Jagdverband 44 - The Surrender

The Surrender

On 26 April 1945 Adolf Galland was shot down and was wounded in the knee. Temporary command of the unit was then given to Bär. Whilst in hospital Galland devised a plan to prevent the JV 44 pilots and aircraft from falling into Russian hands or being accidentally destroyed by approaching Allied ground troops. He discharged himself from hospital and set up his headquarters in Tegernsee. Still in contact with Heinz Bär he obtained an Fi 156 "Storch" liaison plane.

On May 1 Galland drafted a note to forward to General Eisenhower requesting a special surrender be granted to JV 44. Two aides, Maj. Wilhelm Herget and Capt. Hugo Kessler, flew the Fi 156 across the lines, landing at Schleißheim. The two aides were interviewed regarding the possibility of this surrender. They returned to Galland with instructions on how the surrender would proceed, including handing over the remaining Me 262 aircraft into American hands. The significance of this is that the SS, if they had known of this offer by Galland, might have destroyed the aircraft and executed the associated personnel. Though the aides returned to Galland and he prepared a response, as the Fi 156 Storch returned over the American lines the aircraft was shot down by an American armored column near Schleißheim. Though Herget survived the crash Galland's response did not get to the Americans.

American troops advanced on the JV 44 base near Salzburg and shortly before surrendering, the remaining Me 262's were blown up by JV 44 personnel, grenades being inserted into the engine intakes. Some of the JV 44 Me 262's were earlier flown out to Innsbruck where they met JV 44 personnel under command of Oberst. Hans Ekkehard Bob, who was ordered to prepare the Innsbruck airfield for operations.