone Mustang closing from behind.
13:52The German broke hard left.
13:54His four wingmen scattered.
13:56Preddy was alone with five German fighters at 5,000 feet over hostile territory.
14:01His ammunition counter showed 400 rounds remaining.
14:05Enough for maybe 30 seconds of sustained fire.
14:07He had to make every bullet count.
14:10The nearest BF-109 was 600 yards ahead and pulling into a climbing turn.
14:15The BF-109 climbing ahead of Preddy was trying to gain altitude advantage.
14:20Standard German defensive tactic.
14:22Climb and turn.
14:24Force the American pilot to follow.
14:26Bleed his energy.
14:27Then reverse and attack when he stalls.
14:29Preddy had seen this maneuver dozens of times.
14:32He did not follow the climb.
14:34He pulled lead on the German's flight path and fired a deflection shot.
14:38His bullets intersected the BF-109's climb trajectory.
14:42The German flew directly into the stream of .50 caliber rounds.
14:45The fighter's engine exploded.
14:48The Messerschmitt nosed over and plunged toward the ground trailing black smoke.
14:52Fifth kill.
14:53Time elapsed from start of engagement.
14:55One minute, 19 seconds.
14:58One BF-109 remained within range.
15:00The other three had scattered and were racing east at maximum speed.
15:04This pilot was different.
15:06He was not running.
15:07He was turning to fight.
15:08The German rolled his fighter into a hard left turn at 5,000 feet.
15:12Preddy rolled left and pulled.
15:15Both fighters entered a turning fight.
15:17The P-51 had better high altitude performance.
15:20The BF-109 had better low altitude maneuverability.
15:24At 5,000 feet, the German had the advantage.
15:27The two fighters spiraled around each other.
15:30Turn, counter turn, roll, reverse.
15:33Each pilot was trying to get behind the other.
15:36Preddy pulled four Gs, five Gs, six Gs.
15:39His vision grayed at the edges.
15:42The G-suit squeezed his legs.
15:44Blood forced back toward his brain.
15:46The BF-109 stayed in front of him.
15:48Barely.
15:49The German pilot was good.
15:51Probably a veteran.
15:53Probably an ace himself.
15:54Preddy stopped trying to out-turn him.
15:56He pulled up into a climbing roll.
15:58The BF-109 followed.
16:00Preddy reversed at the top of the climb and dove back toward the German.
16:04The two fighters passed canopy to canopy at a combined speed of 600 miles per hour.
16:09Preddy caught a glimpse of the German pilot's face.
16:13Young.
16:13Maybe 20 years old.
16:15Probably terrified.
16:16Probably as determined to survive as Preddy was.
16:19The BF-109 pilot made his mistake at 4,000 feet.
16:23He broke left when he should have broken right.
16:25Preddy anticipated the break.
16:27He had been waiting for it.
16:28He rolled hard and pulled lead.
16:30The gun sight tracked across the BF-109's flight path.
16:34He fired.
16:35Three second burst.
16:36The last of his ammunition.
16:38Every remaining bullet converged on the German fighter.
16:41The BF-109's left wing sheared off at the root.
16:45The fighter snap-rolled and disintegrated.
16:47Sixth kill.
16:48Total time for entire engagement?
16:51Six minutes, 43 seconds.
16:53Preddy's Mustang was alone in German airspace at 4,000 feet.
16:57Fuel gauge showed 280 gallons remaining.
17:00Enough to reach England.
17:01Barely.
17:02His ammunition counter read zero.
17:04If another German fighter appeared, he could only run.
17:07He turned west and climbed back to 20,000 feet.
17:10The bomber formation was already heading home.
17:13The mission was complete.
17:14Hamburg was burning.
17:16The flight back to England took 97 minutes.
17:18Preddy flew the entire time on autopilot.
17:21His hands were shaking.
17:22The adrenaline was wearing off.
17:24The hangover was returning.
17:26His head pounded.
17:27His vision blurred.
17:29He forced himself to stay conscious.
