- 2 days ago
Why Lieutenant Colonel David Schilling welded three pistol magazines together and added a Thompson grip during WW2 — and how this engineering mindset drove him to attack 35 German fighters with one wingman. This World War 2 story reveals how a pilot's approach to equipment modification reflected the aggressive tactics that defined the deadliest fighter group in Europe.
April 9, 1944. Lieutenant Colonel David Schilling, commander of the 62nd Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, flying P-47 Thunderbolt over German-occupied France. Separated from his group with only one wingman, facing 30 to 35 Messerschmitt and Focke-Wulf fighters climbing toward undefended American bombers. Schilling made a decision that contradicted every tactical manual. His fellow pilots had mocked his modified M1911 pistol — three welded magazines, 21 rounds instead of 7, Thompson submachine gun grip, converted to automatic fire. They called it "Frankenstein's pistol."
They were all wrong.
What Schilling understood wasn't about the pistol itself. It was about preparation and innovation in a way that contradicted standard doctrine. Colonel Hubert Zemke said David was "up to some engineering gadget all the tim
April 9, 1944. Lieutenant Colonel David Schilling, commander of the 62nd Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, flying P-47 Thunderbolt over German-occupied France. Separated from his group with only one wingman, facing 30 to 35 Messerschmitt and Focke-Wulf fighters climbing toward undefended American bombers. Schilling made a decision that contradicted every tactical manual. His fellow pilots had mocked his modified M1911 pistol — three welded magazines, 21 rounds instead of 7, Thompson submachine gun grip, converted to automatic fire. They called it "Frankenstein's pistol."
They were all wrong.
What Schilling understood wasn't about the pistol itself. It was about preparation and innovation in a way that contradicted standard doctrine. Colonel Hubert Zemke said David was "up to some engineering gadget all the tim
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00At 11.02 on April 9th, 1944,
00:03Lieutenant Colonel David Schilling banked his P-47 Thunderbolt hard left over German-occupied France,
00:09watching his entire fighter group disappear into cloud cover 2,000 feet below.
00:1425 years old, 52 combat missions, 6 aerial victories.
00:1930 to 35 German fighters were climbing toward the American bomber formation 3 miles ahead.
00:25Schilling glanced at his wingman's P-47, 500 yards off his right wing.
00:30Two American fighters, against more than 30 Germans.
00:33The arithmetic was simple. The decision was not.
00:37Three months earlier, his squadron mates had laughed at the pistol he carried in his shoulder holster.
00:42Schilling had taken a standard M-1911 Colt .45 and welded three magazines together, 21 rounds instead of seven.
00:50He added a forward handgrip from a Thompson submachine gun, modified the action for automatic fire.
00:56His commanding officer, Colonel Hubert Zimke, had called it his latest engineering gadget.
01:01The other pilots called it Frankenstein's pistol.
01:05Schilling's answer was always the same.
01:07If he went down behind enemy lines, he wanted every advantage.
01:11No German patrol would expect 21 rounds from a handgun.
01:15No German would expect automatic fire.
01:17That mindset defined everything about David Schilling.
01:21He graduated Dartmouth with a geology degree in 1939, joined the Army Air Corps three months later,
01:27arrived in England with the 56th Fighter Group in January 1943 as commander of the 62nd Fighter Squadron.
01:34First kill came October 2nd, 1943, a Messerschmitt Bf 109 over-occupied France.
01:41The 56th Fighter Group flew P-47 Thunderbolts, seven tons of American steel and firepower,
01:48eight .50 caliber machine guns, could take punishment that would shred a German fighter.
01:53But the Luftwaffe pilots were experienced, aggressive, deadly.
01:57By early April 1944, the 56th had lost 17 P-47s in combat, 11 pilots killed, six captured.
02:07The group's first ace, Major Walker Mahurin, had been shot down over France on March 27th.
02:13He survived, evaded capture, but his loss hurt morale.
02:18Fighter escort missions over Germany were brutal.
02:21German fighters attacked in formation, 30 to 40 aircraft at once.
02:26Volkwolf 190s, Messerschmitt 109s, fast, maneuverable, flown by pilots with hundreds of combat hours.
02:35American bomber crews called the German fighters wolves.
02:38They hunted in packs, coordinated attacks, hit the bombers from multiple angles simultaneously.
02:45A single B-17 could withstand enormous damage,
02:49but concentrated fire from six German fighters could shred a flying fortress in seconds.
02:54The P-47s were there to stop that, break up the German formations before they reached the bombers,
03:00force the Germans to fight the escorts instead of attacking the heavies.
03:04But on April 9th, Schilling's group had scattered in the clouds, radio discipline broke down,
03:10formations split apart.
03:12And now Schilling was alone with one wingman,
03:15watching a massive German formation climb toward undefended American bombers.
03:19Every instinct told him to break off, find his group, reform the escort.
03:25But the bombers had maybe three minutes before the Germans reached them.
03:29Three minutes before 800 American aircrew faced 35 German fighters without protection.
03:35If you want to see how Schilling's decision turned out, please hit that like button.
