Gordon Gollob
16 June 1912 - 8 September 1987
Place of birth:	Graz
Place of death:	Sullingen
Allegiance:	Germany
Years of service:	1933-1945
Rank:	General der Jagdflieger
Unit:	ZG 76, JG 3, JG 54, JG 77, Luftflotte 5
Commands:	II./JG 3, JG 77, Jafü 5 and General der Jagerflieger
Awards:	Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillianten

Gordon MacGollob (16 June 1912 - 8 September 1987) was an Austrian fighter pilot and flying ace in the Luftwaffe from 1938 to 1945) during World War 2. His name comes from the fact his father was originally Scottish. He changed it to become more "Germanic" sounding on joining the military. He rose to the position of General der Jagenflieger, and was one of only 27 to receive the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. Gollob was credited with 150 victories achieved in 340 missions. He recorded 144 victories over the Eastern front. June 16 is the 167th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (168th in leap years), with 198 days remaining. ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Gordon_Gollob. ... The Grazer Schloßberg Clock Tower Graz [graːts] (Slovenian: Gradec IPA: /gra. ... Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54) Grün herz was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during the Second World War. ... Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77) Herz As was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War 2. ... Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77) Herz As was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War 2. ... A stylized version of the Iron Cross, the emblem of the German Armed Forces The Iron Cross (German: Eisernes Kreuz) is a military decoration of the Kingdom of Prussia, and later of Germany, which was established by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and first awarded on 10 March 1813. ... June 16 is the 167th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (168th in leap years), with 198 days remaining. ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... An A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-86 Sabre, P-38 Lightning and P-51 Mustang fly in formation during an air show at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. ... It has been suggested that Pilot (spaceflight) be merged into this article or section. ... A flying ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft. ... The Deutsche Luftwaffe or (German: air force, literally Air Arm or Air Weapon, IPA: [luftvafə]) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... World War II is the current Good Article Collaboration of the week! Please help to improve this article to the highest of standards. ...

Early life

Gollob was born in Graz. In 1933 he joined the Austrian Bundesheer as an officer cadet, and the year after he completed his flying training. He rose to command a training unit, the Schulstaffel A. When Austria was annexed by Germany in 1938, Gollob joined the Luftwaffe with the rank of Oberleutnant. On 15 March 1939 Gollob was posted to the 3./ZG 76^[1] flying the Bf 110 twin-engined fighter. The Grazer Schloßberg Clock Tower Graz [graːts] (Slovenian: Gradec IPA: /gra. ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The name of the Military of Austria is Bundesheer (Federal Army). For a short while between 1918 and 1921 the Austrian semi-regular army was called Volkswehr (peoples defence), fighting against Slovenian occupation forces in Carinthia. ... German troops march into Austria on 12 March 1938. ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Oberleutnant is a rank of the German military which dates from the early 19th century. ... March 15 is the 74th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (75th in Leap years). ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Messerschmitt Bf110 (later Me110) was a twin-engine heavy fighter in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. History Based around the concept of the long-range Zerstörer or Destroyer Fighter the Bf110 enjoyed some success in the Polish and French campaigns. ... Fighter has a number of meanings: A fighter aircraft is a warplane designed to destroy other warplanes in combat. ...

World War 2

ZG 76 was stationed on the Polish border and took part in Fall Weiss, the invasion of Poland from 1 September 1939. Gollob scored his first victories over Poland, and continued his success when ZG 76 took part in the Battle of the Heligoland Bight. Fall Weiss (german spelling Fall Weiß) translates as Case White following the German militarys naming convention. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ...

On 8 April 1940 Gollob was appointed Staffelkapitän of 3./ZG 76. The unit took part in Operation Weserübung and Gollob had two more victories over Norway. Later that year Gollob shot down a Spitfire during the Battle of Britain. He was then given night fighter training and assigned to II./JG 3 on 7 September. JG 3 was stationed on the Channel Front, and saw much action. On 9 October Gollob was appointed Staffelkapitän of 4./JG 3. April 8 is the 98th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (99th in leap years). ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... Staffelkapitän is a Luftwaffe position (not a rank) that is the equivalent of Royal Air Force/US Air Force Squadron Leader. ... Operation Weserübung was the German codename for Nazi Germanys assault on Denmark and Norway during World War II and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign. ... Spitfire may refer to: Supermarine Spitfire, a single-seat fighter plane used in World War II Triumph Spitfire, a small two-seat British sports car from Triumph Motor Company Spitfire, a slang term for a highly-excitable or passionate person, especially a woman. ... Combatants United Kingdom Germany Italy Commanders Hugh Dowding Hermann Göring Albert Kesselring Strength 700 fighters 1,260 bombers, 316 dive-bombers, 1,089 fighters Casualties 1,547 aircraft, 27,450 civilian dead, 32,138 wounded 2,698 aircraft One of the major campaigns of the early part of World... A night fighter is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night, or in other times of bad visibility. ... September 7 is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years). ... October 9 is the 282nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (283rd in leap years). ...