17:3119 pilots had fallen asleep during return flights this year.
17:3517 had crashed into the English Channel.
17:38Preddy kept his eyes open and focused on the horizon.
17:40RAF Bodney appeared at 1432.
17:43Preddy entered the landing pattern with 11 other Mustangs from his group.
17:47He touched down at 115 miles per hour.
17:50The landing was rough.
17:51He did not care.
17:53He taxied to his hard stand and shut down the engine.
17:55The sudden silence was overwhelming.
17:57His ears were ringing.
17:59His entire body ached.
18:00Ground crew swarmed the aircraft.
18:03They were counting bullet holes.
18:04The Mustang had taken three hits.
18:06Minor damage.
18:07One round had punched through the left wing.
18:10Two had clipped the tail.
18:11Cripes.
18:12A mighty the third would fly again tomorrow.
18:14The crew chief was examining the gun barrels.
18:17All eight barrels were fouled with carbon.
18:19Preddy had fired every bullet he carried.
18:211800 rounds expended.
18:23Six German fighters destroyed.
18:25Lieutenant Colonel Meyer was waiting when Preddy climbed out of the cockpit.
18:29Meyer did not smile.
18:30He studied Preddy's face.
18:32Preddy looked worse than he had at the morning briefing.
18:35Pale.
18:35Exhausted.
18:36Sweat-soaked.
18:37But alive.
18:38Six kills in one mission.
18:40That changed everything.
18:41The group commander would have to acknowledge what happened today.
18:44So would 8th Air Force Headquarters.
18:47So would the War Department.
18:48The question was whether they would give Preddy a medal,
18:50or a court-martial, for flying drunk.
18:53Or both.
18:54The intelligence officers arrived at Preddy's hard stand within 20 minutes.
18:58They carried clipboards and cameras.
19:00They needed confirmation of every kill.
19:02Pilot testimony.
19:04Wingman corroboration.
19:06Gun camera footage.
19:07The kills had to be verified before they became official.
19:10Preddy walked them through the entire engagement.
19:13First BF-109 at 31,000 feet.
19:16Canopy shattered.
19:18Aircraft fell trailing fire.
19:20Second BF-109 exploded in mid-air.
19:23Third lost its left wing.
19:25Fourth lost its tail section.
19:27Fifth took deflection, shot climbing.
19:29Sixth disintegrated at 4,000 feet after turning fight.
19:33His wingman confirmed four of the kills.
19:36Gun camera footage confirmed five.
19:38The sixth kill had occurred below the clouds,
19:40where no other American pilots could see it.
19:43Intelligence officers reviewed the footage three times.
19:46They examined the bullet holes in Preddy's Mustang.
19:49They checked his ammunition expenditure.
19:511,800 rounds fired.
19:53Zero rounds remaining.
19:55They conferred with senior officers.
19:57At 1,700 hours, all six kills were officially confirmed.
20:02Major George Preddy had become an ace in a day.
20:04One of only 38 United States Army Air Force's pilots,
20:08to achieve six or more victories in a single mission.
20:11Lieutenant Colonel John Meyer submitted paperwork that evening.
20:15He was nominating Preddy for the Medal of Honor,
20:18the nation's highest military decoration.
20:20The justification was clear.
20:22Preddy had led four fighters against 30 enemy aircraft.
20:26He had personally destroyed six.
20:28He had broken up the German attack on the bomber formation.
20:31He had saved American lives.
20:33He had demonstrated extraordinary heroism in combat.
20:37Meyer believed the mission qualified for the Medal of Honor.
20:40He wrote the recommendation himself and sent it up the chain of command.
20:44The recommendation traveled through 8th Air Force Headquarters.
20:48It reached the desk of the commanding general.
20:50The general reviewed the mission reports.
20:52He consulted with his staff.
20:54The decision came back on August 12th.
20:57The Medal of Honor nomination was declined.
20:59The mission did not meet the specific criteria required for the nation's highest award.
