On July 26, 1944, a lone aircraft streaked across the sky high above Bavaria, Germany. RAF pilot Flight Lieutenant Albert Wall guided his de Havilland Mosquito PR XVI on a long-range photo-reconnaissance mission.
Stripped down and carrying no weapons to reduce weight and improve speed, the plane flew at about 30,000 feet at more than 400 miles per hour. Few aircraft—German, British, American or otherwise—could keep up with it.
As Wall began his return trip to base in Italy, navigator Albert Lobban noticed an enemy aircraft approaching quickly from the rear. He was puzzled by the interceptor because it had no propellers and left two trails of exhaust behind it.
Wall pushed the throttles of the Mosquito forward all the way and began evasive action. For the next 15 minutes, the RAF crew played a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the much-faster mystery aircraft, which made three attack passes as it zoomed by. Each time, Wall deftly maneuvered his plane to avoid being hit by four 30-mm cannons.
