Who Threaded Paris's Eiffel Tower & Arc de Triomphe? Flight Whys, Whens & other cool aerial feats
(We are back to a mostly bi-weekly sked, now that I’ve finally over the vacation blahs….) FYI: The SUBSTACK EDITOR's been down 2 days, so CAN'T FIX TYPOS
Chances are, if you build it, some pilot will buzz it, fly over, through or under it. Let’s look at some who did, or tried. Details and aftermaths. Not comprehensive, but fun!
Tower & Arch - Paris's Eiffel Tower (La Dame de Fer) and Arc de Triomphe attract and awe millions every year. Since being built (1889 & 1836) untold numbers have climbed atop, walked under or marveled generally at the breath-taking triumphalism inherent in their architecture, but only a few know the rhapsodic ecstasy of flying through them.
For some the feat was an act of sincere protest. For others, a lark. And in one of the more spine-tingling exploits, the result of a kill-or-be-killed dog-fight.
NB: Assembling accurate details for this was challenging: there is lingering murkiness surrounding some events, faulty records and musty memories or other historical barriers to transparency (such as wartime pilots eschewing credit to avoid a possible military court-marshaling). Luckily, some cases, like MM. Collot & Godefroy et. al. (ones filmed) are pretty much beyond doubt, though 'deep-fakes' existed even in 1919 (Remember the Piltdown Man hoax?)
So, who flew over what, when & why?
The Arch/Arc
1 August 1919 - CHARLES GODEFROY: In the wake of the Great War (WWI) a huge military parade, Défilé de la Victoire (Parade de la Victoire), was planned along Paris's Ave Champs de Elysee and up to and under the Arc de Triomphe.
For France's WWI pilots, the 'heroes of the air' (Aéronautique Militaire) the parade was a golden opportunity: A chance for a fly-by and to cement their reputation as elite warriors. However, when told there would be no fly-by, and that they would be forced to march on terra firma like everyone else, they were chagrined to say the least. No 'fly-bys' but forced to plod along like …everyone else! A happy lot they were not. Their honor was at stake and something had to be done! So….
Plan, Parts A & B
Legend says while some of the pilots were enjoying a glass (or 3) at famed watering hole “La Fouquet” the notion arose that one in their midst would fly under the Arc de Triomphe as the parade was in full swing as a hugely visible protest at their having been denied the right to fly. This, they mused, would definitely upstage the parade (Remember, no one had ever flown through the Arc!).
Le Plan A: The assignment fell to Jean Navarre (´The Sentinel of Verdun´) an ace with 12 kills (15 unconfirmed). Tragically, just days before the parade Navarre died. So, up stepped one Charles Godefroy.
Le Plan B: Wisely, Godefroy took time to study the Arch, observe its wind currents, dimensions and all such. The delay meant the protest flight could not occur during the parade, only after, but it would still happen and its highly visible significance would be impossible to ignore.
PREP: Godefroy scoped out the Arch along with friend Jacques Mortane, who fortuitously was also an aviation writer/journalist which explains both the massive media reaction following the exploit and its being well preserved on film. Having scoped out the Arch, Godefroy trained near a bridge by Miramas.
On August 7th Godefroy took off in his Neiuport 27 and headed towards Paris. Coming up from Avenue de la Grande Armée he sped up, forced the nose down and flew under ...and off into aviation history. This with not too much of a margin of error!
(Seriously …Who needs Tom Cruise?)
The resultant fantastic footage is thanks to Mortane and Godefroy having planned optimal approach routes to the Arch and choosing ideal spots to place two motion picture cameras (one to capture Godefroy entering, and one exiting, the Arch) to record the most sensational images. You be the judge!
Watch Godefroy's Fly-Thru..and remember this was more than a century ago. Pay attention at the 16sec mark which is in slo-mo...and kinda' fascinating! And, but 16 years after les frères Wright at Kitty Hawk!
