Oberleutnant Franz Stigler JG27 & JV44
Since I created and produced the documentary film “Messerschmitt Me262 The Official Luftwaffe Pilot Check Out Film” many people have asked me questions about my very dear friend Franz Stigler.
Of particular interest to many was Franz’s personal Me262, “White 3”, that he flew with the legendary JV44 “The Galland Zirkus”. It became apparent that the true story of “White 3” was not known. Indeed, only Adolf Galland and Franz knew the truth. Galland had once been photographed with Franz’s “White 3” and ever since then the outside world had assumed that “White 3” was Galland’s personal aircraft. After the war, these two retired aces would often joke about this misconception and were delighted to allow that myth to live on.
The greatest fighter pilot to ever grace the sky, Generalleutnant Adolf Galland, has now passed away into aviation history. Franz was the very last person to speak to “Dolfo” by telephone. Franz felt it was now time to set the record straight on his “Lucky White 3”. So we assembled a team of 5 Luftwaffe “Experten” in order to re-create “White 3” via a Metallic Foil Fine Art Print. It took over half a year of investigation, image proofing and interviews, but we finally got it dead on, right down to Franz’s boot scrapes at the cockpit and his unusual camo scheme. After I showed what would become the final version to Franz, he excitedly exclaimed “Perfect, that is my aircraft! That is my aircraft!”. We knew we had it.
So here it is, the real story and text from our Fine Art Print “Me262A-1a ‘White 3’ JV44” and almost 60 years later, the “Real Deal” on this famous aircraft.
“With the firepower concentrated in its nose and consisting of four 30 mm machine cannons, it was truly awesome. It could chew through the wing of a B-17 Flying Fortress in one burst”. Oberleutnant Franz Stigler, JG27, JV44.
After a lengthy and distinguished campaign flying the venerable Messerschmitt Bf109 with the famed fighter unit JG27 in support of Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps, Oberleutnant Franz Stigler was re-called to Germany and Austria in order to defend the Fatherland in the closing chapters of the great conflict. By then he was already an ace pilot, or “Experte”.
Approaching the eleventh hour of the war, a glimmer of hope arose in the hearts of the German people; the promise of a fantastic new weapon that would turn the tide of the war against Germany’s enemies and sweep allied bombers from the skies. The stage was now set for the arrival of the incredible Messerschmitt Me262, the world’s first operational jet fighter.
Early in 1945, Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring finally gave the highly decorated ace and head of Luftwaffe fighter pilots, Generalleutnant Adolf Galland, permission to form his own Me262-equipped fighter squadron: Jagdverband JV44. Now Galland could “prove that the Me262 was the superior fighter that I always claimed”. In addition to having the world’s most advanced fighter, most of the pilots in this elite group were veteran “Experten” who had fought on all fronts, and many of whom wore the coveted Knights’ Cross.
The mere mention of JV44 or the “Galland Zirkus” is to step into the misty realms of aviation mythology. During a telephone conversation in early February 1945, Galland personally invited Stigler to come join his band of “Experten”, but on one condition: “You must bring your own 262!”.
Shortly thereafter, Stigler arrived at the Leipheim Me262 factory to pick up an Me262, but without any procurement papers. Continued Allied bombing of the facility helped convince the plant manager it was better to give a newly completed Me262 to Stigler rather then let it be destroyed in the next air raid. Stigler then flew this aircraft, later to be coded “White 3”, to Brandenburg-Briest where he joined Generalleutnant Galland, Oberst Steinhoff and Major Hohagen as the fourth member of JV44.
Contrary to popular opinion, “White 3” was always regarded by JV 44 pilots and ground crews alike as Stigler’s personal aircraft. On only five occasions did another pilot ever fly this machine, and that person was usually Adolf Galland, cigar and all. While JV44 did have an aircraft coded “White 1”, Galland preferred to fly whatever 262 was available at flight time. And besides, since many fighter unit leaders flew aircraft coded “1”, such an aircraft would draw too much unwanted attention to the legendary ace’s presence.
As the war approached its inevitable conclusion, JV44 was forced from their base at München-Riem to Salzburg in late April 1945. Just prior to departing for Salzburg, a newly arrived Leutnant Pirchhan persuaded Stigler to let him fly his “lucky White 3”. Soon after take-off Pirchhan crashed at Oberweissenfeld, north of the airfield, totally destroying the aircraft and was fatally wounded. He died a few hours later in a farmer’s field while being comforted by Stigler. A day before, Galland himself was wounded and passed command of JV44 to the indomitable Oberstleutnant Heinz Bär.
Within a few days of their arrival, swiftly moving American armoured forces were now advancing within earshot of JV44’s base at Salzburg-Maxglan. Having no fuel for its aircraft and nowhere to escape, JV44 was forced to destroy their own aircraft. With the Me262s lined up in their forest revetments, Hauptmann Walter “The Count” Krupinski tossed a hand grenade from a moving kettenkrad “the way he knew how” into each of the jet engines. The resulting explosions and ominous smoke plumes were so huge, that the advancing American tanks stopped dead in their tracks to reconnoiter the situation.
Knight’s Cross holder Oberfeldwebel Leo Schuhmacher recalls that the sight of the burning jets made the JV44 pilot’s “hearts bleed”, some wept openly.
The following morning of May 4th had been unseasonably cold, the ground white with a fresh snowfall, unusual for that time of year. Like the quick melting of this snow a day later, JV44 now passed forever into the lofty realms of aviation history.
Oberleutnant Franz Stigler survived the war having flown over 500 combat missions, was shot down 17 times, captured once briefly and had 28 confirmed victories to his credit, including 11 four-engine bombers, plus over 30 other “probables”. His decorations include the Iron Cross 2nd Class, the Iron Cross 1st Class, and the German Cross in Gold. The great conflict ended before he could receive the “Knights Cross” he had been nominated for.