03:39It helps us share more forgotten stories from World War II.
03:43Subscribe if you haven't already.
03:44Back to Schilling.
03:46Schilling checked his airspeed.
03:48320 miles per hour.
03:50Altitude, 22,000 feet.
03:53The German formation was climbing through 18,000.
03:56His wingman held position, waiting for orders.
03:59Schilling armed his guns.
04:01850 calibers.
04:03400 rounds per gun.
04:04And somewhere in his cockpit, strapped in his shoulder holster,
04:07a Frankenstein pistol with 21 rounds that might never matter at all.
04:12He pushed the throttle forward and rolled into a dive toward 35 German fighters.
04:20The German formation spotted them at 19,000 feet.
04:24Schilling counted the enemy aircraft as he dove.
04:2618 Messerschmitt BF-109s in the lead element, 17 Focke-Wulf 190s behind them.
04:32They were climbing in a standard Luftwaffe attack pattern.
04:36The 109s would engage the escorts.
04:38The 190s would hit the bombers.
04:40Schilling aimed for the lead 109.
04:43Standard fighter tactics said to never attack head-on.
04:46Too much closing speed.
04:48Too little time to aim.
04:49But standard tactics assumed you had wingman, support, numbers.
04:54Schilling had one wingman and 30 seconds before the Germans reached the bombers.
04:58He opened fire at 800 yards.
05:01The 850 caliber shredded the air.
05:03Tracer rounds arced toward the German formation.
05:06The lead 109 broke left.
05:08Two more broke right.
05:10The formation scattered.
05:11That was the goal.
05:13Break their attack run.
05:14Force them to fight instead of hitting the bombers.
05:17The Germans reformed fast.
05:19Professional pilots.
05:21Experienced.
05:22They recognized the American tactic immediately.
05:25Four 109s peeled off to engage Schilling.
05:28Six more went after his wingman.
05:30The rest continued toward the bombers.
05:32Schilling rolled inverted and pulled through.
05:34The P-47 could dive faster than any German fighter.
05:38He dropped 4,000 feet in 12 seconds.
05:41Leveled out at 15,000.
05:43Pulled 6 Gs.
05:44His vision tunneled.
05:46Blood drained from his head.
05:47But the Thunderbolts stayed together.
05:50One Bf 109 followed him down.
05:52The German pilot was good.
05:54Stayed on Schilling's tail through the dive.
05:56Opened fire at 600 yards.
05:59Cannon shells exploded around Schilling's cockpit.
06:0120 millimeter rounds.
06:03Larger than American .50 caliber.
06:06Deadlier.
06:07Schilling broke hard right.
06:08The 109 overshot.
06:10For 3 seconds, the German was directly ahead.
06:13Perfect firing solution.
06:15Schilling squeezed the trigger.
06:17All 8 guns fired simultaneously.
06:20400 rounds per second combined.
06:22The 109's engine exploded.
06:25Black smoke poured from the cowling.
06:26The canopy separated.
06:28The pilot bailed out at 14,000 feet.
06:31One down.
06:32Then, Schilling's cockpit disintegrated.
06:35Metal fragments from the destroyed 109 hit his P-47 at closing speed.
06:40Pieces of German aircraft punched through his windscreen.
06:43Something struck his right wing.
06:45The Thunderbolts shuddered.
06:47Oil pressure dropped.
06:49Coolant temperature spiked.
06:50Another 109 was on him.
06:52Schilling pulled up into clouds at 12,000 feet.
06:55Lost visual contact.
06:57His engine was running rough.
06:59Temperature climbing past limits.
07:01He had maybe 10 minutes before catastrophic failure.
07:04The radio crackled.
07:06His wingman's voice.
07:07Under attack.
07:08Four Germans.
07:10Schilling broke through the cloud layer.
07:11Saw his wingman three miles east.
07:14Surrounded.
07:15Schilling pushed his damaged Thunderbolt toward the fight.
07:18Engine temperature hit red line.
07:20The airplane was dying.
07:21But his wingman was alone.
07:23He reached the fight at 11.18.
07:26Fired on a 109 attacking his wingman from above.
07:29Missed.
07:30The German broke off.
07:32Schilling's engine began trailing smoke.
07:34White at first.
07:35Then black.
07:36Fire warning light illuminated.
07:38His wingman shot down one German.
07:40The others scattered.
07:42The two Americans turned west.
07:43Toward England.
07:45Toward safety.
07:46280 miles away.
07:48Schilling's oil pressure hit zero at 11.24.
07:52Engine temperature exceeded maximum limits.
07:54The P-47's massive Pratt & Whitney radial was cooking itself to death.
07:59But it kept running.
08:00Kept pushing the seven-ton fighter toward the English Channel.
08:04They crossed into Allied airspace at 11.41.
08:07Schilling's engine seized completely at 11.47.
08:11He glided the dead Thunderbolt toward an emergency strip near the coast.
08:15Touched down with no power.
08:17No hydraulics.
08:18The landing gear collapsed on rollout.
08:21Schilling walked away.
08:22His wingman landed safely 10 minutes later.
08:25Two American fighters had engaged 35 Germans.
