Piper L-4
The story of Miss Me!?
The Final Dog Fight
At the end of WWII, on April 11, 1945, the last documented air battle occurred in the skys over Europe on the Western Front near Berlin between a Piper L-4 named "Miss Me!?" and a Fiesler Fi-156 Storch.
While flying his 142nd mission with the 5th Armored Battalion, pilot Lieutenant Duane Francies and his observer Lieutenant William Martin, opened fire on the Strorch using their Colt .45 pistols. This forced the German Air Crew to land and surrender.
This was one of the most unusual victories in the history of air combat in that the involved Storch was the only aircraft known to have been downed by handgun fire in the entire war.
The nose are had two meanings, thus the exclamation AND question mark. the exclamation mark was for the enemy, the pilot wanted them to “Miss Me!” and the other was to his girlfriend - do you “Miss Me?”
Manufacturer: Piper Aircraft Corporation
Model: L-4
Engine: Continental O-200
Speed: 80 mph