If this is the official guys who make these animated stories, you have become one of my favorites. I'm now watching quite a few of the other videos besides the ones you do with Sabaton. Always great work, keep it up.
I smile every time I find one of your comments on these reaction videos. It's December, so an early Merry Christmas to you and your family, wherever you are in the world, from me and mine in the U.S.A. 🎅🤶
Welcome to the world of Sabaton.. .you have soooo many great songs to go thru. Christmas Truce is very powerful and my all time favorite christmas song :)
Christmas Truce is a must. Watch the music video, and watch the full video. Listen to the voice in the ending credits, and wait to the end to find out who it is.
@React to the World: Hey guys. First, thank you for reacting to this. Veterans and history buffs alike appreciate reactions like this. Having said that, this is a true story. As to why Franz Stigler didn't shoot down the Pub, the B-17F, it's simple: Franz was told by his training officer in the Luftwaffe, the German air force, that if he ever shot a man who was helpless in a parachute, that the officer himself would shoot Franz. The reason for this is, a pilot or aircrew member that had parachuted out of a plane was no longer a combat threat. And Franz saw the Pub that December day as helpless as a man in a parachute. That's why he didn't fire. That being said, there's a bit more to the story. After Charlie and Franz met each other, there was a reunion of the 378th Bombing Group, Charlie's US Army Air Corp. (USAAC) bomber unit. (Note: In World War II, the US Air Force didn't exist yet. As such, the US Army commanded the planes the US flew in Europe, including both fighter commands and bomber commands. After the war was when the USAAC became known as the US Air Force.) Franz hesitated to go, thinking he wouldn't be welcomed. How how wrong he was, as Franz was recognized for his actions that day by the 378th Bombing Group. And when Franz asked what he had done to deserve such recognition, a wife of one of the aircrew still alive looked at him and said, "Mr. Stigler, look around you. The men you saved have families. Children and grandchildren, of every man here, that wouldn't exist today, had you decided to shoot down the Pub. Every one of these people, Mr. Stigler, are alive today, because of you." And what is mostly an irony in this story is that while he lived in Canada, Franz Stigler was called a Nahtzee (can't use the actual word, because UA-cam) by Canadians, while Germans who fought in the war called Franz a traitor. Yet Franz, both as a combat fighter pilot and as a human being, acted with honor, humility, courage, and integrity. May he rest in peace, and may we all learn the lessons he demonstrated with his life.
You forgot to mention Franz was just POINTS away (that would have been granted by shooting down the bomber) from getting the Iron Cross, the biggest medal for them. Also, he tried to make them land, but the guys from the Pub thought he was trying to make them surrender and get captured at first. Also also, he risked his life because if the ground defenses knew he was escorting them to safety he would have been shot down on sight.
@@teknomax7883 : You only partially get it right. First, Franz could have shot down the bomber, the Pub, for 3 kills -- what the Luftwaffe had deemed an Allied bomber worth. Had he done that, he would have earned the Knight's Cross, not the Iron Cross. As for the Pub and Franz, he originally tried to get them to land. When that didn't work, he tried to get them to turn north, towards Sweden. Both times, the crew did not want to inadvertantly get shot at by AA fire. Once Franz realized they were headed back over the Atlantic Wall, he took on an escort formation, in front of the Pub. Once they were over the channel, Franz again pulled back, this time wagging his wings in a salute, and turning back towards Germany. Both Franz and Brown were able to salute each other through their windows, before Franz turned and left.
you forgot to add about Franz's brother and when he seen Charlie Brown it reminded him of his dead brother who was shot down earlier in the war also the guns weren't firing from the b-17 so he decided to help them instead of kill them however yes a lot of pilots had a code of conduct which actually was started by the famous red baron
Heard that Stigler was invited to a reunion or the Pub Squadron, and attended, but told Charlie he didn't belong there. Charlie pointed to the relatives of the people he saved and said "they are here because of you"
As mentioned below, the book "A Higher Call" tells the story of both pilots, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It explains, in his own words, why Oberleutnant Stigler did what he did, and all of the challenges he faced as a loyal German who was not a supporter of the Nazi's during the war. It also, importantly, explains how Charlie knew that the Stigler letter was genuine (details Charlie had never told anybody, Franz knew). I wish I had met both of these men. Heroes all.
Other than that he was a really honorable man, Franz Stigler was an ace with 28 confirmed kills. He was shot down 17 times, of which he had to save himself 6 times with a parachute. He was also one of the first jet pilots in history.
@@Belnick6666 Sure, as a German aircraft history nerd I know that. The best example is of course Erich Hartmann, who with his 352 victories is the most successful fighter pilot of all time. But in most countries in the world, 5 victories are generally required to be an ace. Stigler did indeed fly the Me 262 in the final weeks of the war. Of course, he hadn't achieved any victories with it.
Heard/read stories that his CO during WW2 told his squad that if any of them shot down someone in a parachute, he would shoot them personally when they landed. They were to fly with honor. So Franz saw that plane as the same as an injured pilot in a parachute going down, he knew they were no longer a threat. They needed help.
Exactly my reaction when I first heard this song. I believe I've watched it a hundred times by now. Never fails to choke me up. It's beautiful! I would recommend Night Witches (animated story video).0Also a very interesting and powerful true story. Lady Of The Dark is another one. Well, they have a lot of goodies. Thank you, both. Have a great weekend!
You should definitely look up photos of the B-17. You'd wonder how it kept flying. They don't call them flying fortresses for nothing- In an interview, when Franz was lining up the shot, he saw the tail gunner bleeding profusely and couldn't do it. Franz tried to get them to land in Germany and surrender, but Charlie refused. He then tried to get them to head towards neutral airspace, but Charlie refused again. So Franz escorted them to safety. He flew close enough to them so they wouldn't be hit by ground weapons. What a guy! After the war, he moved to Canada. When this story was made public in the 80s, Franz was called a traitor by his fellow Germans and a nazi by his fellow Canadians. Upon visiting a WWII party hosted by Charlie, he felt out of place. However Charlie told him "All of these people are here and alive because of you." Because Franz spared them, those men went on to have families and be happy.