08:29Disrupted their attack.
08:30Shot down one confirmed.
08:32Possibly damaged three more.
08:34Saved an entire bomber formation.
08:36The Distinguished Service Cross citation would arrive six weeks later.
08:39But that night, Schilling sat in the officer's club with his Frankenstein pistol still in its holster,
08:45knowing he had eight months left in his combat tour and the Luftwaffe wasn't getting any weaker.
08:52The Distinguished Service Cross arrived in May 1944.
08:56Schilling pinned it to his uniform and flew another combat mission the same afternoon.
09:0126 years old by then.
09:03Promoted to group executive officer in August 1943.
09:07Now second in command of the deadliest fighter group in the 8th Air Force.
09:12The 56th fighter group destroyed more enemy aircraft than any other American fighter unit in Europe.
09:18By summer 1944, the group had shot down over 400 German planes.
09:24Colonel Hubert Zemke commanded.
09:26Schilling ran daily operations.
09:28Together, they built a unit that German pilots learned to fear.
09:32Zemke called the group the Wolfpack.
09:35Aggressive tactics, coordinated attacks, no defensive flying.
09:40When German fighters appeared, the 56th attacked first.
09:44Always.
09:45Schilling fit that philosophy perfectly.
09:47He spent every spare hour modifying equipment, improving tactics, testing new approaches.
09:53His modified pistol was just one example.
09:56He also redesigned gun sight adjustments, tested different ammunition loading patterns, experimented with fuel tank configurations.
10:04Other pilots called him the gadget man.
10:07Zemke said David was up to some engineering gadget all the time.
10:10But those gadgets saved lives.
10:12Schilling's fuel tank modifications extended P-47 range by 40 miles.
10:18His ammunition loading pattern reduced gun jams by 15%.
10:22Small improvements.
10:24But in combat, 15% fewer jams meant 15% more German fighters shot down.
10:30On August 12, 1944, Zemke transferred to command the 479th Fighter Group.
10:37Schilling took command of the 56th, 25 years old, lieutenant colonel, commanding 120 pilots and 75 P-47 Thunderbolts.
10:47He was promoted to full colonel on October 1, 1944, aged 25 years, 9 months.
10:54One of the youngest full colonels in the Army Air Forces.
10:58By then, he was flying a P-47-coated LMS, personal aircraft.
11:03Painted with distinctive shark teeth on the cowling.
11:07Red noseband.
11:08Unique artwork on the port side.
11:10A cartoon character called Hairless Joe from the Dogpatch comics.
11:14Club-wielding.
11:15Aggressive.
11:16The nickname fit both the aircraft and the pilot.
11:20Schilling flew Hairless Joe on every mission after July 1944.
11:24The ground crew maintained it like a race car.
11:26Every system checked twice.
11:28Every gun bore cleaned after each flight.
11:31Oil changed every 10 hours.
11:33The P-47 became an extension of Schilling himself.
11:36His victory tally climbed.
11:38Two Focke-Wulf 190s on September 21st.
11:41One Messerschmitt 109 on October 4th.
11:44Another 109 on November 2nd.
11:46By December, he had 17 and a half aerial victories, making him the third-ranking ace in the 56 fighter
11:53group, behind only Francis Gabreski and Robert Johnson.
11:57But December brought something unexpected.
11:59On the 16th, German forces launched a massive offensive through the Ardennes Forest.
12:04200,000 German troops, 12 Panzer divisions, the largest German attack since 1940.
12:10Americans called it the Battle of the Bulge.
12:13Weather grounded most Allied aircraft for the first week.
12:17Heavy fog.
12:18Snow.
12:18Cloud cover down to 500 feet.
12:21German forces advanced 40 miles in six days.
12:24American ground troops fought desperate defensive actions.
12:27But without air support, they were badly outnumbered.
12:30The 56 fighter group sat at Boxted Airfield in England.
12:34Schilling watched the weather reports, watched German forces push deeper into Belgium, watched American casualties mount, and couldn't fly.
12:42Fog covered the English Channel.
12:44Clouds blanketed France.
12:46Visibility was less than one mile across most of Europe.
12:49The Germans had planned their offensive around the weather.
12:52They knew Allied air superiority would crush them in clear skies.
12:55For seven days, the weather held.
12:58German forces reached within four miles of the Mews River.
13:01Another breakthrough would split the Allied armies, possibly force a negotiated peace.
13:06Then, on December 22nd, meteorologists detected a high-pressure system moving south from Russia.
13:12Cold air, clear skies.
13:15The weather would break on December 23rd.
13:17Schilling called his squadron commanders together that evening, briefing at 0500 hours.
13:22Target, German fighters supporting the bulge offensive.
13:26Expected enemy strength?
13:27Over 100 aircraft.
13:29The largest air battle of the winter was coming.
13:31And Schilling intended to lead it personally in hairless Joe.
13:37At 0615 on December 23rd, 1944, the fog lifted over Boxted Airfield.
13:43First time in seven days.
13:45Ground crews had worked through the night preparing aircraft.
