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The Red Baron, Baron von Richthofen
shown in aviation art prints by leading aviation artists. The Red Baron
flying a Fokker Dr1. German first world war art prints published by
Cranston Fine Arts.
The Ringmaster by Stan Stokes. Born
in Prussia to wealthy aristocratic parents, Manfred Freherr von
Richtofen, The Red Baron, was to become the top ace of World War I, with
80 confirmed kills, and probably another 40-50 which took place over
enemy lines and could not be confirmed. Richtofen was originally a
cavalry officer, but with great persistence he was transferred to the
air arm. After a brief period on the eastern front Richtofen was
transferred to the western front in August 1915. His first confirmed
victory was recorded in September 1916 and by November he recorded
eleven kills, including Major Lance Hawker, the top British fighter
pilot. With his keen reflexes and eyesight he quickly ascended, and by
June 1917 Richtofen took control of a unit near Coutrai. This unit
became known as Richtofens Circus. By July the ringmaster had his
fifty-seventh victim. Despite his successes Richtofen shunned publicity
and became increasingly withdrawn. Richtofen was wounded in combat and
spent three weeks in the hospital recuperating. After his return to duty
Manfred became a vocal proponent of the Fokker triplane. The bright red
paint scheme utilized on one of Richtofens aircraft is what earned him
the nick-name, The Red Baron. Richtofens brother, Lothar, was also an
ace with forty victories to his credit. By April of 1918, aided by
Americas entry into the War, Germany was facing overwhelming numbers of
enemy aircraft, and many with performance capabilities the equal to, and
in some cases superior to, their own. The Germans mounted a final
desperate offensive, and on April 21,1918 The Red Baron finally fell
victim to the perils of combat. Although there is considerable
controversy over the Red Barons demise, it appears that Richtofen was
either killed by Captain Arthur Brown, a Canadian flying with the RAF,
or was shot down by Australian machine gunners while evading Captain
Brown. Richtofen was provided a full military funeral by the Allies, and
on the evening following his funeral a single RAF fighter dropped a
small package containing photos of the funeral onto the Circus
headquarters. By Wars end the Circus was credited with the destruction
of 644 aircraft, but 56 of its airmen had been killed, 32 seriously
wounded, and 6 captured. Richtofen is pictured in July of 1917 tangling
with Sopwith Camels in the skies over Belgium. Flying his beloved Fokker
triplane, the infamous Red Baron is shown positioning his aircraft for
yet another victory.
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| Baron Von
Richthofen,
March 1918 by Chris Collingwood. Germanys greatest First World War fighter ace, Baron Von
Richthofen,
known as the Red Baron is shown departing his Fokker DR.1 Triplane 425/17
after yet another successful sortie. 425/17 was the aircraft in which the
Red Baron finally met his end in April of that year. No fewer than 17 of his victories having been scored in his red-painted
triplane. In For The Kill by Ivan Berryman. Von Richthofens Fokker DR 1
Triplane (Serial No 425/17) in company with his wingman in a Fokker
D.VII over the fields of the Western Front early in April 1918, peeling
off to attack a flight of three British fighters.
Seeing Red by Ivan Berryman. Credited
with no fewer than 80 victories, Manfred Von Richthofen, The Red Baron,
became legendary, not least for the 17 kills scored whilst flying the
diminutive Fokker DR1 Triplane. Contrary to popular belief,
however, only one of his aircraft is known to have been painted all red.
Serial no. 477/17 is shown here dicing with an SE5.
Manfred Von Richthoffen (The Red Baron) by Tim Fisher
The scene depicts an encounter between Manfred Von
Richthoffen, leader
of the Jasta II squadron and a patrol of Sopwith Camels. This particular
battle above France took place only weeks before Richthoffen was killed
as can be seen from the Balken Kreuz insignia which replaced the iron
cross on German aircraft after a directive dated March 1918.
Master of the Skies by Tim Fisher Von Richthofen brings down Ronald Hinings of 73 Squadron, making his
78th victory.
Magnificent Courage by Stan Stokes.
