Aces of the Luftwaffe - Adolf Galland

Adolf "Dolfo" Galland
Generalleutnant

Adolf Galland

Adolf “Dolfo” Galland was born on 19 March 1912 at Westerholt, Westphalia. At the age of 17 he started flying gliders. He began flying for Lufthansa after graduating from the German Commercial Air Transport School at Brunswick. This was at a time when the German Air Arm was created, following Hitler's rise to power, and students were sent clandestinely to the Soviet Union and Italy. In February 1934, he joined the Luftwaffe, an accomplished pilot and instructor, at the Fighter Pilot School at Munich-Schleissheim. By April 1935 he was a fighter pilot with Jagdgeschwader 2 “Richtofen”. In 1937, he volunteered for service with the Condor Legion in Spain. Galland was put in command of 3 Staffel of J/88, equipped with the Heinkel He-51 biplanes, which were used in the ground attack and support role. He distinguished himself, especially on the Asturias, Teruel and Ebro fronts, completing 280 combat sorties before being relieved by Werner Mölders in mid-1938. He had met Mölders in the hotel "Cristina" where they were billeted, and they were to become firm friends. Galland’s many original contributions to ground support techniques brought him to the attention of the Luftwaffe High Command. However, his reward for the innovative work in Spain was flying a desk in the Air Ministry working out directives for the organisation of close support units and the training of fighter pilots in direct support operations. When World War 2 broke out Oberleutnant Galland was a Staffelkapitän of 4.(S)/LG 2 equipped with the Henschel Hs 123, a biplane Stuka. He took part in the invasion of Poland flying 50 ground attack missions. Galland was awarded the Iron Cross, Second Class for his efforts. Galland was posted away to JG 27 at Krefeld, arriving there on 15 February 1940. He was assigned to the Geschwaderstab and assumed the role of Geschwader Adjutant. On 12 May, west of Liege, Belgium, he scored his first aerial victory. Two more victories followed that day. All three victims were RAF Hurricanes. By the end of the French campaign he had accumulated 14 victories. On 6 June 1940, Hauptmann Galland was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 26. Promoted Major on 18 July, Galland stayed with III./JG 26 through the Battle of Britain.

Major Adolf Galland after scoring his 40th victory on 23 September 1940. Galland is greeted first by his crew chief Uffz. Mayer.
On 24 July, Galland led III./JG 26 over the north coast of the Thames Estuary. Here they engaged Spitfires and Galland was able to shoot one down to the north of Margate. He had shot down the British ace P/O “Johnny” Allen (7.333 confirmed and 5 unconfirmed destroyed victories) of 56 Sqn, RAF, who was killed in the crash-landing that followed this combat. On 28 July, RAF fighters were scrambled to intercept a large German bomber formation headed for Dover. When confronted by the RAF fighters, the German bomber formation promptly headed for home. The RAF fighters were thus left to combat the escorting German fighters of I. and II./JG 51 and III./JG 26. Galland claimed a Spitfire shot down near Dover for his 17th victory. He had shot down another British ace, Sub-Lt Francis Dawson-Paul (7.25 confirmed and 1 unconfirmed destroyed and 1 damaged victories), a Royal Navy pilot on loan to the RAF. Dawson-Paul was shot down into the Channel where he was picked up by a German E-boat, but he died from the wounds received in this combat on 30 July. Galland was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 1 August for 17 victories. It is thought he again shot down a notable RAF pilot on 15 August, when he brought down the New Zealand ace F/Lt “Al” Deere (17.333 confirmed and 2.5 unconfirmed destroyed, 4 probable and 7.5 damaged victories) of 54 Sqn, RAF. Deere baled out of his Spitfire between Dover and Folkestone. On 24 September, Galland downed his 40th victim, another notable RAF pilot, Harold Bird-Wilson (5.2 destroyed, 3 probable and 3 damaged victories) of 17 Sqn, RAF who baled out badly burned near Chatham. Galland was awarded the newly instituted Eichenlauben on 25 September. By the end of September he had 42 victories. On 1 November 1940, Galland was promoted to Oberstleutnant and given command of JG 26. He had 50 victories to his credit. JG 26 was escorting the Bf 110 fighter bombers of EprGr 210 on a raid of Martlesham Heath on 17 November. The formation was intercepted by RAF Hurricanes. In the ensuing combat, Galland claimed a Hurricane shot down. The pilot, ace Count Manfred Czernin (17 destroyed, 3.5 probable and 3.833 damaged victories) of 17 Sqn, RAF, baled out unhurt. On 21 June 1941, Galland shot down a Spitfire east of Boulogne. He, in