United States of America
Harold Evans ‘Whitey’ Dahl
United States of America
Harold Evans ‘Whitey’ Dahl
29 June 1909 – 14 February 1956
Harold Dahl was born in Champaign, Illinois, on 29 June 1909.
Dahl joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1933, during which time he was commissioned to Second Lieutenant.
In February 1936, Dahl was kicked out of the army because of compulsive gambling and civil court convictions.
He then became a freelance pilot for a while before getting into trouble with some Los Angeles based gamblers.
He fled to Mexico City where he flew airships, charter flights and ferried aircraft to Vera Cruz for shipment to the Spanish Republic.
He served as a volunteer on the Government side during the Spanish Civil War and used the nom de guerre Hernando Diaz Evans.
In the beginning of February 1937, Andrés García La Calle was put in command of the first Spanish Chato (Polikarpov I-15) Squadron.
Initially it consisted of the following pilots: La Calle, Castañeda, Ben Leider, José Calderón, Jim Allison, Frank Tinker, Dahl, Pepito ’Chang’ Sellés, Bercial, Ortiz, Gil and Riverola.
On 7 February, the squadron moved to the old Hispano Suiza aerodrome in Guadalajara. They began operations at El Jarama, where their activities were outstanding, but their losses heavy.
In the early morning on 18 February, two Nationalist Ro.37s (flown by Spanish pilots) took off, followed by three Ju 52/3ms escorted by the Spanish Patrulla Azul and the Italian Fiat Group, which now had 24 aircraft. When they arrived over the front at el Jarama, the CR.32s turned so that they were patrolling parallel to the front, while the I-15s waited on the other side. The Ro.37s and Ju 52/3ms crossed into enemy territory and were attacked immediately. Joaquín García-Morato at once broke formation and, followed by Julio Salvador Díaz-Benjumea and Bermúdez de Castro, launched himself into the battle. The Italians hesitated until Capitano Nobili, who was leading a Squadriglia, also broke from formation and went to help his companions. Finally, the entire group took part in the battle, and was so successful that they destroyed eight Republican fighters for the loss of only one of their number (three according to some sources). One I-16 and two shared I-15s were claimed by Tenente Enrico Degli Incerti while Sergente Maggiore Silvio Costigliolo claimed an I-15 in the Arganda area. The Spaniards Morato and Salvador also claimed a victory each.
This battle was fought against the ”Chatos” of the Escuadrilla de La Calle. The Republican pilots reported being engaged by 85 Heinkel He 51s over the front. Immediately the Escuadrilla went into a tight horizontal circle (”Lufbery circle”). The first enemy aircraft fired randomly at the I-15s as they dived past the Escuadrilla’s defensive pattern. Unwillingly to challenge the Republican fighters, the remainder of the Nationalist pilots followed suit, executing a single strafing pass, and then flying lazily below the I-15s in hopes of enticing a few green Republican pilots away of the defensive protection. Ben Leider took the bait and started down after one of the easy-looking targets, only to attract three enemy fighters on his tail. As Frank Tinker peered over his shoulder during the swirling melee of aircraft, he saw Leider’s I-15 to shudder as the CR.32s flashed past. Tinker’s heart sank as he noticed Leider veer toward friendly territory in a shallow dive. Twice, Leider tried to land his fighter in a small field before slamming into the side of a hill, killing him.
The Escuadrilla leader Andrés García La Calle’s version of Leider’s end differed markedly from Tinker’s perspective. As Leider dived, breaking away from the ”Lufbery circle” to attack a “Heinkel” below, an enemy fighter locked on his tail. La Calle pulled behind Leider’s pursuer and frightened him away with his machineguns. Repeatedly La Calle then tried to herd Leider’s intended victim back away from Nationalist lines so that the American could down the enemy fighter. La Calle wanted Leider to destroy the enemy fighter as a morale boost for the Escuadrilla and to appease Leider’s Communist backers. When the Nationalist pilot made a third attempt to cross his lines, La Calle shot him down. Irritated by the turn of events and Leider’s seeming inability to shoot down his adversary, the Spanish Commander signalled Leider to head for home. During the flight back to base, Leider flew just behind the Escuadrille leader’s wing. Halfway home, La Calle glanced around only to discover that Leider was gone. Having landed he learned that no one knew of the American’s whereabouts: his comrades saw him rejoin their homebound group and never again. There was no other news until Leider’s ”Chato” was located.
Evidence from the crash site gave Leider’s fellow pilots a clue as to his final seconds on earth. During the dogfight, three rounds penetrated his cockpit, one passing through his leg. Instinctively he loosened his seat belt and harness. As Leider prepared to bale out, he had second thoughts about giving up his I-15, so he decided to attempt to set down his aircraft. His loss of blood caused him to faint at the controls.
