Wilhelm-Ferdinand Galland

Wilhelm-Ferdinand "Wutz" Galland (23 October 1914 – 17 August 1943) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and fighter ace during World War II. He is credited with 55 aerial victories achieved in 186 combat missions. All his victories were claimed over the Western Front and in Defense of the Reich. This figure included seven four-engine bombers and 37 Supermarine Spitfire fighters.

Born in Bochum, Galland grew up in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany. He joined the military service in the Wehrmacht in 1935, initially serving with the anti-aircraft artillery of the Luftwaffe. Upon his request in late 1940, he transferred to the Jagdwaffe (fighter force). Following flight training, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing) in June 1941. Flying with this wing, Galland claimed his first aerial victory on 23 July 1941 on the Western Front over a Royal Air Force fighter aircraft. He was made Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 5. Staffel (5th squadron) of JG 26 in May 1942 and in January 1943, Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of II. Gruppe of JG 26. Following his 34th aerial victory, he was nominated and awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 18 May 1943. Galland claimed his last aerial victory on 12 August 1943. On 17 August 1943, during the Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission, he was killed in action following combat with Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighters from the 56th Fighter Group.

Early life and career

Galland was born on 23 October 1914 in Bochum in the Province of Westphalia.Template:Sfn The family with French Huguenot ancestry, had settled in Westerholt in 1792. Galland was the third of four sons of Adolf Galland (senior) and his French wife Anna, née Schipper. Upholding the family tradition, Galland (senior) worked as the land manager or bailiff to the Count von Westerholt.Template:Sfn Galland's two older brothers were Fritz and Adolf and his younger brother was Paul. Their father had pet names for all his family members. His wife Anna was called "Anita". Fritz was called "Toby", Adolf was "Keffer", Wilhelm-Ferdinand was nicknamed "Wutz" and Paul was called "Paulinchen" or since they were expecting a girl, occasionally "Paula". All four Galland brothers later served in the Luftwaffe.Template:Sfn

World War II

World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. At the time, Galland served with Flak-Lehr-Regiment, an anti-aircraft artillery training regiment, and participated in the Battle of France. In late 1940, he began flight training.Template:SfnTemplate:Refn On 27 June 1941, Galland completed his supplementary fighter pilot training with the Ergänzungsgruppe (a training unit) of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing) and was then posted to II. Gruppe of JG 26.Template:Sfn JG 26 was named after Albert Leo Schlageter, a martyr cultivated by the Nazi Party.Template:Sfn Flying with 6. Staffel (6th squadron), Galland claimed his first aerial victory on 23 July 1941 in defense of a Royal Air Force (RAF) "Circus" mission flown by No. 11 Group.Template:Sfn He shot down a Supermarine Spitfire fighter northwest of Hesdin, which according to Caldwell was unconfirmed.Template:Sfn He filed his second claim on 27 September following combat with Spitfires in the vicinity of Boulogne. That day, the RAF flew two "Circus" missions, No. 103A attacking the Amiens motor yards, and No. 103B, targeting the Mazingarbe power station.Template:Sfn On 6 November, Galland claimed a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Spitfire from No. 452 Squadron shot down in the area of Calais, his last claim in 1941.Template:Sfn

File:Fw 190A-3 JG 2 in Britain 1942.jpg

A Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter similar to those flown by Galland.

On 28 March 1942, the RAF conducted a "Rodeo" fighter sweeps over enemy territory. In its defense, II. Gruppe was called to action when an attack on Boulogne was imminent. The Hornchurch Wing engaged the Stab (headquarters unit) and I. Gruppe of JG 26 over Guînes and the English Channel while the Kenley Wing led by Group Captain Victor Beamish encountered II. Gruppe between Cap Gris-Nez and Calais. In this aerial battle, JG 26 lost two aircraft and claimed six RAF fighters shot down, including Beamish who was killed in action. Galland accounted for one of the six German claims, taking his total to four aerial victories. He was credited with shooting down a Spitfire at 18:50 in the vicinity of Cap Gris-Nez.Template:Sfn On 10 April, the RAF flew two "Rodeos", providing a diversion for a "Ramrod" short range bomber attack missions targeting Boulogne. That day, Galland flew with the Gruppenstab under the command of Hauptmann Joachim Müncheberg. JG 26 lost three aircraft, including two pilots killed in action, for six aerial victories claimed. Galland claimed a 340 (Free French) Squadron Spitfire shot down west of Étaples.Template:Sfn His sixth claim was filed on 24 April following combat in defense of "Circus" No. 132. That day, the RAF targeted oil installations at Vlissingen and Walcheren in the Netherlands. II. Gruppe took off from Abbeville, headed for Cap Gris-Nez and attacked No. 234 Squadron, shooting down four Spitfires. One victory was credited to Galland who shot down a Spitfire near Cap d'Albert.Template:Sfn On 1 May, four "Rodeos" and "Circus" No. 150 attacked various targets in northern France. II. Gruppe engaged the Hornchurch and North Weald Wing. During this encounter, Galland shot down a Spitfire from either No. 122 or No. 222 Squadron in the vicinity of Dover.Template:Sfn