13:48Every P-47 in the 56th fighter group was armed, fueled, and ready.
13:54Schilling walked to hairless Joe in full flight gear.
13:57Temperature was 28 degrees Fahrenheit.
13:59Clear skies.
14:00Visibility unlimited.
14:02Perfect flying weather.
14:04Perfect killing weather.
14:06The mission briefing had been direct.
14:08German fighters were providing cover for panzer columns pushing toward the Mews River.
14:13Luftwaffe had concentrated everything they had left.
14:15Fighter units pulled from airfield defense.
14:18Training squadrons sent into combat.
14:21Even night fighter units were flying daylight missions.
14:23Intelligence estimated between 100 and 150 German aircraft would be airborne over the bulge.
14:30Messerschmitt BF-109s.
14:32Focke-Wulf 190s.
14:34Some Messerschmitt 410 twin-engine destroyers.
14:37The largest concentration of Luftwaffe fighters since D-Day.
14:40The 56th would fly with three other P-47 groups.
14:44160 American Thunderbolts total.
14:47Their job was simple.
14:49Find the Germans.
14:50Destroy them.
14:51Protect the bombers hitting German supply lines.
14:54Schilling climbed into hairless Joe's cockpit at 0642.
14:58Strapped in.
14:59Checked instruments.
15:00Oil pressure good.
15:01Fuel full.
15:02All eight guns loaded.
15:04400 rounds per gun.
15:063,200 rounds total.
15:08He started the engine at 0648.
15:10The massive Pratt and Whitney radial coughed once.
15:14Twice.
15:15Then roared to life.
15:162,000 horsepower shaking the airframe.
15:19Schilling let it warm up for three minutes.
15:21Checked magnetos.
15:22Propeller pitch.
15:24Everything normal.
15:25The 56th took off in flights of four.
15:2864 P-47s total.
15:30They formed up over the airfield at 8,000 feet.
15:33Then turned southeast toward Belgium.
15:35Toward the bulge.
15:36Toward the largest air battle Schilling had ever seen.
15:39They crossed the English Channel at 0723.
15:43France appeared below.
15:45Snow-covered fields.
15:46Frozen rivers.
15:48Roads packed with military vehicles moving toward the front.
15:51At 0751, they crossed into Belgium.
15:55Schilling could see smoke from ground fighting 30 miles ahead.
15:59Artillery fire.
16:00Burning vehicles.
16:01The bulge was a clearly visible bulge on the landscape below.
16:06German forces had pushed a massive salient into allied lines.
16:11The radio crackled at 0804.
16:14Multiple bogeys.
16:16Bearing 120.
16:17Angels 22.
16:19Fighter command estimated 40 plus contacts.
16:23Schilling banked right.
16:24The 56th followed.
16:2664 P-47s turning toward combat.
16:30He climbed to 24,000 feet.
16:33Altitude advantage.
16:34Always take the high ground in a fighter engagement.
16:37At 0811, he saw them.
16:40German fighters.
16:41Not 40.
16:42More like 80.
16:44Maybe 90.
16:44A massive formation stretching 5 miles across the sky.
16:49BF-109s in front.
16:51FW-190s behind.
16:54All heading southwest toward American bomber formations.
16:57This wasn't a fighter sweep.
16:59This was a coordinated Luftwaffe offensive.
17:02Every available German aircraft thrown at the allied air forces.
17:07A desperate attempt to regain air superiority over the battlefield.
17:11Schilling checked his formation.
17:13All 64 P-47s were with him.
17:16He looked at the German formation again.
17:1880 to 90 aircraft.
17:20Against his 64.
17:22Better odds than 9 months ago.
17:25Much better than April 9th when it was 2 against 35.
17:29He armed his guns.
17:30Checked altitude.
17:3224,000 feet.
17:33Germans were at 22,000.
17:36Schilling had the height advantage.
17:38The sun was behind him.
17:39Tactical advantage.
17:41The Germans hadn't seen them yet.
17:43Still climbing.
17:44Still focused on reaching the bombers.
17:46Schilling rolled, hairless Joe inverted.
17:49Pulled the stick back.
17:50Started his dive.
17:52Behind him, 63 P-47 Thunderbolts followed their commander into the largest air battle of December 1944.
17:59The Germans saw them at 08-13.
18:02Too late.
18:03The Wolfpack was already diving.
18:06Already committed.
18:07Already bringing 8 .50 caliber guns per aircraft toward the German formation.
18:14512 .50 caliber machine guns were about to open fire simultaneously.
18:21Schilling opened fire at 1,000 yards.
18:248 .50s.
18:25Tracer rounds streaked toward a Messerschmitt BF-109 climbing through 21,000 feet.
18:31The German pilot never saw him coming.
18:34Rounds stitched across the 109's wing route.
18:37Fuel tank exploded.
18:38The aircraft disintegrated in mid-air.
18:41One down.
18:4208-14.
18:44The sky erupted into chaos.
18:4764 P-47s hit the German formation from above.
18:51Luftwaffe fighters scattered.
18:53Some dove.
18:54Some turned into the attack.
18:56Most just tried to survive the initial onslaught.
