Walther Dahl

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Walther Dahl
JG 300
Battles/wars
See battles

World War II

Awards
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Walther Dahl (27 March 1916 – 25 November 1985) was a German pilot and a

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany. Dahl claimed some 128 enemy aircraft shot down in 678 missions.[1]

Early life and career

Dahl was born on 27 March 1916 in Lug near Bad Bergzabern, son of a Volksschule teacher who was killed in action in 1918 on the Western Front of World War I. He joined the military service on 29 October 1935, initially serving as a Schütze with Infanterie-Regiment 35 before transferring to Infanterie-Regiment 119 in Stuttgart on 6 October 1936. On 18 January 1938, Dahl was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) of the Reserves with an effective date as of 1 January 1938.[2]

On 28 October 1938, Dahl quit his service with the

Heer (army) and joined the Schutzpolizei (police) on 29 October 1938. On 1 May 1939, Dahl resigned and joined the Luftwaffe (air force) and becoming a fighter pilot.[2]

World War II

In May 1941 Dahl was posted to Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing) and claimed his first victory on 22 June during the first day of the invasion of the Soviet Union.

Dahl commanded 4. Staffel of JG 3 from 13 February until 9 April 1942 as Staffelkapitän. He had taken over command from Hauptmann Georg Michalek who was transferred. When Dahl was ordered to take over command of 1. Staffel of Ergänzungsgruppe Süd, he passed command of 4. Staffel of JG 3 to Oberleutnant Gerhard Walz.[3] On 20 July 1943, Dahl was given command as Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III. Gruppe of JG 3. He replaced Hauptmann Karl-Heinz Langer who was one of the temporary leaders of the Gruppe after its former commander Hauptmann Wolfgang Ewald became a prisoner of war on 14 July.[4]

Wing commander

Fw 190 A-8/R2 flown by Major Walter Dahl, CO of IV.(Sturm)/JG 300

On 21 May 1944, Dahl was appointed commander of Jagdgeschwader zur besonderen Verwendung (JG z.b.V.—a special purpose fighter wing). He led the unit until taking command of Jagdgeschwader 300 (JG 300—300th Fighter Wing) on 27 June 1944. Dahl set up his Geschwaderstab (headquarters unit) at Ansbach, planning combined operations with JG 3 "Udet".[5] Dahl succeeded Major Walter Brede as commander of JG 300.[6] Command of III. Gruppe of JG 3 was then passed to Major Karl-Heinz Langer.[7]

On 7 July 1944, a force of 1,129

3rd Bomb Division was made up of 303 B-17s, and the third wave was made up of 450 B-17s. A series of accidents at the start of the mission allowed the Luftwaffe to focus their attacks on the B-24 force.[8] This formation was intercepted by a German Gefechtsverband (task force) consisting of IV.(Sturm) Gruppe Jagdgeschwader 3 escorted by two Gruppen of Bf 109s from JG 300 led by Dahl. Dahl drove the attack to point-blank range behind the Liberators of the 492nd Bomb Group before opening fire. 492nd Bomb Group was temporarily without fighter cover. Within about a minute the entire squadron of twelve B-24s had been annihilated. The Germans claimed 28 USAAF 2nd Air Division B-24s that day and were credited with at least 21.[9] The majority to the Sturmgruppe attack, IV./JG 3 lost nine fighters shot down and three more suffered damage and made crash landings; five of the unit's pilots were killed.[10][11] On this mission, Dahl was credited with his 72nd aerial victory, a B-24 shot down in the vicinity of Quedlinburg.[12]

A 1944 drawing by Helmuth Ellgaard illustrating "ramming"

On 13 September, Dahl claimed to have brought down a

B-17 four-engined bomber by ramming according to his own account. Lorant and Goyat, the historians of JG 300, found no evidence of a corresponding loss in US archives.[13]

On 26 January 1945,

Inspector of the Day Fighters). Despite his promotion, Dahl continued to fly operationally. On 28 February 1945, Dahl was credited with his 100th aerial victory. He was the 98th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.[14]

