Galland
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Galland
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Biographie
Wilhelm-Ferdinand "Wutz" Galland (23 October 1914 - 17 August 1943)
II/JG 26 Gruppenkommandeur
Hptm. Galland flew his first combat mission in a Bf 109. It did not go well, even though he shot down a Spitfire. Vision from the cockpit was extremely poor in comparison to that from the Fw 190, and he was bounced by another fighter formation - fortunately, these were Luftwaffe Fw 190s, which he was able to evade. After landing, he told his crew chief to repack his parachute in a "proper fighter" - his Fw 190. Galland had always defended the planned re-equipment of his Gruppe with Bf 109s in front of his men, but personal experience changed his mind. He pulled some strings, and the few Bf 109s left in the Gruppe after the 20 January mission were taken away and given to the Third Gruppe, whose new Kommandeur, an experienced Messerschmitt pilot, preferred them. The Second Gruppe would continue to fly Fw 190s until the end of the war.
- January 1943
At noon Jafü 2 ordered all available I/JG 27 and JG 26 fighters to take off and intercept a small formation of Spitfires. This was the two-squadron Kenley Wing, whose Canadians were glad to see the Luftwaffe in the air. The Jafü attempted to sandwich the Spitfires between the two approaching German formations, but the Spitfires turned into each attack as it came in, and a massive dogfight involving about eighty fighters was soon underway in the area between Abbeville, Doullens, and Saint-Pol. The Canadians had the better of it, claiming three Bf 109s and losing no-one. I/JG 27 claimed one Spitfire, but lost three Bf 109s, including that of their Kommandeur, Hptm. Erich Hohagen, who bailed out with injuries. The JG 26 Focke-Wulf pilots claimed nothing and lost nothing, which was often the case in prolonged battles between evenly-matched opponents. Uffz. Gomann was surprised by the tactics of his confident Kommandeur, and wrote in his logbook, "Galland attacked from below and engaged in a turning battle, even though Spitfires are better in turns."
- June 1943
II/JG 26 Gruppenkommandeur
Hptm. Galland flew his first combat mission in a Bf 109. It did not go well, even though he shot down a Spitfire. Vision from the cockpit was extremely poor in comparison to that from the Fw 190, and he was bounced by another fighter formation - fortunately, these were Luftwaffe Fw 190s, which he was able to evade. After landing, he told his crew chief to repack his parachute in a "proper fighter" - his Fw 190. Galland had always defended the planned re-equipment of his Gruppe with Bf 109s in front of his men, but personal experience changed his mind. He pulled some strings, and the few Bf 109s left in the Gruppe after the 20 January mission were taken away and given to the Third Gruppe, whose new Kommandeur, an experienced Messerschmitt pilot, preferred them. The Second Gruppe would continue to fly Fw 190s until the end of the war.
- January 1943
At noon Jafü 2 ordered all available I/JG 27 and JG 26 fighters to take off and intercept a small formation of Spitfires. This was the two-squadron Kenley Wing, whose Canadians were glad to see the Luftwaffe in the air. The Jafü attempted to sandwich the Spitfires between the two approaching German formations, but the Spitfires turned into each attack as it came in, and a massive dogfight involving about eighty fighters was soon underway in the area between Abbeville, Doullens, and Saint-Pol. The Canadians had the better of it, claiming three Bf 109s and losing no-one. I/JG 27 claimed one Spitfire, but lost three Bf 109s, including that of their Kommandeur, Hptm. Erich Hohagen, who bailed out with injuries. The JG 26 Focke-Wulf pilots claimed nothing and lost nothing, which was often the case in prolonged battles between evenly-matched opponents. Uffz. Gomann was surprised by the tactics of his confident Kommandeur, and wrote in his logbook, "Galland attacked from below and engaged in a turning battle, even though Spitfires are better in turns."
- June 1943