18:59Schilling pulled through his dive at 19,000 feet.
19:026G load.
19:04Vision tunneled.
19:05Blood drained from his head.
19:07But he stayed conscious.
19:08Found another target.
19:10Focal Wolf 190 at his 11 o'clock.
19:13One mile out.
19:14The 190 was turning hard left.
19:17Trying to get behind a P-47.
19:19Standard Luftwaffe tactic.
19:21Get on the American's tail.
19:22Used superior maneuverability.
19:24But the Thunderbolt pilot saw him coming.
19:27Rolled inverted.
19:28Dove away.
19:29The P-47 could outdive anything the Germans had.
19:33That left the 190 exposed.
19:36Schilling closed to 600 yards.
19:38Opened fire.
19:39The 190's canopy shattered.
19:41Pilots slumped forward.
19:43Aircraft rolled inverted.
19:45And began a death spiral toward the ground below.
19:48Two down.
19:4908-16.
19:50All around him aircraft were fighting.
19:53Diving.
19:55Climbing.
19:55Firing.
19:57P-47s against BF-109s.
19:59Against FW-190s.
20:01Contrails marked every turn.
20:04Tracers marked every burst.
20:06Black smoke marked every kill.
20:08Schilling counted at least 12 German aircraft already destroyed.
20:13Three P-47s were damaged and heading home.
20:16One Thunderbolt was trailing heavy smoke but still flying.
20:19The odds were shifting toward the Americans.
20:22But the Germans weren't retreating.
20:24They were fighting harder.
20:25More desperately.
20:27This wasn't a normal combat patrol.
20:29This was everything the Luftwaffe had left.
20:32Every pilot.
20:33Every aircraft.
20:35Thrown into one massive battle.
20:37A BF-109 crossed in front of Schilling at 500 yards.
20:42Perfect deflection shot.
20:43He led the target.
20:45Squeezed the trigger.
20:46All eight guns fired.
20:48The 109's engine exploded.
20:50Pilot bailed out immediately.
20:52Parachute deployed at 18,000 feet.
20:54Three down.
20:5508-19.
20:56Schilling's tactical awareness was absolute.
21:00He tracked friendly aircraft.
21:01Enemy positions.
21:03Altitude.
21:04Airspeed.
21:05Ammunition remaining.
21:07Three kills meant approximately 900 rounds fired.
21:102,300 rounds remaining.
21:12Enough for six more engagements at current rate.
21:15Another 190 appeared at his 2 o'clock high.
21:18Diving toward a damaged P-47 below.
21:21Schilling pulled up hard.
21:22Climbed 1,000 feet in eight seconds.
21:25Rolled inverted.
21:26Dove onto the 190's tail.
21:29The German pilot was focused on the damaged Thunderbolt.
21:31Didn't see Schilling behind him.
21:33Didn't see the 850s tracking his aircraft.
21:36Didn't see the tracers until they were already hitting.
21:39Schilling fired a three-second burst.
21:42Rounds hit the 190's fuselage just behind the cockpit.
21:45The aircraft broke apart in two pieces.
21:48Front half tumbled forward.
21:49Rear half fell away spinning.
21:51Four down.
21:5208-21.
21:54Seven minutes of combat.
21:56Four confirmed kills.
21:58Schilling's score jumped from 17.5 to 21.5 victories.
22:03Three and a half away from matching Robert Johnson's 27.
22:06Four and a half away from matching Francis Gabreski's 28.
22:10But the fight wasn't over.
22:12Schilling looked around.
22:14Counted aircraft.
22:15Still 30 to 40 German fighters airborne.
22:18Still fighting.
22:19Still dangerous.
22:20His radio crackled.
22:21One of his squadron commanders reported a massive dogfight five miles southwest.
22:27Another 40 German aircraft engaging P-47s from another group.
22:31This wasn't one battle.
22:33This was multiple engagements across 50 square miles of sky.
22:37Schilling checked his fuel.
22:39Half full.
22:40Enough for another 20 minutes of combat.
22:42His ammunition was down to 2,300 rounds.
22:45Still plenty.
22:47He spotted another 190 at his 10 o'clock.
22:502,000 yards out.
22:51Turning toward a group of P-47s.
22:54Schilling pushed the throttle forward.
22:56Hairless Joe accelerated toward the fifth kill of the day.
23:01The Folk Wolf 190 was diving toward three P-47s in a tight formation.
23:07German pilot was good.
23:08Positioned himself perfectly.
23:10High 6 o'clock.
23:11Closing fast.
23:12The Americans hadn't seen him yet.
23:14Schilling dove steeper.
23:16Hairless Joe accelerated past 400 miles per hour.
23:19The airframe shook.
23:21Control surfaces stiffened.
23:22But the P-47s stayed together.
23:25Built like a tank.
23:26Could handle punishment and speed that would tear apart a lighter fighter.
23:29He closed to 800 yards.
23:31Still too far for accurate fire.
23:34The 190 opened fire on the lead P-47.
23:3620-millimeter cannon shells.
23:39Schilling saw tracers arc toward the American formation.