Dahl ended the war flying the

P-51 Mustang near Dillingen an der Donau on 26 April 1945. Dahl was promoted to Oberst (colonel) on 30 April 1945. He was taken prisoner of war by US forces in Bavaria at the end of World War II in Europe.[15]

Later life

Following the war, Dahl became a member of the Deutsche Reichspartei (DRP—German Reich Party)[17] In the West German federal election of 1961 he unsuccessfully ran as a candidate for the DRP.[18] On 8 May 1961, Dahl founded the "Reichsverband der Soldaten" (RdS—lit. "Reich Association of Soldiers").[19] Among others, the founding meeting was attended by Adolf von Thadden and Erich Kern, the honorary president was Hans-Ulrich Rudel. It was planned that the RdS youth program was to be organized in the Bund Vaterländischer Jugend (Coalition of the Patriotic Youth), a group which was banned that same year due to its radical right-wing affiliation.[20]

Dahl was married to Regina Dahl, a journalist with the

nationalist political party founded by Frey. In 2004, Frey and Hajo Herrmann published an abstract of Dahl's biography in the book Helden der Wehrmacht – Unsterbliche deutsche Soldaten [Heroes of the Wehrmacht – Immortal German soldiers]. This publication was classified as a far-right wing publication by Claudia Fröhlich and Horst-Alfred Heinrich.[21] Dahl died on 25 November 1985 of heart failure in Heidelberg.[15]

Publications

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Dahl was credited with 129 aerial victories.[22] Spick lists him with 128 aerial victories claimed in 678 combat missions. This figure includes 77 claims on the Eastern Front, and 51 on the Western Front, 36 of them being four-engined bombers.[1] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that he claimed at least 90 aerial victories, at least 56 of which claimed on the Eastern Front and more than 34 on Western Front, including over 22 four-engined bombers, plus further 13 unconfirmed claims. He claimed seven victories flying the Me 262. The claim that he is attributed with 128 aerial victories cannot be verified through the archives.[23]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 49283". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15

minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360 square miles (930 km2). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.[24]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the – (dash) indicates unconfirmed aerial victory claims for which Dahl did not receive credit.
  This along with the * (asterisk) indicates an Herausschuss (separation shot)—a severely damaged heavy bomber forced to separate from his combat box which was counted as an aerial victory.
  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[25]
Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941
1 22 June 1941 04:30 I-18 (MiG-1) east of Lemberg[26] 10?[Note 1] 14 September 1941 06:05 I-153 Jelesawetowka[27]
2 16 July 1941 15:45?[Note 2] I-16 south of Koziatyn[29] 11 19 September 1941 13:57 SB-3 Kotschubjewka[27]
3?[Note 1] 1 August 1941 13:00 I-16
Kiev[30]
 12 11 October 1941 11:55 SB-3 20 km (12 mi) northeast of Gzhatsk[27]
4?[Note 1] 8 August 1941 13:30 DB-3 east of Majewo[30] 13 18 October 1941 10:10 I-16 northwest of Oschtiwschtschi[31]
5 24 August 1941 08:55 I-180 (Yak-7) south of
Zaporizhia[32]
 14 19 October 1941 15:25 I-16 northwest of Ischum[31]
6 24 August 1941 15:55 I-16 Dnipropetrovsk[32] 15 23 October 1941 10:56 I-61 (MiG-3) southeast of Kurman-Kemeltschij[31]
7?[Note 1] 13 September 1941 09:30 I-16 south of Miropol[27] 16 23 October 1941 11:00 I-61 (MiG-3) northeast of Kurman-Kemeltschij[31]
8 13 September 1941 17:20 Il-2 east of Belabtyn[27] 17 23 October 1941 11:20 I-16 southeast of Jogaili[31]
9 13 September 1941 17:27 V-11 (Il-2) east of Paschetolowka[27]
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[33]
Mediterranean Theater — 7 January – 26 April 1942
—
 2 April 1942 15:30 Spitfire 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Malta[34]
– Stab of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[33]
Eastern Front — 19 May 1942 – 3 February 1943
18 26 August 1942 08:37?[Note 3] Yak-7 northwest of
Stalingrad[35]
 31 25 October 1942 10:20 LaGG-3 8 km (5.0 mi) south of Stalingrad[36]
19 7 September 1942 15:36?[Note 4] La-5 PQ 49283, southwest of Akhtuba[35]
10 km (6.2 mi) east of Stalingrad 		32 25 October 1942 10:39 Il-2 8 km (5.0 mi) east-northeast of Krasnoarmeysk[36]
20 19 September 1942 11:44 Yak-7 2 km (1.2 mi) south of Kotluban train station[35]
1 km (0.62 mi) east-northeast of Kotluban 		33 25 October 1942 14:21 Il-2 9 km (5.6 mi) east of Stalingrad[36]
21 24 September 1942 11:03 Yak-1 northern edge of Stalingrad[36] 34 26 October 1942 14:02 Il-2 10 km (6.2 mi) northwest of Stalingrad[37]
22 24 September 1942 11:09 Yak-1 southeast of Dubovka[36] 35 26 October 1942 14:07 Il-2 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Beketowka[37]
23 27 September 1942 16:03 Il-2 northern edge of Stalingrad[36] 36 26 October 1942 14:08 Il-2 12 km (7.5 mi) southwest of Beketowka[37]
24 29 September 1942 10:17 Il-2 north-northwest of Stalingrad[36] 37 26 October 1942 14:12 Il-2 12 km (7.5 mi) southwest of Sarepta[37]
25 30 September 1942 16:10 Il-2 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Akhtuba[36] 38 27 October 1942 10:00 Yak-1 12 km (7.5 mi) east of Krasnaya Sloboda[37]
26 30 September 1942 16:15 P-40 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Dubovka[36] 39 30 November 1942 08:10 Il-2 8 km (5.0 mi) north of Pitomnik Airfield[37]
27 30 September 1942 16:16 P-40 25 km (16 mi) southeast of Dubovka[36] 40 30 November 1942 08:12 Il-2 west of Kotluban train station[37]
28 14 October 1942 07:07 Il-2 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Stalingrad[36] 41 30 November 1942 13:25 Yak-1 6 km (3.7 mi) southwest of Beketowka[37]
29 14 October 1942 07:15 Il-2 25 km (16 mi) northwest of Stalingrad[36] 42 2 December 1942 09:10 Il-2 10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of Kotluban train station[37]
30 17 October 1942 09:15 Yak-1 50 km (31 mi) northeast of Stalingrad[36]
– Stab of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[33]
Eastern Front — 4 February – 10 May 1943
43 16 March 1943 14:25 Boston PQ 34 Ost 8044, east of Tarsowka[38] 48 16 April 1943 15:10 P-39 northwest of Krymskaya[39]
over sea, south of Gelendzhik
44 21 March 1943 14:55 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 9887, south of Rostov[38] 49 16 April 1943 15:10?[Note 5] P-39 Krymskaja[39]
