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Formed September 1939, originally as a coastal bomber reconnaissance unit which was absorbed into the Luftflotte as an orthodox bomber group, still retaining its nucleus of naval officers. Based at Nantes with detachments at Caen. Originally equipped with Heinkel He111, it was equipped with Ju88A-1 before and during the Battle of Britain. KGr 806 also saw operational service on the Eastern Front and Mediterranean. <br><br>Colonel Helmuth Brückmann: Born Hamburg in 1914, Helmuth graduated from school in Emden in 1934, enlisting into the German Navy the same year and commencing flying training in 1936, he was promoted to Oberleutnant in 1939 and was made Commanding Officer of a coastal reconnaissance squadron, aircraft carrier group and subsequently Director of a pilot training school. Early in WWII he became deputy Squadron Leader in a bomber wing, regularly flying He111 and Junkers 88 bomber aircraft. Whilst flying Ju88 A-1, werk no 4068 (the subject of this aerofile) of coastal bomber wing KG 806 on a raid to Liverpool 8th October 1940 he and his two man crew were intercepted and shot down by Hurricanes of 312 Squadron operating out of Speke (now Liverpool International) Airport. Helmuth crash landed his badly damaged aircraft onto a bank of the River Mersey at Bromborourgh on the Wirral peninsula. During the engagement one of his crew was killed and the other injured. After 36 missions Helmuth Brückmanns war was over. Promotion to Captain followed in 1942, and he was repatriated in 1944. He joined the Luftwaffe general staff and was promoted to major in 1945. On leaving the air force Helmuth studied languages and literature at university from 1946-1958 and became director of the Goethe Institute in Munich. He rejoined the Luftwaffe and became a Lt Colonel in 1959 in the Ministry of Defence, Bonn. After a period as Commander of a cadet training wing in the Luftwaffe Officers Training School in Munich, he was promoted to full Colonel in 1961 and transferred to the German Embassy in Washington D.C. USA as air attaché. After an additional assignment as the German Military representative with the NATO committee, he returned to Germany as head of the Military Studies Group in the German Ministry of Defence. He retired in 1973 and today lives in his native Germany. Kampfegruppe 806 (KGr 806) Ident Codes M7. by M A Kinnear. Click For Details AP0006
Formed May 1939 KG 27 was part of Luftflotte 3 during the Battle of Britain, with their Headquarters and I Gruppe based at Tours, II Gruppe at Dinard and Bourges, and III Gruppe at Rennes. KG 27 was equipped with Henikel III before and during the Battle, using this type for most of the War - including operational service on the Eastern Front. <br><br>Oberleutnant Gerhard Krems: Born 4th May 1920, Gerhard Krems joined the Luftwaffe on 9th November 1938 commencing pilot training on 15th March 1939 at LKS (2) Flight Training School, Gatow, Berlin. He graduated to multi-engine training at FFS (C) 3 School at Lonnewitz, 1st November 1939 followed by night and instrument flight training at Stargard, which he completed 15th April 1940. The next day he started operational training on the Do17 at the Reconnaissance Flying School, Grossenhain. Promoted to Leutnant 1st June 1940, Gerhard was sent to a holding unit at Weimer-Hohra to await a posting to operational staffel. On 15th August 1940 he joined Stabsstaffel/KG 27 in France. During the Battle of Britain, Gerhard completed 39 operational sorties (most of these being in the Heinkel III IG+BA, the subject of this aerofile) and was awarded the Iron Cross Second Class (EK II) 21st October, 1940, First Class (EK I) on 18th November 1940. On 22nd April 1941 he was awarded the Bomber Aircrew Qualification Clasp in Bronze for completing 20 operations. The following day Gerhard completed his 39th and final operation over England, after which he along with KG27 was sent east to take part in the invasion of Russia. On 30th June 1941, Gerhard was awarded the Wound Badge, followed by the award of the Silver Aircrew Clasp on 25th July, for completing 60 operations. He was then awarded the Gold Clasp, 10th October 1941, for completing 110 operations, followed by the Honour