Wonderful story. It's a great example of gallantry in war. A romantic side story: The German pilot at one point in the war was billeted with a German family. He was 28. They had a 14-year-old daughter. He treater her with utmost propriety and respect, being a total gentleman, but they really hit it off. In a few weeks they became close friends. Then the war separated them. After the war he emigrated to Canada. His wife died, and when he was over the worst of the grief, he remembered the 14-year-old. She would be 24, he realized. So he wrote her a letter, saying he was single now and would she care to explore the idea of marriage? He wondered if she would, and even if she remembered him. Her response was clear: After getting his letter she took the very next plane to Canada. Very romantic. True story.
Omg...Christmas Truce is brilliant! There's the animated story video, which will educate you, and then the official music video, which is powerful in its own way...just don't cut the credit reel at the end! Maybe a double reaction?
Adam Makos authored an historical account of this event in his book titled "A Higher Call." I highly recommend it as it is an excellent read. Adam Makos is an outstanding author who often deals with the experiences of WWII veterans in his books.
The song gets me every time. EVERY TIME I hear it, I'm tearing up. The real story from WW2, their meeting 40 years later, and the band meeting Franz's daughter and grandson... It's a real tear jerker.
Aahh yes, the first hit of Sabaton. I can highly recommend "Night Witches" "Soldier of heaven" "Unkillable Soldier" "Father" "Royal Guard" and "Carolus Rex"
Рік тому+7
Welcome to the history Metal Masters of Sabaton. This is what they do, they write all their songs about real historical events in war history. They do their homework and research about every event they write about. And the best part - THEY NEVER TAKE SIDES.
I never listened to Sabaton before, just didn't like this type of music. But then I found out it was true stories and I listen all the time. The fact that Tommy is adorable helps.
I love sabaton. They're so much more than just a band and their songs have so much more meaning than 99% of other songs. Its important history. Not just writing what will entertain the masses.
History is so much different from the human perspective. If you can put a face and name to many of the people who fought those specific battles or took action when it counted, the stories are not just a stories in a book anymore, they jump off the pages and hit you in the feels. That is the magic of Sabaton.
Welcome to history the Sabaton way. Best history teachers in the world. So many incredible songs. Keep tissues near you when watching Sabaton. I suggest Christmas truce next and then En livstid I krieg live from Gothenburg. Excellent reaction. Made me hit the subscribe button😀
I love that you're going down the Sabaton rabbithole, John and Lulu! It's a history lesson every time and they're the most passionate band out there! Their production is out of this world! They even have a history channel telling the back stories of their songs here on UA-cam! Next you should watch "Christmas Truce"! I can't wait for you to react to that song, the music video and the story!❤
This song came to be becouse of i do belive it was Pär the bassist in Sabaton read the book *A higher call* I have read that book which i in returned found out becouse of this song, i highly recommend that book.
See you guys have found one of the great treasures of Sweden, found a great start too. 🤘😎 Sabaton is always worth a listen just for the story alone, probably my favorite band so the music is awsome too if you ask me 😁
Soldiers perspective you have a En Livstid i Krig live from Göteborg/Gothenburg, the story is from the 30 year war, The swedish version is a must on this one but this live have subtitles.
Sabaton makes song based on famous events or battles in war. I recommend Shiroyama. It’s about the Japanese battle of Shiroyama, which was the final battle and last stand of the samurai. They’ve also done song about the Russian Night Witches, the Spartans last stand, and “To Hell and Back” which is about Audie Murphy, one of the most decorated soldier in history, and his battles with PTSD after the war
Theres so many i recommend from sabaton, Great War, Night Witches, and the one ive been listening as of late “The Red Baron” a pilot whose legacy and impact on aviation are still present today 105 years after his death.
Really enjoyed your reaction to this video. Would absolutley love to watch some more reactions to Sabaton from you guys. Been reading some of the commens and there are some great recommendations down there but ill leave a few of my own aswell. And just to touch on what other people said, one of the most notable aspects of Sabaton's music is their lyrical content, which revolves around historical events, particularly military history. Sabaton's stage presence is also worth mentioning. Sabaton is known for their energetic and enthusiastic live performances, which often include historical imagery, props, and pyrotechnics. So would definatley recommend watching some of their live performances aswell as their cinematic masterpieces. Recommendations for future reactions: SABATON - En Livstid I Krig (Live - The Great Tour - Gothenburg) This should be the live performance which is best, it is also in Swedish (there is an english version but not as good) but has English lyrics. SABATON - Christmas Truce (Official Music Video) SABATON - The Price Of A Mile (Official Lyric Video) Those are some great recommendations and ill add a few honorbale mentions aswell, it's hard to not put them all on the list above because they are in my opinion all great. SABATON - 40:1 SABATON - Ghost Division (OFFICIAL LIVE VIDEO) (Should be the video posted by the channel "Nuclear Blast Records") This is the live version from Woodstock SABATON - BISMARCK (This is almost like a movie, and well has a story line to it if you follow along) SABATON - To Hell And Back If you have seen and read through this comment thank you and I hope to see some more Sabaton reactions from you guys, you are amazing keep up the good work!
my favorite song Sabaton ever did was Uprising. It's a about the Warsaw Uprising during WW2. My great grandfather died in Warsaw because the Allies abandoned Poland and the Soviets allowed the Nazis to slaughter the resistance before taking the city themselves. Everytime I hear it I'm filled with anguish and pride. Highly recommended.