turn, was shot down, by the Polish ace Boleslaw Drobinski (7.133/1.333/0 victories) of 303 Sqn, RAF, and baled out wounded. Shortly after, he was awarded the Schwerten to his Ritterkreuz. Galland had, by now, been ordered by Hitler and Göring not to fly combat missions. However, he disregarded these orders and continued to rack up aerial victories. On the death of Oberst Werner Mölders (115 victories, RK-Br) on 22 November 1941, Galland was named General der Jagdflieger. Before settling into his new job, Oberst Galland directed the fighter protection for the Channel dash of the battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, from Brest. Operation Donnerkeil was a striking success. He was awarded the Brillanten to his Ritterkreuz on 28 January 1942 with his victory tally at 94. As General der Jagdflieger, he commanded a small unit operating Fw 190s. He flew about 10 combat missions and, it is thought, he gained two victories over USAAF B-17 bombers during 1944. It remains unsure whether his claims during this period were submitted or confirmed. Stab G.d.J claimed two B-17s shot down on 8 March 1944 and it is thought Galland may have been one of the claimants. Galland became one of the most controversial figures of his time through his skirmishes with Reichsmarschal Göring and his frank addresses to Hitler when he emphasized the need for more fighters to oppose the increasingly intense allied bombing raids over Germany. Galland’s contemporaries in combat commands eventually began planning to force Göring’s resignation, by seeking an audience with Hitler. Although Galland took no direct part in such activities, he was aware that all this was in train. In the denouement, Göring attributed the incipient mutiny to Galland, sacked him and prepared a trial in which blame for the collapse of the Jagdwaffe would be directed to the General der Jagdflieger. Hitler intervened but then insisted, as an end to the “Galland affair”, that he be given command of a unit of jet fighters. Galland led JV 44 until 26 April 1945 gaining up to seven victories flying the Me 262 jet fighter. On this day Generalleutnant Galland led 12 rocket-equipped Me 262s from München-Reim to intercept a formation of B-26 medium bombers targetting the airfield at Lechfeld. He claimed two of the bombers, but with cannon-fire rather than the rockets with which his Me 262 was armed. During his initial approach, Galland had failed to deactivate a safety switch which prevented him from firing the rockets. During his attacks on the bombers, Galland’s Me 262 was struck by return fire. Disengaging from the bombers, he was bounced by a P-47 flown by 1st Lt James J Finnegan of the 50th Fighter Group, USAAF. Galland was wounded in the right knee and his aircraft received further damage. He was able to bring his crippled jet back to München-Reim and successfully land, albeit with a flat nose wheel tyre. He was forced to leap from his aircraft and take shelter because the airfield was under attack by American fighters. The wound suffered in this encounter were serious enough to end his combat flying. Galland surrendered himself to American forces at Tegernsee on 5 May 1945. He was held in military custody for two years. He was released in 1947. In October 1948, Galland took a position with the Argentine Air Force. There followed many offers to act as consultant to armament firms who would equip the new Luftwaffe. He made his choices and settled down to prosperous and lively decades as a businessman. In his final years he divided his time between his home in Germany and his bungalow by the Alicante coast of Spain. Adolf Galland passed away on 9 February 1996 at Remagen-Oberwinter.
Adolf Galland achieved 104 aerial victories in 705 missions, all on the Western front. Included in his score are at least seven victories flying the Me 262 and four four-engined bombers. He was himself shot down four times.

No	Date	Time	A/c Type	Unit	Location	Comments
1	12.5.1940	10:10	Hurricane	Stab JG 27	10 km W Lüttich	Hurricane I (L1970) of 87 Sqn RAF flown by F/O J A Campbell, killed
2	12.5.1940	10:20	Hurricane	Stab JG 27	18 km S Lüttich	Hurricane I (L1632) of 87 Sqn RAF flown by Sgt F V Howell, baled out
3	12.5.1940	15:50	Hurricane	Stab JG 27	7 km EEN Tirlemont
4	16.5.1940	19:30	Spitfire	Stab JG 27	5 km S Lille
5	19.5.1940	20:50	Potez 63	Stab JG 27	N Albert
6	19.5.1940	21:45	Potez 63	Stab JG 27	SW Hirson
7	20.5.1940	20:50	Potez 63	Stab JG 27	S Amiens
8	29.5.1940	12:59	Blenheim	Stab JG 27	15 km N Gravelines
9	29.5.1940	13:04	Blenheim	Stab JG 27	30 km NW Gravelines
10	2.6.1940	9:28	Spitfire	Stab JG 27	W Dunkirk
11	9.6.1940	15:55	Curtiss Hawk 75	Stab JG 27	E Rotoy
12	9.6.1940	16:10	Morane MS 406	Stab JG 27	13 km NW Meaux
