The Battle of Britain Five Months That Changed History, May—October 1940 by James Holland (z-lib.org).epub

Günther’s Curtiss go down in a spin. He had his first confirmed aerial
victory. He also discovered that the Heinkel had made it back safely too.
The pilots sat up late that night, talking about and discussing the action
in fine detail. Only one of their number had not returned – Adolf Walter,
who had been seen limping away from the fray having shot down a Curtiss
himself. Some time after midnight, the phone rang and to the relief of the
rest of the Staffel it was Walter on the line. He had belly-landed with engine
trouble, but would make his way back the following day.
That first scrap above the skies of France had taught Günther three
things. First, he could do it; he could recognize the enemy with plenty of
time. He was cool-headed and shrewd enough to move himself and the
Schwarm into the best position to give them the tactical advantage without
being caught by surprise by the enemy. He could enter into an attack
without crumbling with fear. And he had the ability to shoot the enemy
down – not just a direct hit, but a deflection shot. That had given him
confidence. He felt as though he were an athlete after winning a major
sporting event.
Second, he realized that he was not invincible. He had dropped his
guard and had nearly paid the price. ‘Neglecting one’s own safety in an
attack will inevitably have fatal consequences sooner or later,’ he noted.
‘One of the most dangerous moments in aerial combat is that second
immediately prior to opening fire.’
Finally, he recognized that he needed to master the Messerschmitt 109E
yet further, to get a better feel and understanding of her idiosyncrasies. The
savage turn had probably saved his life, yet he felt sure that the real art of
flying was keeping one’s head, even in a critical situation, and handling the
controls smoothly at all times.
Few pilots had the kind of natural advantages of excellent sight and
good marksmanship that Günther was blessed with. And few analysed their
flying performance in such a pragmatic and rational manner. Yet
consciously or subconsciously, the learning curve of the pilot rose
exponentially the moment he found himself in combat. The key was to
make the most of those lessons and absorb them as quickly as possible. As
Günther had learned during that thrilling, frightening, sobering,
exhilarating, first combat sortie, it was very easy for a fighter pilot to get
himself killed.