As others have written, welcome to the world of Sabaton, you need to see the music video called; Christmas truce and the one called; Night witches, but awesome video guys! 😊
So glad you've found Sabaton. (A Sabaton is the foot armour of a knight's suit of armour). The vast majority of these guys songs cover war and usually are based on historic facts. Enjoy the journey. ❤
welcome to the sabaton army, Check out Christmas truce, Night Witches, To hell and Back, and Bismarck just to name a few. great reaction, enjoy watching you both
And there you are. THIS is sabaton. Pick almost any of their songs and you will learn of events that are truly profound. I recommend, in this order; Dreadnought Bismarck (official music video) The Red Baron Soldier of Heaven Price of a Mile Christmas Truce The Lost Battalion 82nd All The Way Father Attack of the Dead Men The Ballad of Bull All epic songs, but if you listen in this order you will find that many of these reflect and enhance each others stories. After that, three are SO many more!
Shows the actual care for one another. There is a video of a wwII veteran returning a Japanese flag to the family from which he obtained the soldier he took it from
Franz Stigler and Charlie Brown are 2 sides of my absolute favorite WWII story. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend you read Adam Makos' book, "A Higher Call" which tells the full story.
Many below have quoted Franz' first commanding officer as one of the reasons why he could not shoot in that moment. It should, however, also be remembered that Franz Stigler started out as a civilian airline pilot before joining the Luftwaffe. At that time, his first and foremost duty and responsibility as a pilot was to deliver the plane and its passengers safely at their destination. I'd say this might have influenced him when meeting that badly damaged B-17 and watching the wounded and scared crewmembers through the holes in the fuselage.
Fantastic reaction guys! Sabaton makes the perfect songs about history. You should definitely react to more especially lady of the night. Stiglers commander said if he found out that any of his pilots were seen to shooting down parachuters as they were helpless parachuting in he would personally kill them himself. Stigler told people what his commander said and when he saw the injured allies in the B17 he realised that they were helpless and saw that they were just like any parachuter but were in desperate need of help. If you watch back the video he is pointing in a particular direction trying to get them to land in neutral Sweden or Switzerland (sorry I can’t remember exactly which one it was) as he didn’t believe the bomber would make it all the way back.
The B-17 was a helluva airframe. It could take impossible amounts of damage and keep flying; one nearly had the tail cut off by the wing of a German fighter and still was able to limp home.
Sabaton History brings you the historical background to all Sabaton songs. Link is on the story behind "No Bullets Fly" ua-cam.com/video/LSU7HedRVGY/v-deo.html&ab_channel=SabatonHistory
Franz Stigler also went on record saying that he was taught by his Luftwaffe chief that if he ever heard of anyone from his squadron shooting at someone in a parachute he'd shoot them himself. Stigler thought to himself in this situation, "With how badly this bomber is damaged they might as well be treated as if they are in parachutes." So essentially, the Luftwaffe just had "good" morals in that respect.
There so many more things to say about this incident. 1/ I believe there was a standing order to not spare any plane or even pilot in a parachute. If anyone had reported the incident Stigler would most likely have been court martialed and shot 2/ Stigler stayed with the B-17 to keep the AA gunners from shooting it down, not leaving it until they got to the coast 3/ When fighting in Africa, Stigler was told by his commander that if you follow this order to shoot down helpless enemies I will shoot you myself. You will not follow this order to save the enemy but to save your soul because you will never forgive yourself. Stigler has said that he remembered this when he was thinking about shooting down the bomber 4/ Brown told his commander when he was debriefed and to an intelligence officer. However he was ordered not to tell anyone and the whole thing was kept secret. There was two reasons for this, one was that they didnt want other bomber crewes to think that the next german fighter would spare them, and the other reason was they they didnt want the enemy to be portrayed in a humane way. 5/ Everyone in the B-17, except the initially killed gunner survived the war, with the last member dying in 2016 6/ The reason Stigler didnt fire in the first place was that he saw that the tail gunner machineguns were pointing upwards, showing no one was using them. When he came closer he saw the dead tailgunner and when he got closer he saw that the mid section gunners were either injured or trying to save other wounded crew members. To me Stigler was a true hero who in a war was but still able to feel mercy
I've heard before that the base Franz Stigler was at. The commander and specifically said that if he finds out that if any pilots kill someone thats parachuting down. That he would shoot that person himself. I guess Franz thought that since the B-17 was defenseless.he applied the same logic
Sabaton is a Swedish power metal band from Falun, which was formed in 1999. The band's songs are inspired by various historical wars. Even the band name is military inspired, as Sabaton is also the name of the part of the armor that covers the foot. Everyone in the group Sabaton loves history, so all the music they make and sing about really happened. To help them, they have three historians, who partly look for interesting history, but also fans around the world send in war stories that have happened in their countries, then the historians take and look for facts about what has happened and Sabaton thinks that is interesting, they make music of the story. Sabaton has 100 employees and Sabaton takes care of everything, they have no outsider to fix and charge a fortune for it. By booking gigs, selling tickets and booking hotels themselves, costs are kept down and ticket prices are not too high. 12 lorries are used to transport the stage equipment and instruments. Sabaton manages the actual sales of souvenirs, shirts and records. Thanks to Sabaton doing this themselves, they have a large audience and many gigs. Several famous bands around the world have had to stop playing, because others take care of everything for the bands and then the cost afterwards for the tickets becomes so expensive that people stop going and the bands don't get gigs.
The fact that Stigler would receive mail from Germany. After the story went public. Calling him a traitor. Even 50 years later. Then also received mail from other Canadians calling him a na zi thug and worse. Makes you question humanity. Fun fact; Ye Olde Pub is only 1 of 10 B-17 still flying as a Warbirds Museum.
They were basically like fish in a barrel. Franz could have easily shot them down, but his moral side said otherwise. Like the lyrics say. Fly, fighting fair, it’s the code of the air. Brothers, heroes, foes.
