[Jukka Juutinen]

I must say that edwest2 is incorrect in stating that historian may not speculate. He in fact can, as long as he makes it clear that he is speculating. A historian is also not a simple chronicle, he must be an analyst too. One part of that analysis may be e.g. comparing conflicting statements and through both logic and source critique arriving at a, logical conclusion. That conclusion cannot be something that no source supports.

The main goal of a historian is to answer the question "why". For example, why did an aerial engagement end the way it did. This requires making historical events and their causalities understandable.