Bernd Gallowitsch

Bernd Gallowitsch (23 February 1918 – 23 December 1983) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Bernd Gallowitsch was credited with 64 aerial victories, and the destruction of 23 tanks in 480 combat missions.

Military career
Gallowitsch was born on 23 February 1918 in Vienna, the capital of Austria-Hungary. Following flight training, Gallowitsch was posted to Kampfgruppe 100 (KGr. 100—100th Combat Group) in December 1939. He then received training as a fighter pilot and was posted to I. Gruppe (1st group) of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing) in June 1940. On 7 September, the Luftwaffe launched Operation Loge during the Battle of Britain, a 65-day air offensive against London. That day, Gallowitsch claimed a Supermarine Spitfire fighter shot down. On 12 October, I. Gruppe of JG 77 flew three fighter-bomber missions to London. On the 10:30 to 11:40 mission, the Gruppe engaged in aerial combat with Hawker Hurricane fighters over the English coast near Hastings. During this encounter, Gallowitsch claimed one of the Hurricane fighters shot down.

On 21 November, I. Gruppe of JG 77 was redesignated and became the IV. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing). Consequently, Gallowitsch became a member of 10. Staffel of JG 51. On 7 December, the Gruppe was withdrawn from the English Channel, relocating to Mannheim-Sandhofen Airfield for a period of rest and replenishment. When on 1 March 1941, Major Friedrich Beckh was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of IV. Gruppe of JG 51, Gallowitsch was made his regular wingman. Gallowitsch had good eyesight and compensated for Beckh's inabilities. The assignment was based on a recommendation made by Prof. Dr. Paul Robert Skawran, a psychologist who had studied fighter pilot aptitudes and combat readiness with JG 51 at the time. On 9 February 1941, IV. Gruppe returned to France, then based at an airfield near Le Touquet and to Marquise on 16 April. There, Gallowitsch claimed a Spitfire fighter shot down on 6 May east of Dover and a Hurricane fighter on 21 May east of Deal. The Gruppe was withdrawn from the English Channel and relocated to Mönchengladbach on 7 June for a brief period of replenishment.

Operation Barbarossa
On 15 June, IV. Gruppe of JG 51 began transferring east and was located at an airfield named Krzewicze, located approximately 70 km west of Brest-Litovsk. On 22 June, German forces launched Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. JG 51 was subordinated to II. Fliegerkorps (2nd Air Corps), which as part of Luftflotte 2 (Air Fleet 2). JG 51 area of operation during Operation Barbarossa was over the right flank of Army Group Center in the combat area of the 2nd Panzer Group as well as the 4th Army.

In 1945, he was assigned to Jagdgeschwader 1 "Oesau" (JG 1—1st Fighter Wing) flying the Heinkel He 162, a single-engine, jet-powered fighter aircraft. On 1 May, he was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 4. Staffel of JG 1, taking over command from Hauptmann Wolfgang Ludewig.

Later life
Following World War II, Gallowitsch worked as a pilot for Austrian Airlines. On 3 June 1966, the front landing gear of the Vickers Viscount Franz Schubert malfunctioned during landing at Salzburg Airport, consequently the propellers touched the ground. Due to Gallowitsch action, a fatal accident was prevented. Gallowitsch died on 28 December 1983 at the age of 65 in Vienna, Austria.

Aerial victory claims
According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Gallowitsch was credited with 64 aerial victories. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 48 aerial victory claims plus two further unconfirmed clams. With the exception of four aerial victories claimed over the Western Allies, all other aerial victories were claimed on the Eastern Front.

Awards

 * Flugzeugführerabzeichen
 * Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold
 * Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
 * Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 15 September 1941 as Leutnant in a Jagdgeschwader
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 24 January 1942 as Leutnant and pilot in the 12./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"