Squadron leader

On 4 May 1942, Galland was transferred to 5. Staffel (5th squadron) of JG 26. There, Galland replaced Oberleutnant Wolfgang Kosse as squadron leader, at first as Staffelführer and later officially as Staffelkapitän.Template:Sfn The next day, Galland claimed his eighth aerial victory, a No. 41 Squadron Spitfire providing escort for "Circus" No. 157's Douglas A-20 Havoc "Boston" bombers.Template:Sfn On the early morning of 2 June, the RAF flew a "Roadstead"—a low-level attack on coastal shipping—over the Somme Estuary, supported by two "Rodeos" heading for Saint-Omer. II. Gruppe was scrambled and encountered Spitfires from No. 64 and No. 222 Squadron over the Somme Estuary. In the resulting aerial battle, Galland claimed two Spitfires shot down at 07:10 and 07:18 respectively.Template:Sfn On 20 June, II. Gruppe was called to action against "Circus" No. 193 targeting Le Havre. At 15:46, Galland accounted for a No. 118 or No. 501 Squadron Spitfire claimed in the area of Guînes.Template:Sfn Galland claimed two further Spitfires shot down west-northwest of the Somme Estuary on 31 July. His opponents were fighters from either No. 121 or No. 332 Squadron.Template:Sfn

During the Dieppe Raid on 19 August, 5. Staffel headed by Galland was scrambled from Abbeville at 06:30. At 06:43, 5. Staffel engaged fighters from the Hornchurch Wing, claiming one Spitfire shot down. At 07:49, Galland led his Staffel on the second mission of the day and encountered fighters from the North Weald Wing just north Dieppe. At 07:55, Galland was credited with the destruction of a Spitfire, the aircraft coming from either No. 242, No. 331 or No. 332 Squadron.Template:Sfn In the afternoon, Galland led a flight of four Fw 190 to Dieppe. Taking off at Abbeville at 17:24, Galland found the combat zone at Dieppe deserted and spotted a small steamer laying offshore. Galland ordered a strafing run which exploded the ship. He then spotted another vessel which tried to escape north but was also sunk by strafing gunfire.Template:Sfn He claimed his 15th aerial victory on 27 August over a Spitfire from the No. 350 (Belgian) Squadron. 5. Staffel had been placed on cockpit-readiness and was scrambled at 13:32 to intercept the incoming fighters approaching at low altitude. Galland's opponent was shot down at 13:45 northwest of the Somme Estuary.Template:Sfn The next day, he claimed a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Spitfire from No. 401 Squadron east of Amiens.Template:Sfn

The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) VIII Bomber Command, later renamed to Eighth Air Force, had begun its regular combat operations on 17 August 1942.Template:Sfn On 5 September, VIII Bomber Command targeted the Port of Le Havre and the Sotteville-lès-Rouen railroad yards, escorted by RAF Spitfire fighters from No. 64 and 340 (Free French) Squadron. At 11:35, Galland claimed one of the six Spitfires shot down by JG 26 that day.Template:Sfn On 12 October, credited with 17 aerial victories, he was awarded the Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe ().Template:Sfn Three days later, 5. Staffel encountered twenty Spitfires from No. 122 and No. 453 Squadron between Fécamp and Le Havre, one of which was shot down by Galland.Template:Sfn On 31 October, Galland's younger brother Paul, who also served as a fighter pilot in JG 26, was killed in action.Template:Sfn Galland claimed another aerial victory on 4 December northwest of Boulogne over a No. 401 or No. 402 Squadron Spitfire.Template:Sfn

