Aviation history of
the Messerschmitt ME109 BF109 in aviation art prints by the world's
leading aviation artists. Aviation art prints available from Cranston Fine
Arts and the Military Art Gallery.
Adolf
Galland / Messerschmitt Bf109 E-4 by Ivan Berryman Germany's primary
fighter during World War II, the Daimler-Benz DB601A-powered BF109E-4
was much loved by its pilots, combining good speed and manoeuvrability
with a powerful armament, namely two 7.9mm MG 17 machine guns in the
nose top decking, two wing-mounted 20mm MG FF canon and a further 20mm
MGFF/M canon mounted in the engine, firing centrally through the
propeller spinner.
The twelfth of May, 1944. The German countryside is blooming with the coming of spring. Germanys struggle is coming to a crescendo as the Allies continue their assault on the Third Reich. Just above the deceptive peace of the countryside, Gruppenko......
Etaples, Northern France, 13th October 1941. Me109F-4s of Stabsschwarm JG2, flown by Geschwaderkommodore Major Walter Oesau, Oberleutnant Erich Leie, Oberleutnant Rudolf <i>Rudi</i> Pflanz, and Gefreiter Gunther <i>Hupatz</i> Seeger. Each was a not......
3 print editions available from £75.00 Original available : £460.00
Of the many outstanding Luftwaffe fighter Wings of World War II, JG52 became the most successful. Many of the most famous Aces flew with this legendary wing, including one-time Squadron Commander Adolf Galland. JG-52 was home to the only fighter A......
It was the foundation upon which the Luftwaffe was built and flew throughout WWII. It was flown by some of the greatest fighter Aces of all time, and credited with more air victories than any other fighter in history. It was the Messerschmitt Bf10......
A Soviet Yak 3 hurtles towards us in a typically daring head-on attack on a Bf109. Other Yaks wheel and turn frantically in search of the enemy. Casualties on both sides are evident. Away into the distant horizon stretches a vast Russian sky, painte......
In just six weeks Hitler's forces had overrun western Europe as once proud armies swiftly fell before the might of the German blitzkrieg. It was a devastating defeat, and now only Britain stood alone. Few thought she could survive. As Churchi......
Depicting the legendary Ace Erich Hartmann in the distinctive colour scheme of his Bf109-G aircraft. The highest scoring Ace in history with 352 confirmaed victories, he was awarded the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves, Sword and Diamonds.<br><br><b>Th......
Nobody, least of all Allied aircrew, ever doubted the tenacity of the Luftwaffe, more particularly that of the German fighter pilots. From the early encounters during the Battle of Britain to the greeat air battles in defence of their homeland late......
5 print editions available from £120.00 1 ex-display print available from £105.00
On November 5, 1942, flying wingman in a Schwarm of four Me109s of JG-52, his flight had scrambled to intercept Russian Lagg-3s and IL-2 fighter-bombers bound for the Front. Splitting into two elements they dived steeply into attack, screaming in beh......
With soft evening sunlight radiant behind them, Hauptmann Wolfgang Ewald, Gruppenkommandeur of 1./JG52, leads a schwarm of Bf109s back to their base near Calais after another hectic encounter with pilots of RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of B......
Depicting ME109s flying over the Russian Front, the background is the enormous panorama of the Russian Steppe. The enormity of the battlefield on the Eastern Front was staggering in its vastness, stretching, as it did, nearly two thousand miles fr......
Germanys primary fighter during World War II, the Daimler-Benz DB601A powered BF109E-4 was much loved by its pilots, combining good speed and manoeuverability with a powerful armament, namely two 7.9mm MG17 machine guns in the top decking, two wing m......
11 print editions available from £85.00 1 canvas print edition available from £380.00 Postcard edition available : £2.00 Original available : £1700.00
Ostrov, Latvia, 6th July 1941. Tasked with supporting the advancing German ground forces through Latvia, the fighters of 9th Staffel JG54 were kept busy keeping the Red Airforce at bay. On this occasion Oblt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob, downed 3 Tupolev SB......
4 print editions available from £75.00 Original available : £410.00
Leutnant Julius Maimberg in Messerschmitt Me109E white 11 and his Katschmarek Unteroffixzier Rudolf Miese of 4 Staffel, JG2 Richthofen turn towards a distant squadron of RAF fighters during the Battle of Britain.......
The Hawker Hurricane powered by the powerful Rolls Royce Merlin engine is shown in combat with Luftwaffe aircraft during the Battle of Britain. The Hurricane played a major role in the aerial victory along with its companion the Spitfire.......
10 print editions available from £37.00 1 canvas print edition available from £370.00
The Battle for Point 112, a strategically positioned hill just a few miles south-west of Caen, was the scene of the most violent fighting between German and British armor, artillery and ground troops during the weeks immediately following the D-Day ......
The period covered in this volume was considered to be the glory years for the Jagdwaffe - fresh from the experience gained in the Spanish Civil War - and for the Bf 109 in particular. Many famous pilots scored their first kills in the classic dogfi......
Just after midday on 27 September 1940 one of the bitterest engagements of the Battle of Britain took place in the skies over Kent when the Spitfires of 19 Squadron took on the Bf109s of JG54. In the huge dogfight that ensued, 19 Squadron claimed 8......
On the 12th May 1944, Col. Hubert Zemke tried his new fan tactic, designed to engage Luftwaffe fighters. Unfortunately on this occasion his aircraft was bounced by German ace Major Gunther Rall in his ME109 G-6AS, and escaped only by sending his P47......
No one knows for certain whether the two great fighter aces <a href=aces.php?PilotID=11>Douglas Bader</a> and <a href=aces.php?PilotID=169>Adolf Galland</a> actually fought each other in a one-on-one combat, but it is thought highly likely that they......
6 print editions available from £65.00 2 canvas print editions available from £370.00 Original Sold.
Hans-Joachim Marseille – Germanys Eagle of the Desert, had a less than auspicious start as a fighter pilot. Having completed his training in the autumn of 1940 he participated in the Battle of Britain while based in western France. Although Marseill......
1 print edition available from £30.00 2 canvas print editions available from £294.00
Gunther Rall scored almost all of his huge tally of 275 victories on the eastern front. Here, his Me109 <i>Black 13</i> is shown over the snowy landscape that JG52 often operated in. ......
3 print editions available from £80.00 Original available : £430.00
Me109s of I/JG2, under the command of the brilliant Helmut Wick, setting out on a mission across the English Channel in September 1940. Wick, seen in the foreground, with Gunther Seeger off his starboard wing, was the top-scoring Luftwaffe Ace in th......
