Walther Dahl EJG2

[Ruy Horta]

Is that an assumption or do you know that as a fact?

Problem is that most of us, and I am guilty as well, assume a lot...

Personally I do not know if an Inspector of Dayfighters during the last months of the Reich could or would want to fly a lot of sorties.

I do not have access to the agenda of Obst. Dahl. The Flugbuch doesn't seem to cover the period either, so that won't give any answers either - primary source answers that is.

Would an Inspector of Dayfighters have a lot of work in those last weeks?

I'd assume that bureaucracy would continue to run its course for a long time, but I do not know Dahl's activity for a fact. Could an aggressive pilot of Dahl's standing continue operational flying if he wanted to, especially during the final months, I think he could.

Note I did not check Rammjäger, or any other material other than Obermaier.

My point is how much are we assuming and how much are we basing comments on what we do know for a fact.

Too be honest I would not be surprised if much of Dahl's late war claiming is proofed to be less than accurate, but as it stand now I could not make any commitment either way.

Certainly not based upon no missing P-47s and his role as Inspector Dayfighters.

[Roger Gaemperle]

Thank you all for the interesting discussion and the replies to my question. Dahl's Flugbuch stopped in October 44 but had two additional entries in February 45 (not with a combat airplane). There were also no stamps or confirmation of his flights as it can be usually found with other flight logbooks. Perhaps, the reason was that he was the commander and did not need to confirm his own flights? Just a guess. Or could there be any other reason?

Regards,
Roger Gaemperle

[George Hopp]

The reason Dahl said in his book that this day--27 March 1945--was special to him was because it was his birthday. So, without any evidence to the contrary, I would agree with the date and would also tend to support his victories, because they would probably have been witnessed by knowledgeable people on the ground. And, as I said in another note in the thread, can anyone be certain that these aircraft were not from northern Italy, or be something other than P-47s.

In the last days of the war, what would an Inspector of Fighters do? Possibly, he would be spending a lot of time with units, as he did on March 27th. And, while there he might well have flown sorties with them. From his book, he seems that kind of person.

Your comment, Ruy, about "imaginary victory" being potentially derogatory, was poor wording on my part and I apologize for this.

George