Thanks for reacting to the song as for the German pilot I've heard his commanding officer told his pilots not shoot pilots who bailed out and popped their parachutes as there was no honor in that since the pilot was unable to defend himself and apparently he saw the bomber in the same way it's defenceless as it's gun emplacements couldn't protect the plane so was it any different than a man in a parachute? I myself actually had the same thoughts again thanks so much for reacting to the song
Unbelievable group! They have there own history channel on UA-cam. They are great and their music have helped me thru bad times. To Hell and Back (Audie Murphy) helped me fight back my demons.. Bismarck Screaming Eagle Christmas Truce En livstid i krig (use English Subtitles)
He didn't shoot him because Stigler followed something like pilot codex. It's forbidding for example shooting on the crew of the plane which jumping out from plane (plane is too damaged to survive). Some pilots followed it
You will also like The Night Witches. These days we are flooded with silly boring Hollywood crap (and politics). Women empowerment and all that (you know the kind; one single 18 year old, 3 feet high girl destroying 50 grown men without breaking a sweat). But if Hollywood really, really cared they would make a movie about these incredibly brave women. Such an inspiring story. The courage of these girls and women is absolutely mind-boggling. Great reaction as always !
Hey react to world. The reason franz stigler didn’t shoot them down was that his commander told him and others to never shoot a man parachuting down and the commander made sure to get his point across. To stigler the badly damaged bomber was the same as a man parachuting so he didn’t shoot at them and they couldn’t shoot him because of the frozen guns.
Franz Stigler is even greater hero if you realize, that when this event happened, he only needed 1 more bomber to shoot down, and he got the greatest award of Iron Cross. Only 1 more bomber. And that one was an easy target.
As a former Army attack helicopter pilot with combat experience, who now flies jets, I can relate. I could have fired on so-called “combatants” and would have been justified but, it wouldn’t have been moral. There is a code of the air between aviators…
If two are on radar, you should definetly, take a reaction to Sabatons "Girl / Woman Power" -songs, and definetly their animeted versions: Lady Of The Dark & The Night Witches. Specialy considering the fact that The Night Witches - 588 Night Bommers, were all female squadron, (in 2nd WW) flying completely outdated, slow, lifetreahtningly rickety ride aicrafts, made out of plywood and canvas, The Polykarpov - Cropduster or Sawing machine, but enabling one the most vexing, annoying, irritating and bone chilling, harrasment night bombardement barrages in whole warfare history!
You might also like the animated story version of "Night Witches" - the true story of **female** Russian pilots during WWII. Maybe react to it? (yes - shameless request).
Sabaton are the band that make me cry more often than any other - if you had told me ten years ago that it would be a power metal band writing songs about war that most made me cry, I would have laughed, but they are not just writing about war, they are writing about (and celebrating) humanity in extreme circumstances. They have so many powerful songs it's hard to know what to suggest - a couple of favourites: _Christmas_ _Truce_ (official music video) and _Night_ _Witches_ (animated story video). For the latter (and actually any of the animated videos) make sure it's the _story_ video, because there's also a music video which skips the story element. There is an animated video for Christmas Truce too, but this is the exception - watch the official music video first! Sabaton's video selection is confusing....
Sticker’s Training officer told any pilot he trained if he ever heard they shot at a downed pilot he would kill them himself. Sticker felt ye olde pub was effectively downed already so he did as he was taught to do and gave them an escort to safety. It’s not right to hit an enemy that can’t hit you back
Subscribe as we're hooked on Sabaton. More reactions coming!
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Welcome abord. You can react to any Sabaton song. It's history all of them. Love your reactions!👍
Great reaction. We're always happy when there are tears or goosebumps
If this is the official guys who make these animated stories, you have become one of my favorites. I'm now watching quite a few of the other videos besides the ones you do with Sabaton. Always great work, keep it up.
its Yurnyub!
@@glstka5710 yes
Thank you for your reaction - kind words
I smile every time I find one of your comments on these reaction videos.
It's December, so an early Merry Christmas to you and your family, wherever you are in the world, from me and mine in the U.S.A.
🎅🤶
@@AkiraDragonborne Thank you - a wonderful Merry Christmas to you and yours. I wish you a magical upcoming year
Welcome to the world of Sabaton.. .you have soooo many great songs to go thru. Christmas Truce is very powerful and my all time favorite christmas song :)
Christmas Truce is a must. Watch the music video, and watch the full video. Listen to the voice in the ending credits, and wait to the end to find out who it is.
@@bytemeleew 100%! And thank you for NOT spoiling who it is. :)
Sabaton is totally wonderful. The lead singer is a historian /professor, I believe.
christmas truce is the best christmas song
@React to the World: Hey guys. First, thank you for reacting to this. Veterans and history buffs alike appreciate reactions like this.
Having said that, this is a true story. As to why Franz Stigler didn't shoot down the Pub, the B-17F, it's simple: Franz was told by his training officer in the Luftwaffe, the German air force, that if he ever shot a man who was helpless in a parachute, that the officer himself would shoot Franz. The reason for this is, a pilot or aircrew member that had parachuted out of a plane was no longer a combat threat. And Franz saw the Pub that December day as helpless as a man in a parachute. That's why he didn't fire.
That being said, there's a bit more to the story. After Charlie and Franz met each other, there was a reunion of the 378th Bombing Group, Charlie's US Army Air Corp. (USAAC) bomber unit. (Note: In World War II, the US Air Force didn't exist yet. As such, the US Army commanded the planes the US flew in Europe, including both fighter commands and bomber commands. After the war was when the USAAC became known as the US Air Force.)
