{"id":208584,"date":"2025-04-06T14:46:48","date_gmt":"2025-04-06T19:46:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=208584"},"modified":"2025-10-21T07:37:54","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T12:37:54","slug":"cpt-bruce-carrs-stolen-focke-wulf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/cpt-bruce-carrs-stolen-focke-wulf\/","title":{"rendered":"CPT Bruce Carr and the Stolen Focke-Wulf"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-estimated-reading-time yoast-reading-time__wrapper\"><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__icon\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-icon=\"clock\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" style=\"display:inline-block;vertical-align:-0.1em\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M12 8v4l3 3m6-3a9 9 0 11-18 0 9 9 0 0118 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__spacer\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:1em\"><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__descriptive-text\">Estimated reading time: <\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__reading-time\">12<\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__time-unit\"> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Are you ready to read about Captain Bruce Carr?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"977\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Bruce-Carr-977x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-208585\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Bruce-Carr-977x1024.jpg 977w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Bruce-Carr-286x300.jpg 286w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Bruce-Carr-143x150.jpg 143w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Bruce-Carr-768x805.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Bruce-Carr.jpg 1242w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 977px) 100vw, 977px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This is CPT Bruce Carr. He was legitimately insane. (Photo\/Public Domain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Army made me a pilot. I never could have afforded it otherwise. Along the way, I have flown maybe a dozen different aircraft types. Lots of other folks have flown more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"539\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/RV6A-1024x539.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-208598\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/RV6A-1024x539.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/RV6A-400x211.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/RV6A-150x79.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/RV6A-768x404.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/RV6A-1536x809.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/RV6A-2048x1078.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">I&#8217;ve wanted to be a pilot from my earliest recollections. Most military aviators can say that. I have been blessed to do a fair amount of flying.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"775\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Spitfire-1024x775.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-208586\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Spitfire-1024x775.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Spitfire-396x300.jpg 396w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Spitfire-150x114.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Spitfire-768x581.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Spitfire.jpg 1416w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Yeah, that was about as much fun as it looks.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Five of those were helicopters, while the rest were airplanes. They run the gamut from Cobra gunships to a 1943 Grumman Goose patrol plane to a vintage Supermarine Spitfire. While helicopters and airplanes require very different skillsets, within their respective genres all airplanes and all helicopters fly about the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>Table of contents<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-graduate-level-stick-wiggling\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"cpt-bruce-carrs-stolen-focke-wulf\" title=\"CPT Bruce Carr and the Stolen Focke-Wulf\" data-level=\"2\">Graduate-Level Stick Wiggling<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-setting-up-for-bruce-carr\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"cpt-bruce-carrs-stolen-focke-wulf\" title=\"CPT Bruce Carr and the Stolen Focke-Wulf\" data-level=\"2\">Setting Up for Bruce Carr<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-cpt-bruce-carr-fighter-pilot\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"cpt-bruce-carrs-stolen-focke-wulf\" title=\"CPT Bruce Carr and the Stolen Focke-Wulf\" data-level=\"2\">CPT Bruce Carr &#8211; Fighter Pilot<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-into-the-hornet-s-nest\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"cpt-bruce-carrs-stolen-focke-wulf\" title=\"CPT Bruce Carr and the Stolen Focke-Wulf\" data-level=\"2\">Into the Hornet\u2019s Nest<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-this-is-just-nuts\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"cpt-bruce-carrs-stolen-focke-wulf\" title=\"CPT Bruce Carr and the Stolen Focke-Wulf\" data-level=\"2\">This is Just Nuts\u2026<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-a-fortuitous-bit-of-engineering\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"cpt-bruce-carrs-stolen-focke-wulf\" title=\"CPT Bruce Carr and the Stolen Focke-Wulf\" data-level=\"2\">A Fortuitous Bit of Engineering<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-little-things-become-big-things-for-cpt-carr\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"cpt-bruce-carrs-stolen-focke-wulf\" title=\"CPT Bruce Carr and the Stolen Focke-Wulf\" data-level=\"2\">Little Things Become Big Things for CPT