A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II

By late June 1942 Jagdgeschwader 27 has pushed east with Rommel to Sidi Barrani, Egypt. Around a rare camp-fire, Gustav Roedel’s pilots listen to Radio Belgrade’s nightly broadcast of “Lili Marlene,” the haunting love song that both Axis and Allied airmen share. Morale is high, yet frequent moves, makeshift runways and constant Stuka-escort sorties strain men and machines. On 26 July, Roedel’s 109 cartwheels during take-off at Quotaifiya; injured, he is evacuated and temporarily passes command of II./JG 27 (the 2nd Group of Fighter Wing 27) to the ambitious Ferdinand Voegl. Harsh heat (125 °F), sandstorms, and snake-filled slit trenches erode discipline, and victories become the only ticket to leave.

The “Voegl Flight” (Voegl, Karl-Heinz Bendert, Franz Stigler, and veteran Erwin Swallisch) claims a torrent of kills, but rivals suspect inflation. After a mock “shoot-the-shadow” exercise is reported, Neumann opens an inquiry; fearing disgrace, Swallisch dies in a deliberate sea crash on 18 August. Roedel returns on 30 August, but the disputed scores stand and Bendert receives Knight’s-Cross consideration. Ordered home on leave, Stigler departs Africa troubled by compromised honor and the desert’s spiritual toll.