On April 6, 1916 the RFC formed several new squadrons, including the
No. 56 Squadron - Scouts. In March of 1917 the unit received the first
of its new SE5s. The aircraft was disappointing to the pilots, being
slower than expected, and its new Vickers machine gun with interrupter
gear was next to useless. Many modifications ensued in the field, and
many SE5s were fitted with Lewis guns located atop the upper wing, and
in some cases an additional Lewis was installed which could be fired
downward through the cockpit. In early April of 1917 No. 56 was ready to
see its first combat action, and the unit headed off to France. About
nine months earlier the pendulum of air superiority had swung back to
the Germans. The Fokker scourge of 1915 had previously been negated by
the deployment of DH2 and FE8 aircraft, but the newer German Albatros
and Halberstadt fighters had regained the upper hand. The RFC was once
again suffering unsustainable casualties. No. 56 Squadron was
immediately pressed into service upon its deployment in France, and over
the next several months gave a good account of itself. The Squadrons
first victory came on April 22, and went to Albert Ball who would become
a high scoring ace. On September 23, 1917 many of No. 56 Squadrons
pilots would become engaged in what would be considered as one of the
epic battles of early aerial warfare. At about 5:00 PM in the evening
eleven SE5s took off for a routine patrol. There were heavy clouds at
9,000 feet, effectively limiting the ceiling. Several engagements took
place prior to James McCudden noticing a lone SE5 from No. 60 Squadron
under attack by a German triplane. Unknown to McCudden was the fact that
the triplane was piloted by Werner Voss, a top German ace with 48
confirmed victories. During the next several minutes 7 SE5s focused
their efforts on attacking Voss triplane. Voss had several opportunities
to make a dash for the German lines, but chose to stay and fight.
Demonstrating beautiful flying and determination, Voss held the massed
SE5s at bay, and managed to inflict damage on each and every one. With
maneuvers made so quickly and so unpredictably, none of the SE5 pilots
could keep Voss in their gunsights long enough to fire a meaningful
burst. Voss managed to damage two of the SE5s enough that they withdrew
from the fight, and a red-nosed German Albatros joined in the fray for a
short time. At one point in the battle McCudden indicated that the
triplane was in the cone of tracer bullets from at least five machines
simultaneously. Voss could out climb and outmaneuver all the RFC craft.
Minutes later at about 2,000 feet the SE5 piloted by Arthur Rhys Davids
managed to catch the German ace in a straight flat dive, and approached
to within feet of the triplanes tail, firing a solid burst before
pulling out of his dive. Moments later the triplane hit the ground and
disintegrated. Later that evening the pilots of 56 Squadron recounted
the epic battle speculating as to who might have been the pilot of the
German triplane. The next morning General Trenchard sent an aide to 56
Squdron to elicit details of the battle. In this report James McCudden
paid the following tribute to Voss, As long as I live I shall never
forget that German pilot who single-handedly fought seven of us for ten
minutes, and who put some bullets through all our machines. His flying
was wonderful, his courage magnificent, and in my opinion he is the
bravest German airman whom it has been my privilege to see fight.
The Kaisers Battle by Stan Stokes.
By
the spring of 1918 WW I was fast approaching its climax. In the East,
Russia had collapsed, allowing Germany to amass a force of 3.5 million
troops in 194 divisions on the all-important Western Front. The German
strategy was to end the War before the full brunt of American
involvement could swing the balance irretrievably in favor of the
Allies. In an offensive of titanic proportions, later known as the
Kaisers Battle, German forces strove to break the three-and-a-half year
stalemate in trench warfare. This massive offensive would combine the
use of sturmtruppen trained to infiltrate Allied positions, massed
artillery attacks, and finally schlachtstasffein which were formations
of specialized ground attack aircraft. These units, while lacking the
publicity of the fighter squadrons, played a more offensive role than
any other aircraft of WW I. As part of German industrys Amerika Programm,
begun in mid-1917 to counter the anticipated arrival of an American air
armada, the Imperial German Air Force called for the development of a
new light, compact, highly maneuverable, two-seat aircraft to be known
as the CL class. These new aircraft were to be offensive machines to be
used to escort bombers and strafe trenches. One of the most successful
of the new class of aircraft was the Hannover CL IIIa. The Hannover, as
a single-engined aircraft, was unique in having a biplane tail. Its
purpose was to reduce the tailplane span, thereby affording a wider
field of fire for the observer/gunner. For a two seat aircraft the CL
IIIa was a smallish (38 foot wingspan) and compact aircraft, and was
often mistaken by Allied scouts as a single seater, whereupon they were
speedily disabused of their illusion by a hail of fire from the
observers Parabellum machine-gun. The small size of this aircraft
imparted great maneuverability and an excellent field of view for its
pilot. Powered by an Argus As III engine, the Hannover also utilized a
plywood fuselage, giving the aircraft great strength and the ability to
withstand a lot of punishment. These characteristics made the CL IIIa an
ideal ground attack aircraft. More than one thousand of these airplanes
were built, and they entered service in late 1917. The Hannoveranas, as
they were called by the RFC, were without doubt, formidable opponents.
Major James McCudden, V.C., the RFCs fourth ranking ace with 57
victories, was to write: These machines are very deceptive and pilots
are apt to mistake them for Albatros scouts until they get to close
range, when up pops the Hun gunner from inside his office. Johann Baur,
who later became the personal pilot of Adolf Hitler, flew Hannovers and
claimed nine victories. In Stan Stokes dramatic depiction, a CL IIIa
strafes counter-attacking British Mk IV tanks in a shell pocked
landscape during the Spring offensive of 1918, Germanys supreme bid for
victory in the West.
