The first and the last (1)

I began reading Adolf Galland's 'The first and the last' (Die Ersten und die Letzten, Münich, 1953). From the first pages I discover an extremely dense literature, abounding in first-hand knowledge about the policy and war-planning in the Luftwaffe Command, impartial judgments on the mistakes made by Hitler and Göring in waging the war against Britain.
I used my pencil to underline a few notable statements:

It is true to say that the first kill can influence the whole future career of a fighter pilot. Many to whom the first victory over the opponent has been long denied, either by unfortunate circumstances or by bad luck, can suffer from frustration or develop complexes they may never rid themselves of again.

The ME-109 was at the time the best fighter plane in the world. It was not only superior to all enemy types between 1935 and 1940, but was also a pioneer and prototype for international fighter construction. The ME-109 did not result from demands made by aerial warfare. On the contrary, it was a gift from the ingenious designer Messerschmitt, which was at first looked upon with great distrust and was nearly turned down altogether. It was put into mass production far too late. Had this stage been reached during the first two years of the war, it would have given the Germans absolute supremacy in the air.

The German fighters found themselves in a similar predicament to a dog on a chain who wants to attack the foe, but cannot harm him, because of the limitation of his chain. (talking about the Battle of Britain)

The first rule of all air combat is to see the opponent first. Like the hunter who stalks his prey and maneuvers himself unnoticed into the most favorable position for the kill, the fighter in the opening of a dogfight must detect the opponent as early as possible, in order to attain a superior position for the attack.