13	14.6.1940	17:15	Blenheim	Stab III./JG 26	22km SE Vernon/Breval
14	14.6.1940	17:28	Battle	Stab III./JG 26	10km S Evreux
15	24.7.1940	13:30	Spitfire	Stab III./JG 26	30km N Margate	Spitfire I of 54 Sqn, RAF flown by P/O J L Allen (12.333 victories), killed in crash-landing
16	25.7.1940	16:17	Spitfire	Stab III./JG 26	Dover Harbour	Spitfire of 54 Sqn, RAF
17	28.7.1940	15:20	Spitfire	Stab III./JG 26	10km NNE Dover	Spitfire I (L1035) of 64 Sqn RAF flown by Sub Lt (RN) F Dawson-Paul (8.25/0/1 victories), died of wounds
18	12.8.1940	12:41	Hurricane	Stab III./JG 26	NNW Margate	Hurricane of 501 Sqn, RAF
19	14.8.1940	13:30	Hurricane	Stab III./JG 26	SW Dover
20	15.8.1940	12:55	Spitfire	Stab III./JG 26	10km E Dover-Folkestone	Possibly Spitfire of 54 Sqn RAF flown by F/Lt A C Deere (19.833/4/7.5 victories), baled out
21	15.8.1940	16:00	Spitfire	Stab III./JG 26	15km SE Folkestone	Spitfire of 64 Sqn, RAF
22	15.8.1940	16:07	Spitfire	Stab III./JG 26	20km SE Dover	Spitfire of 64 Sqn, RAF
23	25.8.1940	19:50	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	Dungeness-Folkestone
24	28.8.1940	10:00	Defiant	Stab JG 26	Faversham	Defiant of 264 Sqn, RAF
25	31.8.1940	9:42	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	20km SE Cambridge	Spitfire of 19 Sqn, RAF
26	31.8.1940	18:50	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	Gravesend
27	31.8.1940	19:03	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	Maidstone
28	1.9.1940	14:55	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	SE London
29	3.9.1940	11:32	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	Chelmsford	Hurricane of 257 Sqn, RAF
30	6.9.1940	10:20	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	Tonbridge	Hurricane of 601 Sqn, RAF
31	11.9.1940	16:20	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	NW Dungeness	Hurricane of 501 Sqn, RAF
32	14.9.1940	17:03	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	SE London	Hurricane of 253 Sqn RAF
33	15.9.1940	15:30	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	Thames Estuary	Hurricane I (R 4087) NN-X of 310 Sqn RAF, flown by Sgt. Josef Hubacek
34	18.9.1940	13:35	Hurricane	Stab JG 26		Hurricane of 46 Sqn RAF
35	18.9.1940	13:52	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	W Rochester	Hurricane of 46 Sqn RAF
36	18.9.1940	13:55	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	W Rochester	Hurricane of 46 Sqn RAF
37	20.9.1940	12:05	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	S Hornchurch	Spitfire of 222 Sqn, RAF
38	21.9.1940	19:25	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	W Ashford-Canterbury	Spitfire of 92 Sqn, RAF
39	23.9.1940	10:45	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	N Rochester	Hurricane of 257 Sqn, RAF
40	23.9.1940	10:45	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	N Rochester
41	24.9.1940	10:00	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	Rochester	Possibly Hurricane (P3878) of 17 Sqn RAF flown by HAC Bird-Wilson (5.2/3/3 victories), baled out
42	30.9.1940	18:05	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	S Guidford	Hurricane of 303 Sqn, RAF
43	8.10.1940	10:20	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	S Eastchurch	Spitfire of 66 Sqn, RAF
44	11.10.1940	17:12	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	Dartford/Rochester	Hurricane of 253 Sqn, RAF
45	11.10.1940	17:00	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	SE Chatham/Ashford	Spitfire of 421 Flt, RAF
46	15.10.1940	13:50	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	S Rochester/Gillingham
47	26.10.1940	17:30	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	Maidstone/S London
48	30.10.1940	12:55	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	E London	Spitfire of 222 Sqn, RAF
49	30.10.1940	17:30	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	S Eastchurch/Maidstone	Spitfire of 41 Sqn, RAF
50	30.11.1940	17:40	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	Canterbury/Maidstone	Spitfire of 41 Sqn, RAF
51	1.11.1940	12:50	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	W Ashford
52	8.11.1940	15:28	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	10km S Dover
53	15.11.1940	14:15	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	Near Dover	Hurricane of 605 Sqn, RAF
54	17.11.1940	10:20	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	W Harwich	Possibly Hurricane I (V7500) of 17 Sqn flown by F/Lt Count MB Czernin (17/3.5/4.833 victories), baled out
55	17.11.1940	10:20	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	20km E of “sunk” lightship	Hurricane of 257 Sqn, RAF
56	17.11.1940	10:15	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	E Harwich
-	27.11.1940	17:07	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	E Kenley	Spitfire of 74 Sqn, RAF, unconfirmed