Early Night Raiders by Stan Stokes.
One of the strategies utilized by the German military in WW I was the
terror bombing of civilian targets in hopes of swaying popular opinion
to permit favorable peace terms to be exacted. While this strategy was
flawed, the principal instrument utilized in its implementation early in
the War was the dirigible. While dirigibles had the range to hit targets
in Britain, they became increasingly vulnerable to attack as fighter
aircraft and ammunitions performance improved. One of the most
successful developers and builders of these dirigibles was Count von
Zeppelin. Zeppelin was a visionary in airship and aircraft design, and
by the time WW I had begun his interest had largely shifted from
lighter-than-air airships to more conventional aircraft designs.
Zeppelin was well aware that his giant dirigibles had severe limitations
in a military role, including their large size, slow speed, small
payload capacity, and most important their high flammability. What was
needed was a conventional aircraft capable of flying round-trip to
strategic military targets that could carry a meaningful payload. Such
aircraft would have to be fast enough and have sufficient defensive
armament to evade or fend off enemy pursuit aircraft to complete their
missions. The most impressive and successful aircraft in this class were
built by the Zeppelin-Werke Staaken, a company formed by Zeppelin in
Berlin with Robert Bosch as his partner. The company’s first goal was
to develop a long-range, six-engine, bomber/transport. By late 1915
German military authorities recognized the need for such aircraft and
laid down specifications for their design. Included in the specs were
the unique requirements for oxygen apparatus, in-flight servicing of the
engines, and for both onboard navigational and communications apparatus.
Called R-planes by the military, Zeppelin produced a series of three
giants, commonly all referred to as Zeppelin-Staakens. Only one of the
R-planes was actually downed by opposing fighters. The R.43 was downed
while flying a night bombing mission on August 10, 1918 near Abbeville,
England. The R. V series was the largest of the series, but only one
aircraft was produced. With a wingspan in excess of 138 feet, it was
powered by five 245-HP Maybach engines. Its gross weight at takeoff of
more than 28,000 pounds was 15 to 20 times that of a typical fighter
aircraft. Despite its size the wing loading of the Zeppelin-Staakens
compared favorably to most fighter aircraft of the era. Shown in Stan
Stokes’ painting is a Zeppelin-Staaken R. VI, the blunt-nosed,
4-engine, version of the German giants. This was the most widely built
version of the Zeppelin-Staaken series. Preparing for a night bombing
mission at dusk, the crew readies the massive aircraft for a long flight
to a target in Britain.
The Fokker Scourge by Stan Stokes.
Anthony Herman Gerard Fokker was born in the Dutch East Indies in
1890. When his father retired the Fokker family returned to Holland,
where Anthony attended school. He dropped out of college, and being
deemed unfit for military service, worked at a number of odd jobs.
Fokkers father persuaded his son to attend an automobile mechanics
school in Germany, but Anthony was disappointed and convinced his father
to enroll him in a school near Mainz which offered courses in aircraft
construction and flying. This endeavor was not particularly successful,
and Anthony decided to build his own flying machine. He found a partner
in Oberlieutenant Von Daum, a fifty-year-old officer in the German
military. The aircraft was completed in 1910, and Fokker flew it
successfully on a number of flights. Von Daum, unfortunately, destroyed
the machine on his first attempt at flying it. The two partners then
teamed with a boat-builder to construct a second aircraft. In early 1912
Anthony had organized Fokker
Aviatik GmbH with money advanced from his father. Fokker won his first
contract for military aircraft in July 1913. Fokker became interested in
the design of the Moraine-Saulnier, which exhibited flying
characteristics far superior to the early Fokker designs. The Fokker M.5
(Eindecker I) emerged from the reengineering of a damaged Moraine-Sualnier.
With the outbreak of WW I, the German military ordered large numbers of
this aircraft for use as a scout. These Fokker scouts were good machines
and well-liked by the pilots that flew them. Early in 1915 the French
equipped their scouts with forward firing machine guns, and German
losses in aerial combat increased sharply. The French system was
simplistic and utilized shields on the propeller to deflect soft copper
shells. Anthony Fokkers company was the first to introduce a workable
machine gun synchronizer which would allow steel bullets to be used. The
German military ordered the new Fokker fighter in large numbers, and by
late 1915 the tide had shifted dramatically in favor of the Germans. The
British press coined the term Fokker Scourge to describe this new menace
which was increasing casualties to unprecedented numbers. Oswald Boelcke,
and Max Immelmann were two German pilot aces who became very popular.
Immelmann is depicted in Stan Stokes painting executing the aerial
maneuver which took his name. Immelman received the Blue Max (Pour le
Merite) to add to his Iron Cross following his eighth victory on January
12, 1916. He would officially be credited with fifteen victories prior
to his death in June of 1916. The Germans maintained that a defective
gun synchronizer caused Immelmann to shoot off his own propeller.