2 print editions available from £110.00 1 ex-display print available from £105.00
James Edgar (Johnnie) Johnson was the Royal Air Forces top fighter ace in Europe with 38 confirmed victories during the War. Johnson was called up in 1939 following his training with the RAF Volunteer Reserve. Having been hospitalized for much of th......
September 1940: The Battle of Britain reaches a crescendo as Me109s of the 1./JG52, their bright yellow noses glinting in the sun, gather speed and altitude as they form up after take-off from their base at Coquelles, near Calais. Led by Hauptmann W......
Flying a bomber escort mission, a P- 51 Mustang of the 357th Fighter Group engages Me109s about to descend upon a formation of B-17 Flying Fortresses. ......
Typical of the aggressive fighter pilots led by the great Hub Zemke was Robin Olds. Having completed his training on the P-38 in America, Olds arrived at RAF Wattisham, England in May 1944, assigned to fly the remarkable twin-boomed fighter with the......
In the summer of 1940, JG3, under the command of Hans von Hahn, scramble their Me109s from their French countryside base at Colombert, near Calais. With the deafening sound of their piston-engined aircraft, sporting the groups colourful Dragon emble......
First hand account from the Luftwaffe pilots are just one of the many rich features in Messerschmitt 109. Complete details of the aircrafts initial design, evolution, and combat history are all part of the package. Every major 109 variant, from th......
This book charts the story of the myriad aces who flew the later marks of Messerschmitt fighter through to VE-Day. As good as the Emil had been during the opening 18 months of the war, the aircraft was being progressively bettered in virtually all a......
Walter Schuck and fellow pilot of JG5 Eismeer in front of a Me109F covered in tarpaulins as some protection against the weather in this most isolated and inhospitable theatre of the war. Schuck served with this unit from December 1942 to April 1945,......
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Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 6th April 1941. While escorting Stukas at the start of the German Balkan campaign, the Me109Es of JG54 were engaged by Me109Es of the Yugoslav air force. During the ensuing melee, ObLt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob claimed his 20th victo......
3 print editions available from £56.00 Original available : £410.00
Gunther Rall, who attained 275 confirmed aerial victories, was the third highest scoring ace of all time. In Stans dramatic painting Rall is about to have a mid-air collision with a Lagg-5 during the Battle of Kursk on the Eastern Front. Rall would ......
2 print editions available from £75.00 2 canvas print editions available from £214.00
From June 1940 on, Adolf Galland flew as a of III./JG 26, fighting in the Battle of britain with 109-Emils from bases in the Pas de Calais. During the Battle of Britain, in a legendary front line General Officer briefing on Luftwaffe tactics, Herma......
There were tens of thousands of aerial combat encounters during World War II. One of the most unusual was a dogfight that took place between Captain Arthur C. Fiedler, Jr. and an unidentified German Bf-109 pilot on June 28, 1944. Fiedler was an Illi......
4 print editions available from £30.00 3 canvas print editions available from £294.00
On October 12, 1940, No. 603 Squadron, reduced to only eight aircraft, took on a large formation of Me109s attacking head on. Robert Taylors vivid portrayal shows Scott-Maldens Spitfire moments after knocking down an Me109 in the encounter, both he ......
The afternoon of 25th July 1940 was a desperate one for the already exhausted fighter pilots of the RAF defending the South coast of England. As convoy CW8 made its way through the English Channel, sixty JU.87 Stukas and forty JU.88 bombers launche......
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On 17th April 1943, Hans-Ekkehard Bob claimed a victory over a B-17 Flying Fortress, by ramming his opponent. He was forced to bale out of his damaged Bf109G and also sustained injuries during the incident. ......
3 print editions available from £75.00 Original available : £240.00
Bf109G-2 Yellow 11 of Oberleutnant Hermann Graf, Staffelkapitan 9./JG52, Pitomnik, September 1942. Graf scored his 150th kill in this aircraft in September 1942. He was awarded the Knights Cross after 42 victories, the Oak Leaves after 104 victori......
4 print editions available from £75.00 1 canvas print edition available from £370.00 Original available : £2200.00
Crimea, 7th August 1943. While flying a late afternoon combat patrol with Otto Fonnekolds schwarm, from 5 staffel, JG52, Willi Batz witnessed a taran or ramming attack by a soviet fighter on a Luftwaffe Fw189 artillery spotter. Then a second Spitf......
3 print editions available from £56.00 Original available : £700.00
The awesome battleship Tirpitz under the command of Admiral Schniewind, in company with battleships Scheer and Hipper, setting sail during Operation Rosselsprung, destined for the open sea and the North Atlantic convoy traffic. Messerschmitt Me109s ......
Thunderbolts of the 78th Fighter Group based at Duxford (station 357) engage Me109s during the August 17th raid on Schweinfurt. The 78th Fighter Group were assigned the duty of escorting the B-17s from Antwerp to Eupen between the hours of 1353-141......
Kedainiai, Lithuania, 23rd June 1941. Taking part in the opening days of Operation Barbarossa, Hans-Ekkehard Bob recorded his first victory in Russian airspace - a Tupolev SB-2 twin-engined bomber. During this combat action his Me 109F2 was hit by ......
3 print editions available from £56.00 Original available : £410.00
Nicolas Trudgians painting Desert Victory recreates all the atmosphere of the North African desert war with a stunning portrayal of the Me109s of 3./JG-27. The wing is depicted being led by Staffelkapitan Gerhard Homuth as they escort Afrikakorps ar......
Franco-German border, 22md November 1939. While flying a routine border <i>Frei Jagd</i> for some reconnaissance Dorniers, eight Me109s of 3./JG2 were engaged by fourteen French Curtiss Hawks of GC II/4. During the ensuing dogfight, the first comb......
3 print editions available from £75.00 Original available : £335.00
Major Hans-Ekkehard Bob is shown claiming his 5th victory – a Blenheim – 60km west of Rotterdam on 26th June 1940. Bob went on to serve with JG.54, JG.51, JG.3, EJG2.2 and JV.44, scoring a total of 60 confirmed victories in the course of his Luftwa......
5 print editions available from £40.00 2 canvas print editions available from £460.00 Original available : £2000.00
Flying his Messerschmitt Me109G6, Major Günther Rall, Group Commander of II./JG11 with over 200 air victories already to his credit, clashes with a P-47 Thunderbolt of the 63rd Sqn, 56th Fighter Group high over the Rhine south of Koblenz, May 12, 19......
HM Stephen - one of the Battle of Britains top scoring fighter pilots, brings down two Me109s in quick succession over the White Cliffs of Dover, early on August 11, 1940. Flying a Spitfire with 74 Squadron, HM shot down five German aircraft on this......