Carr<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-out-of-the-frying-pan-into-the-fire\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"cpt-bruce-carrs-stolen-focke-wulf\" title=\"CPT Bruce Carr and the Stolen Focke-Wulf\" data-level=\"2\">Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire\u2026<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-grand-entrance\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"cpt-bruce-carrs-stolen-focke-wulf\" title=\"CPT Bruce Carr and the Stolen Focke-Wulf\" data-level=\"2\">The Grand Entrance<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-rest-of-the-story\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"cpt-bruce-carrs-stolen-focke-wulf\" title=\"CPT Bruce Carr and the Stolen Focke-Wulf\" data-level=\"2\">The Rest of the Story<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-end-of-the-road-for-captain-carr\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"cpt-bruce-carrs-stolen-focke-wulf\" title=\"CPT Bruce Carr and the Stolen Focke-Wulf\" data-level=\"2\">The End of the Road for Captain Carr<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-graduate-level-stick-wiggling\">Graduate-Level Stick Wiggling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Cobra-1024x680.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-208587\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Cobra-1024x680.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Cobra-400x266.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Cobra-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Cobra-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Cobra-1536x1020.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Cobra.jpg 1606w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Once you get them started, all helicopters fly about the same. (Photo\/Public domain).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a difference between flying a warplane and fighting it. Making an aircraft go from point A to point B is pretty straightforward. Flying a multi-ship air assault nap of the earth under night vision goggles demands some proper skills. In the military, you go to school for a long time to master a particular aircraft type. In my day, flying Blackhawks, Chinooks, Cobras, and Apaches all required time at Rucker in the schoolhouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Truth be known, however, if all you want to do is go someplace, then the big challenge is just getting the machine started. Even today, some 27 years after I left the Army, I could likely crawl into a Chinook that was already turning and fly it someplace. Back in October of 1944, a brass-balled American fighter pilot named Bruce Carr put that theory to the test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-setting-up-for-bruce-carr\">Setting Up for Bruce Carr<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"697\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Mustang-1024x697.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-208588\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Mustang-1024x697.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Mustang-400x272.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Mustang-150x102.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Mustang-768x523.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Mustang-1536x1045.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Mustang.jpg 1910w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Mustang was not the fastest fighter plane of the war, but it enjoyed a tremendous range. (Photo\/Public domain).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It had been four months since Allied forces stormed ashore in Normandy, and it would be yet another two  before the Germans launched the massive counterattack that we came to refer to as the Battle of the Bulge. American and Commonwealth forces had the Wehrmacht on the back foot, while the Soviets were making breathtaking gains in the east. In quiet moments, the more optimistic among the Allies imagined having the war over and done by Christmas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"782\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Mustang-Guns-1024x782.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-208589\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Mustang-Guns-1024x782.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Mustang-Guns-393x300.jpg 393w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Mustang-Guns-150x114.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Mustang-Guns-768x586.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Mustang-Guns-1536x1172.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Mustang-Guns.jpg 1706w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Note how the Mustang&#8217;s guns are canted so they will fit inside the slender wings. This geometry caused reliability problems early on. (Photo\/Public domain).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-cpt-bruce-carr-fighter-pilot\">CPT Bruce Carr &#8211; Fighter Pilot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>CPT Bruce Carr was piloting a P51D Mustang as part of the 354<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;Fighter Group on a strafing mission over occupied Czechoslovakia. The Mustang was a hot ship, arguably the premier single-engine fighter in the Allied stable. Sporting a 1,490-horsepower Packard V-1650-7 12-cylinder Merlin engine and half a dozen AN\/M2 <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/dorie-miller-and-his-50-caliber-browning-machinegun\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"cpt-bruce-carrs-stolen-focke-wulf\" title=\"CPT Bruce Carr and the Stolen Focke-Wulf\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"752\">Browning .50-caliber machineguns<\/a>, the P51 was both fast and long-legged. It was the first Allied fighter that could reliably accompany American bomber formations on daylight missions over Germany. Hermann Goering, the Field Marshal in command of the German Luftwaffe, confided that once he saw Mustangs over Berlin, he knew the war was lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Achilles heel of the Mustang, however, was that magnificent Merlin engine. Originally developed for use in the British Spitfire, the Merlin was powerful, reliable, durable, and sleek. It was, however, also liquid-cooled. That meant a single round in the cooling system invariably put the engine out of action. As CPT Carr torqued his Mustang around at low level, a burst of German antiaircraft fire caught him squarely amidships. Pulling the stick back to trade airspeed for altitude, Carr jettisoned his canopy, released his seat harness, and jumped out of his stricken airplane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-into-the-hornet-s-nest\">Into the Hornet\u2019s Nest<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"651\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Luftwaffe-Airfield-1024x651.