Strange case of Walter Dahl

[Kutscha]

31.1.45 General der flieger Obstlt P-51 raum Berlin Berlin area 1115
8th AF went to Brunswick, Bremen and Hallendorf
15th went to Moosebierbaum in Austria (300 miles away), smaller operations to Graz and Maribor
Only P-51 MACR is 11839 P-51D 44-13509 52FG Ralston Lake, Hungary

http://aircrewremembered.com/USAAFCo...ns/Jan.45.html

says the 8th was recalled

[Jean-Yves Lorant]

My doubts were well founded. You have just made a brilliant demonstration. Thank you and congratulations Martin and Nick...

Regards
Jean-Yves Lorant

[Nick Hector]

Very welcome, Jean-Yves. Glad to be of help

By the way, your JG 300 history is a favourite in my collection. I am privileged to have a 1st volume signed by Hajo Hermann

[Karoband]

Originally Posted by Nick Hector

Well I think Martin has shown that Dahl's later claims were pure fiction and we wouldn't have reached that conclusion without the insight into BOTH sides of the argument

I think that the next logical question is: were the flights themselves "pure fiction"? Curiously, as far as the later Me 262 flights are concerned, they are consistent with Dahl being at Munich and transferring to Salzburg with the first group of JV44 in the early afternoon of 28 April. Yet I have seen no mention of Dahl being at either place. Was this a knowledgeable hoax by Dahl?

Jim

[Broncazonk]

Is there any hint or informed speculation that these late-war over-claims, and many like it from other well-known pilots, were encouraged and sanctioned by the Luftwaffe propaganda and press corps for morale purposes?

I believe the above might be a very likely explanation for this situation.

Bronc

[Nick Hector]

Originally Posted by Broncazonk

Is there any hint or informed speculation that these late-war over-claims, and many like it from other well-known pilots, were encouraged and sanctioned by the Luftwaffe propaganda and press corps for morale purposes?

I believe the above might be a very likely explanation for this situation.

Bronc

Generally speaking, most overclaiming "makes sense". That is, a unit of the type of aircraft claimed was present and reported combat in spite of their being no actual losses or, in the case of the JG 27 "Expertenschwarm", the guys were clearly avoiding actual combat yet claiming victories as if there had been BUT it was not as if the enemy were not flying any missions at all that day.

The instances Martin has revealed is that Dahl was claiming victories on days when the US Bombers had not even flown a mission. To me, that has a ring of post-war embellishment to it, rather than the efforts of Propaganda Merchants....

[Johannes]

Hi Guys

Leistungsnbücher, who produced them?, was it the pilot himself? Dahl's book matches his Leistungbuch, Ernst Obermeier seemed to have a copy, thus we have all been expecting Dahl to be claiming many late war aircraft...…..as John Foreman has always stated "once published it's cast in stone" i.e it becomes FACT. However there is no evidence apart from Dahl's own. If as the researchers amongst us have stated that he "overclaimed", then perhaps he wouldn't be above making the 1945 claims up. Though I must admit that having the rank and title he had at the end, I'm not sure there was anybody to question him if he did actually officially make these late overclaims.

I am saying that an egoist such as Dahl might have just written his own Leistungsbuch even post-war! Sad thing is that Walter Loos who is the one witness we could have asked is no longer with us.

Regards

Johannes

[Nick Hector]

Originally Posted by Johannes

I am saying that an egoist such as Dahl might have just written his own Leistungsbuch even post-war! Sad thing is that Walter Loos who is the one witness we could have asked is no longer with us.

Regards

Johannes

This is pretty much the theory I am mulling over as well, Johannes. It just doesn't make much sense any other way...

[John Manrho]

It all depends if the Leistungsbuch was signed. Normally the unit filled them with the data. But all LB I have seen were "signed off" by the unit. Of course in the final weeks/month of the war the claims were not signed off anymore.

John

[GrafWolf]

Hello!

He was the only one who flew the new Do 335, a fighter with one piston engine
and one turbo-jet engine! (WHAT?) This happened in Februar 1945 at Rechlin!
Wahlter Dahl "Rammjäger" Orion Verlag Heusenstamm 1961-page 98.

This man rode also on a cannon-ball like Baron von Münchhausen!

Herzliche Grüsse aus Oberschwaben,

Wolfgang