On 15 December 1942, II. and III. Gruppe began experimenting with the then new Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-4 variant. Among other changes to earlier variants, it featured GM-1 nitrous oxide 'boost' for its Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine giving it an advantage to contemporary RAF fighters at higher altitude. II. Gruppe was scheduled to be fully reequipped with the Bf 109 G-4 in early 1943. However, Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) Hauptmann Conny Meyer, and later Galland, stalled the transition, retaining their Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighters until the decision was revoked, as they believed the Fw 190 to be superior and more versatile to the Bf 109.Template:Sfn Galland claimed his 21st and last aerial victory of 1942 on 31 December 1942. On New Year's Eve, he shot down a Spitfire from No. 306 Polish Fighter Squadron north-northwest of the Somme Estuary.Template:Sfn

Group commander and death

On 2 January 1943, Galland was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II. Gruppe of JG 26 by his brother General der Jagdflieger (General of the Fighter Arm) Adolf Galland. General Galland had been unhappy for some time about the JG 26's lack of success against the USAAF strategic aerial bombardment campaign. In consequence, the former Gruppenkommandeur Meyer was transferred to a training unit and Wilhelm-Ferdinand appointed his successor.Template:Sfn Galland claimed his first aerial victory in 1943 over a Spitfire from the 340 (Free French) Squadron on 9 January. That day, the RAF targeted the Abbeville-Drucat airfield.Template:Sfn On 13 January, Galland mistakenly shot down and killed Unteroffizier Johann Irlinger from 6. Staffel over the Abbeville airfield. Galland had misidentified the Bf 109 G-4 as a Spitfire.Template:Sfn On 22 January, Galland led his Gruppe in a mission against an RAF "Circus" consisting of a flight of A-20 "Boston" bombers escorted by numerous Spitfire fighters. In this engagement, Galland was credited with the destruction of a No. 350 (Belgian) Squadron Spitfire shot down west-northwest of Gravelines. Four days later, II. Gruppe faced Spitfires from No. 64 and No. 306 Polish Fighter Squadron, resulting in another victory over a Spitfire. His 24th aerial victory was claimed near Watten.Template:Sfn This resulted in the presentation of the German Cross in Gold () on 28 January 1943, which he received for 24 aerial victories.Template:Sfn

File:56th Fighter Group - P-47D Thunderbolt 42-8487.jpg

Captain Mahurin of the 56th Fighter Group standing on the port wing of his P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft.

On 8 March, VIII Bomber Command attacked Rennes with 54 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers and Rouen railroad yards with 16 Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers. While Major Josef Priller and his flight attacked the escort fighters, Galland led his 24 Fw 190 fighters in a head-on attack on the B-24 bomber formation from the 44th Bombardment Group. Without damage or loss to the Fw 190 fighters, four B-24 bombers were claimed, one of which by Galland, shot down near Tôtes.Template:Sfn According to Weal, this was the only time a Luftwaffe unit forced the USAAF bombers to turn back before reaching their target.Template:Sfn On 17 April, Galland claimed a North American P-51 Mustang fighter. Since no P-51 fighters were involved, it is possible that his opponent was a misidentified No. 56 Squadron Hawker Typhoon which crashed after engine failure.Template:Sfn On 21 April, Galland led his flight against eleven Lockheed Ventura medium bombers from No. 21 Squadron RAF attacking the Abbeville railroad yards. In this encounter, Galland was credited with the destruction of two Ventura bombers.Template:Sfn He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross () on 18 May 1943. The nomination had been submitted following his 34th aerial victory. The presentation was made at the Vitry airfield by Generalfeldmarschall (Field Marshal) Hugo Sperrle.Template:Sfn

File:Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof Lommel - Wilhelm Galland.jpg

