William Overstreet Jr.

Mustang Ace Defies the Luftwaffe by Flying Through the Eiffel Tower

In the skies above Nazi-occupied Paris, William Overstreet Jr. gripped the controls of his P-51 Mustang, locked in pursuit of a German Messerschmitt Bf 109. The year was 1944, in the spring, just months before the D-Day invasion, and the Allied air campaign was intensifying. What began as a bomber escort mission quickly turned personal when a Luftwaffe pilot broke away from a formation and tried to escape across the urban sprawl of the French capital.

As Overstreet closed the distance, the enemy pilot took a desperate gamble: weaving low through the city's rooftops and landmarks to shake the American off his tail. What happened next would become one of the most audacious flying feats of the war. Refusing to break off, Overstreet followed the Bf 109 beneath the Eiffel Tower, threading his Mustang through the latticework legs of the iconic monument in a breathtaking low-altitude maneuver. Moments later, he fired a controlled burst that brought the German fighter down in flames.

Onlookers, members of the French Resistance, civilians under occupation, and even German troops, witnessed the jaw-dropping moment. For many in Paris, the brazen act of defiance symbolized hope, resistance, and the looming return of freedom. Though no official gun camera footage or after-action report confirmed the pass, eyewitness testimony, including that of Resistance fighters, and Overstreet's recollections, have immortalized the flight as a wartime legend.

A Virginian Aviator Takes Flight

William Overstreet Jr. was born in 1921 in Clifton Forge, Virginia, a small town nestled in the Appalachian foothills. From a young age, he was fascinated by aviation. When the United States entered World War II, Overstreet enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force in 1942. He trained at airfields in Georgia and Florida, enduring the rigorous physical and technical instruction that transformed civilians into fighter pilots.

Upon earning his wings, Overstreet was assigned to the 363rd Fighter Squadron, part of the 357th Fighter Group, an elite unit destined to make history. In late 1943, the group was transferred to RAF Leiston in Suffolk, England. It became one of the first combat groups to operate the revolutionary North American P-51 Mustang in the European Theater.

The 357th Fighter Group: "Yoxford Boys" and Aerial Supremacy

The 357th Fighter Group, nicknamed the "Yoxford Boys", quickly built a fearsome reputation. They became specialists in long-range bomber escort, flying deep into Nazi territory to protect vulnerable B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators from Luftwaffe interception. Overstreet flew missions as part of this deadly shield, often up against experienced German units like Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen", JG 11, and JG 26 "Schlageter", squadrons led by the Luftwaffe's top aces. These included men like Josef "Pips" Priller, a veteran of hundreds of missions and defender of the Channel coast. Walter Nowotny, one of the first jet aces, was credited with 258 victories, and Heinz Bär, another of Germany's leading aces, with over 200 confirmed kills.

Despite the formidable opposition, the 357th was more than equal to the challenge. Pilots like Chuck Yeager, Bud Anderson, Clarence "Bud" Mahurin, and Tom Hayes helped lead the group to claim over 600 aerial victories in less than a year, making it one of the most successful fighter groups in the war.

Mastery of the Mustang

The P-51 Mustang, with its powerful Packard-built Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, changed the dynamic of the air war. Its unmatched combination of speed (over 430 mph), range (over 1,600 miles with drop tanks), and agility allowed Allied pilots to not only escort bombers to Berlin and back but also challenge the Luftwaffe over their airfields.

Overstreet mastered the aircraft's limits. Its ability to dive fast, recover quickly, and turn sharply even at high speeds gave him the tools to both survive and dominate. During missions like "Big Week" (February 1944), Overstreet flew top-cover while Allied bombers pummeled Germany's aircraft production centers. Mustang pilots shot down scores of enemy fighters during this campaign, shifting the balance in the air.

Paris, Pursuit, and Defiance

During one such bomber escort mission into France in early 1944, Overstreet and his squadron encountered a mixed group of Bf 109s. In the ensuing dogfight, he became separated while pursuing a lone fighter toward Paris. The German pilot, desperate to escape, descended into the heart of the city.

As Overstreet recalled in later years, "I was on his tail, and I wasn't letting go." The chase plunged down into the Seine basin, sweeping past bridges, steeples, and rooftops. Then, in one of the war's most extraordinary moments, the Bf 109 banked under the Eiffel Tower. Overstreet followed without hesitation.

The feat required exact timing and nerves of steel. Flying at over 300 mph, at low altitude, through a confined space under a metal monument with little margin for error, Overstreet risked death to stay on his quarry. But his Mustang responded beautifully. Moments later, he cleared the tower and opened fire—bringing the enemy down in flames near the edge of the city.

Impact on the Resistance

For Parisians watching from balconies and alleyways, the sight of an American plane chasing and destroying a German aircraft over their capital was deeply symbolic. Members of the French Resistance, some of whom had radios and spotters monitoring Allied movements, later described the event as "a flash of hope." Overstreet's actions were seen as a message that liberation was not only possible but also imminent.

Return, Reflection, and Recognition

Overstreet completed his tour and returned to Virginia at the end of the war. Like many veterans, he chose quiet civilian life, working in business and raising a family. For decades, he spoke little of the war. He never sought the spotlight, even as his peers celebrated his daring. His official combat record includes one confirmed aerial victory, but his escort missions contributed to the safe return of countless bomber crews.

In 2009, the French government awarded William Overstreet Jr. the Légion d'honneur, France's highest military decoration. The award recognized not just his skill, but the symbolic impact his Eiffel Tower chase had on the morale of occupied France. During the ceremony, French officials noted that his actions embodied the Allied spirit of defiance, courage, and liberation.

Overstreet remained modest. "I was just doing my job," he said.

Legacy of a Legend

William Overstreet Jr. passed away in 2013, at the age of 92. His passing marked the loss of a living link to one of the most iconic individual acts of aerial bravery in World War II. Though he never sought recognition, his name now appears in museums, documentaries, and veterans' halls. Aviation historians and enthusiasts continue to discuss his legendary flight under the Eiffel Tower—a moment that combined aeronautical mastery, moral clarity, and cinematic daring.

His Mustang no longer roars over the rooftops of Paris, but the memory of that defiant chase lives on—in the hearts of those who remember what freedom looked like, even if just for a moment, under Nazi rule.