21:04Instead, Preddy would receive the Distinguished Service Cross,
21:08the second highest decoration for valor in combat, still an extraordinary honor,
21:13still recognition of exceptional heroism, but not the Medal of Honor.
21:17Preddy received the Distinguished Service Cross at a ceremony on August 12th, 1944.
21:23The citation praised his extraordinary heroism in attacking a numerically superior enemy force.
21:29It noted his disregard for personal safety.
21:32It acknowledged his determined will to destroy the enemy.
21:35The citation did not mention the hangover.
21:38That detail remained unofficial, known to his squadron, not recorded in official reports.
21:44The award came with mandatory leave, 30 days in the United States.
21:48Preddy returned to Greensboro, North Carolina on August 20th.
21:52The town gave him a hero's welcome.
21:54Newspapers ran front-page stories. The headline read,
21:58Local pilot downed six German fighters.
22:01Radio stations interviewed him. War bond rallies featured him as a guest speaker.
22:06He visited his parents. He saw friends he had not seen in three years.
22:10He attended parties where people treated him like a celebrity. He hated the attention.
22:15He wanted to be back in England flying combat missions.
22:18On October 28th, 1944, Preddy returned to England.
22:22He expected to rejoin the 487th Fighter Squadron. Instead, he received new orders.
22:29He was being given command of the 328th Fighter Squadron within the 352nd Fighter Group.
22:36The assignment came with a promotion to squadron commander. It also came with a problem.
22:41The 328th Fighter Squadron had the worst kill record in the entire group.
22:46Morale was terrible. Pilots felt like failures.
22:49They were flying the same P-51 Mustangs as the other squadrons.
22:53They had the same training. The same equipment. The same opportunities.
22:57But they had the fewest confirmed kills. Other squadrons called them the weakest link.
23:02Group headquarters wanted Preddy to fix the problem.
23:05Preddy arrived at the 328th Operations Building on November 1st.
23:10He gathered the squadron pilots for a brief meeting. He did not give a long speech.
23:14He did not try to inspire them with empty words. He told them exactly why they were there.
23:19To shoot down the enemy. Nothing else mattered. They would start tomorrow.
23:24He dismissed them after three minutes.
23:26The squadron flew its first mission under Preddy's command on November 2nd, 1944.
23:33Merseburg, Germany. Bomber Escort. Heavy Luftwaffe presence expected.
23:38The 328th Fighter Squadron was about to find out if their new commander could turn them into killers.
23:44November 2nd, 1944. The 328th Fighter Squadron lifted off from RAF Bodney at 0800.
23:53Twenty-four P-51 Mustangs in formation. Preddy led from the front in his new aircraft.
23:58A P-51D-15NA. Brand new from the factory. He had refused to fly it until the ground crew painted
24:06Cripes a Mighty the Third on the fuselage. The name was his good luck charm. He would not fly without
24:13it.
24:13The bomber formation appeared over Belgium at 0930. 142 B-17 Flying Fortresses heading toward Merseburg.
24:22The target was the Luna Synthetic Oil Plant, the most heavily defended industrial facility in Germany.
24:28Flak batteries surrounded the complex. Luftwaffe fighters defended it aggressively. Every mission to
24:34Merseburg cost American lives. This mission would be no different.
24:38At 1015, Preddy spotted contrails at 33,000 feet. Multiple aircraft. High above the bombers.
24:46The Luftwaffe was positioning for an attack. Messerschmitt Bf 109s. At least 25 of them.
24:52They were at their operational ceiling. Waiting to dive on the bombers from above.
24:56Standard German tactics. The interceptors thought they were safe at maximum altitude.
25:01American fighters usually could not climb that high and maintain combat performance. The P-51 Mustang
25:07could reach 33,000 feet. Preddy led his squadron into a climbing turn. The Mustangs clawed for altitude.