23:41600 yards.
23:43Schilling centered the 190 in his gun sight.
23:45Led the target.
23:47The German was in a 30-degree dive.
23:49Schilling adjusted for deflection.
23:51For airspeed.
23:52For gravity drop.
23:53He fired.
23:54All eight guns.
23:56Three-second burst.
23:57Roughly 240 rounds total.
23:59The 190's left wing separated at the root.
24:02Clean break.
24:03The aircraft snap-rolled right.
24:05Pilot tried to recover.
24:06Couldn't.
24:07The 190 entered a flat spin.
24:09Descended through 17,000 feet.
24:1216,000.
24:1315,000.
24:14The pilot finally bailed out at 14,000 feet.
24:17Five down.
24:1808-24.
24:20Schilling was now an ace in a day.
24:22Only 38 Army Air Force pilots achieved that status during the entire war.
24:26Five aerial victories in a single mission.
24:29The rarest achievement in fighter combat.
24:31His total score was 22 and a half.
24:34Sixth ranking ace in the 8th Air Force.
24:36Fourth ranking ace still flying combat missions.
24:39Gabreski and Johnson had completed their tours.
24:41Only two active pilots had more victories than Schilling now.
24:44But he wasn't thinking about records.
24:46He was thinking about fuel.
24:48Down to 40%.
24:49Ammunition at 1,800 rounds.
24:5120 minutes of combat time remaining at most.
24:54The German formation was breaking up.
24:56Luftwaffe fighters were retreating east.
24:58Back toward their bases in Germany.
25:00The Americans had won this engagement decisively.
25:04Schilling counted wrecks on the ground below.
25:06Saw at least 23 impact craters.
25:08Mix of German and American aircraft.
25:11Black smoke rising from each impact point.
25:14Some pilots had bailed out.
25:16Most hadn't.
25:17High-speed impacts at low altitude gave no time for escape.
25:21His radio crackled.
25:23Squadron commanders reporting in.
25:2561st Fighter Squadron claimed 11 kills.
25:2962nd Fighter Squadron claimed 13.
25:3263rd Fighter Squadron claimed 8.
25:35Total, 32 confirmed German aircraft destroyed.
25:3832 kills in one mission.
25:41The 56 fighter group's best single day total of the war.
25:44And that brought the group's overall score to 807 enemy aircraft destroyed.
25:50Air and ground combined.
25:52First American fighter group in the European theater to exceed 800 kills.
25:57Historic milestone.
25:59Schilling called for formation.
26:01The surviving P-47s assembled at 20,000 feet.
26:05He counted aircraft.
26:0658 Thunderbolts formed up.
26:08Six were missing.
26:10Three had been shot down.
26:11Three had turned back damaged, but were still flying.
26:14The formation turned northwest.
26:17Toward England.
26:18Toward Boxsted Airfield.
26:19Toward debriefing and maintenance and hot food and sleep.
26:23Schilling's hands were shaking on the stick.
26:25Adrenaline wearing off.
26:27Nine minutes of pure combat.
26:29Five kills.
26:3022 and a half total.
26:33Second Distinguished Service Cross earned.
26:35Though he wouldn't know that until the citation arrived weeks later.
26:39They crossed the English Channel at 0915.
26:42White Cliffs of Dover appeared ahead.
26:45Boxsted Airfield was 40 miles northwest.
26:48Schilling led the formation down through 8,000 feet.
26:516,000.
26:524,000.
26:53He landed at 0938.
26:56Hairless Joe touched down smooth despite having fired over 1,400 rounds and pulled multiple
27:02high-G maneuvers.
27:03Ground crew counted hits.
27:05Found three small-caliber bullet holes in the left wing.
27:08Probably machine gun fire from a 109.
27:11Nothing serious.
27:12Schilling climbed out of the cockpit.
27:14Walked to the debriefing room.
27:16Sat down with intelligence officers.
27:18Reported five confirmed kills.
27:20Times.
27:21Locations.
27:22Aircraft types.
27:23Witnesses for each engagement.
27:25The intelligence officer wrote it all down.
27:28Then looked up and said,
27:29Congratulations.
27:31Schilling was officially an ace in a day.
27:33One of 38.
27:34One of the rarest achievements in American military aviation.
27:38Schilling nodded.
27:39Asked about the three pilots who went down.
27:42Intelligence had no information yet.
27:44Search and rescue was looking.
27:46Two had been seen bailing out.
27:47The third went down with his aircraft.
27:50Schilling walked to the officers' club.
27:52December 23rd.
27:53Eight months remained in his combat tour.
27:56And the Luftwaffe still had fighters left.
28:00Schilling flew his last combat mission on January 5th, 1945.
28:04Hairless Joe carried him over Germany one final time.
28:08No enemy contact.
28:10The Luftwaffe was finished.
28:12Fuel stocks exhausted.
28:13Experienced pilots dead or captured.
28:16Training programs collapsed.
28:17He relinquished command of the 56th Fighter Group on January 27th.
28:2226 years old.
28:24Full colonel.
28:25132 combat missions.
