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Victories : 128
Walter Dahl was born on 27 March 1916 at Lug in the Bergzabern region of Pfalz. He joined the army in 1935, initially serving in the infantry, before transferring to the Luftwaffe and becoming a pilot. He became a flight instructor in 1939. In May 1941, Dahl was transferred to the Geschwaderstab of JG 3. He gained his first victory on 22 June during the invasion of Russia. On 10 July, Dahl was transferred to II./JG 3. By the end of October, Dahl had 17 victories to his credit, including three Russian aircraft shot down on 13 September to record victories seven through nine and a further three on 23 October, all Russian fighters (15-17). Dahl was transferred to 4./JG 3 on 13 December 1941 and accompanied the unit to the Mediterranean theatre. He claimed a Spitfire shot down over Malta on 1 April 1942, although this claim could well have occurred on 2 April. However, the victory was not confirmed and the “Spitfire”, actually a RAF Hurricane of 229 Sqn, managed to return to its base on Malta, albeit damaged. On 10 April 1942, Dahl was appointed Staffelkapitän of Ergänzungsgruppe/JG 3. At the end of April 1943, Dahl was transferred to the staff of the General der Jagdflieger. On 15 August, Dahl was appointed Geschwaderadjutant of JG 3 based on the Eastern front where, by mid-April 1943, he had raised his victory total to 51. Dahl shot down four Russian Il-2 ground attack aircraft on 26 October 1942 (34-37). Oberleutnant Dahl was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 2 December 1942 for 42 victories. He shot down two Russian LaGG-3 fighters on 16 April 1943 (50-51). On 20 July 1943, Dahl was posted as Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 3, recently relocated to Münster from deployment around Kursk on the Russian Front. Here Dahl was to battle the bomber formations of the USAAF. He shot down two four-engine bombers on 6 September (52-53). He downed two more four-engine bombers and a USAAF P-38 twin-engine fighter on 23 February 1944 (59–61). Dahl led III./JG 3 against the Schweinfurt and Regensburg raid on 17 August but was intercepted by 222 Squadron RAF Spitfires. Five III./JG 3 Bf 109s were shot down including the aircraft of Leutnant Hans Schleef (99 victories, RK, killed in action 31 December 1944). Dahl himself had to make a belly landing near Capperath when his Bf 109 G-6 (W.Nr. 18 842) suffered an engine failure. Major Dahl was awarded the Knight’s Cross on 11 March 1944 for 67 victories. On 21 May 1944, Dahl was appointed Kommodore of JG z.b.V. He led the unit until 6 June before taking command of JG 300 on 27 June. On 13 September, he brought down a USAAF B-17 four-engine bomber by ramming. |
Walter Dahl
Squadrons for : Walter Dahl | ||
A list of all squadrons known to have been served with by Walter Dahl. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name. | ||
Squadron | Info | |
Country : Germany 'Ace of Hearts' Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of EJG2 | EJG2 Full profile not yet available. | |
Country : Germany 'Ace of Hearts' Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of JG3 | JG3 Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3) Udet was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. The Geschwader operated on all the German fronts in the European Theatre of World War II. It was named after Ernst Udet in 1942. Commanders of IV./JG 3 Major Franz Beyer, 1. June 1943 Hauptmann Heinz Lang , 11 February 1944 Major Friedrich-Karl Müller, 26 February 1944 Hauptmann Heinz Lang , 11 April 1944 Major Wilhelm Moritz, 18 April 1944 Hauptmann Hubert-York Weydenhammer, 5 December 1944 Major Erwin Bacsila, 5 January 1945 Oberleutnant Oskar Romm, 17 February 1945 Hauptmann Gerhard Koall, 25 April 1945 Hauptmann Günther Schack, 1 Mai 1945 | |
Country : Germany Founded : 26th June 1943 'Ace of Hearts' Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of JG300 | JG300 Jagdgeschwader 300 (JG 300) was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. JG 300 was formed on June 26, 1943 in Deelen as Stab/Versuchskommando Herrmann, from July 18, 1943 as Stab/JG Herrmann, and then finally redesignated on August 20, 1943 to Stab/JG 300. Its first Geschwaderkommodore was Oberstleutnant Hajo Herrmann. |
Aircraft for : Walter Dahl | |||
A list of all aircraft associated with Walter Dahl. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name. | |||
Squadron | Info | ||
