GALLAND, ADOLF
Galland, Adolf
(March 9, 1912–February 14, 1996)
German Fighter Pilot
T
he strutting, no-non-
sense Galland was
Germany’s general
of fighters during World
War II, the youngest offi-
cer ever to hold that rank.
An accomplished ace, he
later commanded the
world’s first all-jet combat
squadron—as a lieutenant
general!
Adolf Joseph Ferdi-
nand Galland was born in
Westerholt, Westphalia,
on March 9, 1912, the son
of a real estate manager.
His family was originally
of French Huguenot de-
scent. As a youth Galland
became fascinated by fly-
ing, and he became a
noted glider pilot at the
age of 19. In 1933, he
joined the German airline
Lufthansa as a pilot, but
the following year he
transferred over to the
embryonic Luftwaffe. This organization,
which theretofore had functioned under the
covert designation “Aero Club of Berlin,” was
officially unveiled in March 1935. Galland,
now a lieutenant, trained on Heinkel He51 bi-
plane fighters and specialized in ground-
attack tactics. In 1938, he volunteered for ser-
vice in the Spanish Civil War with the Condor
Legion, a select group of Germans supporting
dictator Francisco Franco. Galland logged
280 combat missions, scoring no kills, but be-
friended an influential young pilot, Werner
Molders. He departed Spain in 1939, leaving
Molders in charge of the squadron, and trans-
ferred to antiquated Henschel Hs 123 biplanes
flying ground-support roles.
When Germany in-
vaded Poland in Septem-
ber 1939, Galland flew
many combat sorties,
winning the Iron Cross
and a promotion to cap-
tain. However, he yearned
to be a fighter pilot, and
within two months Gal-
land underwent training
in sleek Messerschmitt
Me 109s as part of Jadg-
gruppe (fighter group)
JG 27. In this capacity he
finally scored his first two
kills over Belgium on
May 12, 1940. Galland de-
monstrated superb com-
bat skills as a fighter
pilot, rose quickly to
major, and commanded
Group II of JG26. With
France quickly overrun,
the Luftwaffe under Mar-
shal Hermann Göring
turned its attention to the
skies of Great Britain,
where Galland and other German pilots re-
ceived a distinct shock. Not only did British
pilots of the Royal Air Force enjoy the advan-
tages of primitive radar, but their nimble Su-
permarine Spitfiresand Hawker Hurricanes
could outturn existing German fighters. The
Luftwaffe struggled mightily, but it lost the en-
suing Battle of Britain. Galland scored 57 kills
and emerged as the Luftwaffe’s top killer. This
came about harder than its sounds. The Royal
Air Force resisted gamely, and on June 21,
1941, Galland was shot down twice on the
same day! And as a group leader, he was in-
censed by Göring’s insistence that fighter pi-
lots stay shackled to bomber formations as
escorts instead of being turned loose on theAdolf Galland
Imperial War Museum