Mikhail Galkin was born on 12 February 1917 in Plast, in the Chelayabinsk area.

Hen entered the army in 1937 and graduated from Lugansk Military Air Collage in 1938.

Galkin took part in the Finish-Soviet Winter War of 1939-40.

When Germany invaded Soviet in June 1941, he was serving with 4 IAP on the South West Front.

At 17:10 on 18 July, an I-16 zveno of 4 IAP attacked a Ju 88 flying alone at 1,000m above Rybnitsa (Râbnita). Following a short chase, the Ju 88 was shot down by Leytenant Galkin. His victim crashed 20km west of the city.

On 21 July, Leytenant Galkin claimed a Bf 109 in the area of Belyi Kamen-Shandaleshti.

On 22 July, Leytenant Galkin and Leytenant Zubenko claimed a shared Ju 88 in the Syndzherei area.

Leytenant Galkin claimed an enemy aircraft, identified as a ‘PZL-23’, shot down near Belyi Kamen on 27 July.

On 6 August, two I-16s from 4 IAP flown by Leytenant Galkin and Mladshiy Leytenant Ryzhkov claimed a shared Bf 109 2km north of Zhovtnevo.

By August, he had already flown 58 sorties and claimed 5 victories on 18 combats.

On 27 March 1942, he was awarded the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union.

In July 1942, he was servicing in 283 IAP.

On 21 July 1942, Starshiy Leytenant Galkin was shot down and killed by a Bf 109 from JG 54 over the Volkhov River. Galkin probably fell prey to Leutnant Walter Nowotny of 3./JG 54, who claimed a MiG-3 in that area at 19:05.

At the time of his death, Gulkin had claimed at least 1 biplane victory and a total of 5.

Claims:

Kill no.	Date	Time	Number	Type	Result	Plane type	Serial no.	Locality	Unit
	1941
1	??/06/41		1	Ju 88	Destroyed	I-153			4 IAP
2	18/07/41	17:10	1	Ju 88	Destroyed	I-16		Rybnitsa	4 IAP
3	21/07/41		1	Bf 109	Destroyed	I-16		Belyi Kamen-Shandaleshti	4 IAP
	22/07/41		½	Ju 88	Shared destroyed	I-16		Syndzherei area	4 IAP
4	27/07/41		1	’PZL-23’	Destroyed	I-16		Belyi Kamen	4 IAP
	06/08/41		1	Bf 109 (a)	Shared destroyed	I-16		2km N Zhovtnevo	4 IAP

Biplane victories: at least 1 destroyed.
TOTAL: 5 and 2 shared destroyed.
(a) According to some sources this was a Ju 88.

Sources:
Black Cross/Red Star Volume III - Christer Bergström, Andrey Dikov and Vlad Antipov, 2006 Eagle Editions Ltd, Hamilton, ISBN 0-9761034-4-3
From Barbarossa to Odessa: Volume 1 – Dénes Bernád, Dmitriy Karlenko and Jean-Louis Roba, 2007 Ian Allan Publishing Ltd, ISBN 978-85780-273-3
Stalin's Eagles - Hans D. Seidl, 1998 Schiffer Publishing, ISBN 0-7643-0476-3
Stalin's Falcons - Tomas Polak and Christhoper Shores, 1999 Grub Street, London, ISBN 1-902304-01-2