Fairey Battle HA-J of No.218 Sqn is taken by surprise by the close pass of a Bf109E over France. The squadron were based at Auberive-sur-Suippes in 1939, and as part of the Advance Air Striking Force of the RAF during the Battle of France, suffered......
2 print editions available from £70.00 Original available : £335.00
Pilot Officer John Bisley of 126 Squadron in combat with Me 109s from JG-53 during one of the intense aerial air battles over Valetta in April 1942. Between the summer of 1940 and the end of 1942, Malta became one of the most bombed places on earth.......
Top-scoring ace of all time, Erich Hartmann, scrambles his black tulip nose Me109 from a snow-covered airfield on the Eastern Front. Christened Black Devil by Russian pilots, many of whom hurriedly vacated the vicinity when Hartmanns distinctively p......
Air Commodore Alan Deere DSO DFC* and other Spitfires of No.54 squadron during the Battle of Britain, attacking He111 bombers which are being escorted across the Channel by Me109 fighters ......
The top scoring ace of JG.51, Anton Hafner is credited with 204 confirmed victories. A prolific scorer, on 8th August 1944, he shot down no fewer than seven Russian Sturmoviks and, by October of that year, his overall tally had exceeded 200. He di......
5 print editions available from £60.00 2 canvas print editions available from £460.00 Original available : £2200.00
Erich Hartmann celebrates his 300th victory over Warzyn airfield, Poland, 24th August 1944. Oberleutnant Erich Hartmann celebrates his 300th victory over JG52's 9th Staffel home field. Four days later he was awarded the Knights cross with diam......
Erick Hartmann flying his Me 109 Black Tulip during a quiet moment, late on a busy day of combat. By wars end he had scored 352 combat victories during 1400 missions. Hartmann was decorated with the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamond......
The highest scoring aces of any aerial conflict were the Luftwaffe pilots involved in the bloody combats on the Russian Front. The most common fighter used by these pilots was the Bf 109, which was involved in the action from Operation Barbarossa in......
With 275 victories, Gunther Rall was one of the top Luftwaffe Aces of the second world war. Here, he is depicted in his Me109 <i>Black 13</i> of JG52. ......
3 print editions available from £80.00 Original available : £690.00
As Me109s from 3./JG77 and Me110s from ZG76 provide aerial cover, the pride of the Kriegsmarine - the battleships Bismarck - together with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, destroyers Z10 Hans Lody and Z16 Friedrich Eckholdt, and a support escort fleet......
Leutnant Walter <i>Count Punski</i> Krupinski of 4 Staffel, JG52 downs a Soviet R5 biplane on 25th September 1942. By the end of the day, 4 enemy aircraft would fall prey to his guns. One month later he received the Ritterkreutz having claimed 56 ......
<a href=aces.php?PilotID=169>Adolf Galland</a> claimed his 16th victory on the afternoon of 25th July 1940 when Spitfires of 54 Sqn were bounced by Messerschmitt Bf.109s of Gallands III/JG26. A fierce battle ensued off Dover during which F/Lt Basil......
6 print editions available from £65.00 2 canvas print editions available from £370.00 Original available : £3500.00
Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 9th April 1941. An afternoon raid by III/Jg54 developed into a massive dogfight between the <i>Greenhearts</i> Me109Es and a squadron of Hurricanes and Ik3s. At the conclusion of the dogfight the Lufftwaffe had downed 3 aircr......
3 print editions available from £75.00 Original available : £410.00
Situated 40 miles south west of Leningrad, the German occupied airfield at Siverskaya is now home to the famous Grünherz or Green Hearts of Jagdgeschwader 54. The harsh Russian winter of 1941 is starting to take hold as three Messerschmitt Bf109F-4 ......
6 print editions available from £60.00 2 canvas print editions available from £370.00 Original Sold.
Occupied by the Germans, by 1942 Norway had become vital to Hitlers war in the East. With the Russians threatening to over-run Finland and attack Norway, the pilots of JG5 were tasked to support German ground forces, and to escort the incessant Luf......
Zhitomir, Russia, February 1943. On 6th January 1943, Gefreiter Hugo Broch was posted to II./JG54 on the eastern front, and assigned to 6./JG54. His first combat experiences were as Kaczmarek (wingman) to Horst Adameit (166 victories) and Heinrich......
3 print editions available from £75.00 Original available : £680.00
A large umbrella of Spitfire Wings covered most of the sky over Dieppe during the Allied attack Operation Jubilee on 19th August 1942. Squadron leader Johnnie Johnson leads 610 (County of Chester) Squadron down from top cover support to lend a hand t......
8 print editions available from £90.00 2 canvas print editions available from £400.00 Original available : £2300.00
Totally outnumbered throughout their short two-year sojourn in the Western Desert, the crack fighter pilots of the handful of Jagdgeschwader in-theatre fought an effective campaign in support of Rommels Afrika Korps against the British and American ......
During WWII JG-52 was the most successful Fighter Wing of the Luftwaffe, and with it flew many of the great German Aces, including the world's leading Fighter Pilot Erich Hartmann. General Galland was at one time a Squadron Commander. The Wing ......
Adolf Galland and his wingman Bruno Hegenauer break through the fighter escort of No. 303 Squadrons Spitfires to attack Blenheim bombers of No. 21 Squadron over northern France, 21 June 1941. In two missions that day Galland claimed two Blenheims an......
An Me109 makes a low flight over the English countryside during the Battle of Britain. This painting was a preliminary painting by Graeme in preparation for the larger painting entitled <i>Fighter General</i>. When Graeme traveled to Germany to ha......
A Messerschmitt BF109 E of JG27 closes on a 501 squadron Hawker Hurricane during the typical combat in the skies over southern England during the Battle of Britain, in the summer of 1940. ......
7 print editions available from £90.00 1 canvas print edition available from £370.00
Robert Taylors final painting in his 60th Anniversary trilogy features a scene from the attacks on the afternoon of September 7, 1940. Led by Herbert Ihlefeld, Me109Es of II/LG 2 dive through the bomber formation giving chase to Hurricanes of 242 Sq......
Symbolically Johnnie Johnsons Spitfire Mk9 flies with Adolf Gallands ME109E on the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. The two top scoring fighter aces represent all the pilots of the Allies and the Luftwaffe who fought against each other in ......
Typical of great air battles fought in the skies above occupied Europe were the determined interceptions by Luftwaffe fighters, particularly upon the massed daylight raids mounted by the American Eighth Air Force. Major Herman Graf, Gruppenkommandeu......
