Warbird Information Exchange

On 1st April 1942 between 17:10 & 18:58, Unteroffizier Hans Pilz of 5./JG 3 was shot down by AAA fire in his Messerschmitt Bf 109F-4/Trop ''Black 11'' ( Wr.Nr. 8668 ) off Luqa road, environs of Paola. German records note that Unteroffizier Pilz was last heard from when reporting that he was pursuing a British fighter at very low level over Valletta. Soon afterwards, Pilz crash-landed his fighter in a wheat field close to Rahal Gdid ( Paola ). The aircraft came to a stop in an inverted position, and locals rushed to free the trapped pilot. Somewhat surprisingly, he was offered a tot of whisky, which he declined. Within minutes, the Air Raid Police arrived, accompanied by a doctor who also offered Pilz a drink. This time it was accepted. The prisoner was led away and treated for his injuries and spent the rest of the war as a POW.
81 years later, on the 8th of March 2023, the wreckage of this aircraft were unearthed during construction works near Luqa Malta.