Description

This particular book has just been purchased recently by ourselves from the Great General Adolf Galland's widow Heidi Galland , It is part of a batch of books that we have just purchased from the late Generals widow Heidi Galland...Galland, the most famous of the German fighter pilots and a general in the Luftwaffe at the age of 29, has here written a book of real importance in the air literature of the war. It is the only personal account so far to be published in English of the rise and decline of the Luftwaffe, and he is one of the few survivors capable of telling the full story, for he was among the ' first ' who flew in the Spanish Civil War and among the last' who survived to see the final collapse. This is not just a story of aerial combats and the 105 victories claimed by Galland, although these play an important part in his narrative. As Commander-in-Chief of the German fighter force he was closely concerned with tactics and planning, and has much new information about the intrigues and indecisions of the German High Command, as well as first-hand stories about Goering and Hitler. He knew and has many interesting things to say about such famous German aces as Marseille, Udet and Molders ; and readers of Reach for the Sky will recall his meeting with Douglas Bader (and Bader's remark that he ' would have liked to have had him. in his wing '), which Galland also describes. His book shows how close Germany came to winning the war in the air. It reveals Hitler's fundamental error in refusing to think in terms of defence once he had won his early victories, and in vetoing the development of the jet fighter in 1940 and its mass-production in 1943. Instead of possessing an aircraft which might have been the answer to the Allied bombing offensive, the Germans frittered away their reserves against ground targets while the Allied bombers roamed freely over the Reich. As a result of differences of opinion with Goering and Hitler, Galland was dismissed from his post in January, 1945, and returned to operations as leader of the first jet fighter squadron ever to fly. Ace pilots from every unit in the fighter arm reported for duty, many without transfer orders. But it was too late to affect the course of the war. The jet fighters went up in flames as the rattle of the first American tank was heard on the airfield. Of all the stories of the air war from the German side, this is the most authoritative, and is likely to remain so. It is also a story of absorbing interest, for Galland took part in many of the most important air battles in the West, including the Battle of Britain, the escape of the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau, and the defence of the Reich against British and American bombing. His comments on them show that his own theories on the role of the Luftwaffe were very much in advance of those of his leaders...Hard back copy by Adolf Galland in English Text...This book is in mint condition and has been signed by the Legend Adolf Galland...priced @ £125.00.