The Junkers Ju87 Sturzkampfbomber, known to the British simply as the Stuka, had already acquired a deadly reputation across Europe, its siren screaming as the ungainly dive-bomber struck terror into the hearts of those below. In 1940 its pilots cro......
Walter Schuck of JG5 Eismeer prepares to take off on patrol in his Me109F. Schuck served with this unit from December 1942 to April 1945, and in that time claimed 198 victories. ......
3 print editions available from £75.00 Original available : £520.00
This volume tells the story of the daylight air battles over Germany through the eyes of the Bf 109 aces involved. It traces the development of the aerial defence of the Reich from its small beginnings to arguably the most savage and costliest campa......
Unt. Horst Perez, the pilot of this Messerschmitt Bf 109 from JG26, surrenders to P.C. Walter Hyde and the local Home Guard after a forced landing near East Dean, Sussex, on 30th September 1940. ......
Squadron Leader Douglas Bader leads the Hurricanes of 242 Squadron in an aggressive diving attack upon a large force of Heinkel 111s approaching the Kent coast, whilst Spitfires from 66 Squadron tangle with the escorting Bf109s of JG52. It is Septe......
Leaving the port of Gdynia on May 18th 1941, two large German warships stealthily zig-zagged their way up the coast of Norway at the outset of what was to become one pf the shortest, most fiercely fought naval contests of the Second World War. Oper......
On the afternoon of 24th May 1940, Hans-Ekkehard Bob claimed his second victory of the war, shooting down a French Dewoitine 520 fighter in his Me109 of 3./JG21. ......
3 print editions available from £75.00 Original available : £240.00
Hans-Ekkehard Bob in his Bf109E of 3./JG21 shoots down a Gloster Gladiator on the morning of 10th May 1940, for his first victory. The Gladiator was one of three shot down in this skirmish, with Erwin Leykauf and Georg Schneider also claiming one e......
3 print editions available from £60.00 Original available : £255.00
The Germans launched their attack on the Kursk salient on 5th July 1943, and for both sides this was maximum effort. The Soviets, however, informed by intelligence of the impending German attack, had ample time to prepare huge defensive works with hu......
Summer 1940: it has been another rough day for the sasoned pilots of JG-26 Schlageter. Once again they have flown out of their base at Abbeville in northern France to escort the massed bombers of the Luftwaffe against the RAFs fighter airfields of ......
Blenheim IVs of No 21 Squadron, here being attacked by Adolf Gallands Bf 109 on 21st June 1940. Galland claimed two Blenheims and a Spitfire that day before he, too, was shot down by the defending Spitfires of 303 Sqn. ......
3 print editions available from £65.00 Original available : £350.00
Fighter general shows Dolfo Galland leading a schwarm of BF109s out low at tree top height over the Kent countryside after doing battle with spitfires, during the last week of August 1940. This remarkable pilot was awarded the Knights Cross as a Majo......
With the symbolism of the storm clouds of war fading away to the right and a new era of peace and blue skies coming in from the left, the setting winter sun illuminates on the brilliant fighter pilot career of Erich Hartmann during the final months ......
1 print edition available from £125.00 1 canvas print edition available from £475.00
ADLERTAG (EAGLE DAY) - that was Hitlers code name for the start of the Luftwaffes great and decisive aerial offensive that was intended to bring the RAF to its knees, clear the skies of Spitfires and Hurricanes above the South Coast of England and pr......
Isle of Wight, England, 28th November 1940. Late in the afternoon, the Me109s of JG2 took off on a Frei Jagd or fighter sweep over southern England. At its head, and leading the Stabschwarm was the Geschwaderkommodore Helmut Wick, along with his w......
3 print editions available from £56.00 Original available : £410.00
South of Alexandria, Egypt, 7th August 1942. When a pair of Me109Fs from JG27 unexpectedly encountered a lumbering Bristol Bombay and downed it, they were unaware of the full significance of their action. It was only on their return to base that E......
3 print editions available from £50.00 Original available : £310.00
On the 9th September 1940, No.92 Squadron was thrown into the Battle of Britain. They had fought bravely during the evacuation of Dunkirk, and after a spell on convoy patrol, they were thrust into the desperate climax of the greatest air battle in......
Mickey Mount, flying his 602 Squadron MkII Spitfire, successfully attacks a Messerschmitt Me109 low over the cliffs of Beachy Head on the south coast during the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940. Spitfires and Me109s were so evenly matched at ......
5 print editions available from £85.00 1 ex-display print available from £75.00
Gramatikovo, Russia, 19th March 1944. Oberleutnant Walter Wolfrum (Black 15) and wingman of 5 Staffel JG52 take off on a dawn patrol. By the end of the day Oberleutnant Wolfrum would have accounted for 5 Soviet aircraft. ......
3 print editions available from £56.00 Original available : £700.00
The air war fought in the skies above the inhospitable wastelands of the North African desert were among the most hotly contested of the war. The outcome of the bitter land war raging below largely depended upon who controlled the air space above, a......
3 print editions available from £140.00 1 ex-display print available from £120.00
Although the true qualities of a fighter pilot cannot be measured simply by tallying his number of air victories - some of the greatest fighter leaders do not feature in the top score sheets -there can be no question that any fighter pilot whose vict......
Erich Hartmann, with an amazing 352 confirmed victories, is the all time ace of aces. Born in Weissach, Germany in 1922, Hartmann was the son of a doctor, and the Hartmann family had lived in Shangai, China for several years. In 1929 the Hartmann fa......
A classic head-to-head combat between Squadron Leader Sandy Johnstone in his Spitfire and an Me109 over the south coast of England on 25th August, 1940. With 602 Squadron scrambled to intercept an approaching raid. The Commanding Officer notches up ......
Adolf Gallands Fighter Wing JG-26 (Me109s) taking off to do combat with R.A.F. Spitfires and Hurricanes. If ever a fighter commander led the front, Adolf Galland did. He flew throughout the war, achieving over 100 air victories all on the Western Fr......
The 73 Sqn Hurricane of Sqn Ldr Derek Ward is shown having received fatal strikes from the guns of Bf 109 F-4 flown by the 'Star of Africa' Hauptmann Hans-Joachim Marseilles of 3/JG27 on 17th June 1942. Ward was Marseilles' third victim......
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Bf109 G2 of Major Gunther Rall pursues and downs an unidentified Soviet aircraft over the Caucasus, Russia, early Autumn 1943. Rall went on to become the third highest scoring ace of all time, with 275 victories in only 621 missions. ......