Black Sea, 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Anapa
45 15 April 1943 16:28 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 85147, northwestern edge of Abinskaya[39] 50 17 April 1943 15:08?[Note 6] LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 85191, east of Abinskaya[39]
over sea, southeast of Gelendzhik
46 15 April 1943 16:30 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 8544, south of Abinskaya[39]
Nowy Swet 		51 17 April 1943 15:08?[Note 7] LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 85191, east of Abinskaya[39]
over sea, southeast of Gelendzhik
47 16 April 1943 15:08 P-39 northwest of Krymskaya[39]
– Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[33]
Defense of the Reich — 8 August – 31 December 1943
52?[Note 1] 6 September 1943 11:15 B-17* PQ 05 Ost S/BR-4, Achern[40] 55 14 October 1943 14:35 B-17* PQ 05 Ost S/QU, east of Frankfurt[40]
Aschaffenburg-Würzburg
53 6 September 1943 11:30 B-17 12 km (7.5 mi) west of Saint-Avold[40] 56 19 December 1943 12:25 B-17 south of Innsbruck[40]
54 14 October 1943 14:30 B-17 PQ 05 Ost S/QU[40]
Aschaffenburg-Würzburg
– Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[41]
Defense of the Reich — 1 January – 6 June 1943
57 29 January 1944 11:07 B-17[42] Mannheim/Bastogne 65 25 February 1944 12:27?[Note 8] B-17[43] vicinity of Mühldorf
58?[Note 1] 29 January 1944 11:13 B-17*[42] Mannheim/Bastogne 66 25 February 1944 12:48 B-17[43] 20–30 km (12–19 mi) southwest of Regensburg
59?[Note 1] 23 February 1944 12:08 B-24[43] 67 13 April 1944 15:04 B-17[43] 20–30 km (12–19 mi) northeast of Augsburg
60?[Note 1] 23 February 1944 12:12 B-24*[43] 68 13 April 1944 15:08 B-17*[43] 30 km (19 mi) north of Augsburg
61 23 February 1944 12:20 P-38[43] southeast of Steyr 69 24 April 1944 13:30 B-17[44] Augsburg
62?[Note 1] 24 February 1944 13:12 B-17*[43] south of Steyr 70 24 April 1944 13:36 B-17[44] 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Munich
63?[Note 1] 24 February 1944 13:12 B-17*[43] south of Steyr 71 24 April 1944 13:45 P-51[44] vicinity of Munich
64 24 February 1944 13:20 P-38[43] 30 km (19 mi) southeast of Steyr
– Stab of Jagdgeschwader 300 –[45]
Defense of the Reich — 27 June – 16 September 1944
72 7 July 1944 09:45 B-24 PQ LC4-5/7-8, north of Quedlinburg[46] 75 11 September 1944 11:55 B-17 PQ LD-KD-KE-LE, Schafstädt/Könnern/Bitterfeld/Halle-Leipzig[47]
73 15 August 1944 11:45 B-17 PQ PO-QO, Blankenheim-Kelberg/Büdesheim-Hasborn[48] 76 11 September 1944 12:05 B-17 PQ LD-MD-KC-KD, Schafstädt-Naumburg/Königsrode-Könnern[47]
74 15 August 1944 11:46 B-17 PQ PP-PO-QO, Blankenheim-Kelberg/Büdesheim-Hasborn[48]
– Stab of Jagdgeschwader 300 –[45]
Defense of the Reich — 17 September 1944 – February 1945
77 28 September 1944 12:45 B-17 PQ HB-HA, Schöppenstedt-Salzgitter[49]
vicinity of Wolfenbüttel 		87 29 January 1945 10:04 Il-2 20 km (12 mi) east of Oppeln[50]
78 6 October 1944 12:05 B-17 PQ FF-FG-GF, Nauen-Berlin-Brandenburg[49] 88 29 January 1945 10:10 La-7 25 km (16 mi) east of Oppeln[50]
79 7 October 1944 12:35 P-51 PQ HG, vicinity of Luckenwalde[49] 89 30 January 1945 11:55 B-17 vicinity of Berlin[50]
80 26 October 1944 14:10 B-17 PQ SG[49] 90 30 January 1945 12:00 P-51 vicinity of Berlin[50]
81 5 November 1944 12:05 B-17 vicinity of Leipzig[49] 91 31 January 1945 11:15 P-51 vicinity of Berlin[50]
82 5 December 1944 12:15 B-17 vicinity of Berlin[51] 92 4 February 1945 14:00 P-38 vicinity of Berlin[50]
83 5 December 1944 12:25 B-17 vicinity of Berlin[51] 93 20 February 1945 10:45 La-7 20 km (12 mi) east of Stargard[50]
84 5 December 1944 13:00[51] P-51 vicinity of Berlin[52] 94 21 February 1945 09:30 Il-2 5 km (3.1 mi) west of Platho[50]
85 27 January 1945 10:08 La-7 20 km (12 mi) west of Wieluń[50] 95 21 February 1945 09:35 Il-2 5 km (3.1 mi) west of Platho[50]
86 28 January 1945 11:00 Il-2 30 km (19 mi) south of Kalisz[50]
– III. Gruppe of Ergänzungs-Jagdgeschwader 2 –[45]
Defense of the Reich — March – April 1945
96 27 March 1945
—
 P-47[53] vicinity of Lechfeld 100 20 April 1945
—
 P-51
97 27 March 1945
—
 P-47[53] vicinity of Lechfeld 101 26 April 1945
—
 P-51 west of Munich
98 9 April 1945
—
 Unknown 102 26 April 1945
—
 P-51[54] vicinity of Dillingen
99 19 April 1945
—
 Unknown

