Gordon Mac Gollob German World War II flying ace Date of Birth: 16.06.1912 Country: Germany

1. Early Career as a Destroyer Pilot
2. Transition to the Eastern Front
3. Milestone Victories
4. Command and Post-War Legacy

Early Career as a Destroyer Pilot

Gordon Gollob's aviation career began as a pilot in the Zerstorer unit (ZG76) during the early years of World War II. Flying the Bf-110 heavy fighter, he achieved one victory in Poland, five in France, and several more during the Battle of Britain.

Transition to the Eastern Front

In 1941, Gollob switched to the Messerschmitt Bf-109 fighter and joined Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG3) on the Eastern Front. On October 18th, 1941, he set a record by scoring nine victories in a single day.

Milestone Victories

Gollob's aerial prowess continued to soar. On May 20th, 1942, he claimed his 100th victory, and on August 29th, he became the first pilot to reach 150 confirmed victories.

Command and Post-War Legacy

Despite transferring to JG77 later in the war, Gollob's victory count remained at 150. He received promotions and assumed command of fighter groups in the West. In January 1945, he replaced Adolf Galland as General der Jagdflieger, the commander of all Luftwaffe fighter forces. According to post-war Luftwaffe commander "Macky" Steinhoff, Gollob was "an ambitious man, devoid of humor."