Franz hesitated to go, thinking he wouldn't be welcomed. How how wrong he was, as Franz was recognized for his actions that day by the 378th Bombing Group. And when Franz asked what he had done to deserve such recognition, a wife of one of the aircrew still alive looked at him and said, "Mr. Stigler, look around you. The men you saved have families. Children and grandchildren, of every man here, that wouldn't exist today, had you decided to shoot down the Pub. Every one of these people, Mr. Stigler, are alive today, because of you."
And what is mostly an irony in this story is that while he lived in Canada, Franz Stigler was called a Nahtzee (can't use the actual word, because UA-cam) by Canadians, while Germans who fought in the war called Franz a traitor. Yet Franz, both as a combat fighter pilot and as a human being, acted with honor, humility, courage, and integrity.
May he rest in peace, and may we all learn the lessons he demonstrated with his life.
Yes! 100% Thank you! I hope these two see your comment, it is so important! :)
You outlined everything perfectly mate. Upvoting and commenting so more people see and read what you said :)
You forgot to mention Franz was just POINTS away (that would have been granted by shooting down the bomber) from getting the Iron Cross, the biggest medal for them.
Also, he tried to make them land, but the guys from the Pub thought he was trying to make them surrender and get captured at first.
Also also, he risked his life because if the ground defenses knew he was escorting them to safety he would have been shot down on sight.
@@teknomax7883 : You only partially get it right.
First, Franz could have shot down the bomber, the Pub, for 3 kills -- what the Luftwaffe had deemed an Allied bomber worth. Had he done that, he would have earned the Knight's Cross, not the Iron Cross.
As for the Pub and Franz, he originally tried to get them to land. When that didn't work, he tried to get them to turn north, towards Sweden. Both times, the crew did not want to inadvertantly get shot at by AA fire. Once Franz realized they were headed back over the Atlantic Wall, he took on an escort formation, in front of the Pub. Once they were over the channel, Franz again pulled back, this time wagging his wings in a salute, and turning back towards Germany. Both Franz and Brown were able to salute each other through their windows, before Franz turned and left.
you forgot to add about Franz's brother and when he seen Charlie Brown it reminded him of his dead brother who was shot down earlier in the war also the guns weren't firing from the b-17 so he decided to help them instead of kill them however yes a lot of pilots had a code of conduct which actually was started by the famous red baron
Heard that Stigler was invited to a reunion or the Pub Squadron, and attended, but told Charlie he didn't belong there. Charlie pointed to the relatives of the people he saved and said "they are here because of you"
As mentioned below, the book "A Higher Call" tells the story of both pilots, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It explains, in his own words, why Oberleutnant Stigler did what he did, and all of the challenges he faced as a loyal German who was not a supporter of the Nazi's during the war. It also, importantly, explains how Charlie knew that the Stigler letter was genuine (details Charlie had never told anybody, Franz knew). I wish I had met both of these men. Heroes all.
Other than that he was a really honorable man, Franz Stigler was an ace with 28 confirmed kills. He was shot down 17 times, of which he had to save himself 6 times with a parachute. He was also one of the first jet pilots in history.
I did not know any of that! That's cool! Thank you! :)
was in the me262? btw, 28 might be an Ace for the allied side, but for the german side......they had hundreds of pilots with 100+ kills
@@Belnick6666 Sure, as a German aircraft history nerd I know that. The best example is of course Erich Hartmann, who with his 352 victories is the most successful fighter pilot of all time. But in most countries in the world, 5 victories are generally required to be an ace.
Stigler did indeed fly the Me 262 in the final weeks of the war. Of course, he hadn't achieved any victories with it.
Heard/read stories that his CO during WW2 told his squad that if any of them shot down someone in a parachute, he would shoot them personally when they landed. They were to fly with honor. So Franz saw that plane as the same as an injured pilot in a parachute going down, he knew they were no longer a threat. They needed help.
Exactly my reaction when I first heard this song. I believe I've watched it a hundred times by now. Never fails to choke me up. It's beautiful!
I would recommend Night Witches (animated story video).0Also a very interesting and powerful true story. Lady Of The Dark is another one.
Well, they have a lot of goodies.
Thank you, both.
Have a great weekend!
Yes to Night Witches. I have never heard of Lady Of The Dark. But yes, LOTS of GREAT songs! :)
The animated Night Witches .. yes .. do that one
Sabaton also have a story chanel where they go more indepth about the history behind their songs
You should definitely look up photos of the B-17. You'd wonder how it kept flying. They don't call them flying fortresses for nothing-
In an interview, when Franz was lining up the shot, he saw the tail gunner bleeding profusely and couldn't do it.
Franz tried to get them to land in Germany and surrender, but Charlie refused. He then tried to get them to head towards neutral airspace, but Charlie refused again. So Franz escorted them to safety. He flew close enough to them so they wouldn't be hit by ground weapons. What a guy!
After the war, he moved to Canada. When this story was made public in the 80s, Franz was called a traitor by his fellow Germans and a nazi by his fellow Canadians. Upon visiting a WWII party hosted by Charlie, he felt out of place. However Charlie told him "All of these people are here and alive because of you." Because Franz spared them, those men went on to have families and be happy.
Wonderful story. It's a great example of gallantry in war. A romantic side story: The German pilot at one point in the war was billeted with a German family. He was 28. They had a 14-year-old daughter. He treater her with utmost propriety and respect, being a total gentleman, but they really hit it off. In a few weeks they became close friends. Then the war separated them. After the war he emigrated to Canada. His wife died, and when he was over the worst of the grief, he remembered the 14-year-old. She would be 24, he realized. So he wrote her a letter, saying he was single now and would she care to explore the idea of marriage? He wondered if she would, and even if she remembered him. Her response was clear: After getting his letter she took the very next plane to Canada. Very romantic. True story.
Christmas truce will make you cry more 😅
Guaranteed
ESPECIALLY watching the video all the way through! :)
Omg...Christmas Truce is brilliant! There's the animated story video, which will educate you, and then the official music video, which is powerful in its own way...just don't cut the credit reel at the end! Maybe a double reaction?
