Anyway, on the night of February 21, 1945, it was so dark in northern Germany that you couldn't see your fingers. In this dark night sky, two British Lancaster heavy bombers flew "whoosh", their target was that city, and they wanted to end the war as soon as possible. The German anti-aircraft artillery also discovered them at this time, so they "bang-bang" **. However, the bomber flew too high, and the Germans couldn't even touch the edge. At this time, a BF110 saboteur heavy fighter on night patrol spotted the British plane through the radar and notified the pilot. This pilot is Germany's best night flight ace, 23-year-old Heinz Wolfgang Schnafford. This guy shot down more than 100 planes during the night and became known as the "Santosauro Ghost". Almost all British pilots knew him, and every time they went on a mission, they prayed that they would not run into him.
Speaking of this BF110, its maneuverability is really poor, and in the early days of the war it was no match for the Allied single-engine fighters, and the losses were terrifying. Later, the first flying group was formed by the BF110s equipped with radars, and their antler-shaped radars were particularly accurate at finding targets at night. Another feature of this saboteur is the 20mm cannon on its back, which is mounted diagonally from 72°, specifically to hit the belly of the bomber. Also, it has a curved field pipe on the exhaust pipe, which can prevent the flame from the engine exhaust pipe from being detected by enemy aircraft. As soon as Schnaver received the news, he immediately turned around with two crew members to look for the bomber. Soon, they spotted the black outline of the bomber in the moonlight. Schnaver flew the plane and climbed up, until he was only 460 meters above the bomber, and then he began to fly underneath the bomber. The 72° slanted 20mm cannon could hit the bomber underneath and avoid its fire. At this time, the saboteurs were in the blind spot of the bombers, the Germans were well hidden, and the British did not know where they were. As soon as Schnaver pulled the trigger, the two cannons "clicked" and sounded like jazz. The shells violently tore through Lancaster's belly, and the bomber plunged headlong into the ground like a burning comet. The crew had to parachute to escape. At this time, Schnaver's hunt had just begun. The British now know that the "Santolon Ghost" is coming! Do you know Schnaver? He's a genius at playing with airplanes! That day, he controlled the plane to dive down, and then unknowingly flew under another bomber, like a cunning fox. Then, he slammed the nose of the plane, and it was almost perfect with the ace pilot.
That night, the planes fell one after another like shooting stars, and the white parachutes were as many as dandelions blooming in the night, which was very beautiful. Not to be outdone, the British, of course, dispersed and tried to attack Schnaver with machine guns from the flanks. But who is Schnaver, he has long expected all this, and always keeps under the bombers, so that the British are in a hurry. Soon, another Lancaster was hit. This air battle lasted only 19 minutes, and it was like watching a wonderful movie, Schnaver and his crew actually shot down 7 enemy planes! You heard it right, it's 7! And they didn't waste even a single bullet! Schnaver was about to take advantage of the victory to pursue another bomber when he suddenly found himself having rushed through the enemy lines. The American anti-aircraft artillery is not vegetarian, they immediately spotted Schnaver, and the artillery fire was as fierce as New Year's fireworks! Schnaver piloted the plane, dodging artillery fire like an acrobatic game, one moment left and one moment right. At this time, his gunner suddenly announced a very unfortunate news - the ammunition ran out! They had to prepare for evacuation, but this meant getting into the range of the bombers. Schnaver gritted his teeth and decided to try the 4 guns on the fuselage. But when he approached the bomber ready **, guess what? Those 4 cannons are actually jammed! Schnaver thought to himself, this is over, and he can only withdraw. So he changed course and flew back to the base under enemy fire. In just 20 minutes, he and his crew actually shot down 7 enemy bombers! This is a rare feat in the whole of World War II!
In May 1945, Major Schnaver was unfortunately captured by the British and sentenced to one year in prison. And the BF110 fighter he once flew was later in the permanent collection of the British War Museum. This is the story of Schnaver, a legendary hero who pilots a fighter plane. After the war, he returned to his hometown and continued to live a peaceful life. But whenever he thinks of those days when he flew in the sky, his heart is still full of pride and pride. After all, he once shot down 7 enemy bombers with his crew in less than 20 minutes!