Manufacturer : Messerschmitt Production Began : 1937 Retired : 1945 Number Built : 33984 | Me109 Willy Messerschmitt designed the BF109 during the early 1930s. The Bf109 was one of the first all metal monocoque construction fighters with a closed canopy and retractable undercarriage. The engine of the Me109 was a V12 aero engine which was liquid-cooled. The Bf109 first saw operational service during the Spanish Civil War and flew to the end of World War II, during which time it was the backbone of the Luftwaffe fighter squadrons. During the Battle of Britian the Bf109 was used in the role of an escort fighter, a role for which it was not designed for, and it was also used as a fighter bomber. During the last days of May 1940 Robert Stanford-Tuck, the RAF ace, got the chance to fly an Me109 which they had rebuilt after it had crash landed. Stanford-Tuck found out that the Me109 was a wonderful little plane, it was slightly faster than the Spitfire, but lacked the Spitfire manoeuvrability. By testing the Me109, Tuck could put himself inside the Me109 when fighting them, knowing its weak and strong points. With the introduction of the improved Bf109F in the spring of 1941, the type again proved to be an effective fighter during the invasion of Yugoslavia and during the Battle of Crete and the invasion of Russia and it was used during the Siege of the Mediteranean island of Malta. The Bf109 was the main fighter for the Luftwaffe until 1942 when the Fw190 entered service and shared this position, and was partially replaced in Western Europe, but the Me109 continued to serve on the Eastern Front and during the defence of the Reich against the allied bombers. It was also used to good effect in the Mediterranean and North Africa in support of The Africa Korps. The Me109 was also supplied to several German allies, including Finland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Slovakia. The Bf109 scored more kills than any other fighter of any country during the war and was built in greater numbers with a total of over 31,000 aircraft being built. The Bf109 was flown by the three top German aces of the war war. Erich Hartmann with 352 victories, Gerhard Barkhorn with 301 victories and Gunther Rall with 275 kills. Bf109 pilots were credited with the destruction of 100 or more enemy aircraft. Thirteen Luftwaffe Aces scored more than 200 kills. Altogether this group of pilots were credited with a total of nearly 15,000 kills, of which the Messerschmitt Bf109 was credited with over 10,000 of these victories. The Bf109 was the most produced warplane during World War II, with 30,573 examples built during the war, and the most produced fighter aircraft in history, with a total of 33,984 units produced up to April 1945. Bf109s remained in foreign service for many years after World War II. The Swiss used their Bf109Gs well into the 1950s. The Finnish Air Force did not retire their Bf109Gs until March 1954. Romania used its Bf109s until 1955. The Spanish Hispanos flew even longer. Some were still in service in the late 1960s. | ||
Manufacturer : Messerschmitt Number Built : 1400 | Me262 The Messerschmitt Me-262 Swallow, a masterpiece of engineering, was the first operational mass-produced jet to see service. Prototype testing of the airframe commenced in 1941 utilizing a piston engine. General Adolf Galland, who was in charge of the German Fighter Forces at that time, pressured both Goring and Hitler to accelerate the Me-262, and stress its use as a fighter to defend Germany from Allied bombers. Hitler, however, envisioned the 262 as the aircraft which might allow him to inflict punishment on Britain. About 1400 Swallows were produced, but fortunately for the Allies, only about 300 saw combat duty. While the original plans for the 262 presumed the use of BMW jet engines, production Swallows were ultimately equipped with Jumo 004B turbojet engines. The wing design of the 262 necessitated the unique triangular hull section of the fuselage, giving the aircraft a shark-like appearance. With an 18 degree swept wing, the 262 was capable of Mach .86. The 262 was totally ineffective in a turning duel with Allied fighters, and was also vulnerable to attack during take off and landings. The landing gear was also suspect, and many 262s were destroyed or damaged due to landing gear failure. Despite its sleek jet-age appearance, the 262 was roughly manufactured, because Germany had lost access to its normal aircraft assembly plants. In spite of these drawbacks the 262 was effective. For example, on April 7, 1945 a force of sixty 262s took on a large force of Allied bombers with escort fighters. Armed with their four nose-mounted cannons, and underwing rockets the Swallows succeeded in downing or damaging 25 Allied B-17s on that single mission. While it is unlikely that the outcome of the War could have been altered by an earlier introduction or greater production totals for this aircraft, it is clear to many historians that the duration of the War might have been drastically lengthened if the Me-262 had not been too little too late. |
