Gustav Dörr
Born(1887-10-05)5 October 1887
Blindgallen, East Prussia
Died11 December 1928(1928-12-11) (aged 41)
Letzlingen, Altmark
AllegianceGermany
RankLeutnant
UnitFliegerersatz-Abteilung 2;
Fliegerersatz-Abteilung 3;
Flieger-Abteilung 6;
Flieger-Abteilung 68;
Flieger-Abteilung 257
Jagdstaffel 45
AwardsMilitary Merit Cross;
Iron Cross

Gustav Dörr (5 October 1887 – 11 December 1928) was a German World War I fighter pilot credited with 35 victories.[1] He went on to become one of the world's first airline pilots.

Early life and infantry service

Gustav Dörr was born on 5 October 1887 in Blindgallen, East Prussia,[1] the son of a building contractor. He completed trade school and began work at age 18 with Krupp AG. In 1908, he enlisted in Infanterie-Regiment 176, and was promoted to non-commissioned officer.[2]

In August 1914, with the start of World War I, he was recalled. On 20 August 1914, he was seriously wounded, taking until November to recover.[2] Upon his return he fought in actions along the Rawka River near Warsaw. During an attack on 17 February 1915, he was bayoneted in his right hip. This wound put him in the garrison hospital at Naumburg. He was incapacitated for front line duty, and was recommended for service in the reserve battalion of his regiment.

Aerial service

Dörr saw a circular from the War Ministry asking for volunteers for pilot training. Dörr applied and was accepted despite his physical condition and relatively advanced age. He reported for training with Fliegerersatz-Abteilung 2 at Döberitz in July 1915 and later at Fliegerersatz-Abteilung 3 in Gotha.

On 18 March 1916, he was posted as a Vizefeldwebel to Flieger-Abteilung 68;[2] an artillery observation unit engaged in artillery spotting. One of his comrades there was future ace Ernst Udet.

Dörr and his observer Oberleutnant Serger were transferred to Flieger-Abteilung 6 to help counter heavy Allied air pressure. He stayed with the unit through its redesignation as Flieger-Abteilung 257 in May 1916,[2] and participated in air operations prior to the Battle of the Somme in July. Dörr earned an Iron Cross Second Class while assigned to Flieger-Abteilung 6; it was awarded on 7 April 1916. He would subsequently receive the First Class Iron Cross on 17 April 1917.[2]

In June 1917, the elevator on Dörr's plane failed in flight, and he crashed from an altitude of 1400 meters (4,600 feet). His observer, Leutnant Bohn, was killed; Dörr survived with his jaw broken in six places. This serious injury kept him out of action for three months. Upon recovery, he was trained as a fighter pilot.[2]

Dörr returned to duty at Fliegerersatz-Abteilung 1 as a test pilot from November 1917 until February 1918. He was then transferred from flying two seaters into Jagdstaffel 45, a fighter squadron.[2] His first victory was in a dogfight that saw six Germans tackle 26 French and British machines. Dörr shot down a Sopwith 1½ Strutter on 17 March 1918.[2]

He downed a French Breguet 14 on 28 May, only to be shot down in flames by others in the formation.[2] Fortunately, his altitude was only 400 meters (1,300 feet); he crash landed in no man's land between the French and German trenchworks with minor burns and made it back to German lines under heavy fire.

Dörr claimed an unconfirmed victory only three days later and added three confirmed claims for the rest of June. In July, he logged eleven more victories, scoring consistently and increasingly often through the month. August added six more victories, bringing his total to 23. On 29 August, he was awarded the Gold Military Merit Cross; this was the enlisted man's equivalent of the better-known Pour le Merite or "Blue Max" given to officers.[2]

September saw seven confirmed victories—three Spad VIIs and four Spad XIs. Dörr's tally now stood at 30. He was also commissioned as a leutnant in September. The exact date is uncertain, but with his 24th and 25th victims falling on the 2nd, Dörr had at least 23 victories when he became an officer. Once commissioned, he was eligible for officer's decorations. At the time, the minimum requirement for an flier winning the Pour le Merite was 20 victories. Dörr was well past that total and capable of adding to his score.[2]

On 25 October, he was finally proposed for the Pour le Merite. Two days later, he scored his 34th victory and had another unconfirmed claim. Another probable came the next day. His last victory of the war, his 35th, came on 30 October 1918. On 4 November, he had a third indecisive bout.[1]<ref>Franks,Bailey,Guest 1993, pp. 100-101</reOn

Gustav Dörr would not receive the Blue Max. The Kaiser abdicated without approving his award.[1][2]

Victories

Victory Date Aircraft Place Time
117. March 1918Sopwith 1½ StrutterMontzeville, Verdun07:20h
211 April 1918SPAD S.VIITracy le Mont
328 May 1918Bréguet 14Vendeuil15:00h
n.a.1 June 1918RE8La Ferte Milon
412 June 1918SPAD S.VIIHaraumont
528 June 1918SPAD S.XIIIVillers-Cotterets
628 June 1918SPAD S.VIIVillers-Cotterets
75 July 1918Bréguet 14Brumetz11:10h
88 July 1918Bréguet 14Villers-Cotterets11:30h
915 July 1918SPAD S.VIIComblizy16:45h
1015 July 1918Bréguet 14Nr Comblizy17:00h
1118 July 1918SPAD S.XIIIPernant06:50h
1218 July 1918Bréguet 14Montigny07:05h
1321 July 1918SPADNeuilly14:25h
1424 July 1918SPAD S.XIIIPernant11:30h
1525 July 1918Bréguet 14La Croix11:00h
1629 July 1918Bréguet 14Fere-en-Tardenois17:00h
1730 July 1918SPAD S.VIICoincy11:50h
181 August 1918Nieuport 28Bruyeres11:00h
194 August 1918Bréguet 14Nampteuil08:10h
2011 August 1918Bréguet 14Braisne12:30h
2121 August 1918SPAD S.XIRosnay11:45h
2221 August 1918SPADBranges
2324 August 1918Salmson 2A2Vezaponin13:30h
242 September 1918SPAD S.XIOrmes11:25h
252 September 1918SPAD S.XIReims11:30h
264 September 1918SPAD S.VIIN Fismes14:00h
2714 September 1918SPAD S.XIBlanzy
2816 September 1918SPAD S.VIIFismes
2924 September 1918SPAD S.VIISoissons19:00h
3026 September 1918SPAD S.XIFismes 13:00h
313 October 1918Salmson 2A2Coucy le Chateau
325 October 1918Salmson 2A2Brimont
339 October 1918Bréguet 14Coucy le Chateau
n.a.27 October 1918SPAD S.XIu/c Malmaison10.00h
3427 October 1918SPAD S.XIAmifontaine15.40h
n.a.28 October 1918SPAD
3530 October 1918Salmson 2A2Missy11.00h
n.a.4 November 1918Einsitzer

After the war

Gustav Dörr became one of the world's original commercial airline pilots after the war. He flew 580,000 kilometers (360,000 mi) for Deutsche Luft Hansa.

On 11 December 1928, he was piloting a Junkers G 31 on a night flight from Cologne to Berlin. He attempted an emergency landing at Letzlinger Heide. His plane brushed a tree on final approach and crash landed. Spilled fuel caught fire and killed Dörr and his crew. Luft Hansa later commemorated him by naming one of its airliners after him.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 The Aerodrome website page on Dörr Retrieved on 5 November 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Franks, Bailey, Guest (1993), p. 100.

Source

  • Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank W.; Guest, Russell (1993). Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914-1918. Grub Street. ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1.


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