The First Battle of Britain by Stan
Stokes. By the Spring of 1917 the Western Front had been
stalemated for more than two years with the armies of Germany and the
Allies deadlocked in static trench warfare. At sea, the fleets of both
Germany and Great Britain were also at a strategic impasse following the
inconclusive Battle of Jutland in 1916. The unrestricted U-Boat campaign
in the Atlantic had resulted in Americas entry into the War, and Germany
turned to its fledgling air force to help break the deadlock. Night
raids by Zeppelins in 1915 and 1916 had proven ineffectual as the great
airships had proven vulnerable to the unpredictable weather and to
increasingly effective defenses. A new strategic weapon would therefore
be utilized - the heavy bomber. With a fleet of such airoplanes, the
very heart of London could be attacked. In March of 1917 a new unit was
formed in Flanders, soon to be known as the England Geschwader. Lead by
Hauptman Ernst Brandenburg, Kaghol 3 (the units official designation,)
was equipped with the Gotha G. IV. With a crew of three, and a wingspan
of nearly seventy-eight feet, the G. IV was an impressive flying
machine. Powered by twin 260-HP Mercedes six cylinder, in-line,
water-cooled engines, the Gotha had a top speed of 88-MPH. Its service
ceiling was more than 21,000 feet, and its range was 305 miles. The
maximum bomb load was 1,100 pounds, but on the first daylight raid on
London, each aircraft would carry six 110-lb bombs. For defensive
purposes the Gothas were armed with two 7.92mm machine guns. An
interesting feature of the G. IV was the ability of the rear gunner to
fire not only rearwards and upwards, but could also fire downwards
through a specially designed tunnel in the fuselage. On June 13, 1917
Brandenburg led his unit in his red-tailed Gotha on the first daylight
bombing raid to London. Twenty G. Ivs departed on this historic mission,
but two soon turned back, and another four bombed other targets due to
mechanical problems. A total of 128 bombs were dropped on the mission
with devastating effects. All told, 162
people were killed in the raid, and another 432 were injured. It was a
portent of the future of aerial warfare. Although 94 defensive sorties
were flown against the raiders, only a few British fighters made contact
with the Gothas before they reached their targets. One fighter which did
intercept was a Bristol F2B piloted by Capt. C. W. E. Cole-Hamilton of
No. 35 Training Sqaudron. The observer, Capt. C. H. Keevil was killed
during the battle. After the safe return of all the Gothas, Brandenburg
was personally decorated with the Pour le Merite. Unfortunately, he was
seriously injured in a flying accident only six days later. By then the
first battle of Britain was well underway.
Showtime at the Circus by Stan
Stokes. Born
in Prussia to wealthy aristocratic parents, Manfred F. von Richtofen,
The Red Baron, was to become the top ace of World War I, with 80
confirmed kills, and probably another 40-50 which took place over enemy
lines and could not be confirmed. Richtofen was originally a cavalry
officer, but with great persistence he was transferred to the air arm.
After a brief period on the eastern front Richtofen was transferred to
the western front in August 1915. His first confirmed victory was
recorded in September 1916 and by November he recorded eleven kills,
including Major L. Hawker, the top British fighter pilot at that point
in time. With his keen reflexes and eyesight he quickly ascended, and by
June 1917 Richtofen took control of a unit near Coutrai. This unit
became known as Richtofens Circus. By July the ringmaster had his
fifty-seventh victim. Despite his successes Richtofen shunned publicity
and became increasingly withdrawn. Richtofen was wounded in combat and
spent three weeks in the hospital recuperating. After his return to duty
Manfred became a vocal proponent of the Fokker triplane. The bright red
paint scheme utilized on one of Richtofens aircraft is what earned him
the nickname, The Red Baron. Richtofens brother, Lothar, was also an ace
with forty victories to his credit. By April of 1918, aided by Americas
entry into the War, Germany was facing overwhelming numbers of enemy
aircraft, and many with performance capabilities the equal to, and in
some cases superior to, their own. The Germans mounted a final desperate
offensive, and on April 21,1918 The Red Baron finally fell victim to the
perils of combat. Although there is considerable controversy over the
Red Barons demise, it appears that Richtofen was either killed by
Captain Arthur Brown, a Canadian flying with the RAF, or was shot down
by Australian machine gunners while evading Captain Brown. Richtofen was
provided a full military funeral by the Allies, and on the evening
following his funeral a single RAF fighter dropped a small package
containing photos of the funeral onto the Circus headquarters. By Wars
end the Circus was credited with the destruction of 644 aircraft, but 56
of its airmen had been killed, 32 seriously wounded, and 6 captured.
The Brothers Richthofen by Stan Stokes.