How challenging was the flight? Well, let’s do some math: The Arch is 50ft wide & the wingspan of the Nieuport 11 Bébé* was 25,6ft wide. Factor in flying variables like cross-currents, an air-speed of some 93mph, etc., and it seems like a close shave. * (NB: From what I read on-line, the aircraft had no throttle, pilots would control speed by flipping the engine on and off..!) *There's debate about the exact type of Nieuport, but that's another focus....
sources: http://fly.historicwings.com/2012/08/under-the-arc-de-triomphe/
Post Flight: For his efforts Godefroy walked off with a warning and a promise to never repeat the act, and basically agreed to abandon flying. This probably didn't faze him – he later moved to Aubervilliers to run his winery. The then footage of the flight must have been exhilarating some 100 years ago. The French government banned its showing in theaters fearing it might entice copy-cat stunts.
Arch, Plane, Pilot
Le Gutsy Charles Godefroy - A Man, A Plan, A Plane
The then footage of the flight must have been exhilarating some 100 years ago. The French government subsequently banned its showing in theaters fearing it might entice copy-cat stunts.
2 - Oct 1981 - Alain Marchand - Some 62 years later flight instructor Marchand flew a SOCATA Raylle under the Arch. Marchand's plane had a 31ft wingspan. Reminder: The Arch is 50ft wide...hardly buckets of room for errors, shaky hands or wind gusts. For his exploits Marchand was fined 5,000 francs, which may explain why the next pilot chose anonymity.
Honourable Mention: (Kinda Related) Pilot Tale: The Black Barron Summer & Fall 1988 - In the summer or 1988 someone dubbed the ‘Black Barron’ repeatedly flew over Paris at night (and truly miffed Paris law enforcement). Police later arrested one Albert Maltret, a 52-year-old former jet-fighter pilot, after flying over the Champs Elysees. He was fined $10,000 and had his license revoked for three years.
3 - August 1991 - The Audacious Phantom & The Two-For One: Our phantom pilot “borrows” a Mudry CAP B-10 plane from a flying club on the eastern outskirts of Paris, then flies there, ducks under both the Arc de Triumph and the Eiffel Tower, before slipping off.... Police later found the plane east of Paris but, sans pilot! Somebody must know the pilot's identity, but maybe there’s an aviation version of the Mafia's Omertà.
Given today's political climate and heightened international security realities, I can't imagine anyone repeating these escapades without being seriously fined (more than a slap on the wrist).
In case the thought crosses your mind ….remember: It is illegal to fly over Paris. Really. I mean it. (Don’t)
Honorable Mention - 'OPERATION SQUABBLE' - June 1942 (No fly thru but, daring sangfroid & damn exciting!)
The outstanding aerial duo of Gatward & Fern - Brit crew drops French Flag & showers Gestapo HQ with cannon fire & grabs some pix en route
One day during occupied Paris's darkest, bleakest days (June 1942), untold thousands of Parisians enjoyed a major heart-pounding morale boost when from literally out of the blue…a lone British Bristol Beau-fighter appears over Paris loaded with very intentional, indefatigable British mayhem and bound and determined on raising hell and French spirits.
The before: Told by British intelligence that the Germans march along the Champs-Elysees daily at noon, air-force higher-ups couldn't resist the chance to tweak some enemy noses while letting their French colleagues know they weren't forgotten nor alone. An audacious and reckless plan for sure, and one so dangerous only one plane was sent.
The Brassy British Bristol Beau-fighter
Soon after crossing the Channel, the crew (Wing Commander Ken Gatward with Sergent George Fern crammed in the back) spots Paris in the distance and barrels towards it. The duo are flying at tree top level. Evading anti-aircraft fire, they spot the Eiffel Tower, spin around it only to suddenly run into a flock of birds. Bam! One slams into the engine, but miraculously, …nothing happens. The plane then veers towards the Arch de Triomphe and once near, Fern drops a French flag, the Tricolour, thru the plane’s flare-chute, over the Arch. (Some sources say it landed on the Arch)! Racing off, Fern manages to grab some Paris photos as they head towards what they think is their next target, the parade.
Fly-By ‘Shooting’ Photos taken by an airborne Fern/Operation Squabble.