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-208590\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Luftwaffe-Airfield-1024x651.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Luftwaffe-Airfield-400x254.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Luftwaffe-Airfield-150x95.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Luftwaffe-Airfield-768x488.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Luftwaffe-Airfield-1536x977.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Luftwaffe-Airfield.jpg 1582w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Normally one might think that coming down near a Luftwaffe airfield you were recently strafing might be a bad thing. Not so for Bruce Carr. (Photo\/Bundesarchiv).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As luck would have it, Carr got clobbered near a Luftwaffe airfield. On the surface, that seemed suboptimal. However, Carr was quietly relieved. He knew he was about to be made a POW. It would be better to do that at the hands of the Luftwaffe than the SS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By now, it was getting dark. These wartime military airfields were ad hoc affairs erected in handy big open flat spaces. There were no fences. Carr made his way to the treeline surrounding the field and paused to take stock. From his vantage, he could see a pair of Luftwaffe ground crewmen top off a Focke Wulf Fw190-A8 with fuel, crank the engine, and then shut it down again. These two men then moved down the line to the next fighter plane. This procedure was designed to ready the warplanes for a quick scramble. That\u2019s when CPT Carr had a truly mad idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-this-is-just-nuts\">This is Just Nuts\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"652\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-2.0-1024x652.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-208591\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-2.0-1024x652.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-2.0-400x255.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-2.0-150x95.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-2.0-768x489.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-2.0-1536x978.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-2.0.jpg 2042w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Now that he had found himself a German Fw190 fighter plane, CPT Carr had to figure out what to do with it. (Photo\/Public domain).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In all of the chaos, the German troops in the area must not have seen Carr bail out of his stricken fighter plane. It seemed nobody was actively looking for him. He hunkered down back in the woods as it got properly dark and began to scheme. With dawn finally approaching, Carr quietly made his way out to the nearest Focke Wulf. He got the canopy opened and climbed into the cockpit without anyone being the wiser.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fastening the shoulder harness was pretty straightforward. However, it was pitch dark, and Carr had obviously never sat in the cockpit of a German fighter plane before. His plan involved flipping switches and moving controls until something happened. That turned out to be a pretty good plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-fortuitous-bit-of-engineering\">A Fortuitous Bit of Engineering<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-Runup-1024x650.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-208592\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-Runup-1024x650.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-Runup-400x254.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-Runup-150x95.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-Runup-768x488.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-Runup-1536x975.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-Runup.jpg 1572w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Fw190 was one of the most advanced piston-driven fighters of the war. Getting it started&#8230;in the dark&#8230;having never sat in one before&#8230;was a serious challenge. (Photo\/Bundesarchiv).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Fw190 was arguably the most effective German piston-driven fighter of the war. Featuring an air-cooled BMW 801D-2 14-cylinder radial engine slaved to a three-bladed constant-speed propeller, the Focke Wulf was both fast and rugged. It was also designed to be quick into action. Central to this concept was something called the Kommandogerat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Kommandogerat was the most advanced throttle system on any single-engine warplane of the war. This centralized control incorporated mixture settings, boost pressure, fuel flow, and prop pitch all into a single lever. The Kommandogerat also made the Fw190 the only fighter plane of the war that could be stolen by a novice and made airborne in a timely fashion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-little-things-become-big-things-for-cpt-carr\">Little Things Become Big Things for CPT Carr<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"688\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-1024x688.