6 print editions available from £50.00 2 canvas print editions available from £370.00 Original available : £2300.00
Messerschmitt Bf109. The longest serving of all German interceptors. This classic aircraft was the cornerstone of the Luftwaffes fighter force throughout the second world war, built in greater numbers and credited with more air victories than any......
With 352 victories to his credit, Erich Hartmann is recognised as the greatest fighter pilot of all time, depicted here as his Messerschmitt Bf.109G prepares for another sortie. ......
3 print editions available from £65.00 Original available : £310.00
During the final days of aerial combat P-51 Mustangs on a long range fighter patrol jump Bf109s in a surprise attack resulting in a deadly pursuit through the Austrian Alps. ......
An exceptional painting by the worlds foremost aviation artist remembering the most famous of all Luftwaffe Fighter Wings that fought on the Western Front during the early years of World War Two. Prints are signed by Luftwaffe Aces who contested the......
Tournai, France, 19th May 1940. While on an escort mission for He111s, the Me109Es of 4 Staffel JG2 were engaged by the RAF Hurricanes of 87 Squadron. In the ensuing battle Staffelkapitan Hans <i>Assi</i> Hahn and his trusty wingman Julius Meimberg......
3 print editions available from £56.00 Original available : £310.00
During the legendary Battle of Britain Spitfires of 92 Squadron are engaged with Messerschmitt Me109s of JG-2 in a high-altitude dog-fight directly over London in September 1940. Way below bombers of the Luftwaffe attempt one of their final daylight......
On the evening of 25th May 1940, Luftwaffe Ace Hans-Ekkehard Bob claimed his third victory, bringing down a French Morane 406 near Cambrai during the Battle of France. ......
3 print editions available from £40.00 Original available : £310.00
A typical scene from a bright August morning in that momentous summer of 1940. Having climbed into the dawn sky at daybreak, the Spitfires of No 603 Squadron have already been in action, and with more heavy raids on the plotters table, they scurry b......
Depicting the No.19 Sqn Spitfire Mk.IIA of <a href=aces.php?PilotID=3798>Flt Lt Walter Lawson</a> attacking a a Bf.109 E-4 of JG.3 in the Summer of 1940. The final tally of Lawson before he was listed as missing in August 1941 was 6 confirmed, 1 sha......
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Cape Malyj-Korabelnye, Russia, 18th August 1943. While escorting Fw190s to attack Soviet shipping, ObLt. Schuck's flight of Me109G2s from 8./JG5 attacked the four Soviet Hurricanes of 78 IAP/VVS which were on patrol over the boats. The Soviet f......
3 print editions available from £56.00 Original Sold.
On Thursday, August 24, 1944 a 22-year old Oberleutnant Erich Hartmann powered his Mel09G fighter in a spectacular low pass over his squadrons airstrip in north-eastern Rumania, wagging his wings to the cheering Luftwaffe personnel on the ground bel......
A Battle of Britain Spitfire from 610 Squadron takes on a Me109 from I./JG3 in a head-on attack high over the south coast port of Dover, in the late morning of 10 July 1940. ......
Pilot Officer Alan Wright flew with No.92 Squadron based at Pembrey. His aircraft, a Spitfire Mk I, is often seen as the symbol of the Battle of Britain, though in fact, the Hurricane bore the brunt of the fighting. Nonetheless, the Spitfires beaut......
Heligoland, German coast, 18th December 1939. Johannes <i>Macky</i> Steinhoff attacking Vickers Wellington bombers of No.37 Sqn. A raiding force of 22 RAF Wellington Ia bombers from 9, 37 and 149 squadrons was intercepted by some 60 Me109 and Me11......
The four-year long Eastern Front campaign fought between Germany and the Soviet Union produced not only the greatest number of aces, but also the highest individual and unit scores ever recorded in the history of aerial warfare. An ideal complement ......
Wing Commander J E Johnnie Johnson, Spitfire XIV, and Major Gunther Rall, Messerschmitt Bf109K-4, over the Western Front in May 1945. A tribute to the fighter pilots of the RAF and Luftwaffe on the 50th anniversary of Peace in Europe, 1945 - 95. ......
P-51 Mustangs of the 20th Fighter Group, flying out of Kings Cliffe to engage Me109s from JG77 in a furiously contested dogfight. Below them a formation of B-17s from the 379th Bomb Group fly through the chaos, doggedly maintaining their cours......
High over the Eastern front Gunther Rall is seen shooting down a Russian Sturmivik aircraft, yet another victory taking him one closer to his final total of 275 victories in only 621 misisons, making him the third highest scoring ace in history.......
The Spitfires of 54 Squadron, quickly scrambled from nearby Hornchurch, clash with the Me109s from 1./JG51 over Kent. Below, Me110s from KPRG210 are about to receive unwelcome attention as the rest of the Spitfires hurtle down upon them and in the ......
Bf 109G-2s of III/JG 52 leave their dispersal on the Eastern Front in 1943. Nearest aircraft is Black 13 of Gruppenkommandeur Gunther Rall, then fast approaching his 150th victory. ......
3 print editions available from £75.00 Original Sold.
The roar of Daimler-Benz engines at full power awakens the day as Gunther Lutzow, his aircraft still in the markings of his previous unit JG51, leads his Me109Fs of JG3 into combat from a snow covered airfield at Schatalowka on the Russian Front, in......
Jagdeschwader 26, or JG 26, was one of the Lufwaffes elite fighter forces. Nicknamed the Abbeville Boys, or the Abbeville Kids,JG 26 gained tremendous notoriety early in the War while operating out of Abbeville in Northern France. Although JG 26 nev......
3 print editions available from £30.00 2 canvas print editions available from £294.00
A Junkers Ju52 of Luftflotte 2, escorted by Me109s of JG-53, transports important military personnel over the Dolomites in 1942. With the setting sun illuminating the mountain tops in a brilliant light, the panoramic vista is both chilling and specta......
Bobby Oxspring in his 66 Squadron Spitfire destroys an ME109 of JF/53 Ace of Spades Group, in a high level attack at 30,000 feet above Dover, 18th September 1940. ......
The Battle of Britian - 28th August 1940. The Battle of Britain is at its height but the threat of invasion is still a deadly reality. As the country waited, grim and expectant, for Hitlers <i>Operation Sealion</i> to be put into action, Blenheims......
Borisov, Russia, 2nd July 1941. The battle for Minsk lasted 12 days, when it ended 300,000 soviet troops had been taken prisoner. In the air fierce battles were fought to smash an escape route to the citys defenders. It was during this chaos that......
