Galic, Cvitan

Cvitan Galic



Died 5.5.1909 in the village of Gorica
He completed his pilot training in the ranks of the 7th Vazduhoplovni Puk in Mostar on 1.11.1930 and then became a fighter pilot in the 6th LP from 1.8.1935.
During the German attack he served in the 3rd Fighter Squadron stationed in Mostar.
In May 1941 he joined the ranks of the Croatian State Air Force. On his first deployment to the Eastern Front he became the leading ace of the first turn with 24 confirmed and 7 unconfirmed (4 were confirmed afterwards). In the spring of 1943, during his next deployment in the east, he added another ten confirmed and two unconfirmed aerial victories for which he received the German Cross in Gold on 23.6.1943 in addition to his existing Iron Crosses.
During July he was promoted to Second Lieutenant and sent to JG 104 to train young Croatian pilots.
In December, after visiting his family in Bjelovar, he flew back to Zagreb in a training machine, fell asleep behind a kniple, but woke up in time to right the machine and at least make an emergency landing - unfortunately in partisan controlled territory. He managed to get rid of his gear in time and avoided pursuit by impersonating a partisan. After 48 hours he managed to escape and return to the unit. His performance so far saved him from severe punishment for the loss of the machine.
14.3.1944 Galic became the commander of the 23rd Aircraft Jato armed with MS 406. On 6.4.1944 Cvitan Galic was killed when the airfield Zaluzani was attacked by South African Spitfires. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of satnik two weeks later.
During 439 combat sorties on the Eastern Front, Galic destroyed one DB-3, Pe-2, Spitfire and R-10, two MDR-6 flying boats, five Il-2s, four MiG-1s, four I-153s, five, I-16s, five MiG-3s and nine LaGG-3s. He thus ranked second most successful among Croatian pilots with a total of 38 aerial victories.


Source: Croatian Aces from World War 2 - Osprey 49
URL : https://www.valka.cz/Galic-Cvitan-t50599#194266 Version : 0
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