Goblet on 26th October 1941. Transferring to 2 Staffel KG27 on 27th January 1942, Gerhard became the first in his unit to be awarded the Knights Cross (RK) 25th May 1942. This was followed by the Russian Front Medal on 25th November 1942, and on 20th December 1942 by the Gold Clasp with Pendant for completing 200+ operations. On 15th March 1943, Gerhard gained the Krimschild for the Crimean Campaign. Transferred to Ia/Stab Gen. Kdo. I Fliegerkorps on 21st May 1944 which he served with until the War in Europe ended on 8th May 1945 - 4 days after his 25th birthday - when he was interned by Russian forces. During his wartime service, Gerhard completed 250 operations, and was held in captivity until release on 20th October 1945. From 1946-1950 he studied at Berlin University and graduated as an engineer. During a long career in the water industry, he became internationally well known, especially for his scientific research work for well constructions. He finally retired in 1980. Kampfgeschwader 27 (KG 27 Boelcke) Ident codes 1G. by M A Kinnear. Click For Details AP0010
One first edition print available. The Height of the Battle by Geoffrey Nutkins. Click For Details AX0057
It was in 1941 that the remarkable Focke-Wulfe FW190 first appeared in the skies of Europe, quickly establishing itself as a most formidable adversary. It proved to be the supreme weapon against all allied bomber forces. Here FW190A-8 of 1 Gruppe, Jagdgesschwader 1 is shown attacking a B17G of 381st Bomb Group during a critical defence of the Reich in 1944. Cat Among the Pigeons (FW190) by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0024
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.  One to One by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0033
B88. Eastern Med 1943 by Richard Ward. Eastern Med 1943 by Richard Ward Click For Details B0088
The main workhorses of the Kampfgruppen, a gaggle of Heinkel 111s come under attack from Spitfires high above the English Channel during the Battle of Britain in the Summer of 1940. Close Encounter by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0094
Fokker DR.1 Triplane 425/17 of Manfred von Richthofen, accompanied by a Fokker. D.VII wingman, swoops from a high patrol early in 1918. 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. Final Days by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0156
Bf109Fs of the Green Heart Warriors. Greenheart Warrior by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0226
B0227. Fw190A-4, Winter 1944 by Ivan Berryman. Fw190A-4, Winter 1944 by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0227
A pair of Fw190F fighters during the winter of 1943. Fw190F Fighters - Winter 1943 by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0228
German Ju87 Stuka. Stuka - Tribute to Hans Rudel by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0229
Erich Rudorffer commanding I./JG7 flying the Me262. Erich Rudorffer was the master of multiple scoring - achieving more multiple victories than any other pilot. Ready for Combat by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0230
Me262 of I./JG7 is prepared for an early morning sortie. Morning Maintenance by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0231
Erich Rudorffers Me 262 brings down a B-17 Flying Fortress during the defence of Germany. Defending the Homeland by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0232
Willi Reschkes Fw190A8 of III./JG301 during October 1944. Willi Reschkes Fw190A8 of III./JG301 during October 1944. by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0233
Pilots prepare for their bombing missions in their Ju-87 Stukas. Stuka Ju87 - Preparing for the Day by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0234
The crew of a Junkers 88A-4 of KG.30 about to board their aircraft. Ju88A-4 and Crew by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0238
Fw190A-4/U8 night bomber variant of SKG.10. Focke Wulf Fw190A-4/U8 by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0239
Ground crew prepare Hajo Hermanns Ju88 for its next bombing sortie. Ju88A-4 of KG.30 by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0240
