WW2 German Signed Art - Tanks and Aircraft

Signed German pencil drawings by artist David Pentland

Fifteen new pencil drawings by David Pentland, with each original signed by German tank crew or aircrew. These new pencils depict King Tiger tanks in the final defence of Berlin; Stukas over Crete and the Battle of Kursk; and the "Bake" tank regiment on the eastern front.

Georg Diers

Untersharfuhrer Georg Diers

On the 30th April, Untersharfuhrer Georg Diers and his crew of tank 314, were ordered to take up a defensive position at the Reichstag buildings. The crew of tank 314 consisted of commander Georg Diers, gunner Wolf-Dieter Kothe, loader Alex Sommer and radio operator Bodo Harms. This was one of only two remaining King Tigers belonging to Heavy SS Tank Battalion 503 in Berlin. By that evening they had knocked out about 30 T34s, and the following day led a successful counterattack against the Kroll Opera House directly opposite the Reichstag. Their efforts though, merely postponed the inevitable and by the end of the day the order was given to abandon the position and prepare to break out of Berlin. In Georg Diers own written accounts, At the end of April the units strength was 6 Tiger 2s from sSSPzAbt503 were attached to the 11th Waffen SS Panzergrenadier Nordland and by April 30th only 2 of the Konigstigers remained. Georg Diers Tiger and the other of Karl Korner whose kill total was over100 Russian tanks and 29 field pieces. Georg Diers states that on May 1st they successfully counter attacked and temporarily re captured the Kroll Opera House but withdrew at 7pm. Georg Diers is credited with a total of 39 Russian tanks destroyed, plus many others during the last days in the defence of Berlin. During the Russian attacks he was faced with a large number of Russian tanks and Russian infantry had entered and were fighting within the Reichstag. So Georg Diers crew destroyed their Tiger 2 with mines near the Schonhause Alley. Georg Diers certainly would have been awarded for his actions but at such a late stage his heroism went un rewarded. We were very honoured to contact Georg who agreed to sign a small number of art prints.

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"Escape from Berlin. Germany 3.00 a.m, 2^nd May 1945"

Leading one of the last columns attempting to breakout from the doomed city, Georg Diers battered Kingtiger of SS Heavy Tank Battalion 503 smashed through the Soviet roadblock on the far side of the Weidenammer Bridge.

"Stemming the Tide, Straussberg, East of Berlin, 19^th April 1945"

Tiger II 314 of Unterscharfurher Georg Diers supported by Oberscharfurher Bootsman of SS Heavy Tank Battalion 503, knocked out 13 T34s in 19 minutes.

"Night Fight, Bollersdorf, East of Berlin, 19^th April 1945"

Following a full day of combat Hauptscharfurher Korner of SS Heavy Tank Battalion 503 foiled a night attack by a battalion of Josef Stalin JSII heavy tanks. By the end of the day he had accounted for 76 enemy tanks, over 40 of these on this one day alone. It was his 25^th birthday.

"Panther on the loose, Berlin, 2^nd May 1945"

Hauptscharfurher Korner of SS Heavy Tank Battalion 503 makes his escape from the city in an abandoned Panther via the suburb of Staaken. On the way he destroyed a JSII, and a couple of Assault guns, before his tank broke down for a final time later that night.

Franz Kieslich

Major Franz Kieslich

Franz Kieslich served with 7./St.G. 77 in France in 1940, and later serving in Yugoslavia. Transferring to the Russian Front he was promoted Gruppenadjutant III./St.G. 77. And in October 1942 became Staffelkapitan 7./St.G. 77. In February 1944 he was promoted Kommandeur III./SG 77. He fought at Stalingrad, Kursk, Kiev and most of the other major engagements on the Eastern Front. In February1945 he became Kommodore erganzungs-SG148. Awarded the Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves, he flew over 1000 combat missions, and had been shot down twenty times.

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"Stukas over England, South Coast, July 1940"

Junker Ju87B-1s of 7 Staffel, Stg 77 swoop down to attack coastal targets. This opening phase of the Battle of Britain was to prove very costly for the Stuka squadrons as they found they could no longer operate unescorted against the RAF.