3 print editions available from £56.00 Original available : £460.00
Krasnowardeist, Russia, 21st September 1941. Oblt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob claimed his 36th victory over a Soviet Polikarpov I-153 as the German forces surged towards Leningrad. Although an obsolete design, the I-153 was a very manoeuvrable and potential......
3 print editions available from £56.00 Original available : £410.00
Macky Steinhoff in action over the White Cliffs of Dover. It is August, and the height of the Battle of Britain: Heinkel 111 bombers have attacked airfields and radar stations along the south coast, and a frantic dog-fight has developed as Me109s of ......
A Spitfire of 610 Squadron narrowly misses colliding with an Me109 while in close combat, low over the south of England, during the late summer of 1940. ......
1 print edition available from £95.00
EAGLES OVER THE STEPPES BY GRAEME LOTHIAN Depicting ME109s flying over the Russian Front, the background is the
enormous panorama of the Russian Steppe. Signed by 4 leading German aces
who fought on the Russian Front.
The enormity of the battlefield on the Eastern Front was staggering in its
vastness. Stretching, as it did, nearly two thousand miles from frozen
wastelands of the Arctic in the north, to the Black Sea in the
south.
Over this hostile, formidable territory fighter pilots of the Luftwaffe
flew more combat missions and shot down more enemy aircraft during World
War Two than any other group of fighter pilots in the entire history of
aerial combat. Many of the top aces were in battle from the Spanish Civil
War in 1938 until the fall of Germany in 1945. They flew continuously day
after day, sometimes in the most appalling weather conditions, until they
were shot down or wounded.
Graeme Lothian's emotive print pays tribute to the Fighter Aces of the
Eastern Front. In the Background is the enormous panorama of the Russian
Steppe. Günther Rall is seen leading his pilots over enemy territory.
Each print is individually signed by Günther Rall, Walter Krupinski,
Peter Düttman, Walter Wolfrum.
The Signatories: Generalleutenant Günther Rall
With 275 victories Günther Rall is Germany's third ranking Ace. After his
39th victory he was wounded and paralysed for six months and he then
joined 8/JG 52 and later commanded III/JG - 52 on the Russian Front. In
the spring of 1944 he joined II/JG-11 on the Western Front and towards the
end of the war he was Kommodore of JG-300. Günther flew 621 missions, was
shot down five times and his decorations include the Knights Cross with
Oak Leaves and Swords.
Generalleutenant
Walter Krupinski
Walter Krupinski known as "Count Punski" was a popular figure in
the Luftwaffe's Fighter Arm. In 1942 he joined legendary JG-52 and on one
epic day claimed eleven victories. Early in 1944 he joined I/JG-5 in the
West and later becamme Kommandeur of II/JG-11 and then Kommandeur of
111/JG-26. During the closing weeks of the war he flew ME-262 jet fighters
with Adolf Galland's all star JV-44. The 'Count' had 197 victories and his
decorations include the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves.
Oberleutenant Peter
Düttman
Peter Düttman joined 5/JG-52 in the spring of 1943 and served with that
unit until the end of the war when he was a Staffelkapitan. During those
two years on the Russian Front Peter flew 395 missions, had 152 victories,
including nine in one day, was shot down or crash landed 17 times but was
never wounded. His decorations include the Knights Cross and towards the
end of the war was recommended for Oak Leaves.
Oberleutenant
Walter Wolfrum
Walter Wolfrum joined 5/JG-22 in February 1943, commanded by famous 'Macky'
Steinhoff, and was shot down 3 times and was wounded twice before his
first victory. Later he commanded 1/JG-52 on 30 May 1944, he had his most
successful day with eleven victories. Walter flew 423 missions, had 137
victories, was wounded four times and had 12 crash landings. His
decorations include the Knights Cross and German Cross in gold.
FIGHTER GENERAL BY GRAEME LOTHIAN
Fighter general shows 'Dolfo' Galland leading a schwarm of BF109's out low
at tree top height over the Kent countryside after doing battle with
spitfires, during the last week of August 1940. This remarkable pilot was
awarded the Knights Cross as a Major on the 15th August. His daring and
leadership won the hearts of his men and respect from RAF Pilots. the Oak
leaves was awarded on the 23rd September 1940 and crossed Swords in June
1941 after 69 victories. At the end of 1941 at age only 29 he was
promoted Inspector General of the Fighter Arm. Leaving his post as
Kommodore JG26 to Gerhard Schoepfel he was awarded the Diamonds to the
Knights Cross in January 1942 at Oberst. As the youngest General in the
German High Command he held this post until 1944, after open disagreements
with Goring let to his dismissal. Reverting to combat flying he formed,
with Steinhoff, the legendary JV-44, flying the ME262 jet fighter. His
score by wars end stood at 104 all on the western Front. he was the only
General to lead a squadron into battle.
General Leutnant Walter Krupinski, Born in 1920 in eats Prussia, Walter Kuprinski joined the Luftwaffe as
a 19 year old on the day of the war. Commissioned as a Leutnant in 6/JG52
in February 1941. He was awarded the Knights Cross in October 1942 after
56 victories. promoted Staffelkapitan of 7?jg52 in March 1943. awarded Oak
leaves in march 1944 after 154 Victories. taking over II/JG11 on the
invasion of France and later III?JG26. he led that group until its
disbandment on 26th march 1945. Haupmann Krupinski joined
Adolf Galland's squadron of experts of JV44 scoring 2 victories in the
ME262 Jet. Bringing his total to 197 confirmed victories Krupinski's
5 wounds were recognised by the award of the Wound Badge in Gold.
Major Erich Rudorffer Born in 1917, Rudorffer won his Ritter Kreuz in May 1941. Whilst with
JG2 he down 45 RAF planes over the Channel and a further 27 in
Tunisia. But it was with JG54 in Russia that he had his spectacular
victories, scoring 5 Soviet Aircraft in 4 minutes on one mission and 7
aircraft in 7 minutes. But his most outstanding feat of arial combat was
13 enemy aircraft in just 17 minutes. The Oak Leaves followed on April
1944 and the Crossed swords on January 1945. he finished the War as an Ace
on Jets with JG7 scoring 12 victories in the mE262. In his remarkable
career he never went on leave, was shot down 16 times, bailed out 9 times,
flew over 1,000 missions and scored 222 victories, the seventh highest
ranking expert.
Major Gerhard Schoepfel. Born in 1912, Transferred to the Luftwaffe from the infantry in 1935,
he was Steffelkapitan 9/JG26 at the beginning of the war. he succeeded Galland
as Kommandeur of III?JG26 when Galland was promoted Kommodore and was
awarded the Knights Cross in September 1940. he took over as
Kommodore when Galland was Promoted. A post he held for just over a
year. Serving as fighter operations officer in Italy then
JAFU, Norway and later Hungary. As Kommodore JG6 in Czechoslovakia he was
captured by the Russians and remained a prisoner of War until 1949. he
flew 700 combat missions with the Jadwaffe.
