World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseWalter Grabmann joined the police in 1924 and learned to fly with the Air Police stationed in Fürth, Germany. In Oct 1934, he enlisted in the German Air Force and was assigned to the Jagdgeschwader 134 fighter wing in Mar 1936. Between Sep 1938 and Mar 1939, at the rank of major, he was the commanding officer of the Jagdgruppe 88 fighter group, fighting with the German Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War, where he would claim 7 kills flying He 51 biplane fighters and Bf 109 monoplane fighters. In Apr 1939, he was named the commanding officer of the first group in the Lehrgeschwader 1 wing, flying Bf 110 heavy fighters. In Jul 1939, he was transferred to the fifth group of the wing, with which unit he would participate in the invasion of Poland on the very first day of the European War; he was wounded in the evening of 1 Sep when his Bf 110 fighter was hit by a Polish P.11 fighter. In Apr 1940, he was named the commanding officer of the Zerstörergeschwader 76 wing. On 18 May 1940, his Bf 110 fighter was shot down by Britis Hurricane fighters over Douai in northeastern France; while he parachuted to safety, his gunner was killed. He was captured on the ground, but his imprisonment was to be limited to six days as his captors were overrun by German tanks. During the Battle of Britain, he was awarded with 5 victories. In Aug 1941, he was named the commanding officer of the Zerstörerschule 2 training unit. In Aug 1942, he was named the chief of all German fighter units based in the Netherlands. In Nov 1943, he was named the commanding officer of the 3. Jagddivision (fighter division), followed by the same role for 1. Jagddivision in Apr 1945. At the end of the war, Major General Grabmann was captured. He was freed in May 1948. He passed away in Munich, Germany in Aug 1992.

Walter Grabmann Interactive Map

Walter Grabmann Timeline