Wilhelm-Ferdinand “Wutz” Galland was born on 23 October 1914 at Bochum. He enlisted in the Luftwaffe in 1935 serving with a flak regiment. Galland participated in the invasion of the Low Countries and France with a flak regiment before volunteering for flight training at the end of 1940. He competed operational training with Ergänzungsgruppe/JG 26 and reported to II./JG 26 on 27 June 1941. JG 26 was under command of his brother Adolf Galland (104 victories, RK-Br). His younger brother Paul Galland (17 victories, killed in action 31 October 1942) was also serving with the unit. Assigned to 6./JG 26, “Wutz” scored his first victory on 23 July 1941, shooting down a RAF Spitfire fighter near Hesdin. By the end of 1941 his victory total had climbed to three. On 5 May 1942, Galland was appointed Staffelkapitän of 5./JG 26. He had eight victories to his credit. On 2 June, he claimed two Spitfires shot down over the Somme Estuary to record his ninth and 10th victories. Galland recorded his 20th victory on 4 December when he shot down another Spitfire near Boulogne. His score had risen to 21 by the end of 1942. Hauptmann Galland was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 26 on 3 January 1943. On 13 January he claimed a Spitfire shot down, but, it was, in fact, a 6th Staffel Bf 109G-4 piloted by Unteroffizier Johann Irlinger. The mistaken identification of the Messerschmitt for a Spitfire cost Irlinger his life. The incident was cleaned up for the official records... On 28 January, Galland received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold for 24 victories. He recorded his 30th victory on 15 February, when he shot down a Spitfire near Ramsgate. Galland was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 18 May 1943 for 35 victories.
On 21 April, Galland scrambled at the head of II./JG
26 to intercept an RAF formation targetting the Abbeville railroad yards.
He led the attack on the bombers claiming two Ventura twin-engine bombers
shot down to record his 39th and 40th victories. On 14 July, Galland entered
combat with USAAF
P-47 fighters escorting
B-17 four-engine bombers raiding Villacoublay. He calimed two of the fighters
shot down to record his 49th and 50th victories. On 17 August 1943, at
16:52, three Staffeln from II./JG 26 took off from Lille-Nord, under the
command of Major Galland, to intercept a formation of USAAF four-engine
bombers on their return course from a bombing raid on Schweinfurt. Over
Lutych, the unit encountered a formation of 150 to 200 bombers, escorted
by nearly 200 escort fighters. II./JG 26 bounced the bombers but were,
in turn, attacked by a unit of P-47 fighters from the 56th Fighter Group,
USAAF. Their fire crippled the FW 190 A-5 (W.Nr. 530 125) <<+- flown
by “Wutz” Galland which crashed at high speed near Liegne, 5 km west of
Maastricht. The impact left a large crater in the ground from which it
was impossible to remove all the wreckage. Some sources suggest that “Wutz”
Galland was shot down by the American ace Walker “Bud” Mahurin (24.25 confirmed,
4 probable and 2 damaged victories) of the 56th Fighter Group, USAAF.
“Wutz” Galland was credited with 54 aerial victories
in 186 missions. All his victories were recorded over the Western
Front and included seven four-engine bombers
and 37 Spitfires.
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23.7.1941
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Spitfire | 6./JG 26 | NW Hesdin | - |
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27.9.1941
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Spitfire | 6./JG 26 | Boulogne | - |
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6.11.1941
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Spitfire | 6./JG 26 | Calais | Spitfire of 452 Sqn, RAF |
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28.3.1942
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Spitfire | 6./JG 26 | Cap Gris Nez | - |
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10.4.1942
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Spitfire | 6./JG 26 | 4-6km W Etaples | Spitfire of 340 Sqn, RAF |
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24.4.1942
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Spitfire | 6./JG 26 | Cap d’Albert | Spitfire of 234 Sqn, RAF |
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1.5.1942
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Spitfire | 6./JG 26 | Dover | - |
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5.5.1942
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Spitfire | 6./JG 26 | Boulogne | Spitfire of 41 Sqn, RAF |
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2.6.1942
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Spitfire | 5./JG 26 | Somme Estuary | - |
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2.6.1942
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Spitfire | 5./JG 26 | Somme Estuary | - |
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20.6.1942
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Spitfire | 5./JG 26 | Guines | - |
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31.7.1942
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Spitfire | 5./JG 26 | WNW Somme Estuary | - |
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31.7.1942
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Spitfire | 5./JG 26 | WNW Somme Estuary | - |
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19.8.1942
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Spitfire | 5./JG 26 | N Dieppe | - |
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27.8.1942
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Spitfire | 5./JG 26 | 15-18km NW Somme Estuary | Spitfire of 350 Sqn, RAF |
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28.8.1942
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Spitfire | 5./JG 26 | 10km ESE Amiens | Spitfire of 401 Sqn, RAF |
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5.9.1942
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Spitfire | 5./JG 26 | Le Tréport | - |
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15.10.1942
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Spitfire | 5./JG 26 | WNW Fécamp | Spitfire of 122 Sqn, RAF |
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4.12.1942
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Spitfire | 5./JG 26 | 20km NW Boulogne | - |
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12.12.1942