"The Stukas Prey, Crete, May 1941"

Junker Ju87B-2 flown by Hauptmann Helmut Bruck. Stab I, Stg 77 targets a Royal navy ship during the Battle for Crete.

"Target ahead, Kursk, Central Russia, July 1943"

Junker Ju87D-3s of 7 Staffel, Stg 77 escorted by Me109Gs of JG52, during the epic Battle of Kursk.

Alfred Rubbel

Oberstleutnant Alfred Rubbel

Joining the Panzer forces in 1940, Alfred Rubbel served first with Panzer Regiment 29 in Mittel and the with Panzer Regiment 4 in the Caucasus. He transferred to the Tiger I Panzer and from March 1943 to May 1945 served, as Tank Commander, with Heavy Panzer Division 503. He was awarded the Iron Cross I and II, and had 57 Panzer victories from 79 Panzer battles. Rubbel was a close friend of Kurt Knispel, a fellow tank commander of Pz Abt 503 and top-scoring Panzer Ace.

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"Rubbel and Rippl, Kursk, Central Russia, July 1943"

Ist Company Heavy Tank Battalion 503 Tiger Is of Albert Rubbel and Hannes Rippl (whose crew included gunner Kurt Knipsel) battering through the dense Red Army defences at Kursk.

"Max and Moritz, Retreat from the Donets, Russia, July to September 1943"

After the battle of Kursk, Heavy Tank Battalion 503 Tiger Is were divided into small groups to protect and support infantry units as they retreated from the Donets river line. A typical example was the team of Rubbel (Max) and Rippl (Moritz) who for several weeks acting independently fended off pursuing Soviet armoured units. Their success was in no small part due to the skill of Rippls gunner, Kurt Knipsel.

"Help from the sky, near Korsun, Russia, 13^th February 1944"

Heavy Tank Regiment Bake was temporarily created as part of the forces gathered to breakthrough to the besieged Army Corps trapped in the Korsun (or Tscherkassy) pocket. Led by Oberstleutnant Dr. Bake it consisted of Heavy Tank Battalion 503, the panther battalion of Panzer Regiment 23, and a battalion of artillery, engineers and mountain troops. This powerful unit was halted just 10km from its objective having run out of supplies, and had to be resupplied by air.

"Farewell to a Friend, Normandy, France 5^th August 1944"

Kurt Knipsel rescues his Commander Hans Fendsack after heavy attacks on the Tiger IIs of 1^st Company, Heavy Tank Battalion 503 by allied fighter bombers. Despite being pulled to safety Oberfeldwebel Fendsack died later that night from his wounds. For 4 years they had been friends and comrades.

Gerhard Fischer

Gerhard Fischer

German Army Panzer Tank Ace - Knights Cross. Awarded the Knights Cross.

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"The Balabonowka Pocket, Ukraine, 25^th-30^th January 1944"

Mountain troops and Panther tanks of Heavy Tank Regiment Bake, push towards Oratrow to complete the encirclement of several Red Army Corps.

"The Road to Tscherkassy, Medwin, Ukraine, 3^rd-9^th February 1943"

Mountain troops riding on Panther tanks of 2^nd Battalion 23^rd Panzer Regiment, Heavy Tank Regiment Bake in a successful attempt to outflank major soviet forces blocking the route to Tscherkassy. While the Tiger battalion launched a frontal attack on the enemy positions, the Panthers were able to attack from the rear, totally surprising the defenders.

"Race to Frankowka, Ukraine, 10^th February 1944"

Panthers of 2^nd Battalion 23^rd Panzer Regiment, Heavy Tank Regiment Bake led by captured T34s race to capture a vital bridge at Frankowka across the Gniloi Tilitsch. The daring coup de main was successful bringing the relief column one step closer to the besieged pocket at Tscherkassy.

"Holding Hosszupaly, Hungary, 17^thOctober 1944"

With a mixed unit of 4 Panthers, 1 anti tank gun, and 25 men from Feldersatz Battalion 128 Hauptmann Gerhard Fischer held the important village for a full day against overwhelming Soviet attacks before being ordered to retreat.