Algumas respostas do quora
Deve ser basicamente um somatório disso tudo.
Farrier (Hardy’s character) shot down the last Luftwaffe plane. His spitfire was out of fuel and was gliding along the air. He slides the cockpit roof off, presumably to bail out. But after hearing the massive roars of celebration and rejoice from the soldiers on the beach, he slides the roof back on.
After continuously being bombed by the Germans’, one of their own finally helped and saved the soldiers. Farrier’s spitfire was a sign of victory to the soldiers on the beach. Bailing out wouldn’t have been an inspiring moment to the soldiers watching below. So Farrier decided to land his plane on the beach, far away from the Allies perimeter, where he was taken away by the Germans as a POW.
He wanted to save lives. He didn't want to die.
Farrier maintained his patrol of the beach until his aircraft simply couldn't stay aloft. Recall that his final takedown of a German airplane occurred after he had run out of fuel. The Spitfire was quite a glider. There are reports of pilots maintaining a glide for fifteen miles (24 km). Farrier maintained his patrol until he couldn't, and then landed on the beach he was patrolling.
Near the end of the film, a soldier yells “"Where were you?” At Collins. The soldiers on the beach didn't feel that that the RAF (Royal Air Force) was there for them, during the event. The fighter planes simply didn't have the range to spend much time over the beach and make it home. They spent most of their effort taking down German planes over the water near the beach.
Ditching in the water or bailing out at 140 mph (220 kph) wasn't a sure thing for survival, especially over cold, choppy water.
it is because he was far too low.
He runs out of fuel with about 600 feet of altitude, maybe a bit more, but realistically even if it was twice that, the most likely outcome of bailing out is our war hero becomes a red smear on the beach.
His only options were; put it down on the nearest flat bit of beach, which the enemy held, or in the sea making his survival odds questionable at best.
The bit I don't understand is how a Spitfire with no engine, no altitude and low air speed found the energy to turn 180 degrees and shoot down an enemy aircraft from above.
If he landed at the front line and tried to board a ship, there would have been a good chance of him getting killed by artillery or airstrikes (technically, this is illegal since he would have been a downed pilot and considered a non-combatant, but the Germans would have had no way to tell.)
If he landed behind enemy lines, he could surrender to the Germans. If he surrendered, the Germans could not have legally shot him. He would have then been taken to a POW camp to sit out the rest of the war.
Let’s get one thing straight: POW camp ≠" role="presentation">≠
concentration camp. Likewise, German Wehrmacht ≠" role="presentation">≠
Waffen SS. Assuming he was not an “undesirable” (Jew, Gypsy, Slav, ect.) he would have been taken to a German POW camp. The Germans actually followed the Geneva Convention and treated most (Germany was still controlled by the Nazi party and subject to the “Final Solution” that was the Holocaust) humanely (even some African Americans ended up in POW camps as opposed to concentration camps.) This meant prisoners would have access to decent food, clean water, housing, medical attention, and recreation and would not be intentionally harmed and or shot (assuming they didn’t try to escape or violate the expectations of prisoners of war as per the Geneva Convention themselves.) They would even be allowed to receive care packages from home and the International Red Cross (provided the packages did not contain contraband) and conduct correspondence with friends and family.
So, what is a better option? Bailing out of a plane and surviving at sea until rescue (if it ever comes) or landing behind enemy lines and becoming a POW (and receiving its relative protection?)
Deve ser basicamente um somatório disso tudo.