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-208593\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-1024x688.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-400x269.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-150x101.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-768x516.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-1536x1032.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190.jpg 1596w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">There was little time for niceties. CPT Carr just spun up the big BMW engine and pointed his stolen fighter plane skyward. (Photo\/Bundesarchiv).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Eventually, CPT Carr got the big BMW radial turning over. However, nobody was supposed to be out flying this morning. Once the Focke-Wulf\u2019s engine began belching smoke, inquisitive Luftwaffe ground crewmen came out to investigate. Carr knew he had only moments to act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The fortunate Allied pilot wasted no effort on grace. Instead of trying to taxi out somewhere, Carr simply pointed his stolen fighter plane toward an open space between two hangars and firewalled it. As he bounced across the uneven grassy field he finally got the tail up. Once it felt like he had achieved flying speed, Carr eased back on the stick and broke ground. He was immensely relieved when he figured out how to get the landing gear up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-out-of-the-frying-pan-into-the-fire\">Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"760\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-Beauty-1024x760.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-208594\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-Beauty-1024x760.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-Beauty-400x297.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-Beauty-150x111.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-Beauty-768x570.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-Beauty-1536x1140.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-Beauty.jpg 1752w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Once he was off the ground, Carr&#8217;s biggest concern became not getting killed by his own troops. (Photo\/Public domain).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>By now, the sun was coming up, and western Europe was coming alive. At this stage in the war, the Allies enjoyed near-complete air superiority. It was 200 miles from where he was to his home aerodrome in western France. To get there, he would have to run the gauntlet of both Allied fighters as well as about a zillion trigger-happy GIs. He later claimed that every .50-caliber machinegun between that Czech field and his improvised base in France shot at him on the way home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>CPT Carr kept his stolen mount as low as possible across the French countryside. He knew from personal experience that his air base was ringed with deadly 40mm cannons and motorized .50-caliber quad mount antiaircraft systems. If he lingered overhead at all, they would blow him out of the sky. Navigating solely from memory, Carr skimmed the trees and approached the airfield for a quick straight-in approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just when he thought he might pull this off, CPT Carr found that he could not get the Fw190\u2019s landing gear to come down. Everything was in German, and Carr only read English. Rather than fart around and risk being killed by his antiaircraft guns, the audacious airplane pirate just lined up on the centerline of the active runway and brought the nimble German airplane in on its belly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-grand-entrance\">The Grand Entrance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"520\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-Crash-1024x520.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-208595\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-Crash-1024x520.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-Crash-400x203.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-Crash-150x76.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-Crash-768x390.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-Crash-1536x780.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FW190-Crash.jpg 1618w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This is CPT Carr&#8217;s stolen Focke Wulf. Carr&#8217;s having returned to his airfield in a pilfered German Fw190 fighter plane shocked pretty much everybody. (Photo\/Public domain).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Nobody had expected a German Focke-Wulf to belly land on their airfield. Everybody with a gun ran up to the smoking plane, weapons out and ready for trouble. CPT Carr responded with a little choice profanity that shut everybody down. That was when the reality of the situation set in for all involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s not just every American <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/george-screwball-beurling-the-lizard-hunting-canadian-superhero-fighter-pilot\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"cpt-bruce-carrs-stolen-focke-wulf\" title=\"CPT Bruce Carr and the Stolen Focke-Wulf\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"751\">fighter pilot<\/a> who would have the audacity to steal a German warplane and fly it back to his home airfield. Bruce Carr was clearly a lunatic of the highest order. He ended the war with 172 combat missions, fourteen aerial victories, a Silver Star, and a Distinguished Flying Cross.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-rest-of-the-story\">The Rest of the Story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"685\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Carrs-Mustang-1024x685.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-208596\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Carrs-Mustang-1024x685.