Awards

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j According to Mathews and Foreman, this claim is unconfirmed.[25]
  2. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 05:45.[28]
  3. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 08:57.[33]
  4. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 15:56.[33]
  5. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 15:15.[33]
  6. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 15:05.[33]
  7. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 15:06.[33]
  8. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 12:25.[33]
  9. ^ According to Obermaier on 23 December 1941.[56]

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b Spick 1996, p. 230.
  2. ^ a b Stockert 2008, p. 40.
  3. ^ Prien et al. 2004, p. 83.
  4. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 124.
  5. ^ Lorant & Goyat 2005, p. 206.
  6. ^ Prien et al. 2020, p. 70.
  7. ^ Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 442.
  8. ^ Lorant & Goyat 2005, p. 211.
  9. ^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 216.
  10. ^ Dahl 2000, pp. 46–66
  11. ^ Weal 1996, p. 78.
  12. ^ Lorant & Goyat 2005, p. 213.
  13. ^ Lorant & Goyat 2005, p. 325.
  14. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 243.
  15. ^ a b c Stockert 2008, p. 43.
  16. ^ Morgan & Weal 1998, p. 21.
  17. ^ Jenke 1967, p. 128.
  18. ^ Frederik 1966, p. 161.
  19. ^ Jaschke 2013, p. 90.
  20. ^ Frederik 1966, pp. 145, 147.
  21. ^ Fröhlich & Heinrich 2004, p. 134.
  22. ^ Zabecki 2019, p. 330.
  23. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2014, pp. 198–200.
  24. ^ Planquadrat.
  25. ^ a b Mathews & Foreman 2014, pp. 198–199.
  26. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 107.
  27. ^ a b c d e f Prien et al. 2003, p. 115.
  28. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 198.
  29. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 111.
  30. ^ a b Prien et al. 2003, p. 112.
  31. ^ a b c d e Prien et al. 2003, p. 116.
  32. ^ a b Prien et al. 2003, p. 114.
  33. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 199.
  34. ^ Prien et al. 2004, p. 86.
  35. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2006, p. 39.
  36. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Prien et al. 2006, p. 40.
  37. ^ a b c d e f g h i Prien et al. 2006, p. 41.
  38. ^ a b Prien et al. 2012, p. 37.
  39. ^ a b c d e f g Prien et al. 2012, p. 38.
  40. ^ a b c d e Prien et al. 2008, p. 329.
  41. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2014, pp. 199–200.
  42. ^ a b Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 501.
  43. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 502.
  44. ^ a b c Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 503.
  45. ^ a b c Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 200.
  46. ^ Lorant & Goyat 2005, p. 376.
  47. ^ a b Lorant & Goyat 2005, p. 384.
  48. ^ a b Lorant & Goyat 2005, p. 382.
  49. ^ a b c d e Lorant & Goyat 2007, p. 354.
  50. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Lorant & Goyat 2007, p. 356.
  51. ^ a b c Lorant & Goyat 2007, p. 355.
  52. ^ Prien et al. 2020, p. 73.
  53. ^ a b Heaton & Lewis 2012, p. 272.
  54. ^ Heaton & Lewis 2012, p. 277.
  55. ^ Patzwall 2008, p. 63.
  56. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 72.
  57. ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 77.
  58. ^ a b Scherzer 2007, p. 264.
  59. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 156.
  60. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 96.

Bibliography

External links


Military offices
Preceded by Commander of Jagdgeschwader z.b.V.
20 May 1944 – 6 June 1944 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Oberstleutnant Kurd Kettner
 Commander of Jagdgeschwader 300
27 June 1944 – 26 January 1945 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Walther_Dahl&oldid=1212339482"