Adam Makos authored an historical account of this event in his book titled "A Higher Call." I highly recommend it as it is an excellent read. Adam Makos is an outstanding author who often deals with the experiences of WWII veterans in his books.
The song gets me every time. EVERY TIME I hear it, I'm tearing up.
The real story from WW2, their meeting 40 years later, and the band meeting Franz's daughter and grandson... It's a real tear jerker.
Its a documantry out on YT..where frans meet the men he saved and their children and grandchildren.
Aahh yes, the first hit of Sabaton. I can highly recommend "Night Witches" "Soldier of heaven" "Unkillable Soldier" "Father" "Royal Guard" and "Carolus Rex"
Welcome to the history Metal Masters of Sabaton. This is what they do, they write all their songs about real historical events in war history. They do their homework and research about every event they write about. And the best part - THEY NEVER TAKE SIDES.
Watch sabaton historychanel aswell.
I never listened to Sabaton before, just didn't like this type of music. But then I found out it was true stories and I listen all the time. The fact that Tommy is adorable helps.
I think that you allready watshed Tommys UA-cam chanel. He posts one cover every friday 12 pm cet. Check it out, you'll love it!👍
Please do more Sabaton...They are my favourites
I love sabaton. They're so much more than just a band and their songs have so much more meaning than 99% of other songs. Its important history. Not just writing what will entertain the masses.
Yes more Sabaton 🤘
I concur!
History is so much different from the human perspective. If you can put a face and name to many of the people who fought those specific battles or took action when it counted, the stories are not just a stories in a book anymore, they jump off the pages and hit you in the feels. That is the magic of Sabaton.
Welcome to history the Sabaton way. Best history teachers in the world. So many incredible songs. Keep tissues near you when watching Sabaton. I suggest Christmas truce next and then En livstid I krieg live from Gothenburg. Excellent reaction. Made me hit the subscribe button😀
They just dropped 1916, a cover/tribute to the Motorhead song. EXCELLENT
I love that you're going down the Sabaton rabbithole, John and Lulu! It's a history lesson every time and they're the most passionate band out there! Their production is out of this world! They even have a history channel telling the back stories of their songs here on UA-cam! Next you should watch "Christmas Truce"! I can't wait for you to react to that song, the music video and the story!❤
This song came to be becouse of i do belive it was Pär the bassist in Sabaton read the book *A higher call* I have read that book which i in returned found out becouse of this song, i highly recommend that book.
See you guys have found one of the great treasures of Sweden, found a great start too. 🤘😎
Sabaton is always worth a listen just for the story alone, probably my favorite band so the music is awsome too if you ask me 😁
Soldiers perspective you have a En Livstid i Krig live from Göteborg/Gothenburg, the story is from the 30 year war, The swedish version is a must on this one but this live have subtitles.
You are the best!
What reactions you have to Sabaton’s music.
You are amazing.
🇸🇪👍🏼🇸🇪
Stormtroopers will make your heads bop! Or Father will make your skin crawl
Sabaton makes song based on famous events or battles in war. I recommend Shiroyama. It’s about the Japanese battle of Shiroyama, which was the final battle and last stand of the samurai. They’ve also done song about the Russian Night Witches, the Spartans last stand, and “To Hell and Back” which is about Audie Murphy, one of the most decorated soldier in history, and his battles with PTSD after the war
Theres so many i recommend from sabaton, Great War, Night Witches, and the one ive been listening as of late “The Red Baron” a pilot whose legacy and impact on aviation are still present today 105 years after his death.
War ethics . Respect your enemie. Help injured. Every war has its end
The humanity of this song is so beautiful, I cry like a baby everytime I hear it.❤️❤️❤️
Really enjoyed your reaction to this video. Would absolutley love to watch some more reactions to Sabaton from you guys. Been reading some of the commens and there are some great recommendations down there but ill leave a few of my own aswell. And just to touch on what other people said, one of the most notable aspects of Sabaton's music is their lyrical content, which revolves around historical events, particularly military history.
Sabaton's stage presence is also worth mentioning. Sabaton is known for their energetic and enthusiastic live performances, which often include historical imagery, props, and pyrotechnics. So would definatley recommend watching some of their live performances aswell as their cinematic masterpieces.
Recommendations for future reactions:
SABATON - En Livstid I Krig (Live - The Great Tour - Gothenburg) This should be the live performance which is best, it is also in Swedish (there is an english version but not as good) but has English lyrics.
SABATON - Christmas Truce (Official Music Video)
SABATON - The Price Of A Mile (Official Lyric Video)
Those are some great recommendations and ill add a few honorbale mentions aswell, it's hard to not put them all on the list above because they are in my opinion all great.
SABATON - 40:1
SABATON - Ghost Division (OFFICIAL LIVE VIDEO) (Should be the video posted by the channel "Nuclear Blast Records") This is the live version from Woodstock
SABATON - BISMARCK (This is almost like a movie, and well has a story line to it if you follow along)
SABATON - To Hell And Back
If you have seen and read through this comment thank you and I hope to see some more Sabaton reactions from you guys, you are amazing keep up the good work!
yeah, watch Christams truce! you will love it!
my favorite song Sabaton ever did was Uprising. It's a about the Warsaw Uprising during WW2. My great grandfather died in Warsaw because the Allies abandoned Poland and the Soviets allowed the Nazis to slaughter the resistance before taking the city themselves. Everytime I hear it I'm filled with anguish and pride.
Highly recommended.
