2nd Lieutenant Charles “Charlie” Brown struggled to keep

查理·布朗少尉掙扎地嘗試

his mortally damaged American bomber on course.

讓他嚴重損毀的 美軍轟炸機保持在航線上

Brown had been wounded in the shoulder,

布朗的肩膀已受傷

his tail gunner Sergeant Hugh “Ecky” Eckenrode was dead,

他的尾砲手休伊·"Ecky"·艾肯羅德中士已陣亡

and several other members of the crew were wounded, some severely.

其他的組員也已經受傷，有些更甚嚴重

Their aircraft, B-17 Ye Olde Pub, had been hit twice by flak as it approached its target,

他們的飛機－B-17轟炸機， 在接近他們的目標物－部屬在德國布萊梅的福克-沃爾夫戰鬥機的時候

the Focke-Wulf plant in the German city of Bremen, forcing the crew

被防空炮擊中了兩次，導致四台引擎中

to shut down one of the engines and throttle back on another.

一台引擎停止運作，並失去油門動力

This had left it lagging behind the main formation of aircraft from the 379th Bombardment Group

這導致他們已經脫離第379遠征作戰小組轟炸機隊形許久

and groups of German fighters had closed in like sharks sensing blood in the water.

而有一群德軍戰鬥機從後襲來像是一群鯊魚在海中 嘗到血腥味般。

Up to fifteen fighters had attacked the bomber and the whole tail section was shot to pieces,

十五架戰鬥機開始攻擊轟炸機，且整條尾翼 已經支離破散

the nosecone was missing, the electrical, hydraulic and oxygen systems were damaged,

失去鼻錐、電力、液壓和氧氣供給系統已損毀

the radio was out and the entrails of the crippled bomber flapped in

無線電也已無法使用，已經搖搖欲墜的轟炸機開始

the slipstream through gaping rents in the fuselage.

搖晃機身並難以操控

But B-17s are tough old birds and this one somehow kept on flying despite the damage.

但B-17是個強硬的老鳥，而這架不知為何 仍然在損壞嚴重的情況下持續航行

Brown blacked out for a short time due to pain, loss of blood

布朗因為過於疼痛、大量失血以及少量的氧氣 而失去意識一陣子

and a lack of oxygen and the bomber spiraled towards the ground.

此時轟炸機正筆直地俯衝至地面

Brown came to and realized that the B-17 was only a few hundred feet above the ground.

布朗醒來過來並意識到B-17離地面不到幾英尺

He somehow managed to get it back under control and turned west,

他不知為何將轟炸機扳回正常高度並轉向西邊

towards England and safety, two hundred and fifty miles away.

安全地航向英格蘭島，差不多兩百五十英里外

Brown wasn't able to coax the B-17 much above one thousand feet

布郎沒辦法讓B-17持續航行在一千英尺上空

and he was vaguely aware that he had passed close to the perimeter of a German airfield.

而他含糊地意識到他已經通過了一座德國戰鬥機場

Soon after he realized that a German Messerschmitt Bf 109

過不久他發現一架德軍Bf 109戰鬥機

was flying in close formation beside him.

就在他機身的旁邊並行

It was so close that Brown could see the German pilot

對方非常的接近以至於布朗能看到駕駛員上的臉龐

as he gestured towards the ground, telling Brown to set the bomber down.

當駕駛員以手指向地面會意布朗將轟炸機降落在 地面上

Most of the B-17's gunners were wounded, only a few guns were still working

大多數的B-17砲手已受傷，只有少數幾把槍能 持續運作

and none were able to shoot at the enemy fighter alongside.

卻沒任何一個人能有辦法射下在機身旁 的戰鬥機

Brown could only look at the German pilot and shake his head.

布朗唯一能做的就是看向駕駛員並搖頭拒絕

For a short time the Messerschmitt flew beside the bomber.

在一小段時間後Bf 109飛離了轟炸機旁

Then it slid away, above and behind.

並滑行至後上方

Brown waited for the gunfire that must mean the end of Ye Olde Pub.

布朗已經準備好被擊落的心理準備了

But nothing happened.

但什麼事卻沒發生

He realized to his astonishment that the German fighter was flying escort on the B-17.

他驚訝地發現這架德軍戰鬥機居然在護送B-17

As they crossed the coastline and flew out over the North Sea

就當他們跨越海岸線時飛到北海上空

the fighter remained on station.

戰鬥機依然保持在原本的位置上

Only when they were well out from the German coast

只有當他們在離開德國海空防線時

did the fighter slide in again, close to the bomber.

戰鬥機又再次接近轟炸機旁

Brown looked across – the German pilot looked back at him,

布朗看了一眼－駕駛員也看向了他

raised a gloved hand in salute

舉起了手來敬禮

and then swung his aircraft away, back towards the east.

然後他將他的戰鬥機飛回至東方

Brown managed to put Ye Olde Pub on the ground,

布朗終於將B-17緊急降落在地面上

not at their home base in Cambridgeshire

雖然他們不是降落在劍橋皇家空軍基地裡

but at an airbase of the 448th Bomb Group near Norfolk in East Anglia.

卻在一座位於東英格蘭的 諾福克第448轟炸機空軍基地裡

He and all his crew other than the tail gunner survived.

除了尾砲手外其餘組員奇蹟似的生還

At debriefing, Brown told his story about the German fighter which escorted him.

在簡報時，布朗講述他被 德軍戰鬥機護送時的經歷

It was decided that this should be kept secret –

在當時這段消息被列入機密

the notion of an honorable German pilot

一名值得尊敬的德軍駕駛員

choosing not to shoot down a damaged American bomber

選擇了不射下一架損毀嚴重的美軍轟炸機

just didn't fit with the message that the USAAF wanted to give out.

