In his calm professor-like voice, Steinhoff radioed: “Trouble above.” A 262 could normally escape the P-51 and outrun it with ease. But if a P-51 was high above a 262, it could dive and pick up enough speed to briefly run with the jet. Looking up while shielding his eyes, Franz removed his finger from the trigger when he saw the P-51s diving. Franz looked up again and saw three P-51s breaking from the diving gaggle, their noses pointed straight at him. He knew this was a battle he could not win, and the others knew this, too.
