Adolf Galland Cause of Death: How Did the Luftwaffe Ace Die?

Adolf Galland was a German Luftwaffe general and flying ace who served throughout the Second World War in Europe. He flew 705 combat missions and fought on the Western Front and in the Defence of the Reich. He was credited with 104 aerial victories, all of them against the Western Allies. 

Early Life and Career

Galland was born in Westerholt, Westphalia, on March 19, 1912. He became a glider pilot in 1929 and joined the Luft Hansa in 1932. He graduated as a pilot at the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule (German Commercial Flyers’ School) in Braunschweig and applied to join the Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic, but he never took up the offer. In 1934, he was transferred to the Luftwaffe. 

Spanish Civil War and World War II

In 1937, Galland volunteered for the Condor Legion and flew ground attack missions in support of the Nationalists under Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. He returned to Germany in 1938 and became an instructor and a writer for the Air Ministry. During the German invasion of Poland in 1939, he again flew ground attack missions. In 1940, he became a fighter pilot and flew Messerschmitt Bf 109s during the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain. By the end of 1940, he had 57 victories and was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. 

In 1941, Galland stayed in France and fought the Royal Air Force (RAF) over the English Channel and Northern France. He reached 96 victories by November 1941 and was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. He also survived being shot down four times and suffered several injuries, including a fractured skull, a broken nose, and a partial blindness in the left eye. 

In November 1941, Galland succeeded Werner Mölders as the General der Jagdflieger (General of Fighters) and was responsible for the overall direction of the German fighter force. He clashed with Hermann Göring, the commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe, over the strategy and tactics of the fighter defense. Galland advocated for more fighter production, better training, and more freedom for the pilots. He also opposed the introduction of the Me 262 jet fighter as a bomber, instead of a fighter. 

In January 1945, Galland was dismissed from his post and placed under house arrest for his criticism of Göring and his involvement in a revolt of the fighter pilots. He was later released by Adolf Hitler’s intervention and formed a special fighter unit called Jagdverband 44 (JV 44), which flew Me 262s against the Allied bombers. He flew his last combat mission on April 26, 1945, and surrendered to the United States Army on May 14, 1945. 

Post-war Life and Death

After the war, Galland was held as a prisoner of war until 1947. He then moved to Argentina and worked as a consultant for the Argentine Air Force until 1955. He returned to Germany and became a businessman and a writer. He also maintained contact with his former enemies, such as Douglas Bader, Robert Stanford Tuck, and James Edgar Johnson. He participated in several air shows and documentaries and wrote his autobiography, The First and the Last. 

Galland died on February 9, 1996, at the age of 83, in Oberwinter, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. He was buried in the cemetery of Oberwinter. The cause of his death was natural causes, according to his son. He had suffered from diabetes and heart problems in his later years.

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