Gustav Dörr

Gustav Dörr (5 October 1887 – 11 December 1928) was a German World War I fighter pilot credited with 35 victories.The Aerodrome website page on Dör

Retrieved on 5 November 2020. 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 Błąkały, Blindgallen, East Prussia, 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.Franks, Bailey, Guest (1993), p. 100.

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. 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;'' 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, 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.

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.

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. 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.

He downed a French Breguet 14 on 28 May, only to be shot down in flames by others in the formation. 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.

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.

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.Franks,Bailey,Guest 1993, pp. 100-101

Victories

After the war

Gustav Dörr became one of the world's original commercial airline pilots after the war. He flew 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

Source

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorr, Gustav
1887 births
1928 deaths
People from Gołdap County
Military personnel from East Prussia
Prussian Army personnel
Lufthansa people
Luftstreitkräfte personnel
German World War I flying aces
Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class
Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class)
Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in Germany