25:1430,000 feet. 31,000. 32,000. 33,000. The German fighters were directly ahead. They had not seen the
25:22Americans climbing behind them. Preddy armed his guns and activated his K-14 gyroscopic gun sight. New
25:29technology. Installed in the latest P-51D models. The sight automatically calculated lead angle and
25:35deflection. It made hitting a maneuvering target significantly easier. Preddy opened fire at 400
25:41yards. The K-14 gun sight tracked the lead Bf 109 perfectly. His bullets converged on the German
25:47fighter's engine. The Messerschmitt rolled over and fell away, smoking. The other squadron pilots followed
25:53Preddy into the attack. 24 Mustangs hit 25 Bf 109s from behind and above. The German formation
26:00disintegrated. Fighters scattered in every direction. Some tried to dive away. Some tried to fight. Most
26:06died. The 328th Fighter Squadron destroyed 25 German aircraft in 40 minutes. 25 confirmed kills. Eight
26:15pilots scored multiple victories. Three pilots became aces on that single mission. The squadron set an
26:21eighth Air Force record for aerial victories by a single squadron in one engagement. The worst
26:26performing squadron in the group had just become the best. Preddy had proven his point. Leadership
26:31mattered. Aggressive tactics mattered. Confidence mattered. Squadron morale transformed overnight.
26:38Pilots who had felt like failures now walked with their heads high. The other squadrons stopped
26:43mocking them. Group headquarters praised them. Preddy had taken broken men and turned them into killers in
26:48one mission. He did it by leading from the front. By demonstrating that victory was possible. By
26:53refusing to accept mediocrity. The 328th flew 17 more missions in November. They destroyed 43
27:00additional German aircraft. Preddy personally shot down three more fighters. His total victory count
27:06reached 26.83. He was the leading active American ace in the European theater. Other aces had higher
27:13totals. But they were dead, or prisoners of war, or had completed their tours and gone home. Preddy was
27:19still flying. Still fighting. Still adding to his score. December 16, 1944. The Battle of the Bulge began.
27:27Germany launched a massive offensive through the Ardennes Forest. Three German armies, 250,000 soldiers,
27:351,500 tanks. The goal was to split the allied armies and capture the port of Antwerp. The offensive caught
27:41American forces by surprise. Weather conditions grounded most allied aircraft. German forces
27:47advanced 30 miles in three days. The 9th Air Force was overwhelmed. They needed reinforcements.
27:53On December 23, 8th Air Force headquarters ordered the 352nd Fighter Group to deploy forward. The group
28:00would operate from Y-29, a forward airfield near Ash, Belgium. Y-29 was a rough strip carved out of
28:07farmland.
28:07No hangars. No permanent buildings. Pilots would live in tents. The airfield was so close to German
28:13lines that aircraft in the landing pattern took occasional anti-aircraft fire. Preddy led his squadron
28:19to Y-29 on December 23. The conditions were brutal. Freezing temperatures. Snow. Mud. Tents that barely kept
28:28out the wind. Most pilots thought they would freeze to death the first night. They were used to heated
28:33nissenhuts at Bodny. This was survival camping in a combat zone. Christmas Eve arrived. Then Christmas
28:39Day. The weather finally cleared. German fighters were active over the front lines. The 328th prepared
28:46for combat operations on Christmas morning. Christmas Eve, 1944. The pilots of the 328th
28:54Fighter Squadron gathered in the largest tent at Y-29. Someone had organized a craps game. Money and
29:01cigarettes changed hands. Preddy joined in. He was a habitual gambler. Dice were his game. He rolled
29:07well that night. His lucky phrase worked. Cripes a mighty. He won $1,200 by midnight. War bonds. He
29:15planned to invest every dollar in war bonds when he got back to England. The game broke up at 0100.
29:21Most
29:21pilots went to sleep. Christmas Day would bring combat missions. Rest was essential. At 0700 on December 25th,
29:28Preddy attended the morning briefing. The mission was straightforward. Combat air patrol over the
29:34front lines. The German offensive was continuing. Luftwaffe fighters were supporting ground operations.