Major Heinz Lange Began his combat in the polish Campaign and in 1939 shot down his first
aircraft, a British Blenheim Bomber, During the Battle of Britain he flew
76 missions. After service with JG 54 he was given command of
3/JG51. By May 1944 he led IV Gruppe JG51 and reached
his total of 70 victories being awarded the Knights Cross in November.
promoted Major was appointed Kommodore of Molders JG51 and in all flew 628
combat missions.
Colonel Heinz Marquardt He was born in Braunsberg in 1922 and spent his entire combat time with
JG51 and in 320 combat missions with the Luftwaffe Heinze Negus Marquardt
was accredited with 121 aerial victories, all scored on the eastern Front.
Flying both the BF109 and FW190. With 16 more unconfirmed. He was himself
shot down 8 times and on 7th October 1944 he downed 8 enemy aircraft in
one day and was awarded the German Cross in September 1944 and the coveted
Knights Cross in November 1944.
Captain Ernst-Wilhelm Reimert Born in 1919 this well known and highly decorated fighter pilot had by
21942 achieved over 100 victories on the eastern Front with JG27. He was
posted to Tunisia where he became the top scoring Luftwaffe Ace in this
theatre of war. With JG77 sent to Italy he continued to score spectacular
and ended the war flying 715 combat mission and scored 174 aerial
victories and was awarded the Knights Cross with oak leaves and Crossed
Swords.
Leutnant Fritz Tegtmeier Born in 1917 he joined 2/JG-54 in October 1940, but after being injured
in a crash it wasn't until 1941 that he achieved his first victory. A
brief time as a fighter Instructor in 1943 he returned to the Russian
Front and his score soon started to mount, By May 1944 he had over 100
victories. August 1944 saw his appointment as Staffelkapitan of
3/JG-54. In March 1945 he transferred to JG-7 flying mE262 Jet. By
the end of the war he had flown 700 combat missions and had 146 victories.
he was awarded the Knights Cross.
Leutnant Peter Duttmann Peter Duttmann Joined the luftwaffe at the beginning of the war and
after Fighter training was posted to 5/JG-52 in the Spring of 1943 and
stayed with this top-scoring unit until the end of the War when he
was a Staffel-Kapitan. he was shot down or crash landed 17 times and on 3
occasions landed far behind Russian lines and each time walked back to his
unit, sometimes taking days to do so. The 2 years
Peter spent on the front he flew 395 missions and had 152 confirmed
victories and more unconfirmed, all in the BF109 including2
tanks. His decorations include the Knights Cross and was
recommended for the Oak leaves at the very end of the war.
The Last Patrol by David Pentland A pair of Bf109 G-14s of 9th
Staffel, Jagdgeswader 54 (Greenheart
Wing) make a final sortie during the last days of March 1945.
No Escape by David Pentland Bf109 G2 of Major Gunther Rall pursues and downs an unidentified
Soviet aircraft over the Caucasus, Russia, early Autumn 1943. Rall went
on to become the third highest scoring ace of all time, with 275
victories in only 621 missions.
The Last
Eagle, Innsbruck, Austria, May 1945 by David Pentland Abandoned Me 109G-10, 3rd Staffel JG4.
Caucasus Dawn by Graeme Lothian Günther Rall leading 111 JG52 squadron April 1943. Signed by four
top German aces: Walter Wolfrum, Franz Woidich, Gunther Rall, Werner
Hohenberg.
COMBAT OVER NORMANDY BY GRAEME LOTHIAN pitfires of R.C.A.F 144 Wing led by Wing Commander Johnson in combat
with ME109's of JG3 over Arromanches, France June 1944.
with
three signatures of British RAF fighter Pilots
Air Vice Marshal
J E Johnnie JOhnson C.B, C.B.E D.S.O , D.F.C D.L
Air
Commodore Pete BrothersC.B.E. D.S.O D.F.C (Wing Commander Flying
Culmhead Wing)
One to One by Ivan Berryman A Messerschmitt BF109 E of JG27 closes on a 501 squadron Hawker
Hurricane during the typical combat in the skies over southern England
during the Battle of Britain, in the summer of 1940.
Achtung - Indianer, Rechts by Iain Wyllie Leutnant
Julius Maimberg in Messerschmitt ME 109E white 11 and his 'Katschmarek'
Unteroffizier Rudolf Miese of 4 Staffel, J.G.2 'Richtofen' turn towards a
distant squadron of RAF fighters during the Battle of Britain
Foes
Now Friends by Alan S Holt Symbolically Johnnie Johnsons Spitfire
Mk9 flies with Adolf Gallands ME109E on the 60th anniversary of the
Battle of Britain. The two top scoring fighter aces represent all
the pilots of the Allies and the Luftwaffe who fought against each other
in WW2.
Kursk - Clash of
Steel by
Nicolas Trudgian. The Germans launched their attack on the Kursk salient
on 5th July 1943, and for both sides this was maximum effort. The
Soviets, however, informed by intelligence of the impending German
attack, had ample time to prepare huge defensive works with hundreds of
planned anti tank belts. They deployed 10 Tank Corps, 5 Tank
Armies, 1 mechanised Corps and 14 Field Armies equipped with 4000 anti
tank guns and 6000 tanks. The Soviet Air Forces were equally
impressive - 2600 aircraft. The Germans, outnumbered in every
department, were forced to scrape together whatever serviceable tanks
they could from their badly under strength Panzer formations. Most
of the tanks deployed were old Panzer IIIs or IVs, with only 147 Tigers
available for action. The northern German attack made very little
headway, but, in the south, the Germans had grouped all of the SS Panzer
forces into the II SS Panzer Corps and these units, despite the enormous
Soviet forces ranged against them, began to smash their way through the
Soviet defences. The Luftwaffe too had brought together 1200
aircraft and these made an immediate impact on the fighting - on the
first day alone German fighters broke up massive formations of Soviet
aircraft, over 400 victories being claimed.
The Black Tulip by Philip E West. Erick Hartmann flying his Me 109 Black Tulip during a quiet
moment, late on a busy day of combat. By wars end he had scored
352 combat victories during 1400 missions. Hartmann was decorated
with the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, Germanys
highest military award.
Looking for Trouble by Philip E West. Messerschmitt Bf109. The longest serving of all German
interceptors. This classic aircraft was the cornerstone of the
Luftwaffes fighter force throughout the second world war, built in
greater numbers and credited with more air victories than any other
fighter in history.