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Spitfire | 5./JG 26 | 2km NW Boulogne | - |
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31.12.1942
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Spitfire | 5./JG 26 | NNW Gravelines | Spitfire of 306 Sqn, RAF |
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9.1.1943
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Spitfire | Stab II./JG 26 | W Somme Estuary | Spitfire of 340 Sqn, RAF |
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22.1.1943
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Spitfire | Stab II./JG 26 | WNW Gravelines | Spitfire of 350 Sqn, RAF |
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26.1.1943
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Spitfire | Stab II./JG 26 | Watten | - |
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3.2.1943
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Hudson | Stab II./JG 26 | 10km N Fort Phillip | Ventura of 21 Sqn, RAF |
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3.2.1943
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Spitfire | Stab II./JG 26 | 12km N Port Phillip | Spitfire of 308 Sqn, RAF |
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3.2.1943
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Spitfire | Stab II./JG 26 | 12-15km N Dunkirk | Spitfire of 416 Sqn, RAF |
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13.2.1943
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Spitfire | Stab II./JG 26 | 6km W Hardelot | Spitfire of 340 Sqn, RAF |
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13.2.1943
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Spitfire | Stab II./JG 26 | SE Le Touquet | Spitfire of 485 Sqn, RAF |
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15.2.1943
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Spitfire | Stab II./JG 26 | 6-8km SE Ramsgate | - |
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26.2.1943
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Spitfire | Stab II./JG 26 | 5-15km W St Omer | Spitfire of 122 Sqn, RAF |
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8.3.1943
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B-24 | Stab II./JG 26 | Tôtes | B-24 of 44 BG, USAAF |
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13.3.1943
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Spitfire | Stab II./JG 26 | Etaples | - |
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14.3.1943
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Spitfire | Stab II./JG 26 | 10km SW Boulogne | - |
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4.4.1943
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Spitfire | Stab II./JG 26 | SE Fécamp | - |
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4.4.1943
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B-17 | Stab II./JG 26 | 8km N Fécamp | - |
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4.4.1943
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B-17 | Stab II./JG 26 | 20-30km N Fécamp | - |
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5.4.1943
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B-17 | Stab II./JG 26 | S Antwerp | B-17 of 306 BG, USAAF |
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17.4.1943
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Mustang | Stab II./JG 26 | 20km WNW Somme Estuary | Typhoon of 56 Sqn, RAF |
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21.4.1943
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Ventura | Stab II./JG 26 | NE Somme Estuary | Ventura of 21 Sqn, RAF |
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21.4.1943
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Ventura | Stab II./JG 26 | 10-20km W Somme Estuary | Ventura of 21 Sqn, RAF |
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16.6.1943
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Spitfire | Stab II./JG 26 | Calais-Dover | Spitfire of 91 Sqn, RAF |
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20.6.1943
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Spitfire | Stab II./JG 26 | NE Hesdin | Spitfire of 403 Sqn, RAF |
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22.6.1943
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B-17 | Stab II./JG 26 | 10km NW Vlissingen | - |
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22.6.1943
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B-17 e.V | Stab II./JG 26 | 20km NW Vlissingen | - |
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26.6.1943
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P-47 | Stab II./JG 26 | N Neufchatel | P-47 of 56 FG, USAAF |
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26.6.1943
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P-47 | Stab II./JG 26 | 10km NW Dieppe | P-47 of 56 FG, USAAF |
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4.7.1943
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Spitfire | Stab II./JG 26 | Near Amiens | Spitfire of 122 Sqn, RAF |
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9.7.1943
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Spitfire | Stab II./JG 26 | Near Boulogne | - |
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14.7.1943
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P-47 | Stab II./JG 26 | NW Hesdin | P-47C of 78 FG, USAAF flown by Lt A DeGenero |
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14.7.1943
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P-47 | Stab II./JG 26 | 10-15km W Etaples | P-47C of 78 FG, USAAF |
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15.7.1943
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Boston | Stab II./JG 26 | Somme Estuary | Boston III of 107 Sqn, RAF |
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15.7.1943
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P-47 | Stab II./JG 26 | 10km NW Somme Estuary | Typhoon of 181 Sqn, RAF |
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30.7.1943
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B-17 | Stab II./JG 26 | Near Apeldoorn | B-17F of 381 BG, USAAF |
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12.8.1943
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B-17 | Stab II./JG 26 | Near Siegburg | - |
Victories : 54
Awards : Ehrenpokal (12 October 1942)
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (28 January 1943)
Ritterkreuz (18 May 1943)
Units : JG 26