In 1941 the unit was transferred east to take part in Operation Barbarossa. A few days after the invasion started, on 27 June, Gollob was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 3, and promoted to Hauptmann. Against the weak Soviet Air Force Gollob proved quite successful, downing 18 enemy aircraft in the month of August alone. On 18 September he was awarded the Ritterkreuz for his 42 victories. In October he had an impressive 37 victories, including 9 in one day on 18 October. On 26 October he was awarded the Eichenlaub after reaching 85 victories. In December Gollob was pulled of frontline service, and was transferred to a testing unit, to help with the development of the next version of the Bf 109. For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1941 calendar). ... Combatants Axis Powers Soviet Union Commanders Supreme commander: Adolf Hitler Supreme commander: Josef Stalin Strength ~ 3. ... June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 187 days remaining. ... Grupppenkommandeur is a Luftwaffe position (not a rank) that is the equivalent of a Royal Air Force Wing Commander or USAF Group Commander. ... Captain is both a nautical term and a military rank. ... The Soviet Air Force, also known under the abbreviation VVS, transliterated from Russian: ВВС, Военно-воздушные силы (Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily), formed the official designation of the airforce of the Soviet Union. ... September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). ... 1813 Iron Cross 1870 Iron Cross The Iron Cross (Eisernes Kreuz) was established in 1813 as a military honor by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia. ... October 18 is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years). ... October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 66 days remaining. ... (Bf 109 was the official Reichsluftfahrtministerium designation, though some late_war aircraft actually carried the Me 109 designation stamped onto their aircraft type plates. ...

After a brief spell at the Stabschwarm of JG 54 Gollob, now a Major, assumed command over JG 77 as Geschwaderkommodore on 16 May 1942. JG 77 was tasked with supporting the hard fighting over the Kerch straits on the Crimean peninsula. The JG 77, led by such able experten as Gollob and Heinrich Bär leading I./JG 77, "took over" the air space over the Kerch-Taman area. Intense rivalry ensued between Gollob and Bär, each striving to outperform the other. On 20 May Gollob reached his victory number 100. On 23 June he was awarded the Schwerter, after his tally had risen to 107. Only two months later he reached 150 victories, becoming the Luftwaffe's highest scoring pilot at that point. For this he was awarded the Brillianten to his Ritterkreuz on 29 August, only number 3 to receive such honours. Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54) Grün herz was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during the Second World War. ... Major is a military rank denoting an officer of mid-level command status. ... Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77) Herz As was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War 2. ... Geschwaderkommodore is a Luftwaffe position(not rank) that is the equivalent of a Royal Air Force Group Commander or USAF Wing Commander. ... May 16 is the 136th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (137th in leap years). ... This article is about the year. ... Heinz Pritzl Bär (21 March 1913 - 28 April 1957) was one of a few handful of Luftwaffe German fighter aces who served with the Luftwaffe through the whole of World War 2. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... June 23 is the 174th day of the year (175 th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 191 days remaining. ... August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ...

An anonymous JG 77 pilot described Gollob's methods; "Gollob flew from Kerch together with his wingman. They positioned themselves at a low altitude beneath a Russian formation. Then they started climbing in spirals, carefully maintaining their position beneath the enemy formation. Before the peacefully flying Russians had even suspected any mischief, the two planes at the bottom of their formation had been shot down and the two Germans were gone." (Prien: JG 77, p. 1018.)

High command

On 1 October, now a Oberst, Gollob was posted to the staff of Jagdfliegführer 3^[2] on the Channel Front, and on 15 October he was appointed Jagdfliegführer 5, being responsible of the tactical fighter command over northwestern France. October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... ... October 15 is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years). ...

In April 1944 Gollob was transferred to the personal staff of General der Jagerflieger Adolf Galland, to advise on the development of the jet aircraft projects. He had a falling out with Galland however, and was transferred to Kommando der Erprobungstellen, or HQ of test units. In November Gollob was appointed commander of the Jäger-Sonderstab - or special fighter commando - for the Ardennes offensive. 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... General (pronounced ) is presently the highest rank of the German Army and the Luftwaffe. ... Adolf Galland (March 19, 1912 - February 9, 1996) was a World War II German fighter pilot and commander of Germanys fighter force (General der Jagdflieger) from 1941 to 1945. ... The term Ardennes Offensive (or Battle of the Ardennes) refers to multiple battles throughout history, all of which took part in or around the Ardennes Forest in France and Belgium. ...

In January 1945 Gollob was appointed General der Jagerflieger, following Galland's sacking by the OKL. 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... The Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL) was the Airforce High Command of the Third Reich. ...

Controversy

Gollob was very pro-Nazi, and was often thought poorly of by his fellow pilots. Johannes Steinhoff said about Gollob in an interview with World War 2 Magazine in February 2000: National Socialism redirects here. ... Johannes Steinhoff (September 15, 1913 - February 21, 1994) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace of World War II and a senior West German air force officer after the war . ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

"Well, I will say this, then I will say nothing else about Gollob. Losses soared under his leadership everywhere he went, much like Göring in the first war. He placed leaders in command of units not because of their competence, but due to their loyalty to the Nazi Party, which were very few in the Jagdwaffe." [3]

Gollob was regarded as a competent pilot, but a poor leader due to his eagerness to impress superiors and his unhealthy competitive spirit.

After the war

After being released from captivity following the surrender, Gollob made a living as a contributor to Aircraft Magazines and holding lecturers. In 1948 he became a foreman of the Party of Independence in Austria. From 1951 he started working for a company making motors and vehicles. He had two sons and a daughter with his wife. Gollob died in in Sullingen, Diepholz on 7 September 1987. 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... Diepholz is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. ... September 7 is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years). ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Notes

1. ↑  For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organization
2. ↑  A Jagdfliegführer, or Jafü, was the commander of the Fighter forces of a Luftflotte. For more details see Luftwaffe Organization.

The German Luftwaffe of World War 2 had a distinct pattern of organization. ... The German Luftwaffe of World War 2 had a distinct pattern of organization. ...

See also

• Military history of Germany

While German-speaking peoples have a long history, Germany as a nation-state dates only from 1871. ...

External links

• Bio and detailed info of his victories