A rookie B17 pilot on his first mission over Germany struggling home in his crippled aircraft and a veteran Me109 fighter pilot with 27 kills and over 400 combat missions flown, meet in the air.  The result should have been obvious but…

Boeing B-17F radar bombing through clouds over Bremen, Germany, on Nov. 13, 1943. (U.S. Air Force photo)

 

A B17 formation over Germany.

 

An Me109 of Jagdgeschwader 27.

 

Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the US Gov and the Bundesarchiv.