A tale to tell the kids!
But as there is no parade, the crew opts to target Gestapo headquarters at Place de la Concorde. Moments later the Beau-fighter unleashes its 20mm canon, and shells blaze away at the building.
“The attack sent SS troops running for their lives, to the delight of Parisians who had seen them as an invincible enemy until then....As he turned for home the Germans came out and shook their fists at him.”*
*https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2239241/Hero-RAF-pilot-Ken-Gatward-dropped-French-flag-Arc-Triomphe-Nazi-occupied-Paris.html
Some Guts, Some Glory, Pix & 1 Casualty
Passing over the now strafed building, Fern drops another Tricolour.
Then, ...its quitting time...the Channel...and the embracing safety of English soil. Inspecting the plane afterwards, the two airmen find that dead (French) crow in the engine radiator. Alas, one causality. Some sources say it was buried with full honors.
What did Parisians think of the solitary’ Beau-fighter's brazen attack? Did it lift their spirits? Have to believe that were you a witness to that day, there on the street, your head craned upwards and mind atingle at the spectacle, you would surely have feel shivers of hope goose-bumping throughout your body…your soul.
Both men survived the war. Afterwards, a grateful French government gave Gatward a case of Champagne (and a Tricolour)! He also won (Britain's) Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) while Fern received the Distinguished Flying Medal.
‘That’ look
A peek at Gatward's pilot log entry probably best reveals the duo's mettle and daring sangfroid:
'..dropped Tricolour on Arc D'Triomphe, shot up German HQ, dead bird in radiator...'
EIFFEL TOWER FLY THROUGHS!
The lucky and the less so...
1 Léon Collot Feb 24th - 1926 The first person to fly under the tower, only to perish horribly moments after, was Lieutenant Collot. Acting on a $100 wager from an American cameraman, who would film the stunt, army pilot Collot successfully flew through a tower arch but as he rose from underneath his wing snagged a wire and he crashed. He burned to death in front of a horror-stricken crowd (cameras supposedly filmed him struggling to flee the wreck. The film was reportedly banned form distribution in France, followed by the U.S. and English authorities).
?? Did Bernard C. Eisberg really fly under the Eiffel Tower in his P38 Lighting? Who knows!? In a memorial to him, the family wrote that he not only flew his P-38 under the Tower, but was the only one to do so. Hmmm. Read the reference here. (Bizarrely while this sounds a unlikely, there’s a slim chance it might be the case. Given the fast-paced and chaotic events of WWII — occupied France, the D-Day invasion etc., and so many moving historical parts not accurately chronicled, maybe Eisberg was the first …if only very briefly. But, barring corroboration we’re gonna leave this one on the back burner)
O Canada! - The Mosquito & the Tower September 14th 1944 Canadian pilot first confirmed under the Tower
Exploits of the crew of the Mosquito Mk. XIII aircraft. Robert Fullerton (RCAF) or, Bob Boorman (RCAF) and navigator Bill Bryant (RAF).
Note: There is lingering confusion over who flew under the tower, either Robert Fullerton or Bob Boorman! Regardless, both were RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) which most likely means a Canadian was the first under the tower. This confusion partly stems from the actual pilots choosing to remain silent and not risk a court-marshal offense for their prank or when a more seasoned pilot opts to accept responsibility to protect a more junior one. In Fullerton's case officials maybe denied involvement to protect the identity – and reputation of a star officer rising in the ranks. (To further confuse the issue, there are suggestions that, given this confusion, there may have been two separate Tower flights)! Anyway…
THE LIKELY STORY OF THE 1ST UNDER THE TOWER FLIGHT (AGAIN, A BAR)
The genesis of the Eiffel tower flight was most probably the result of an encounter between a reporter and photographer from Stars and Stripes (the US Forces newspaper) and our two commonwealth pilots. (Bars seem to play a recurring theme in these exploits). One fine night while sipping probably a few beverages at the Hotel Trocadéro the Americans asked if the duo would be flying the next day, adding that having a shot of their plane flying under the tower would be amazing. (Not having been there I can only guess at the actual wording...). The duo, Bob and Bill, said they'd give it a shot. Airborne over Paris the next morning the duo decided to scope out the Tower and see if flying underneath was actually possible. It was. They did. The rest is history. Some time later a package caught up with the ever-on-the-move pilots as they advanced towards Germany. Inside was the photo.
