Two German Pilots Stole an RAF Plane — The Untold WWII Escape Story скачать в хорошем качестве

Two German Pilots Stole an RAF Plane — The Untold WWII Escape Story

When most people think of World War 2 prison escapes, they remember The Great Escape from Stalag Luft III. But there's another escape story from the opposite side that's equally remarkable — and it's been largely forgotten by history. In November 1941, two German pilots held at Shap Wells POW camp in England executed one of the most audacious escape plans of the entire war. Unlike the famous tunnel escapes, Heinz Schnabel and Harry Wappler had a different plan: forge documents, pose as Dutch RAF pilots, steal a British training aircraft, and fly across the North Sea to freedom. What You'll Discover in This Video: ✈️ How Schnabel (a Messerschmitt ace) and Wappler (a bomber pilot) were shot down during the Battle of Britain 🎭 Their brilliant disguise as Dutch pilots serving with the RAF 🚂 The incredible escape using a hidden log pile and a freight train 🎥 How they hid in plain sight at a British cinema ✈️ Walking into RAF Kingstown base and stealing a Miles Magister trainer ⛽ The crushing moment they realized they didn't have enough fuel 🔍 Why they came within minutes of escaping but were ultimately captured THE FASCINATING DETAILS: This escape attempt shows incredible ingenuity, courage, and determination. Schnabel and Wappler created fake RAF uniforms, forged identity documents, and exploited human psychology to walk past British guards at multiple checkpoints. They actually got a stolen military aircraft airborne and headed for occupied Holland. The only thing that stopped them? Half-empty fuel tanks. If the Miles Magister had been fully fueled, they would have made it across the North Sea and this would be remembered as one of the greatest escapes in history. COMPARE TO OTHER FAMOUS WWII ESCAPES: The Great Escape (Stalag Luft III) - 76 escaped, only 3 made it home, 50 executed Franz von Werra - The only German to escape from Canada back to Germany Colditz Castle escapes - Multiple attempts from the "escape-proof" fortress Wooden Horse escape - Clever vaulting horse tunnel at Stalag Luft III This story is unique because just two men, with minimal resources and no outside help, came closer to success than most mass escape attempts involving hundreds of prisoners. HISTORICAL CONTEXT: Both pilots were shot down during the Battle of Britain in September 1940. Wappler's crash killed two British children, yet their parents forgave him the next day — an incredible act of grace during wartime. After recapture, both men were sent to POW camps in Canada, where they survived the war. 🔔 SUBSCRIBE for more untold WWII stories, military history, and incredible escape attempts! 📚 SOURCES & RESEARCH: This video is based on historical records from: British POW camp archives RAF Kingstown operational records Battle of Britain historical society documentation Primary source accounts and official military records TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Introduction: The Forgotten Escape 1:30 - The Two Pilots Shot Down 3:45 - Planning the Escape at Shap Wells 6:10 - Breaking Out: The Log Pile & Train 8:20 - Walking Into RAF Base & Stealing the Plane 10:45 - The Flight & Fatal Fuel Problem 12:30 - Captured & Aftermath 14:00 - Why This Story Matters CONNECT WITH US: 👍 Like this video if you learned something new! 💬 Comment below: What other WWII escape stories should we cover? 🔔 Turn on notifications so you never miss a story! #WWII #WorldWar2 #POW #PrisonerOfWar #EscapeStory #MilitaryHistory #Aviation #RAF #Luftwaffe #TrueStory #History #Documentary #BattleOfBritain #GreatEscape #HistoryChannel #WarStories