Franz Stigler

From The Air Combat Wiki

SORRY TO REPORT FRANZ PASSED AWAY MARCH 22nd 2008

New page under construction.

This page is intended to serve as a biography and combat record for Luftwaffe ace Franz Stigler as well as information about his post-war achievements. We hope that this will serve as a model for pages about other air combat veterans.

The Project This project on Franz Stigler will be a slow on going project as I am pressed for time and I can't type to save my life... so I will be adding info/pictures as I go. This will be a constant "work in progress" Doug Johnson @ HQ had asked me to do this and I think it's a good idea (Doug will need your help!)I have lots of photos/stories to ad here so this may take some time. Please do not copy any of Franz's photos as lots will be originals that I have removed from his war album and he does not want copied. Everything I type is true to the best of my knowledge including all Franz's war history that he states. Franz is very concerned about "keeping the facts straight" A. Galland and Franz were very big on this and wanted to make sure that no false claims were made and all stories were true. Franz and I I will start by introducing myself... My name is Jim Berladyn, I am a 37 year old Mazda Mechanic from Vancouver (Maple Ridge) B.C. Canada. I think its better to establish my relationship with Franz before I start with his war history. Franz has known my father and my uncles since the late 60's and their relationship had nothing to do with WW2 or even flying! My dad/uncles had a trucking Co. (Ames Truck) in Surrey B.C. that fixed/bought/sold all sorts of heavy trucks. On Saturdays I would tag along with my old man and help out or get in the way with the guys in the shop... Franz was one of the Diesel Mechanics I always watched build motors... Franz built lots of Cat/Detroit Diesel Engines on Saturdays (moonlighting) as he had a full time job at Hertz as a Shop Foreman. Franz was very good with motors and was always called upon when no one else could figure a problem out. He was in his mid sixties and still worked 6 days a week! I have to confess that Franz's sharp German accent and bullet hole in his forehead scared me to death as a kid. Most Saturdays Franz would hang around after work and B.S. with my dad, I could remember lots of war stories he told... They became friends and the rest was history. Ace was Born Franz was born August 21, 1915 in Regensberg Bavaria, son of a WW1 observer pilot and younger brother to August, a WW2 Luftwaffe bomber pilot (Sad to report that August was K.I.A. over English Channel) 'Photo above is Franz at 12 years old. This was one of his first flights in Amberg Germany 1927!' By 1933 Franz was flying powered aircraft and would join the German Lufthansa flying many single/multi engine aircraft until the late 1930's. In 1939 Franz was already an instructor pilot who had been instructed himself by Ritter Von Greim who would replace Herman Goering becoming Field Marshal Ritter Von Greim the last Luftwaffe Commander! One of Franz's most famous students was Gerhard Barkhorn the second highest ace of all time. Franz told me many times that he was a horrible pilot and could just barely keep the plane in the air. "I almost failed him" Franz often says when asked about Gerhard. With lots and lots of practice Gerhard would go on to become the second highest ace and to belong in the very elite "300 hundred club" Photo above is Gerhard Barkhorn who would become one of the very few pilots in the elite "300 hundred club" Franz entered the Luftwaffe as an enlistded man but because he had lots of flying experience Franz would instruct officers on how to fly! Photo above is Franz in Basic Training (Dresden), that is him under the pen marked arrow In its day this Heinkel 70 was one of the fastest planes in the world and was one of Franz's favorite aeroplanes. You can just see him in cockpit and if look behind him you can see this plane could carry people in fuselage! There was only 2 of these planes flying before the war and when the pilot of the other Heinkel killed himself in it Franz would have the only flying example left. Franz used this Heinkel 70 as his personal plane before the War, loved to fly it as it was very fast for its day. When Franz was not instructing new pilots he was investigating crash sights such as this Dornier "flying pencil". The main gear had collapsed on landing and Franz would conclude that it was pilot error, landing was too hard. He had taken this photo as part of his investigation. Franz investigates this crash site, main gear collapsed caused from hard landing would officially be "pilot error" Lots of pilots to be