The Me262B-1 night fighter of Hajo Hermann. Hajo Hermann flew many hours during flight testing of the Me262B night fighter variant. Me262B Night Fighter by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0241
Bf109Es of JG52 flown by Gunther Rall during the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940. Bf109Es of JG52 by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0242
Gunther Rall is shown flying his Bf109E of JG52 during the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940. JG52 - Summer 1940 by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0243
A Bf109E fighter is prepared to fight over southern England during the Battle of Britain. Bf109E of III./JG2 - Summer 1940 by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0244
Me109s take off in their continued defence against Allied bombers. In Defence of the Homeland by Graeme Lothian. (P) Click For Details B0246
Messerschmitt Me110 night fighter attacking Lancaster bombers during a night raid. This original drawing is signed by three top night fighter pilots and radio operators. Night Defender by Graeme Lothian. (P) Click For Details B0249
The Red Baron pictured with Fokker DR.1 152/17 in which he scored victories 64, 65 and 66. Manfred von Richthofen by Ivan Berryman. (P) Click For Details B0281
Gunther Rall sitting on the cockpit side of Bf 109G-2 Black 13 of III/JG 52, Eastern Front, 1943. Gunther Rall by Ivan Berryman. (P) Click For Details B0282
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. Gunther Rall - Black 13 by Ivan Berryman. (P) Click For Details B0283
Gunther Rall and his wingman on patrol in the skies above the Western Front in April 1944 whilst serving with II/JG II. JG2 - Gunther Rall and his Wingman by Ivan Berryman. (P) Click For Details B0284
unther Rall in action on the Eastern Front in 1944 with III/JG 52, attacking a Yak 4. Gunther Rall - on the Tail of a Yak by Ivan Berryman. (P) Click For Details B0285
Gunther Rall claims his 274th victory, a P.38 Lightning on 29th April, 1944 whilst assigned to II/JG II on the Western Front. Gunther Rall - 274th Victory by Ivan Berryman. (P) Click For Details B0286
The Ju-87G Stuka of Hans Rudel is being quickly turned around between missions while serving in Slovakia, June 1944. Bombing Up - Stuka of Hans Rudel by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0297
Messerschmitt Bf.110G4b/R3 of 7 Staffel, III/Natchjagdgeschwader 4, Autumn 1943. Messerschmitt Bf.110G4b/R3 by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0304
Messerschmitt Me262B-1a/U1 of 10 Staffel, Natchjagdgeschwader 11. Messerschmitt Me262B-1a/U1 by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0305
Focke-Wulf FW.190A-5/U8 of 1 Gruppe, Schnellkampfgeschwader 10 in 1943. All national markings were painted out, except for the call sign C on the fuselage and repeated, crudely sprayed, on the engine cowling. Focke-Wulf Fw190A-5/U8 by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0306
The greatest ace of WW1, Mannfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron is depicted here flying Fokker Dr.1, serial No 425/17, in its final guise following the introduction of the Balkenkreuze. This was the only Triplane flown by the Rittmeister that was painted all red and was also the aircraft in which he lost his life on 21st April 1918, the celebrated ace having scored a confirmed 80 victories against allied aircraft over France. The Rittmeister by Ivan Berryman. (P) Click For Details B0311
CCP0062. Manfred Von Richthofen c.1917 by Chris Collingwood. Manfred Von Richthofen c.1917 by Chris Collingwood. Click For Details CCP0062
CCP0063. German Ace Ernst Udet c.1917 by Chris Collingwood. German Ace Ernst Udet c.1917 by Chris Collingwood. Click For Details CCP0063
The Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen, observes aircraft with his younger brother Lothar at a German aerodrome during the first world war. Manfred and Lothar von Richthofen by Darren Baker. (P) Click For Details DBAK0041
<b>Also included is a signed photograph of General Rall. Horrido! Rall by Les Carter. Click For Details DHM0296
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. Manfred Von Richthoffen (The Red Baron) by Tim Fisher. Click For Details DHM0417
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. No Escape by David Pentland. Click For Details DHM0575