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Carrs-Mustang-400x268.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Carrs-Mustang-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Carrs-Mustang-768x514.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Carrs-Mustang.jpg 1094w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bruce Carr flew Mustangs for the rest of the war. (Photo\/Public domain).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Carr earned his DSC for leading a flight of seven Mustangs into a massive formation of sixty enemy aircraft. In the roiling air battle that resulted, the Mustang pilots shot down fifteen hostile fighters. Carr himself accounted for five in that one engagement&#8211;two Fw190s and three Bf109s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"695\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/F86-Sabre-1024x695.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-208597\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/F86-Sabre-1024x695.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/F86-Sabre-400x272.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/F86-Sabre-150x102.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/F86-Sabre-768x521.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/F86-Sabre-1536x1043.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/F86-Sabre.jpg 1918w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bruce Carr flew scads of airplanes across three wars. He was one seriously audacious stick wiggler. (Photo\/Public domain).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-end-of-the-road-for-captain-carr\">The End of the Road for Captain Carr<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After the war, Carr transitioned into F80 Shooting Stars and flew with the Acrojets, the predecessors of the Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team. Major Carr later flew F86 Sabres in combat in Korea. He rotated home having flown 57 combat missions with the 336<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;Fighter-Interceptor Squadron operating out of Kimpo, South Korea. He served as commanding officer of this unit from early 1955 through the summer of 1956.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Carr made full Colonel in 1968 and deployed to Vietnam flying F100 Super Sabres. He logged 286 combat missions in SE Asia and earned the Legion of Merit as well as three Distinguished Flying Crosses. Carr came home from Vietnam in November of 1969 with a total of 31 Air Medals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/flt-lt-ken-gatward-the-lunatic-limey-beaufighter-driver\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"cpt-bruce-carrs-stolen-focke-wulf\" title=\"CPT Bruce Carr and the Stolen Focke-Wulf\">FLT LT Ken Gatward: The Lunatic Limey Beaufighter Driver<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bruce Carr left active duty in 1973 and moved to Florida. He died of prostate cancer in April of 1998 at the age of 74 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Bruce Carr\u2019s exploits would make a fantastic movie, but I fear nobody would believe it was real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong><em>*** <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"cpt-bruce-carrs-stolen-focke-wulf\" title=\"CPT Bruce Carr and the Stolen Focke-Wulf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica!<\/a> ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bruce Carr\u2019s exploits would make a fantastic movie, but I&#8217;m afraid nobody would believe it was real.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":208593,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_specdata_upc":"","_specdata_placement":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[772],"tags":[102,2895,3420,2836],"featured":[],"hunt365":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-208584","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-will-dabbs","8":"tag-feature-articles","9":"tag-pilot","10":"tag-war-stories","11":"tag-will-dabbs"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>CPT Bruce Carr and the Stolen Focke-Wulf<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Bruce Carr and his exploits would make a fantastic movie, but they&#039;re so crazy, nobody would believe it was real.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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However, shooting guns and claiming it was work seemed like a pretty sweet hustle. As a result, Will serendipitously transformed an avocation into a vocation. Raised in the Mississippi Delta, Will flew UH1H, OH58A\\\/C, CH47D and AH1S helicopters operationally as an Army Aviator. He is SCUBA-qualified and has parachuted out of perfectly good airplanes at 3 o'clock in the morning. Will has summited Mount McKinley, Alaska, six times\u2026always at the controls of an Army helicopter, which is the only way sensible folk climb mountains. Will has delivered sixty babies and occasionally wrung human blood out of his socks. He is married to his high school sweetheart and has three awesome adult children. Turn-ons include vintage German machineguns, flying his sexy-cool RV6A airplane, Count Chocula cereal and the movie \u201cAliens.\u201d www.word-monkey.com Experience: -Professional Writer-thousands of publishing credits for dozens of titles -Mechanical Engineer\\\/Practicing Physician -Instrument-rated Commercial Pilot -Sunday School Teacher\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.word-monkey.com\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/will.dabbs.9\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/drwildmanmd\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/author\\\/willdabbs\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"CPT Bruce Carr and the Stolen Focke-Wulf","description":"Bruce Carr and his exploits would make a fantastic movie, but they're so crazy, nobody would believe it was 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