Arguably the best
brother team of two fighter aces was Manfred and Lothar von Richtofen,
with 120 WW I aerial victories between them. Manfred, who became known
as The Red Baron, was the top ace of WW I and his reputation is still
alive and well today thanks to movies and books. The Richtofen family
was minor nobility, and Manfred painted the aircraft he flew in the
squadron he commanded bright red – hence the name Red Baron. Manfred
was born in Poland in 1892, and was sent to military school at age
eleven. When WW I commenced Manfred, commissioned as a lieutenant,
initially served in the cavalry. He became enthralled with aircraft
while watching planes perform aerial reconnaissance missions. In 1915 he
attended flying school, and was first assigned as an observer to a
bombing squadron. Inspired by the exploits of the famous ace Oswald
Boelcke Manfred put in for pilot training. He passed the pilots test on
his third try. He was fortunate to fly with Boelcke in Jasta 2, a unit
of promising young pilots. In October of 1916 Manfred witnessed the
death of Boelcke when the great ace collided in midair with one of his
squadron mates. Richtofen carried Boelckes medals at the funeral, a
symbolic portending of his future greatness. Richtofen began flying an
Albatros D.1 with red stripes and had good success including the downing
of Lanoe Hawker the first British ace of the War. By early 1917 Manfred
had sixteen victories and was awarded the Blue Max. At the same time he
was given command of his own unit, Jasta 11. As an incredible leader
Manfred trained his pilots well in both aerial tactics and strategies.
He insisted on formation flying principles and his pilots were not
permitted to fly recklessly or attack without assistance. They were
taught to look for situations of relative advantage whether in terms of
altitude, position of the sun, or relative strength. This scientific
approach made Jasta 11 one of the most successful units. It became a
squadron of aces, including Ernst Udet, Werner Voss and Lothar Richtofen,
Manfreds younger brother. JG 1, a group of four Jastas, was organized in
June of 1917 with Manfred as its Commander. With all the planes painted
bright colors for identification, this unit became known as Richtofens
Flying Circus. This crack unit was moved around the front as needed, and
it concentrated on intercepting and destroying enemy aircraft. Very
little reconnaissance or escort missions were flown. The unit attained
between June 1917 and November 1918 an incredible 644 aerial victories
compared to the loss of only 52 of its own aircraft. The Fokker Dr. 1
triplane was deployed with JG 1 in 1917. This diminutive aircraft was
too slow to be effective with pilots of ordinary skill, but in the hands
of the skilled pilots of JG 1 its advantages of climbing rate and
maneuverability were put to great use. Manfred attained his last 20
victories in the triplane. Manfred was downed in April of 1918 behind
enemy lines. He received a full military funeral by the British. Lothar
would attain 40 victories – equaling Boelckes total
and making him the 10th highest scoring German ace of the
Great War. Lothar downed Albert Ball (the leading British ace at the
time with 44 victories) in May of 1917.
Austro-Hungarian Ace by Stan Stokes.
Born in Wadowice, Galicia in 1889, Godwin Brumowski entered the military and
served as an officer in the Field Artillery Regiment No. 6 on the
Eastern Front during WW I. Interested in flying, Brumowski joined the
Luftfahrtruppen as an observer. Learning to fly on his own, he was
eventually promoted to command a fighting unit which was composed of
both scout and fighter aircraft. In 1916 Brumowski visited the Western
Front where he studied the tactics of the German fighting units. Very
impressed by what he had seen, Brumowskis goal was to command a unit
similar to von Richtofens Flying Circus. Upon his return Brumowski was
put in command of another fighting unit equipped with Brandenburg D1s.
The D1 was a fairly quick highly maneuverable aircraft. Unfortunately it
lacked synchronized machine guns, being equipped instead with a top-wing
mounted gun. This gun was not accessible by the pilot in flight to clear
jams, and its location also negatively affected the aircrafts
performance. Brumowski designed an insignia for his flight which
included a white skull on a black background. By 1917 Brumowskis
superiors agreed to put the officer in charge of a true fighter group
which would be equipped with Albatros D IIIs. These nimble aircraft also
had twin synchronized machine guns. Taking another page out of von
Richtofens book, Brumowski quickly decided that the six aircraft under
his command would be painted bright red. Flying primarily against
Italian opponents, Brumowski would go on to attain forty victories, the
most of any Austro-Hungarian ace. He would also survive the War, but was
killed in a plane crash in 1937. The Albatros D III flown by Brumowski
was produced under license by Oesterreichische Flugzeugfabrik A.G. for
the Royal and Imperial Air Service of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Although similar to their German counterparts, the Austrian Albatroses
differed in several respects. Power was supplied by an excellent Austro-Daimer
engine which had an output of 225-HP in the Series 253 model. The
aircraft was armed with twin Schwarzlase machine guns. These guns were
less reliable than their German counterparts. The Austrian engineers
also re-engineered the wing structure in such a way as to minimize some
of the structural problems which plagued the German models. Between
early 1917 and late 1918 a total of 540 Austrian produced D IIIs were
built. This was arguably the best single seat fighter to serve with the
Imperial Air Service during the War. It was flown by most of the
top-scoring Austro-Hungarian aces.