trained before the outbreak of war, Franz had to instruct pilots on instrument flying as well, sadly not all made it. Three pilots flying a Ju-34 (W-34) would run into trouble instrument flying in the clouds and not make it back. Picture above is a lost student learning to fly with only instruments Even with the outbreak of war close, life in Germany was not all that different from anywhere else. Franz attends a students wedding in 1938. By looking at the picture not much has changed by todays wedding standards. Picture above you can see Franz and date standing above Grooms left shoulder. Dated 1938 Franz was attending a students wedding. August Stigler himself was instructed by his younger brother Franz on advanced flying single/multi-engine aircraft. As the Battle of Britain raged on Franz's brother August was flying nightime bombing missions over England but shortly before he was to be married his Ju-88 bomber was shot down on a return flight from England. August's body had washed up on the shores of France. Franz wanted to take his body back to Germany but the "Higher Ups" did not allow him and August was buried in Caen. At that time Franz's mom was very upset with him and blamed August's death on Franz. She said "It was your fault for teaching him how to fly". Franz was very upset, he trained his only brother to fly and he did not make it back. As the laws in Germany were at that time Franz did not have to enter combat as the only surviving son, but he was very mad and asked to be transferred to a fighter group. Franz was trained and held lincenses in seaplanes as well (had to be careful as he could end up flying seaplanes) and has told me many times that if he flown them during the war he never would have made it. Almost all pilots flying seaplanes were lost. Franz made it very clear he wanted to fight for the sky in fighter planes and in 1941 he transferred to a figher unit. In February 1942 Franz was assigned to Squadron 4/II JG-27 Photo above August Stigler Franz enters combat Oberfeldwebel Franz Stigler flew his first combat mission in a Bf 109f with his commanding officer Gustov Rodel. Upon meeting the enemy (p-40's) for the first time Franz got scared when shot at and pulled hard on the stick resulting in his plane going straight up! When they landing Rodel told him "You get used to getting shot at, don't worry about it" and Franz had no trouble from there on in... but Franz does state that in all his 487 combat missions he had at least one bullet hole in his plane...usually it was full of .303 and .50 cal. holes. Rodel and Franz became very good friends after the war until he passed away... in fact still to this day the signed photo of Gustov Rodel 65 years after it was taken still sits beside Franz's T.V. and he is more than happy to tell you about him! A Very Busy Gustov Rodel smoking cigars and talking on the phone while commanding JG-27 During the early days in North Africa Franz would find himself on the wrong end of the Royal Air forces guns and was shot down. He was escorted to an Allied Airfield only to find that the Luftwaffe was attacking the same airfield. In all the mayhem everyone ran for cover and forgot about their new prisoner! Franz took advantage of the situation and escaped back to the Luftwaffe Base! What Luck! Franz would fly his Me-109f (White 12) over the next year and half and go on to down 15 aircraft (P-40's, Spitfire's and Hurricane's). Franz knew Hans-Joachim Marseille well and his death made quite a blow to JG-27. "Marseille was an excellent fighter pilot" he often tells me but he did not like following orders or the military life. Photo taken early 1942 from the cockpit of Fred Schulz's 109, you can see Franz with the white hat sitting in his "White 12" Photo above is Fred Schulz's 109 in North Africa, Franz's plane can be seen just behind the 109 in foreground While flying in North Africa Franz did see Erwin Rommel once as he landed in a transport plane. As soon as the plane came to a stop, Rommel made a quick exit and it was clear that he did not fly well. The Berlin Zoo had given JG-27 a mascot for Franz's fighter gruppe. Their mascot was a bear that they soon named "Bobby" who was very friendly and often would sleep in the pilots barracks. Franz tells me that the bear even climbed into bed with him! Sadly as they retreated they could not take Bobby with them and he had to be put down. Franz could not do it and was done by someone else. Sicily 1942 Franz exits his 109G after a mission, notice cigarette in left hand. Franz's mechanic always had one lit for him and handed it to Franz when he opened the cockpit canopy LOTS MORE TO COME--LTD_Washout 02:00, 31 March 2007 (CDT)