Eagles on the Channel Front by Robert Taylor A scene in northern France in late 1941. Having just returned to their
temporary airstrip in the region of St Omer, Luftwaffe pilots of JG-26
excitedly debrief their recent encounter with Spitfires and Hurricanes,
fought high over the Channel coast. The new Me109F's are parked under
trees to provide cover from low-level attacks. While ground crews prepare
the Me109s for the next mission, a group of the new Fw190A fighters taxi
out. Signatories: Oberfeldwebel Heinz Marquardt, Oberst Johannes
Naumann,
Oberleutnant Erhard Nippa, Major Gerhard Schöpfel, and Oberleutnant
Günter Seeger.
Badly mauled during the Battle of Britain, by early 1941 the Luftwaffe
fighter wings, strung right across northern France, were back on strength.
The front line squadron were re-equipping with the up-rated Me109F and,
though suffering initial over-heating problems, the remarkable new Fw190A
was making its first appearances. The Luftwaffe pilots were again full of
confidence, and having the air endurance advantage of fighting close to
their bases, they were competing on equal terms with the Spitfires and
Hurricanes of RAF Fighter Command. Having spent the first 18 months of the war fighting a defensive air
battle, RAF Fighter Command was raring to go onto the attack. The mix of
Rhubarbs - two or three-plane, low-level incursions to attack enemy bases
and installations - and large fighter sweeps aimed to entice the Luftwaffe
up for a fight, kept the German fighter pilots busy throughout the summer.
All through 1941 great air battles raged all along the Channel Front.
Eagle Strike by Simon Atack
Painting shows Major Günther Rall bringing down Hub Zemke's wingman,
the first of two victories claimed before himself being brought down by
56th Fighter Group P47s later in the combat. After recuperation, Günther
Rall returned to combat flying, commanding JG300 until the end of
hostilities by which time, with 275 air victories, he became the third
highest scoring Ace in history."My dread would have been all the greater had I known that the
pilot I had just seen dispatch Johnson and Piper was the third ranking
Ace of the Luftwaffe." Col. Hub Zemke.In the early spring of 1944, the Luftwaffe's 'Sturmgruppe' tactics -
large assault groups comprising as many as 100 heavily armoured Fw190s -
were bringing down large numbers of USAAF bombers. Shrewd ground control
kept the assembled German assault groups clear of advance Allied fighter
sweeps, while above high altitude Me109s provided top cover to protect
the weighty, vulnerable Fw190s. The scene was set for massive aerial
engagements, and the action fought on May 12, 1944 was typical of that
period.
Led by Colonel Hub Zemke, the 56th Fighter Group played advance guard
to a deep penetration bomber raid to central Germany. As his forty-eight
P47 Thunderbolts arrived to sweep the sky around the Koblenz - Frankfurt
area, the Me109s of II/JG11 pounced from a 5000 feet height advantage.
Led by Gruppe Kommandeur Major Günther Rall, already with 250 air
victories to his credit, the sharp-shooting Luftwaffe fighter pilots had
immediate success.
Most Memorable Day by Robert Taylor
Each print individually signed by: General ADOLF GALLAND
Oberst JOHANNES NAUMANN Major GERHARD SCHÖPFEL
Hauptmann OTTO STAMBERGER
THE THIRD AND FINAL PRINT IN
ROBERT TAYLOR'S TRILOGY IN TRIBUTE TO GENERAL ADOLF GALLAND.
A limited edition from the final drawing for Robert Taylor's third and
final painting in his important Galland Tribute Trilogy. Each print has
descriptive text personally hand-written by the artist.
Robert Taylor writes:
"I met General Adolf Galland many times. In 1987 he and his wife
Heidi did me the honor of flying from Germany to Washington DC to attend
the opening of my exhibition of aviation paintings at the Smithsonian. We
travelled together, and during the trip spent much time talking about
aviation in World War II.
There were three episodes in his distinguished career that specially
stood out in the memory of this great fighter leader, and he spoke of them
with great pride. It is these three episodes that I chose to portray in my
Galland Tribute Trilogy. I painted them in reverse chronological order,
leaving 'till last the period of his career of which he spoke most fondly.
General Galland signed each print in the suite.
Galland's Squadron of Experts, his JV-44 Wing flying the incredible
Me262 in 1945, pioneered the jet age, and having led the first jet
fighting unit in combat meant a great deal to Dolfo. I painted that first.
Next, because he was immensely proud of the role he played, I painted the
famous Channel Dash, Galland's first assignment as a newly promoted
General. Lastly, because Dolfo was a fighter pilot through and through, I
portrayed his beloved JG-26. I believe this period was dearest to his
heart.
The subject for the painting came from a Pilot Report written by Adolf
Galland describing his most memorable day as a combat pilot. Trying many
different approaches and making many sketches, I completed a final drawing
prior to starting the painting. Further research uncovered that Dolfo was
in fact flying an Me109F model that day and not an E as I thought. When my
publishers said they wanted to make a print from this drawing I decided I
would like to hand write the descriptive notes on each copy before signing
and numbering the prints. I have also individually signed a letter for
collectors which comes with each print."
Messerschmitt Country by Nicolas Trudgian
Nobody, least of all Allied aircrew, ever doubted the
tenacity of the Luftwaffe, more particularly that of the German fighter
pilots. From the early encounters during the Battle of Britain to
the great air battles in defence of their homeland late in the war, at all
times they were held in high regard, even if resented as a foe. At
no time was their dedication, determination, and courage better
demonstrated than during the final stages of World War Two. By the
summer of 1944 the Allies had gained a foothold in Normandy, and total air
superiority above Northern France. German installations and ground
positions were being pounded daily from the air, and the Ruhr, the
heartland of industrial Germany, was under constant siege. Even the
factories in southern Germany were not safe from the attentions of the
USAAF bombers by day, and the RAF by night. But in spite of the
pressures of mounting losses and diminished supplies, the Luftwaffe fought
doggedly on in best traditions of the fighter pilot. The morning of
19 July 1944 saw the USAAF's 8th and 15th Air Forces mount an attack of
awesome proportion against the aircraft factories in the region of
Munich. To combat a seemingly overwhelming force of 1400 bombers and
almost as many fighter escorts, the Luftwaffe were able to put up just
three Gruppen from JG300 and one from JG302, flying a mix of Me109G's and
Fw190's - barely 50 serviceable fighters between them. They were
joined by a dozen Me109's of II./JG27, these fighters desperately trying
to defend the very factories in which they were made.
