PARIS—A former pilot for Nazi Germany's air force writes in a forthcoming book that he believes he shot down the author of "The Little Prince," Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
The aviation pioneer's Lockheed Lightning P-38 disappeared July 31, 1944. In the book, former Luftwaffe pilot Horst Rippert says he believes that he shot down the plane -- although he is not completely sure.
Le Figaro magazine published extracts of the book, "Saint-Exupery, the ultimate secret," over the weekend.
"I shot down Exupery," the magazine quoted Rippert as saying.
But the former Messerschmitt pilot also added: "I didn't see the pilot, and it would have been impossible for me to know that it was Exupery. I hoped, and I still hope, that it wasn't him."
Saint-Exupery was 44 when he disappeared and remains one of France's most admired figures. He's most famous for "The Little Prince," a tender fable about a prince from an asteroid who explores the planets.
Saint-Exupery's other works, which largely deal with his aviation experiences, include "Wind, Sand and Stars" and "Flight to Arras," about a doomed reconnaissance mission.
A scuba diver has since found the wreckage of his plane off of France's Mediterranean coast between Marseille and Cassis.
Rippert says in the book that he is a fan of the author's works.
"In our youth, at school, we had all read him. We loved his books," he said. "If I had known, I would not have opened fire. Not on him!"