Known Victory Claims - Walter Dahl | |||||||
DATE | PILOT | UNIT | JG | CLAIMED | LOCATION | TIME | FRONT |
06/09/1943 | Hptm. Walter Dahl | Stab III. | JG 3 | B-17 | - | 11.15 | Western Front |
06/09/1943 | Hptm. Walter Dahl | Stab III. | JG 3 | B-17 | 12km SW St. Avold: 7200m | 11.3 | Western Front |
14/10/1943 | Hptm. Walter Dahl | Stab III. | JG 3 | B-17 | Est: Aschaffenburg-Würzburg 7000m | 14.3 | Western Front |
14/10/1943 | Hptm. Walter Dahl | Stab III. | JG 3 | B-17 | Est: Aschaffenburg-Würzburg 7000m | 14.35 | Western Front |
19/12/1943 | Hptm. Walter Dahl | Stab III. | JG 3 | B-17 | 14 Ost N/ID: 6000m [Zillertaler-Alpen] | 12.25 | Western Front |
29/01/1944 | Major Walter Dahl | Stab III. | JG 3 | B-17 | - | 11.07 | Western Front |
29/01/1944 | Major Walter Dahl | Stab III. | JG 3 | B-17 | - | 11.13 | Western Front |
23/02/1944 | Major Walter Dahl | Stab III. | JG 3 | P-38 | SE Steyr: 6000m | 12.2 | Western Front |
23/02/1944 | Major Walter Dahl | Stab III. | JG 3 | B-24 | - | 12.08 | Western Front |
23/02/1944 | Major Walter Dahl | Stab III. | JG 3 | B-24 HSS | - | 12.12 | Western Front |
24/02/1944 | Major Walter Dahl | Stab III. | JG 3 | B-17 | - | 13.12 | Western Front |
24/02/1944 | Major Walter Dahl | Stab III. | JG 3 | B-17 | - | 13.12 | Western Front |
24/02/1944 | Major Walter Dahl | Stab III. | JG 3 | P-38 | 30km SE Steyr: 5000m | 13.2 | Western Front |
25/02/1944 | Major Walter Dahl | Stab III. | JG 3 | B-17 | Gegend Mühldorf: 6500m | 12.27 | Western Front |
25/02/1944 | Major Walter Dahl | Stab III. | JG 3 | B-17 | 20-30km SW Regensburg: 6500m | 12.48 | Western Front |
13/04/1944 | Major Walter Dahl | Stab III. | JG 3 | B-17 | 20-30km NW Augsburg: 6000m | 15.04 | Western Front |
13/04/1944 | Major Walter Dahl | Stab III. | JG 3 | B-17 | 30km N. Augsburg: 6000m | 15.08 | Western Front |
24/04/1944 | Major Walter Dahl | Stab III. | JG 3 | B-17 | Gegend Augsburg: 6500m | 13.3 | Western Front |
24/04/1944 | Major Walter Dahl | Stab III. | JG 3 | B-17 | 10km S. München: 6500m | 13.36 | Western Front |
24/04/1944 | Major Walter Dahl | Stab III. | JG 3 | P-51 | Raum München: 6500m | 13.45 | Western Front |
07/07/1944 | Major Walter Dahl | Stab | JG 300 | B-24 | N. Quedlinbürg Kr. Sachsen: 6000m | 9.45 | Western Front |
15/08/1944 | Major Walter Dahl | Stab | JG 300 | B-17 | PO-QO: 6500m [Raum Daun-Kyllberg] | 11.45 | Western Front |
15/08/1944 | Major Walter Dahl | Stab | JG 300 | B-17 | PP-PO-QO: 6500m [Raum Koblenz] | 11.46 | Western Front |
11/09/1944 | Major Walter Dahl | Stab | JG 300 | B-17 | LD-KD-KE-LE: 7000m [Halle-Leipzig] | 11.55 | Western Front |
11/09/1944 | Major Walter Dahl | Stab | JG 300 | B-17 | LD-MD-KC-KD: 7000m [W. Halle] | 12.05 | Western Front |
28/09/1944 | Major Walter Dahl | Stab | JG 300 | B-17 | HB-HA: 7900m [Raum Wofenbüttel] | 12.45 | Western Front |
06/10/1944 | Major Walter Dahl | Stab | JG 300 | B-17 | FF-FG-GF: 8000m: [Naunen-Brandenburg] | 12.05 | Western Front |
27/01/1945 | Oberst Walter Dahl | Insp.der Tagjäger | La-7 | - | - | Western Front | |
28/01/1945 | Oberst Walter Dahl | Insp.der Tagjäger | Il-2 | - | - | Western Front | |
29/01/1945 | Oberst Walter Dahl | Insp.der Tagjäger | Il-2 | - | - | Western Front | |
29/01/1945 | Oberst Walter Dahl | Insp.der Tagjäger | La-7 | - | - | Western Front | |
30/01/1945 | Oberst Walter Dahl | Insp.der Tagjäger | B-17 | - | - | Western Front | |
30/01/1945 | Oberst Walter Dahl | Insp.der Tagjäger | P-51 | - | - | Western Front | |
31/01/1945 | Oberst Walter Dahl | Insp.der Tagjäger | P-51 | - | - | Western Front | |
04/02/1945 | Oberst Walter Dahl | Insp.der Tagjäger | P-38 | - | - | Western Front | |
20/02/1945 | Oberst Walter Dahl | Insp.der Tagjäger | La-7 | - | - | Western Front | |
21/02/1945 | Oberst Walter Dahl | Insp.der Tagjäger | Il-2 | - | - | Western Front | |
21/02/1945 | Oberst Walter Dahl | Insp.der Tagjäger | Il-2 | - | - | Western Front | |
28/02/1945 | Oberst Walter Dahl | Insp.der Tagjäger | - | - | Western Front | ||
28/02/1945 | Oberst Walter Dahl | Insp.der Tagjäger | - | - | Western Front | ||
28/02/1945 | Oberst Walter Dahl | Insp.der Tagjäger | - | - | Western Front | ||
28/02/1945 | Oberst Walter Dahl | Insp.der Tagjäger | - | - | Western Front | ||
27/03/1945 | Oberst Walter Dahl | Stab III. | EJG 2 | P-47 | - | - | Western Front |
27/03/1945 | Oberst Walter Dahl | Stab III. | EJG 2 | P-47 | - | - | Western Front |
26/04/1945 | Oberst Walter Dahl | Stab III. | EJG 2 | P-51 | Raum Dillingen | - | Western Front |
Known Claims : 45
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