While the flight is confirmed, the identity of the actual pilots was originally unclear, (...but we sorta' know now!) *This version comes via the son of navigator Bill Bryant.
CANADA FLYING UNDER THE EIFFEL TOWER
Look closely, between the ground and Tower's first level.
Photo Courtesy, and huge thanks to Sergeant / Sergent Ryan Lees, CD Deputy Director / Comox Air Force Museum - 19 Wing / Canadian Armed Forces. Lees somehow managed to get me this image on Christmas day! (my original pub date).
For a fantastic read on what is most likely the truth, as revealed by the son of the Mosquito navigator Bill Bryant, Click here. The best 6 paragraphs you'll read this week!
https://aircrewremembered.com/Nighthawks/nighthawks50.html
Overstreet, over Paris & Under the Tower. The P-51 v. the Messerschmitt Bf109
1944 - ...on a spring day U.S. fighter pilot Captain William Overstreet is chasing a Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf109. Low. Over Paris. Desperate to shake the American pilot 'hot on his tail' (couldn't resist) and racing over Paris, the German Luftwaffe pilot figures he can lose Overstreet by suddenly ducking under the Eiffel Tower. Nein!
Overstreet however, in his P-51B Mustang, will not be shaken nor denied and, probably hell-bent on finishing his job, follows the doomed fighter underneath the Eiffel Tower and moments later shoots down the Bf109. Many websites say Overstreet didn't talk about the event till years after. Here's a clip from an NPR show featuring Overstreet.
WILLIAM OVERSTREET: “He figured I'd try to get around and he'd have time to get away. He was wrong. I was right behind him, right under the Eiffel Tower with him. And when he pulled up, I did get him. But that's a huge space. That's not close at all. It's plenty of room to go under the Eiffel Tower. But it makes a good story.”
Hear the actual NPR piece here:
If you see that look, you’re probably toast
Though accounts of the dogfight say 'tens of thousands' of Parisians watched the dogfight, etc, (...and it must have been quite the show!) there seems scant French media coverage/reporting of it, nor (after a cursory scan of a few German aviation sites) mention of the identity of the downed German pilot. Complete German media censorship at the time most likely explains why. Actual dates also seem unknown.
After the war, and unlike tales of other wartime deeds fleshed out in highly impressionistic and thrilling posters, there seems no sketch of that downed Messerschmitt (even drawn years later from memory) nor a quick photo or scrap souvenir of the downed aircraft, (which, post-war, would have become a sensational and talked about piece of history). Again, there are innumerable reasons for this: The dogfight was probably over before many knew it was underway, and with any witnesses probably wisely opting to hide indoors to avoid both injury and or being spotted by overzealous occupying forces or, ...who knows?
The web offers ample versions of this story. And, 65 years after it was over, in 2009, Overstreet received France's Legion of Honor award for his actions. He died in 2013. I'd hoped to find and share the citation for Overstreet's Légion d'honneur – which must be a thrilling read, but one can’t simply pop in at the Légion and look on-line for foreign awardees. Requests must be in writing.
The response to mine says it could take till Fall 2023. Maybe sooner. Maybe not.
“Just for Fun”: Robert Moriarty
March 1984: American ex-Vietnam war fighter-pilot Moriarty flies a Beechcraft Bonanza under the Eiffel Tower...capturing the flight from both inside the plane and from the ground! Later, he says he did just for fun!
Nov 1986: Gerard Dance - Have seen his name listed as one who flew under the Tower. Still investigating this one.
Okay folks, that's all we got for now. I'll be digging a bit more on this in the future.
Any questions? Need an answer to some pesky Parisian question that’s been rattling around your brain for a while? Ask away. No charge. Appreciate any feedback!