As others have written, welcome to the world of Sabaton, you need to see the music video called; Christmas truce and the one called; Night witches, but awesome video guys! 😊
The Sabaton way... never glorify the killing, only the bravery
So glad you've found Sabaton. (A Sabaton is the foot armour of a knight's suit of armour). The vast majority of these guys songs cover war and usually are based on historic facts. Enjoy the journey. ❤
Check out the live version of En Livstid I Krig and turn the subtitles on cause its in swedish. Rock on folks!!!
welcome to the sabaton army, Check out Christmas truce, Night Witches, To hell and Back, and Bismarck just to name a few. great reaction, enjoy watching you both
And there you are. THIS is sabaton. Pick almost any of their songs and you will learn of events that are truly profound.
I recommend, in this order;
Dreadnought
Bismarck (official music video)
The Red Baron
Soldier of Heaven
Price of a Mile
Christmas Truce
The Lost Battalion
82nd All The Way
Father
Attack of the Dead Men
The Ballad of Bull
All epic songs, but if you listen in this order you will find that many of these reflect and enhance each others stories.
After that, three are SO many more!
Love the reaction and that you did this - hope to see more sabaton reactions 🙂
Shows the actual care for one another. There is a video of a wwII veteran returning a Japanese flag to the family from which he obtained the soldier he took it from
Franz Stigler and Charlie Brown are 2 sides of my absolute favorite WWII story. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend you read Adam Makos' book, "A Higher Call" which tells the full story.
Many below have quoted Franz' first commanding officer as one of the reasons why he could not shoot in that moment. It should, however, also be remembered that Franz Stigler started out as a civilian airline pilot before joining the Luftwaffe. At that time, his first and foremost duty and responsibility as a pilot was to deliver the plane and its passengers safely at their destination. I'd say this might have influenced him when meeting that badly damaged B-17 and watching the wounded and scared crewmembers through the holes in the fuselage.
Fantastic reaction guys! Sabaton makes the perfect songs about history. You should definitely react to more especially lady of the night.
Stiglers commander said if he found out that any of his pilots were seen to shooting down parachuters as they were helpless parachuting in he would personally kill them himself. Stigler told people what his commander said and when he saw the injured allies in the B17 he realised that they were helpless and saw that they were just like any parachuter but were in desperate need of help. If you watch back the video he is pointing in a particular direction trying to get them to land in neutral Sweden or Switzerland (sorry I can’t remember exactly which one it was) as he didn’t believe the bomber would make it all the way back.
The B-17 was a helluva airframe. It could take impossible amounts of damage and keep flying; one nearly had the tail cut off by the wing of a German fighter and still was able to limp home.
Christmas Truce and Bismarck music video rest i like live versions….. specially En livstid i krig from Gothenburg
Check out Tommy Johansson. He is a part of this band.
You will not regret it.
Sabaton History brings you the historical background to all Sabaton songs.
Link is on the story behind "No Bullets Fly" ua-cam.com/video/LSU7HedRVGY/v-deo.html&ab_channel=SabatonHistory
Franz Stigler also went on record saying that he was taught by his Luftwaffe chief that if he ever heard of anyone from his squadron shooting at someone in a parachute he'd shoot them himself. Stigler thought to himself in this situation, "With how badly this bomber is damaged they might as well be treated as if they are in parachutes."
So essentially, the Luftwaffe just had "good" morals in that respect.
one Stigler instructor stated that he personally kill if any one of is battalion shoot any parachuter
This is how you learn history! Trough stories of real people. And the stories are still being written ;)
There so many more things to say about this incident.
1/ I believe there was a standing order to not spare any plane or even pilot in a parachute. If anyone had reported the incident Stigler would most likely have been court martialed and shot
2/ Stigler stayed with the B-17 to keep the AA gunners from shooting it down, not leaving it until they got to the coast
3/ When fighting in Africa, Stigler was told by his commander that if you follow this order to shoot down helpless enemies I will shoot you myself. You will not follow this order to save the enemy but to save your soul because you will never forgive yourself. Stigler has said that he remembered this when he was thinking about shooting down the bomber
4/ Brown told his commander when he was debriefed and to an intelligence officer. However he was ordered not to tell anyone and the whole thing was kept secret. There was two reasons for this, one was that they didnt want other bomber crewes to think that the next german fighter would spare them, and the other reason was they they didnt want the enemy to be portrayed in a humane way.
5/ Everyone in the B-17, except the initially killed gunner survived the war, with the last member dying in 2016
6/ The reason Stigler didnt fire in the first place was that he saw that the tail gunner machineguns were pointing upwards, showing no one was using them. When he came closer he saw the dead tailgunner and when he got closer he saw that the mid section gunners were either injured or trying to save other wounded crew members.
To me Stigler was a true hero who in a war was but still able to feel mercy
I've heard before that the base Franz Stigler was at. The commander and specifically said that if he finds out that if any pilots kill someone thats parachuting down. That he would shoot that person himself. I guess Franz thought that since the B-17 was defenseless.he applied the same logic
Sabaton is a Swedish power metal band from Falun, which was formed in 1999. The band's songs are inspired by various historical wars. Even the band name is military inspired, as Sabaton is also the name of the part of the armor that covers the foot.
Everyone in the group Sabaton loves history, so all the music they make and sing about really happened.
To help them, they have three historians, who partly look for interesting history, but also fans around the world send in war stories that have happened in their countries, then the historians take and look for facts about what has happened and Sabaton thinks that is interesting, they make music of the story.
Sabaton has 100 employees and Sabaton takes care of everything, they have no outsider to fix and charge a fortune for it. By booking gigs, selling tickets and booking hotels themselves, costs are kept down and ticket prices are not too high. 12 lorries are used to transport the stage equipment and instruments.
Sabaton manages the actual sales of souvenirs, shirts and records.
Thanks to Sabaton doing this themselves, they have a large audience and many gigs. Several famous bands around the world have had to stop playing, because others take care of everything for the bands and then the cost afterwards for the tickets becomes so expensive that people stop going and the bands don't get gigs.