Brief Encounter by Gerald Coulson Royal Flying Corps SE5A's of 56 squadron engaged in air combat with
flying circus Fokker Dr1's commanded by the great German ace Baron von
Richthofen, France 1917.
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| Richthofens Flying Circus by Nicholas
Trudgian
In the history of aerial combat there is no more famous name than
Manfred von Richthofen, otherwise known as the Red Baron. Richthofen's
brightly coloured fighters were the scourge of the Royal Flying Corps, and
their antics up and down the Front earned them the famous nick-name
Richthofen's Flying Circus. In truth they were a highly respected fighting
unit, capable of sending up as many as 50 aircraft, and were involved in
many of the First World War's legendary dog-fights.
A mercurial leader, Richthofen was the premier German Ace. When
taking command of JG1 in 1917 he chose bright red paintwork to distinguish
his own squadron's aircraft from others in the wing - making easy and
quick identification possible during the turmoil of closely fought
dog-fights. Shunning the obvious target he made for himself, Richthofen
declared that the Commander's aircraft should be conspicuously painted so
that in the melee of large formation battles he could exert some control
over events.
The painting recreates the scene near Cambrai, northern France on
the morning of March 18, 1918. Aware of a build-up of forces for a massive
German offensive, many RFC squadrons attacked German positions at very low
altitude. Responding with as many squadrons as they could muster,
including Richthofen's JG1 wing, there followed one of the largest
dog-fights o the entire First World War. In the foreground are a Fokker
Triplane and an Albatros, having "winged" a Sopwith Camel from
54 Squadron, as another Camel, and a Bristol fighter of 11 Squadron RFC,
turn to engage the German fighters. |
| List of the Red Baron's 80
Victories |
- - 17th September 1916. Aircraft FE2B of 11
Squadron crew Lionel Morris & Tom Rees.
- - 23rd September 1916. Aircraft Martinshyde G.100
of 27 Squadron, crew Herbert Bellerby.
- - 30th September 1916. Aircraft FE2B of 11
Squadron, crew Ernest Lansdale & Albert Clarkson
- - 7th October 1916. Aircraft BE12 of 21 Squadron,
crew William Fenwick.
- - 16th October 1916. Aircraft BE12 of 19 Squadron,
crew John Thompson.
- - 25th October 1916. Aircraft BE12 of 21 Squadron,
crew Arthur Fisher
- - 3rd November 1916. Aircraft FE2B of 18 Squadron,
crew Cuthbert Baldwin & George Bentham
- - 9th November 1916. Aircraft BE2C of 12 Squadron,
crew John (or Ian) Cameron.
- - 20th November 1916. Aircraft BE2C of 15
Squadron, crew Thomas Clarke & James Lees.
- - 20th November 1916. Aircraft FE2B of 18
Squadron, crew Gilbert Hall & George Doughty.
- - 23rd November 1916. Aircraft DH2 of 24 Squadron,
crew Lanoe Hawker.
- - 11th December 1916. Aircraft DH2 of 32 Squadron,
crew Benedict Hunt.
- - 20th December 1916. Aircraft DH2 of 29 Squadron,
crew Arthur Knight.
- - 20th December 1916. Aircraft FE2B of 18
Squadron, crew Lionel D'Arcy & Reginald Whiteside.
- - 27th December 1916. Aircraft DH2 of 29 Squadron,
crew James McCudden.
- - 4th January 1917. Aircraft Sopwith Pup of 8
Squadron, crew Allan Todd.
- - 23rd January 1917. Aircraft FE8 of 40 Squadron,
crew John Hay.
- - 24th January 1917. Aircraft FE2B of 25 Squadron,
crew John MacLennan & Oscar Greig.
- - 1st February 1917. Aircraft BE2D of 16 Squadron,
crew Percival Murray & Duncan McRae.
- - 14th February 1917. Aircraft BE2D of 2 Squadron,
crew Cyril Bennett & Herbert Croft.
- - 14th February 1917. Aircraft BE2C of 2 Squadron,
crew George Bailey & George Hampton.
- - 4th March 1917. Aircraft BE2D of 2 Squadron,
crew James Crosbee & John Prance.
- - 4th March 1917. Aircraft Sopwith, crew Herbert
Green & Alexander Reid.
- - 6th March 1917. Aircraft BE2E of 16 Squadron,
crew Gerald Gosset-Bibby & Geoffrey Brichta.
- - 9th March 1917. Aircraft DH2 of 29 Squadron,
crew Arthur Pearson.
- - 11th March 1917. Aircraft BE2D of 2 Squadron,
crew James Smyth & Edward Byrne.
