"When I was fired from my post as General of the Fighter Arm, I was to give proof that this jet was a superior fighter. And that's when we did it. I think we did it"

The quote by Adolf Galland, a prominent German Luftwaffe basic throughout World War II, shows a minute of determination and vindication in the middle of personal and professional turmoil. Galland, known for his management in fighter operations, was eliminated from his position as General of the Fighter Arm, possibly due to arguments with Nazi management over technique and the employment of resources. This dismissal most likely left him with a sense of complaint but likewise a strong desire to show his tactical and tactical ideas.

The "jet" discussed in the quote refers to the Messerschmitt Me 262, the world's very first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Galland was a strong supporter for the development and release of jet fighters, thinking they might provide a significant tactical advantage over Allied forces. Nevertheless, the Me 262's deployment was obstructed by various tactical bad moves and resource allowance issues, not least of which was Adolf Hitler's insistence on transforming the style into a fighter-bomber instead of focusing entirely on its strengths as a fighter airplane.

When Galland states, "And that's when we did it. I think we did it", he is revealing both his belief in the effective presentation of the Me 262's capabilities and a minute of personal redemption. It suggests a culmination of efforts to confirm his advocacy for jet innovation and a sense of partial vindication in showing the jet's superiority as a fighter airplane, despite considerable obstacles. His usage of the expression "I think" shows an awareness of the blended results and supreme wartime context in which these accomplishments were recognized. The Allies' overwhelming industrial and mathematical supremacy, coupled with the late intro of the Me 262, suggested that while the airplane itself was impressive, it could not alter the course of the war. Therefore, Galland's recommendation of "we did it" is bittersweet, marking a technical triumph eclipsed by strategic defeat.