What happened to P-47 Thunderbolt fighter pilot Grant Stout?

This is the true story of 1st Lieutenant Grant G. Stout, a P-47 Thunderbolt pilot from Pike, New York, whose final mission over Dortmund, Germany, remains one of the most disturbing mysteries of World War II. On March 19th, 1945, Stout’s aircraft was hit by flak during a low-level strafing run. Other pilots saw his parachute open and drift safely to the ground. Under the laws of war, an unarmed pilot was supposed to be protected. But Grant never made it to a POW camp — or home alive.

For decades, his family received only fragments of answers. Only in the 1990s did researchers uncover forgotten U.S. war crimes trial files from Dachau, revealing that Stout had been murdered on the ground shortly after landing. But even those records raised more questions than answers — including whether the wrong men were convicted and whether civilians, not soldiers, were responsible.

This documentary explores Grant Stout’s journey from small-town farm boy to Hell Hawks P-47 pilot, the brutal low-altitude missions he flew in Europe, the contradictions behind his death, and the decades-long fight to uncover the truth. This is a story about duty, sacrifice, and one of the most tragic unsolved cases of WW2 aviation history.

#WW2History #P47Thunderbolt #GrantGStout #WWIIPilot #MilitaryHistory

If you love WWII aircraft, aviation history, and real war stories, this is a video you can’t miss.
💬 Tell us in the comments — Do you think the P-47 Thunderbolt was the greatest fighter of World War II?

🔔 Subscribe for more epic WWII documentaries every week.