- - 17th March 1917. Aircraft FE2B of 25 Squadron,
crew Arthur Boultbee & Frederick King.
- - 17th March 1917. Aircraft BE2G of 16th Squadron,
crew George Watt & Ernest Howlett.
- - 21st March 1917. Aircraft BE2F of 16 Squadron,
crew Sidney Quicke & William Lidsey.
- - 24th March 1917. Aircraft Spad SVII of 19
Squadron, crew Richard Baker.
- - 25th March 1917. Aircraft Nieuport XVII of 29
Squadron, crew Christopher Gilbert.
- - 2nd April 1917. Aircraft BE2D of 13 Squadron,
crew Patrick Powell & Percy Bonner.
- - 2nd April 1917. Aircraft Sopwith of 43 Squadron,
crew Algernon Warren & Reuel Dunn.
- - 3rd April 1917. Aircraft FE2D of 25 Squadron,
crew Donald McDonald & John O'Beirne.
- - 5th April 1917. Aircraft BF2A of 48 Squadron,
crew Arthur Lechler & Herbert George.
- - 5th April 1917. Aircraft BF2A of 48 Squadron,
crew Alfred Adams & Donald Stewart.
- - 7th April 1917. Aircraft Nieuport XVII of 60
Squadron, crew George Smart.
- - 8th April 1917. Aircraft Sopwith of 43 Squadron,
crew Leonard Cantle & John Heagerty.
- - 8th April 1917. Aircraft BE2G of 16 Squadron,
crew Keith MacKenzie & Guy Everingham.
- - 11th April 1917. Aircraft BE2C of 13 Squadron,
crew Edward Derwin & H Pierson.
- - 13th April 1917. Aircraft RE8 of 59 Squadron,
crew James Stuart & Maurice Wood.
- - 13th April 1917. Aircraft FE2B of 11 Squadron,
crew James Cunnliffe.
- - 13th April 1917. Aircraft FE2B of 25 Squadron,
crew Allan Bates & William Barnes.
- - 14th April 1917. Aircraft Nieuport XVII of 60
Squadron, crew William Russell.
- - 16th April 1917. Aircraft BE2E of 13 Squadron,
crew Alphonso Pascoe & Frederick Andrews.
- - 22nd April 1917. Aircraft FE2B of 11 Squadron,
crew Waldemar Franklin & William Fletcher.
- - 23rd April 1917. Aircraft BE2F of 16 Squadron,
crew Eric Welch & Amos Tollervey.
- - 28th April 1917. Aircraft BE2E of 13 Squadron,
crew Reginald Follit & Frederick Kirkham.
- - 29th April 1917. Aircraft Spad VII of 19
Squadron, crew Richard Applin.
- - 29th April 1917. Aircraft FE2D of 18 Squadron,
crew George Stead & Alfred Beebee.
- - 29th April 1917. Aircraft BE2E of 12 Squadron,
crew David Davies & George Rathbone.
- - 29th April 1917. Aircraft Sopwith Triplane of 8
Squadron, crew Albert Cuzner.
- - 18th June 1917. Aircraft RE8 of 9 Squadron, crew
Ralph Ellis & Harold Barlow.
- - 23rd June 1917. Aircraft Spad VII of 23
Squadron, crew Robert Farquhar.
- - 24th June 1917. Aircraft DH4 of 57 Squadron,
crew Norman McNaughton & Angus Mearns.
- - 25th June 1917. Aircraft RE8 of 53 Squadron,
crew Leslie Bowman & James Power-Clutterbuck.
- - 2nd July 1917. Aircraft RE8 of 53 Squadron, crew
Hubert Whatley & Frank Pascoe.
- - 16th August 1917. Aircraft Nieuport XXVIII of 29
Squadron, crew William Williams.
- - 26th August 1917. Aircraft Spad VII of 19
Squadron, crew Coningsby Williams.
- - 1st September 1917. Aircraft RE8 of 6 Squadron,
crew John Madge & Walter Kember.
- - 3rd September 1917. Aircraft Sopwith Pup of 46
Squadron, crew Algernon Bird.
- - 23rd November 1917. Aircraft DH5 of 64 Squadron,
crew James Boddy.
- - 30th November 1917. Aircraft SE5A of 41
Squadron, crew Donald MacGregor.
- - 12th March 1918. Aircraft Bristol F2B of 62
Squadron, crew Leonard Clutterbuck & Henry Sparks.
- - 13th March 1918. Aircraft Sopwith Camel of 73
Squadron, crew Elmer Heath.
- - 18th March 1918. Aircraft Sopwith Camel, crew
William Ivamy.
- - 24th March 1918. Aircraft SE5A of 41 Squadron,
crew John McCone.
- - 25th March 1918. Aircraft Sopwith Camel of 3
Squadron, crew Donald Cameron.
- - 26th March 1918. Aircraft SE5A of 1 Squadron,
crew Allan Denovan.
