to release, smashing his skull. Summary of career Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Dähne was credited with 100 aerial victories. Spick lists him with approximately 100 aerial victories claimed in about 600 combat missions, with 80 claims on the Eastern Front and 20 on the Western Front. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and indicate that Dähne had more than 99 aerial victory claims. This figure includes at least 97 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and two over the Western Allies. According to the authors, the actual number of aerial victories may be as high as 128 claims. Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 4758". The Luftwaffe grid map () covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about . These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 × 4 km in size. Awards Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 13 September 1943 as Oberleutnant and pilot German Cross in Gold on 17 October 1943 as Oberleutnant in the 2./Jagdgeschwader 52 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 6 April 1944 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 12./Jagdgeschwader 11 (previously 2./Jagdgeschwader 52) Notes References Citations Bibliography 1921 births 1945 deaths People from Frankfurt (Oder) German World War II flying aces Recipients of the Gold German Cross Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Luftwaffe personnel killed in World War II Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in Germany People from the Province of Brandenburg Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1945 Military personnel from Brandenburg