28:2722 and a half aerial victories.
28:30Two distinguished service crosses.
28:32Eight distinguished flying crosses.
28:3419 air medals.
28:35The 56th had destroyed 677 enemy aircraft in aerial combat under his and Zemke's leadership.
28:43More than any other fighter group in the 8th Air Force.
28:46The Wolfpack had earned its reputation.
28:49Germany surrendered May 8th, 1945.
28:52Schilling returned to the United States.
28:54Most combat pilots left the service.
28:57Went home.
28:57Started families.
28:59Found civilian careers.
29:00Tried to forget the war.
29:02Schilling stayed in.
29:03The Army Air Forces became the United States Air Force in September 1947.
29:09Schilling stayed in.
29:10Fighter aviation was changing.
29:12Propeller aircraft were obsolete.
29:15Jet engines were the future.
29:16In 1948, Schilling took command of the 56th Fighter Group again.
29:21But now they flew Lockheed P-80 Shooting Stars, America's first operational jet fighter.
29:27460 miles per hour.
29:29Faster than any propeller aircraft that ever flew.
29:32That summer, the Soviet Union blockaded West Berlin.
29:36Cut off all ground access.
29:38Two and a half million civilians trapped.
29:40The United States responded with Operation Vittles.
29:43The Berlin Airlift.
29:45Supply planes flew around the clock.
29:47But the airlift needed protection.
29:49Schilling led the 56th Fighter Group to Germany in July 1948.
29:54Show of force.
29:55Demonstration that American jets could deploy anywhere.
29:58Fast.
29:59The mission was called Fox Able.
30:02First mass deployment of jet fighters across the Atlantic.
30:05But they flew the jets by ship.
30:07Loaded them in cargo holds.
30:09Sailed across.
30:10Too far to fly.
30:11Jets had limited range.
30:13No aerial refueling capability yet.
30:15Schilling looked at that problem and saw an engineering challenge.
30:19Same mindset that created his Frankenstein pistol.
30:22Same approach that modified fuel tanks and ammunition loading patterns.
30:26Jets could cross the Atlantic.
30:28They just needed refueling.
30:29In 1950, the British had developed probe and drogue aerial refueling.
30:34A tanker aircraft trailed a hose.
30:36Fighter aircraft extended a probe.
30:38Connected in flight.
30:40Transferred fuel.
30:40But no one had tried it on a transatlantic crossing.
30:44Schilling volunteered.
30:45Planned the mission himself.
30:47Three refueling points.
30:48One over Scotland.
30:50One over Iceland.
30:51One over Labrador.
30:52Three different tanker aircraft.
30:54Lancaster bomber.
30:55Lincoln bomber.
30:57KB-29 Superfortress.
30:58On September 22, 1950, Schilling took off from Royal Air Force Manston in an F-84E Thunderjet.
31:06Colonel William Ritchie flew another F-84E.
31:09Both aircraft headed west over the Atlantic Ocean.
31:12First refueling went perfectly.
31:14Lancaster tanker over Prestwick, Scotland.
31:16Schilling connected.
31:18Transferred fuel.
31:19Disconnected.
31:20Continued west.
31:22Second refueling over Iceland.
31:24Lincoln tanker.
31:25Connection successful.
31:26Fuel transfer complete.
31:28Ritchie's probe was damaged during this refueling.
31:30Small crack in the connection fitting.
31:32But he continued.
31:33Third refueling offshore from Labrador.
31:36KB-29 tanker.
31:38Schilling connected.
31:39No problems.
31:40Ritchie tried to connect.
31:41His damaged probe wouldn't seal.
31:43Fuel leaked.
31:44He couldn't complete the transfer.
31:46Ritchie ran out of fuel over Labrador.
31:48Ejected at 12,000 feet.
31:50Landed safely.
31:51Recovered by search and rescue within two hours.
31:54Schilling continued alone.
31:55His refueling had worked perfectly.
31:57All three connections successful.
31:59He flew across Canada.
32:01Across Maine.
32:02Descended toward Limestone Air Force Base.
32:04Ten hours and eight minutes after takeoff from England, Schilling touched down in Maine.
32:09First nonstop transatlantic flight by a jet fighter.
32:13Historic achievement.
32:14He received the Harmon Trophy in 1951.
32:17International award for outstanding achievement in aeronautics.
32:20The trophy joined his two Distinguished Service Crosses, his eight Distinguished Flying Crosses, his 19 Air Medals.
32:28In 1952, Schilling led another pioneering flight.
32:32Fox Peter 1.
32:33First nonstop jet crossing of the Pacific Ocean.
32:36England to Japan via aerial refueling.
32:39Another success.
32:40Another first.
32:41The Air Force Association created an award for outstanding flight achievement.
32:45Named it the David C. Schilling Award.
32:48Given annually to the most exceptional flight accomplishment.
32:50By 1956, Schilling was assigned to Strategic Air Command's 7th Air Division in England.
32:57Inspector General position.
32:58Staff assignment.
32:59No more flying combat missions.
33:01The war was 11 years past.
33:04He was 37 years old.