Lommel German war cemetery - Wilhelm Galland

In the late afternoon on 4 July, RAF North American B-25 Mitchell bombers attacked Amiens. To counter this attack, Jagdfliegerführer 2, among other units, dispatched II. Gruppe of JG 26 headed by Galland. The Gruppe claimed four aerial victories over the escorting fighters, including a Spitfire shot down by Galland, for the loss of one pilot killed in action.Template:Sfn On 9 July, Galland had just been promoted to Major (major), and claimed another Spitfire shot down. This combat occurred over Boulogne and was in defense of "Ramrod" 127. RAF Y-stations recorded the communications of this encounter. Both sides claimed one aerial victory each with no aircraft lost on either side.Template:Sfn Galland shot down two Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighters from the 78th Fighter Group on 14 July. The first was claimed northwest of Hesdin, the second west of Étaples. The next day, he accounted for another P-47 and a "Boston" bomber, both claimed over or near the Somme Estuary.Template:Sfn On 30 July 1943, the day marked the end of "Blitz Week", the USAAF targeted the Fieseler aircraft manufacturing factories located in Kassel. To counter this attack, Luftflotte 3 (3rd Air Fleet) dispatched eleven fighter groups, among them II. Gruppe of JG 26 led by Galland.Template:Sfn On this mission, Galland claimed a B-17 bomber shot down east of Apeldoorn.Template:Sfn On 12 August, the USAAF flew bombing missions against the Ruhr and Rheine area. In defense of this attack, Galland claimed his last aerial victory, a B-17 bomber.Template:Sfn This claim in the vicinity of Siegburg was in fact an Herausschuss (separation shot)—a severely damaged heavy bomber forced to separate from its combat box which was counted as an aerial victory.Template:Sfn

Galland was killed in action on 17 August 1943 during the Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission, shot down in his Fw 190 A-6 (Werknummer 530125—factory number) west of Maastricht.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Unteroffizier Heinz Gomann, Galland's wingman on this mission, had yelled out a warning too late. Galland disappeared after the first P-47 attack.Template:Sfn His body, still in his aircraft, was found two months later north of Liège.Template:Sfn II. Gruppe took off on a bomber intercept mission and engaged the B-17 bomber formation but the German aircraft were intercepted by escorting P-47 fighters from the 56th Fighter Group, USAAF, under command of Colonel Hubert Zemke. It is assumed that Galland was shot down by the American fighter pilot Walker "Bud" Mahurin of the 56th Fighter Group.Template:Sfn Galland was temporarily succeeded by Hauptmann Johannes Naumann until Oberstleutnant Johannes Seifert took command on II. Gruppe on 9 September.Template:Sfn

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces: Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 56 aerial victory claims, all of which were claimed on the Western Front and include eight four-engined bombers.Template:Sfn