29:40American pilots needed to maintain air superiority. Shoot down anything German. Protect allied ground
29:46forces. Standard fighter operations. Preddy would lead 10 P-51 Mustangs from the 328th. Expected duration,
29:54three hours. Expected enemy contact. High probability. The 10 Mustangs lifted off from Y-29 at 0830.
30:03Preddy flew. Cripes a mighty. The third. His wingman was Lieutenant James Carty. They climbed to 15,000 feet
30:10and began their patrol pattern. The weather was clear. Visibility was excellent. Perfect conditions for air
30:17combat. The pilots scanned the sky continuously. German fighters could appear from any direction. At 1045,
30:24ground control vectored Preddy's formation toward enemy aircraft. Multiple bogeys heading west.
30:30Preddy turned his formation toward the intercept point. The bogeys appeared at 11,000 feet. Messerschmitt BF-109
30:37fighters. At least six of them. They were heading toward American bomber formations operating over the
30:43Rhine. Preddy led his Mustangs into attack position. The P-51s had altitude advantage. The Germans did not see
30:50them coming. Preddy shot down two BF-109s in rapid succession. The first took a long burst and
30:56exploded. The second lost control and spun toward the ground. Two more confirmed kills. His total was
31:03now 26.83 aerial victories. The other German fighters scattered. The threat to the bombers was
31:09eliminated. Preddy's squadron had done its job. They reformed and continued their patrol. At 11.20,
31:15ground control transmitted another vector. Unknown aircraft strafing allied ground forces southeast of
31:22Liège, Belgium. Single aircraft. Flying at extremely low altitude. Probably a Focke-Wulf FW-190.
31:30The Germans were using FW-190s as ground attack fighters. They would strafe American positions with
31:36cannons and machine guns, then escape at treetop height before fighters could intercept them. This pilot
31:42was aggressive. He was making multiple passes over American positions. Preddy turned his formation
31:47toward Liège. He descended to 5,000 feet, searching for the FW-190. At 11.32, he spotted it. A
31:56single
31:56German fighter at less than 100 feet altitude, racing east across open farmland. The pilot was trying to
32:02escape. Preddy rolled into a diving turn and followed. Lieutenant Carty stayed on his wing. The other
32:08eight Mustangs climbed to provide top cover. The chase developed at treetop height. The FW-190 was
32:15flying at maximum speed, barely 50 feet above the ground. Preddy followed at the same altitude, 350
32:22miles per hour. Trees and buildings flashed past on both sides. One mistake would be fatal. The German
32:28pilot was skilled. He was using terrain to block Preddy's line of fire, flying through small valleys,
32:34staying below ridge lines, making himself a difficult target. The FW-190 crossed the front lines heading
32:41east. Preddy and Carty followed. They were now over Allied-controlled territory. American ground forces were
32:47dug in below. Anti-aircraft batteries were positioned throughout the area. The 430th Anti-Aircraft Battalion,
32:5519th Corps, they were equipped with quad .50 caliber machine guns, four barrels per mount, designed to shoot down low
33:02-flying
33:03aircraft. The gun crews were watching the sky. Three aircraft appeared at treetop height, racing east at
33:09350 miles per hour. One German, two American. The German aircraft was in front. The anti-aircraft
33:17crews saw an enemy fighter. They opened fire. Quad .50 caliber machine guns erupted. Tracer rounds filled
33:23the sky. Hundreds of bullets per second. The gun crews were trying to hit the German fighter. They were
33:29firing at point-blank range, less than 500 yards. The FW-190 flew through the fire. So did the two
33:37Mustangs following it. 50 caliber bullets hit Preddy's Mustang at 1136 AM. Multiple rounds punched
33:44through the fuselage. The P-51's engine began trailing smoke. Oil pressure dropped. Coolant temperature
33:50spiked. The aircraft was dying. Preddy pulled back on the control stick and climbed. He needed altitude to
33:56bail out. The Mustang responded sluggishly. Damaged control surfaces. Hydraulic failures. The aircraft
34:03was barely controllable. At 200 feet, Preddy released his canopy. It flew off cleanly. He prepared to bail
34:10out. But the Mustang was still climbing too slowly. 300 feet. 400 feet. Not enough altitude for the
34:17parachute to deploy safely. The aircraft needed to reach at least 1,000 feet. Preddy kept climbing. The
34:24engine was failing. Black smoke poured from the cowling. 500 feet. 600 feet. The Mustang shuddered.