Great reaction!! And an awesome 🎵, you should do night witches - animated story video next ⭐️⭐️
The fact that Stigler would receive mail from Germany. After the story went public. Calling him a traitor. Even 50 years later. Then also received mail from other Canadians calling him a na zi thug and worse. Makes you question humanity.
Fun fact; Ye Olde Pub is only 1 of 10 B-17 still flying as a Warbirds Museum.
Need to do the video for NIGHT WITCHES A Female pilots it's a good story you will love it if history was like this I would of paid attention in school
They were basically like fish in a barrel.
Franz could have easily shot them down, but his moral side said otherwise.
Like the lyrics say.
Fly, fighting fair, it’s the code of the air.
Brothers, heroes, foes.
Thanks for reacting to the song as for the German pilot I've heard his commanding officer told his pilots not shoot pilots who bailed out and popped their parachutes as there was no honor in that since the pilot was unable to defend himself and apparently he saw the bomber in the same way it's defenceless as it's gun emplacements couldn't protect the plane so was it any different than a man in a parachute? I myself actually had the same thoughts again thanks so much for reacting to the song
This story is so heart warming .
Because I am from Poland, I recommend first "40:1" and "Uprising" and of course many more great songs from the genius band "Sabaton".
Unbelievable group! They have there own history channel on UA-cam. They are great and their music have helped me thru bad times. To Hell and Back (Audie Murphy) helped me fight back my demons..
Bismarck
Screaming Eagle
Christmas Truce
En livstid i krig (use English Subtitles)
Read the book A Higher Call. Which is what this story came from.
If you want to know about the best collaboration, listen to their song "Battle of Castle Itter"
He didn't shoot him because Stigler followed something like pilot codex. It's forbidding for example shooting on the crew of the plane which jumping out from plane (plane is too damaged to survive). Some pilots followed it
You will also like The Night Witches. These days we are flooded with silly boring Hollywood crap (and politics). Women empowerment and all that (you know the kind; one single 18 year old, 3 feet high girl destroying 50 grown men without breaking a sweat). But if Hollywood really, really cared they would make a movie about these incredibly brave women. Such an inspiring story. The courage of these girls and women is absolutely mind-boggling.
Great reaction as always !
This story just hit's you.
i recommand too watch night witches from them its a super good song
10+ albums of Sabatonic Metal to go. History taught with Metal.
SABATON = BEST STORYTELLERS IN HUMAN HISTORY
PERIOD ^^
Hey react to world. The reason franz stigler didn’t shoot them down was that his commander told him and others to never shoot a man parachuting down and the commander made sure to get his point across. To stigler the badly damaged bomber was the same as a man parachuting so he didn’t shoot at them and they couldn’t shoot him because of the frozen guns.
You should follow your Sabaton music reactions with the corresponding Sabaton history channel reaction.
Ciao Belli, Great reaction
I recommend Bismarck and Christmas Truce from them
Franz Stigler is even greater hero if you realize, that when this event happened, he only needed 1 more bomber to shoot down, and he got the greatest award of Iron Cross. Only 1 more bomber.
And that one was an easy target.
🇸🇪 Swedens music 🇸🇪
As a former Army attack helicopter pilot with combat experience, who now flies jets, I can relate. I could have fired on so-called “combatants” and would have been justified but, it wouldn’t have been moral. There is a code of the air between aviators…
The march of the dead men is also vary good
Check out Sabatons Soldier of Three Armies, it's about the craziest most insane soldier to ever exist.
If two are on radar, you should definetly, take a reaction to Sabatons "Girl / Woman Power" -songs, and definetly their animeted versions: Lady Of The Dark & The Night Witches.
Specialy considering the fact that The Night Witches - 588 Night Bommers, were all female squadron, (in 2nd WW) flying completely outdated, slow, lifetreahtningly rickety ride aicrafts, made out of plywood and canvas, The Polykarpov - Cropduster or Sawing machine, but enabling one the most vexing, annoying, irritating and bone chilling, harrasment night bombardement barrages in whole warfare history!
In my old days i read that he fired his gun out before he landing. I am from sweden and we heard of this
well then the gun camera would record wasting of ammo
You might also like the animated story version of "Night Witches" - the true story of **female** Russian pilots during WWII. Maybe react to it? (yes - shameless request).
Let's go give us more Sabaton, but some other bands on hold :D
Nice reaction.
Sabaton are the band that make me cry more often than any other - if you had told me ten years ago that it would be a power metal band writing songs about war that most made me cry, I would have laughed, but they are not just writing about war, they are writing about (and celebrating) humanity in extreme circumstances.
They have so many powerful songs it's hard to know what to suggest - a couple of favourites: _Christmas_ _Truce_ (official music video) and _Night_ _Witches_ (animated story video). For the latter (and actually any of the animated videos) make sure it's the _story_ video, because there's also a music video which skips the story element. There is an animated video for Christmas Truce too, but this is the exception - watch the official music video first! Sabaton's video selection is confusing....
you certainly have a rabbit warren of Sabaton music to explore, I left a list in comments on your last reaction to them.
Sticker’s Training officer told any pilot he trained if he ever heard they shot at a downed pilot he would kill them himself. Sticker felt ye olde pub was effectively downed already so he did as he was taught to do and gave them an escort to safety. It’s not right to hit an enemy that can’t hit you back
Story is of Even Enemies can show respect
"Night Witches" next?
Sabaton for WW1 and WW2, then you got Amon Amarth for Viking wars!
One Of The Many WW2 Miracles And By The Grace Of God Which Kept THat Bomber In The Air
yep, i cried.
Bremen , mi Home Town :) i now Aircraft Faktory ..... I now the Story , the German Pilot fly by the side , and escort them back to tho Nordsee.
Christmas Truce, another great Sabaton song should be next if you haven't done it already.
ALL of Sabaton's songs are about true events