Jim Allison and Dahl followed Leider down after the Nationalist fighters. Allison shot down his intended victim before three enemy fighters reached him. Allison’s I-15 gave a jerk, then it executed a perfect Immelmann and headed back to base but he was forced to make an emergency landing. Allison had received a serious leg wound during the combat. Dahl prepared to trip his guns on a careless adversary when he noticed the same three enemy fighters flash past. Almost simultaneously, he became aware that his machine was not answering the controls. A glance back revealed that the entire tail of his fighter had been shot away.
The remaining I-15s of the Escuadrilla de La Calle maintained the ”Lufbery circle” when another Escuadrilla of I-15s appeared piloted by Russian volunteers. Fighting their way through the curtain of enemy fighters, the Soviets joined La Calle’s men in the wheel formation until the two Escuadrillas were rescued by a third Escuadrilla of I-16s. Totally, the Republican pilots claimed seven enemy fighters for the loss of five aircraft. Both Allison and Dahl rejoined their unit the next day.
On 20 March 1937, La Calle’s squadron took part in the last aerial combat during the battle of Guadaljara. They took off in four patrols, led by Andrés García La Calle, Dahl, Frank Tinker and the Guatemalan pilot Miguel Garcia Granados, and were soon involved with three bombers and twenty Fiats. Granados patrol was jumped by the Fiats, which had been patrolling in a higher altitude, and in the first hail of bullets Granados was shot down by Brunetto di Montegnacco of the 26a Squadriglia. Tinker gained his second victory, and from the two squadrons of fighters taking part five Fiats were destroyed.
Granados survived the crash but was wounded and captured.
Granados (1896-1968) was a former Colonel in the Guatemalan Air Force who had done a famous goodwill flight in 1929 from Washington DC to Guatemala. He had also served with the Paraguayan Air Force in the Gran Chaco War.
In May Soviet pilots of the 1. Escuadrilla were returning to Soviet Union after a service period in Spain, so this unit was re-equipped with a group of Soviet I-16 pilots recently arrived in Spain, who were given the I-15 of the Squadron, completed by pilots of different origin; three Spanish, two Austrian, two Americans (one of them was Dahl) and Bozidar Petrovich, under the command of the Soviet Captain Ivan Yeremenko.
On 13 July he was shot down and taken prisoner.
He remained in a Spanish prison until 1940, when he was allowed to return to the US.
Dahl is reputed to have claimed 5 biplane victories during his time in Spain.
When he returned to the US he found out that his wife, Edith, had divorced him.
Dahl spent several months of rest a relaxation before going to Canada to join the Royal Canadian Air Force where he became a commissioned officer.
He served with the RCAF with distinction throughout WW II and remarried.
After the war, Dahl was cashiered out of the RCAF for selling equipment, which had not been declared surplus.
He went to Venezuela for a short time before signing on to join Swissair in which he flew the Geneva to Paris route.
He got into trouble again in 1953 when a gold bar turned up missing on one of his flights. He was arrested and sat in prison for months awaiting trial.
He was released during his appeal and ordered to leave Switzerland.
Dahl returned to Canada and became a bush pilot.
On 14 February 1956 Dahl died in a fatal crash in the DC-3 he was piloting near Fort Chimo, 800 miles north of Quebec, Canada.
Claims:
| Kill no. | Date | Time | Number | Type | Result | Plane type | Serial no. | Locality | Unit |
| 1937 | |||||||||
| ? | ??/??/37 | 1 | CR.32 | Destroyed | I-15 | La Calle Escuadrilla | |||
| ? | ??/??/37 | 1 | He51 | Destroyed | I-15 | La Calle Escuadrilla |
Biplane victories: 5 destroyed.
TOTAL: 5 destroyed.
Sources:
Airmen without a portfolio: U.S. mercenaries in civil war Spain - John Carver Edwards, 2003 Global Book Publisher, ISBN 1-59457-175-9
Air War over Spain - Jesus Salas Larrazabal, 1974 Ian Allan Ltd, Shepperton, Surrey, ISBN 0-7110-0521-4
Flyers of Fortune
Legionaire Ace – Julius R. Gaal, 1972, Aero Album Volume 5 Number 1 Spring 1972
Några leva än - F. G. Tinker, 1939 T. V. Scheutz Bokförlag AB, Stockholm
Polikarpov Fighters in action Pt. 1 - Hans-Heiri Stapfer, 1995 Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, ISBN 0-89747-343-4
Stars & Bars - Frank Olynyk, 1995 Grub Street, London, ISBN 1-898697-17-5
Wings Over Spain - Emiliani Ghergo, 1997 Giorgio Apostolo Editore, Milano
Additional information kindly provided by Simon Buckley, Eugenio Costigliolo and Mikhail Zhirokhov.