34:31The engine seized. The aircraft nosed over. Preddy unbuckled and tried to jump. He pushed away from
34:37the cockpit. But the altitude was too low. The parachute had no time to deploy. Some witnesses
34:43reported seeing him fall free. Others reported the parachute starting to open. Everyone agreed the
34:49altitude was insufficient. Major George Preddy hit the ground at high speed near the village of Ash,
34:55Belgium. The impact was violent. The shallow angle of the crash made survival theoretically possible.
35:01But Preddy's wounds from the .50 caliber machine gun fire were already mortal. He died on impact or within
35:08moments afterward. Christmas day, 1944. 1137 AM. 25 years old. Lieutenant Carty returned to Y-29 and filed
35:18his report. Preddy had been shot down by American anti-aircraft fire. Friendly fire. The 430th
35:25anti-aircraft battalion had killed the leading American ace in the European theater. The gun crews had been
35:31trying to hit the German fighter. They had hit Preddy instead. The FW 190 escaped unharmed. George
35:38Preddy's final official score was 26.83 aerial victories. 23.83 in the P-51 Mustang. 3 in the P
35:47-47
35:48Thunderbolt. He also had 5 ground kills from strafing enemy airfields. He flew 143 combat missions. 532 total
35:58combat hours. He was the top-scoring P-51 Mustang ace of World War II. The third-highest-scoring
36:04American ace in the European theater. The seventh-highest-scoring American ace overall.
36:10His decorations included the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster,
36:16Distinguished Flying Cross with 8 Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Medal with 7 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart,
36:22and the Belgian Croix de Guerre. He was nominated for the Medal of Honor.
36:26He received the Distinguished Service Cross instead. He never complained about the downgrade. He just
36:32wanted to fly and fight. Preddy was buried at Lorraine American Cemetery in St. Evolde, France.
36:39Plot A. Row 21. Grave 43. Four months later, his younger brother arrived to join him. First Lieutenant
36:47William Preddy. Also a P-51 pilot. 503rd Fighter Squadron. 339th Fighter Group.
36:54William was shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire on April 17, 1945, while strafing Czeské Budiovitz
37:03airfield in Czechoslovakia. He died from his wounds. He was 20 years old. The army buried him next to his
37:09brother. Two P-51 pilots. Two brothers. Both killed in the same war. Both in the same cemetery. Both flying
37:17the same aircraft type.
37:18The tragic irony defined George Preddy's death. He survived 143 combat missions. He survived six kills
37:26in one mission while hungover. He survived being shot down over the English Channel. He survived a
37:31mid-air collision in Australia. He survived countless engagements with German fighters.
37:36The Luftwaffe never killed him. His own country did. On Christmas Day. While he was protecting American
37:42ground forces. While he was doing his job. George Preddy flew 143 missions. The Luftwaffe threw everything
37:50they had at him for over a year. They never got him. His own country did. That is a story
37:55worth sharing.
37:56Hit the like button. Not for us. For Preddy. For his brother. Every single like pushes this video to
38:03someone who has never heard their names. Subscribe and turn on notifications. We bring stories like
38:09this every week. American servicemen who did impossible things and never made the history books. Drop a
38:16comment right now. Tell us where you're watching from. United States. United Kingdom. Canada. Australia.
38:23Wherever you are, you're part of something here. Tell us your country. Tell us if someone in your
38:28family served in the war. Just let us know you showed up today. Thank you for staying until the end.
38:34George and William Preddy are buried side by side in France. They've been there for 80 years. You just
38:40made sure another day passes where their names get spoken out loud. That is not nothing. That is everything.
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