- - 26th March 1918. Aircraft RE8 of 15 Squadron,
crew Vernon Reading & Matthew Leggat.
- - 27th March 1918. Aircraft Sopwith Camel of 73
Squadron, crew Thomas Sharpe.
- - 27th March 1918. Aircraft AWFK8 of 2 Squadron,
crew Edward Smart & Kenneth Barford.
- - 27th March 1918. Aircraft Sopwith Dolphin of 79
Squadron, crew George Harding.
- - 28th March 1918. Aircraft AWFK8 of 82 Squadron,
crew Joseph Taylor & Eric Betley.
- - 2nd April 1918. Aircraft RE8 of 52 Squadron,
crew Ernest Jones & Robert Newton.
- - 6th April 1918. Aircraft Sopwith Camel of 46
Squadron, crew Sydney Smith.
- - 7th April 1918. Aircraft Sopwith Camel of 73
Squadron, crew Albert Gallie.
- - 7th April 1918. Aircraft Sopwith Camel of 73
Squadron, crew Ronald Adams.
- - 20th April 1918. Aircraft Sopwith Camel of 3
Squadron, crew Richard Raymond-Barker.
- - 20th April 1918. Aircraft Sopwith Camel of 3
Squadron, crew David Lewis.
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| SHOWCASE PRODUCT | |

| ARTIST | Nicolas Trudgian

Having graduated from art college, Nicolas Trudgian spent many years as a professional illustrator before turning to a career in fine art painting. His crisp style of realism, attention to detail, compositional skills and bright use of colours, immediately found favour with collectors and demand for his original work soared on both sides of the Atlantic. Today, more than a decade after becoming a fine art painter, Nicolas Trudgian is firmly established within a tiny, elite group of aviation artists whose works are genuinely collected world-wide. Over the past decade Nick has earned a special reputation for giving those who love his work much more than just aircraft in his paintings. He goes to enormous lengths with his backgrounds, filling them with interesting and accurate detail, all designed to help give the aircraft in his paintings a tremendous sense of location and purpose. His landscapes are quite breathtaking and his buildings demonstrate an uncanny knowledge of perspective but it is the hardware in his paintings which are most striking. Whether it is an aircraft, tank, petrol bowser, or tractor, Nick brings it to life with all the inordinate skill of a truly accomplished fine art painter. A prodigious researcher, Nick travels extensively in his constant quest for information and fresh ideas. He has visited India, China, South Africa, South America, the Caribbean and travels regularly to the United States and Canada. He likes nothing better than to be out and about with sketchbook at the ready and if there is an old steam train in the vicinity, well that's a bonus!
You can see more prints by Nicolas Trudgian by clicking here.
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| | Back From Normandy by Nicolas Trudgian | Normandy Special - £50 off until July 12th!
Like the Messerschmitt 109, its great adversary throughout almost six years of aerial combat, the Spitfire was a fighter par excellence. Good as many other types may have been, these two aircraft became symbols of the two opposing air forces they represented. Their confrontation, which began in 1940 during the Battle of Britain, continued without interruption until the last days of World War Two. From an air force teetering on extinction in the dark days of 1940, by the summer of 1944 the pilots of RAF Fighter Command had fought their way back to become top dogs. And when the invasion of northern France came, they swept over the beaches in force, cutting deep into enemy occupied territory, hammering the enemy in the air and on the ground. Key to this air superiority was the supreme performance of the Spitfire, its ability to out-fly the Luftwaffes best, and the wily leadership of the pilots who had survived the early air battles of the war. Among the best was 26 year old Pete Brothers, by 1944 a highly successful and experienced fighter pilot commanding his own Wing. Having fought through the battles of France and Britain, now with a clutch of air victories to his credit, in 1944 he took command of first the Exeter Wing, and then the Culinhead Wing, ideally placed to support the coming invasion of Normandy. Nick Trudgians striking painting recreates a typical scene as Mk IX Spitfires of 126 Squadron, led by Wing Commander Pete Brothers flying his Mk V11 Spitfire wearing high altitude paint scheme, race back to base at RAF Culinhead after a low-level attack on enemy transport in Normandy. The Culinhead Spitfire Wing flew constant armed Rhubarb attacks in support of the invasion from D-Day - June 6 1944 - till the first improvised strips were established in France a few weeks following the invasion. This beautiful aviation print, contrasting the frenetic pace of war with a restful English coastal landscape, evokes the memory of a legendary fighter aircraft that, flown by gallant pilots, helped change the course of history. Prints are signed by Pete Brothers and two other pilots who flew Spitfires in combat during World War II. Signed by Air Commodore Peter Brothers CBE, DSO, DFC* (deceased), Lieutenant General Avi Baron M Donnet CVO DFC FRAeS and Squadron Leader Arthur Leigh DFC, DFM. |
| DETAIL IMAGES |


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