57	28.11.1940	15:40	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	Dartford	Hurricane of 249 Sqn, RAF
58	5.12.1940	12:30	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	Dover-Dungeness	Spitfire of 64 Sqn, RAF
59	4.4.1941	17:50	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	Dover-Canterbury	Spitfire of 91 Sqn, RAF
60	15.4.1941	17:50	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	30km W Dover
61	15.4.1941	18:00	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	Dover-Margate	Spitfire of 266 Sqn, RAF
-	15.4.1941	18:00	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	S England	Spitfire of 266 Sqn, RAF, unconfirmed
62	13.6.1941	13:15	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	5km W Dover	Hurricane of 601 Sqn, RAF
63	13.6.1941	13:18	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	10km NE Ashford	Hurricane of 601 Sqn, RAF
64	16.6.1941	16:35	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	W Boulogne	Hurricane of 258 Sqn, RAF
65	17.6.1941	19:38	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	15km W St Omer
66	17.6.1941	19:40	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	15km W St Omer
67	18.6.1941	18:18	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	1km E Ardres	Spitfire of 145 Sqn, RAF
68	21.6.1941	12:32	Blenheim	Stab JG 26	Near Lumbres	Blenheim of 21 Sqn, RAF
-	21.6.1941	12:36	Blenheim	Stab JG 26	Merville	Blenheim of 21 Sqn, RAF, unconfirmed
69	21.6.1941	16:37	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	N Etaples	Spitfire of 616 Sqn, RAF
70	2.7.1941	12:30	Blenheim	Stab JG 26	Merville	Blenheim of 226 Sqn RAF
71	23.7.1941	13:35	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	40km NW Gravelines
72	23.7.1941	20:10	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	Bruges
73	23.7.1941	20:15	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	Bruges
74	7.8.1941	11:23	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	Lumbres
75	7.8.1941	17:40	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	10km NW St Omer
76	9.8.1941	11:32	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	NW St Pol	Spitfire of 452 Sqn RAF
-	9.8.1941	17:41	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	N Ardres	unconfirmed
77	12.8.1941	13:12	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	20km W Vlissingen	Spitfire (P6793) of 19 Sqn RAF
78	12.8.1941	13:18	Blenheim	Stab JG 26	W Haamstede-Scheldt Estuary	Blenheim of 139 Sqn RAF flown by F/L GA Herbert, 3 crew killed
79	19.8.1941	11:55	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	Bergues
80	19.8.1941	19:32	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	NW St Omer	Spitfire of 111 Sqn RAF
81	19.8.1941	19:45	Hurricane	Stab JG 26	SE Gravelines	Hurricane of 71 Sqn RAF
82	4.9.1941	17:19	Blenheim	Stab JG 26	N St Omer	Blenheim of 18 Sqn, RAF
83	7.9.1941	17:19	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	20km W Boulogne	Spitfire of 71 Sqn, RAF
84	20.9.1941	16:45	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	Bergues-Bourbourg
85	20.9.1941	16:55	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	6km NW Braye-Dunes
86	21.9.1941	16:23	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	SE Etaples
87	21.9.1941	17:35	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	S Dunkirk	Spitfire of 111 Sqn RAF
88	13.10.1941	14:17	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	St Omer
89	13.10.1941	14:27	Blenheim	Stab JG 26	Samer	Blenheim of 139 Sqn, RAF
90	21.10.1941	12:54	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	W Samer
91	21.10.1941	12:58	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	6km W Hardelot
92	21.10.1941	18:16	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	15km W Boulogne	Spitfire of 611 Sqn RAF
93	27.10.1941	13:25	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	S Dunkirk	Spitfire of 401 Sqn RAF flown by Sgt B Hodgkinson, POW
94	8.11.1941	12:58	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	Near Montreuil	Spitfire of 315 Sqn, RAF
95	8.11.1941	13:00	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	10km S Hazebrouck
96	18.11.1941	12:32	Spitfire	Stab JG 26	W Boulogne	Spitfire of 602 Sqn RAF
?	1944	-	B-17	Stab G.d.J.		unconfirmed ?
?	1944	-	B-17	Stab G.d.J.		unconfirmed ?
98	3.4.1945	-	P-38	JV 44
99	5.4.1945	-	B-24	JV 44
100	16.4.1945	-	B-26	JV 44		with R4M rockets
101	16.4.1945	-	B-26	JV 44		with R4M rockets
102	21.4.1945	-	B-17	JV 44
103	26.4.1945	11:50~	B-26	JV 44	München-Reim	B-26 of 17 BG, USAAF
104	26.4.1945	11:55~	B-26	JV 44	München Reim	B-26 of 17 BG, USAAF

Victories : 104
Awards : Ritterkreuz (1 August 1940)
                Eichenlaub (25 September 1940)
                Schwerter (21 June 1941)
                Brillanten (28 January 1942)
Units : JG 27, JG 26, JV 44