He flew combat missions and fought on the Western Front and in the Defence of the Reich. On four occasions, he survived being shot down, and he was credited with aerial victories, all of them against the Western Allies.
Galland, who was born in Westerholt , Province of Westphalia , Kingdom of Prussia , in the German Empire , became a glider pilot in before he joined the Luft Hansa. In , he graduated as a pilot at the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule German Commercial Flyers' School in Braunschweig before applying to join the Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic later in the year.
Galland's application was accepted, but he never took up the offer. In February , he was transferred to the Luftwaffe. In , during the Spanish Civil War , he volunteered for the Condor Legion and flew ground attack missions in support of the Nationalists under Francisco Franco. After finishing his tour in Galland was employed in the Air Ministry writing doctrinal and technical manuals about his experiences as a ground-attack pilot.
During this period Galland served as an instructor for ground-attack units. During the German invasion of Poland in September , he again flew ground attack missions. In early , Galland managed to persuade his superiors to allow him to become a fighter pilot. By the end of , his tally of victories had reached As General der Jagdflieger , Galland was forbidden to fly combat missions. In late January and early February , Galland first planned and then commanded the Luftwaffe's air cover for the Kriegsmarine Operation Cerberus , which was a major success.
The relationship collapsed altogether in early January , when Galland was relieved of his command because of his constant criticism of the Luftwaffe leadership. In March , Galland returned to operational flying and was permitted to form a jet fighter unit which he called Jagdverband He flew missions over Germany until the end of the war in May.