這訊息並不符合美國陸軍航空軍 想要給大眾知道的

Charlie Brown survived the war, went home to go to college,

查理．布朗在戰爭中活了下來， 返回了家鄉完成大學學業

and then re-joined the Air Force in 1949.

然後在1949年再度服侍空軍

He served until 1965 when he retired as a colonel.

他服役至1965年並以將軍的身分退役

It wasn't until much later, in 1986, at a meeting of retired combat pilots

在那不久後，在1986年一場叫做 "雄鷹聚會" 的

called “Gathering of the Eagles” that he first spoke about what had happened.

退役戰鬥機飛行員集會述說了當時他所經歷的事

The response was strong, though some questioned

大家的回應相當的強烈，有些則抱持著疑問

whether the whole incident really happened.

這起事件是不是真的發生過

Even Brown began to wonder – his memories of that day in 1943

甚至讓布朗開始懷疑－在1943年那一天 所發生的事故

were hazy due to his injuries, exhaustion and the stress of combat.

是他在緊張且傷勢嚴重的情況下

Could he be remembering it all wrong?

導致記憶上出了差錯嗎?

Brown decided that he was going to find the German pilot involved,

布朗決定他要找出在那時所參與的德國駕駛員

if only to prove that he hadn't imagined the whole thing.

這樣才能證明他並沒有幻想出這些事故

It took four years, but in 1990 Brown finally received a letter

在將近四年後，也就是1990年， 布朗終於收到了一封信

from a man named Stigler who was living in Canada.

來自一名生活在加拿大名叫斯蒂格勒的人

Stigler explained that he had been the pilot of the German fighter

斯蒂格勒解釋了他就是當時

who had escorted Ye Olde Pub.

護送B-17轟炸機的德國駕駛員

On December 20, 1943, Franz Stigler had been a twenty-seven kill veteran pilot.

在1943年12月20號，弗朗茨．斯蒂格勒已經是名擊殺27名敵人的駕駛員

He had flown against American bombers

在早晨裡，他駕駛他的梅塞施密特Bf 109 G-6

in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 that morning

剛起飛擊落完一組美軍轟炸機

and he was refueling on the ground when Ye Olde Pub passed close by.

而當他正在地面上進行燃油補給時， 一架B-17就在上空經過

He took off intending to shoot down the American bomber.

他立即地起飛並嘗試射下這架美軍轟炸機

However, as he closed with the limping aircraft,

然而，當他靠近這架滿身瘡痍的飛行載具時

he could see just how badly it had been hit – he would later say that

他能清楚的看見這架轟炸機早已千瘡百孔－在那之後他敘述道

he had never seen a more severely damaged aircraft still flying.

他從未看見一架損毀地這麼嚴重的轟炸機依然持續飛行

Stigler's commander had told his pilots never to fire at an enemy

斯蒂格勒的指揮官曾經告訴過他千萬不要射下

who was descending on a parachute.

已經開啟降落傘的敵人

While the crew of Ye Olde Pub hadn't bailed out,

在當下B-17上的組員還未跳傘求生

they were clearly no longer capable of fighting

但能看出他們早已無還手之力

and Stigler decided that he could not bring himself to attack.

然而斯蒂格勒決定不展開攻擊

Instead, he flew alongside and gestured to Brown to land.

除此，他還飛到轟炸機旁指使布朗迫降

He just simply couldn't imagine that the crippled aircraft

他單純的只是覺得這架破損嚴重的飛行載具

could possibly make it back to England.

不可能安穩地飛回英格蘭島

When Brown refused, Stigler made an extraordinary decision.

當布朗回絕，斯蒂格勒做了一項令人意外的決定

Instead of shooting it down he flew close formation with the B-17,

沒有將他拿下而是與B-17保持陣型並行

hoping that this would deter flak batteries on the coast from firing at it.

希望這會讓防空炮無法射向他們

He flew with the bomber well out over the North Sea

他持續飛行至直到轟炸機飛至北海上空

until it was clear of German airspace,

離開了德國防空航線

and then left it to continue towards England.

然後讓他持續飛向至英格蘭島

Stigler never told anyone about what had happened –

斯蒂格勒從未把這段經歷告訴給任何人

sparing an American bomber would likely have led to

饒恕一架美軍轟炸機可能會導致

punishment and perhaps even execution,

嚴重懲罰甚至或許會被處刑

but he often wondered if it had made it back to base.

但他時常好奇這架轟炸機到底有沒有成功 降落到他們的基地裡

Stigler continued flying fighters throughout the war.

斯蒂格勒在戰爭中仍持續飛行戰鬥機

In 1953 he emigrated from Germany to Canada

在1953年他離開德國移民至加拿大

where he started a successful business.

他成為了一名出色的商人

When he heard from Charlie Brown in 1990,

當他在1990年聽到了查理．布朗的故事時

Stigler confirmed every aspect of his story.

斯蒂格勒驗證了他的故事

Franz Stigler and Charlie Brown were astonished to discover

弗朗茨·斯蒂格勒和查理·布朗驚訝地發現

that they had been living less than two hundred miles apart

自從戰爭結束這麼久已來

for much of the time since the war –

他們的家園只離對方不到兩百英里遠

Stigler had settled in Vancouver, British Columbia

斯蒂格勒生活在溫哥華內的英屬哥倫比亞內

while Brown was in Seattle, Washington.

而布朗當時生活在華盛頓州西雅圖內

In the later years the two men remained close friends,

在他們晚年生活裡他們成為了密不可分的好朋友

often visiting and talking to other fliers

時常與對方見面並討論他們的過往

about their shared experiences.

分享他們的經驗