Chronicle of aerial victories
This along with the * (asterisk) indicates an Herausschuss (separation shot)—a severely damaged heavy bomber forced to separate from his combat box which was counted as an aerial victory.   This along with the & (ampersand) indicates a endgültige Vernichtung (final destruction)—a coup de grâce inflicted on an already damaged heavy bomber.   This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location	Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location
– 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" –Template:Sfn On the Western Front — 22 June – 31 December 1941
1	23 July 1941	20:50	Spitfire	northwest of HesdinTemplate:Sfn	3	6 November 1941	15:35	Spitfire	CalaisTemplate:Sfn
2	27 September 1941	15:35	Spitfire	BoulogneTemplate:Sfn
– 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" –Template:Sfn On the Western Front — 1 January – May 1942
4	28 March 1942	19:00	Spitfire	Cap Gris-NezTemplate:Sfn	7	1 May 1942	19:45	Spitfire	DoverTemplate:Sfn
5	10 April 1942	17:45	Spitfire	west of ÉtaplesTemplate:Sfn	8	5 May 1942	14:53	Spitfire	BoulogneTemplate:Sfn
6	24 April 1942	14:54	Spitfire	Cap d'AlbertTemplate:Sfn
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" –Template:Sfn On the Western Front — June – 31 December 1942
9	2 June 1942	07:10?Template:Refn	Spitfire	Somme EstuaryTemplate:Sfn	16	28 August 1942	14:35?Template:Refn	Spitfire	east of AmiensTemplate:Sfn
10	2 June 1942	07:18?Template:Refn	Spitfire	Somme EstuaryTemplate:Sfn	17	5 September 1942	11:35?Template:Refn	Spitfire	Le TréportTemplate:Sfn
11	20 June 1942	15:46	Spitfire	GuînesTemplate:Sfn	18	15 October 1942	16:34	Spitfire	west-northwest of FécampTemplate:Sfn
12	31 July 1942	15:07	Spitfire	west-northwest of Somme EstuaryTemplate:Sfn	19	4 December 1942	14:55	Spitfire	Dover/FolkestoneTemplate:Sfn
13	31 July 1942	15:08	Spitfire	west-northwest of Somme EstuaryTemplate:Sfn	20	12 December 1942	11:39	Spitfire	northwest of BoulogneTemplate:Sfn
14	19 August 1942	07:55?Template:Refn	Spitfire	north of DieppeTemplate:Sfn	21	31 December 1942	14:45	Spitfire	north-northwest of Somme EstuaryTemplate:Sfn
15	27 August 1942	13:45?Template:Refn	Spitfire	northwest of Somme EstuaryTemplate:Sfn
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" –Template:Sfn On the Western Front — 1 January – 31 December 1943
22	9 January 1943	13:45	Spitfire	west of Somme EstuaryTemplate:Sfn	40	17 April 1943	15:06	P-51	west-northwest of Somme EstuaryTemplate:Sfn
23	22 January 1943	15:30	Spitfire	west-northwest of GravelinesTemplate:Sfn	41	21 April 1943	12:14	Ventura	northeast of Somme EstuaryTemplate:Sfn
24	26 January 1943	12:52	Spitfire	west of WattenTemplate:Sfn	42	21 April 1943	12:20	Ventura	west of Somme EstuaryTemplate:Sfn
25	3 February 1943	11:05	Hudson	north of Grand-Fort-PhilippeTemplate:Sfn	43	16 June 1943	07:10	Spitfire	Calais/DoverTemplate:Sfn
26	3 February 1943	11:12	Spitfire	north of Grand-Fort-PhilippeTemplate:Sfn	44	20 June 1943	13:30	Spitfire	northeast of HesdinTemplate:Sfn
27	3 February 1943	15:28?Template:Refn	Spitfire	north of DunkirkTemplate:Sfn	45	22 June 1943	09:22	B-17	northwest of VlissingenTemplate:Sfn
28	13 February 1943	10:17	Spitfire	west of HardelotTemplate:Sfn	46?Template:Refn	22 June 1943	09:25	B-17&	northwest of VlissingenTemplate:Sfn
29	13 February 1943	12:20	Spitfire	southeast of Le TouquetTemplate:Sfn	47	26 June 1943	18:52	P-47	north of NeufchâtelTemplate:Sfn
30	15 February 1943	16:04	Spitfire	southeast of RamsgateTemplate:Sfn	48	26 June 1943	19:04	P-47	northwest of DieppeTemplate:Sfn
31?Template:Refn	16 February 1943	17:35	Spitfire	northwest of AbbevilleTemplate:Sfn	49	4 July 1943	17:37	Spitfire	Vignacourt near AmiensTemplate:Sfn
32	26 February 1943	10:35?Template:Refn	Spitfire	southwest of Saint-OmerTemplate:Sfn	50	9 July 1943	08:16	Spitfire	west of BoulogneTemplate:Sfn
33	8 March 1943	14:04	B-24	Tôtes, north of RouenTemplate:Sfn	51	14 July 1943	07:50	P-47	northwest of Hesdin
34	13 March 1943	15:35	Spitfire	ÉtaplesTemplate:Sfn	52	14 July 1943	08:05	P-47	west of ÉtaplesTemplate:Sfn
35	14 March 1943	17:55	Spitfire	southwest of BoulogneTemplate:Sfn	53	15 July 1943	16:50	Boston	Somme EstuaryTemplate:Sfn
36	4 April 1943	14:40	Spitfire	southeast of FécampTemplate:Sfn	54	15 July 1943	16:55	P-47	west-northwest of Somme EstuaryTemplate:Sfn
37	4 April 1943	14:45	B-17	north of FécampTemplate:Sfn	55	30 July 1943	10:05	B-17	southeast of ApeldoornTemplate:Sfn
38	4 April 1943	14:55	B-17	north of FécampTemplate:Sfn	56	12 August 1943	09:10	B-17*	SiegburgTemplate:Sfn
39	5 April 1943	15:25	B-17	south of AntwerpTemplate:Sfn

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st ClassTemplate:Sfn
• Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) on 12 October 1942 as Oberleutnant and StaffelkapitänTemplate:Sfn
• German Cross in Gold on 28 January 1943 as Hauptmann in the II./Jagdgeschwader 26Template:Sfn
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 18 May 1943 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the II./Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter"Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn