Focke Wulf Fw 190 D-9 flown by Oberleutnant Hans Dortenmann, 14./JG 26, Varrlbusch/Germany, March 28, 1945

This day Oberleutnant Dortenmann took of with a dozen Doras from IV/JG 26 and later bounced Tempests from the RAF No.56 Squadron. Two Tempest was claimed, one by Dortenmann and the another one by Uffz. Hein. In fact one Tempest was shot down, the victim was Staff Sergeant Stanley A Shepherd who crashed his machine near Schoonrewoerd in the Netherlands. Two locals approached the British pilot in order to hide him but the pilot refused as he wanted to return to the plane to get his gun. When he made his way back a group of German soldiers who were stationed at the nearby radar station arrived and Shepherd was arrested and later shot.

The day after Dortenmann was appointed Staffelkapitän of 3./JG 26 of the first Gruppe. He was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 20 April for 35 victories. During this period he also flew 28 ground attack missions claiming a transport glider, two aircraft, one armored car, seven trucks, three armored personell carriers and a AAA position destroyed. Dortenmann flew his last combat mission of the war on 27 April and shot down a Soviet Yak-3 over Berlin. In 150 combat missions, He was credited with 38 victories, claiming 16 victories over the Eastern front and a further 22 over the Western front. In this Fw 190 Dora Nine he recorded 18 victories including six P-51 Mustangs and five Tempests, making him the most successful fighter pilot with this type.