33:06On August 13, 1956, he flew his last flight.
33:10B-47 stratojet bomber.
33:12Staff orientation flight.
33:14Routine.
33:15He landed safely.
33:16The next day, he drove toward Royal Air Force Lakenheath in his Cadillac Allard sports car.
33:23The road between Royal Air Force Lakenheath and Royal Air Force Mildenhall was narrow.
33:29Two lanes.
33:30Stone walls on both sides.
33:32Country road through Suffolk farmland.
33:34Schilling knew it well.
33:36He had driven it dozens of times during his assignment to 7th Air Division.
33:40August 14, 1956.
33:43Temperature was 72 degrees.
33:45Clear skies.
33:46Perfect summer day in England.
33:49Schilling drove his Cadillac Allard sports car.
33:51High-performance vehicle.
33:53He was part of a racing stable.
33:55Sports Car Club of America events.
33:58General Curtis LeMay and several other officers had purchased the same model.
34:02The Allard could reach 120 miles per hour.
34:06Built for speed.
34:07Built for handling.
34:08But the narrow English roads weren't built for American sports cars.
34:12At approximately 1,400 hours, Schilling approached a stone bridge near the village of Eriswell in Suffolk.
34:19The bridge crossed a small stream.
34:21Stone railings on both sides.
34:23Standard English construction from decades earlier.
34:26His cap started to blow off in the wind.
34:28He reached up to grab it.
34:30Natural reflex.
34:31Split-second movement.
34:33The car skidded sideways.
34:35Struck the stone railing.
34:36The impact cut the vehicle in half at the driver's seat.
34:40Front section toppled into the stream below.
34:42Rear section remained on the bridge.
34:45Schilling died instantly.
34:4737 years old.
34:48The day before, he had flown his last flight.
34:51A B-47 orientation mission.
34:54Routine staff flight.
34:55Safe landing.
34:57Then this.
34:58A country road.
34:59A stone bridge.
35:01A moment of inattention.
35:02The Air Force investigation determined it was an accident.
35:06No mechanical failure.
35:07No external factors.
35:09Just a tragic moment on a narrow road.
35:12Services were held at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington.
35:16Full military honors.
35:17Two distinguished service crosses.
35:20Eight distinguished flying crosses.
35:22Nineteen air medals.
35:24British distinguished flying cross.
35:26French Croix de Guerre.
35:27Harmon Trophy.
35:29Twenty-two and a half aerial victories.
35:31One hundred thirty-two combat missions.
35:34First transatlantic jet crossing.
35:36First transpacific jet crossing.
35:38The fighter community gathered the night before the funeral.
35:41Carlton Hotel in Washington.
35:43Pilots from the 56th Fighter Group.
35:46Aces from the European Theater.
35:48Pacific veterans.
35:49They remembered December 23rd, 1944.
35:53They remembered the modified pistol.
35:55They remembered Hairless Joe.
35:57They remembered a colonel at 25 who led from the front.
36:01Francis Gabreski was there.
36:03Twenty-eight victories.
36:05Twenty-eight victories.
36:05Robert Johnson couldn't attend but sent condolences.
36:08Hub Zemke attended.
36:10Nineteen and a half victories.
36:12They had all flown with Schilling.
36:14All knew his skill.
36:16His leadership.
36:17His engineering mind that never stopped improving equipment and tactics.
36:20On March 15th, 1957, Smoky Hill Air Force Base in Salina, Kansas was renamed Schilling Air Force Base.
36:30Named for the geology major from Dartmouth who became one of America's deadliest fighter pilots.
36:35The base operated until 1965 when it was deactivated.
36:40The Air Force Association's David C. Schilling Award continues today.
36:44Given annually for outstanding flight achievement.
36:48Named for a man who pushed boundaries.
36:50Who crossed oceans in jets when everyone said it was impossible.
36:54Who attacked 35 German fighters with one wingman.
36:58Who modified a pistol because he wanted every advantage.
37:01David Carl Schilling is buried in Section 8, Site 459 at Arlington National Cemetery.
37:09His wife Georgia died in 1950, age 28.
37:13They rest together.
37:15Full military honors.
37:17White headstone.
37:18Simple inscription.
37:19If this story moved you the way it moved us, do me a favor.
37:23Hit that like button.
37:24Every single like tells YouTube to show this story to more people.
37:28Hit subscribe and turn on notifications.
37:30We're rescuing forgotten stories from dusty archives every single day.
37:35Stories about fighter pilots who modified pistols and attacked impossible odds and crossed oceans in jets.
37:42Real people.
37:43Real heroism.
37:44Drop a comment right now and tell us where you're watching from.
37:48Are you watching from the United States?
37:50United Kingdom?
37:51Canada?
37:52Australia?
37:53Our community stretches across the entire world.
37:56You're not just a viewer.
37:57You're part of keeping these memories alive.
37:59Tell us your location.
38:01Tell us if someone in your family served.
38:03Just let us know you're here.
38:06And thank you for making sure David Schilling doesn't disappear into silence.
38:10These men deserve to be remembered.
38:12And you're helping make that happen.
Comments