A pair of ME109 G-14s of 9th Staffel, Jagdgeswader 54 (Greenheart Wing) make a final sortie during the last days of March 1945. The Last Patrol by David Pentland. Click For Details DHM0581
Oberleutenant Schalls ME 262 of JG7 catches the Australian crewed Lancaster from 5 group dead astern as it lines up for its bombing run on the Hamburg U-Boat pens. Even at this angle the speed of the jet made it difficult to get off more than a few bursts of cannon fire before it passed through the British formation. The episode was witnessed by navigator Cecil Keys in the leading Lancaster QR/Y from 61 squadron on his last raid of the war. Lt. Schall, an ace with 117 kills, and 2nd highest jet ace of the war with 14 victories was killed the following day when his aircraft hit a bomb crater on landing at his base of Parchim. Jet Attack by David Pentland. Click For Details DHM0582
Ju 52s deploy German Paratroopers during the assault on Crete (operation Mercure) 1942.  Falling Angels by Tim Fisher. Click For Details DHM0770
German ace Lt. Fritz Roth of Jasta 23, flying an Albatross D.Va scores his first of three balloons in one days action. By the wars end he had accounted for 20 balloons and 8 Allied Aircraft. Balloon Buster, 25th January 1918 by David Pentland. Click For Details DHM0781
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 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. Fighter General by Graeme Lothian. Click For Details DHM0872
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 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 Lothians 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. Eagles Over the Steppes by Graeme Lothian. Click For Details DHM0873
The battle for Prokhorovka marked the high water mark of the German southern drive for Kursk. At the apex of the thrust were the 14 tiger tanks of the 13 Heavy Tank Company, 1st SS Panzer Division Liebstandarte, led by Michael Wittman. Their advance was eventually thwarted, however, by the epic charge of the Soviet 29th Guards Tank Corps, as part of 5th Guards Tank Armys furious counter attack against the SS Tank Corps. Clash of Steel, Prokhorovka, Kursk, 12th July 1943 by David Pentland. (C) Click For Details DHM1022
Von Richthofen brings down Ronald Hinings of 73 Squadron, making his 78th victory. Master of the Skies by Tim Fisher. Click For Details DHM1073
During WW II ofjuly 1944, the RAF Bomber Command were planning yet another bombing raid, this time over Stuttgart in Germany. The no.514 Sq., based in Cambridgeshire, England, were one of the Lancaster Bomber Squadrons chosen for the mission. Flight Lieutenant THOMAS HARVELL was a member of the 7 man crew for Lancaster Bomber no.LM206 selected. He was flight engineer and co-pilot with II missions already behind him. The RAF carried out nearly all their raids at night. This was the night of July 28/29 1944 and they were on course in the vicinity of Neuf Chateau (S.WNancy) France. Suddenly they were attacked by a prowling Luftwaffe Nightfighter aircraft, which later proved to be a JUNKERS 88 flown by HEINZ ROKKER. The Lancaster shuddered on the first hit but continued flying. THOMAS HARVELL was moving to the back of the aircraft and had dropped window, (strips of foil) to confuse ground radar, when they were hit again. This time they lost an engine after an explosion and LM206 started to plunge earthwards. (The Merlin Engine can been seen today at the French Airforce museum, St.Dizier, Lorraine) FI.Lt. HOMAS HARVELL was literally blown out of the doomed Lancaster, hitting his head and becoming unconcious. As luck was on his side, he regained his senses whilst falling through the air and pulled his chute at the last minute. He landed heavily and injured his leg. The pilot and four other members of the crew perished but navigator George Robinson also managed to use his chute and was captured after landing, by the german occupation forces. George Robinson now lives in South Africa. The other five crew members are all buried at Neuf Chateau and their graves can be seen to this day. THOMAS HARVELL was able to evade capture and was found by a member of the FFI (French Resistance), who hid him in various hideouts. After being treated for his wounds by Dr.CORNU, a prominent surgeon of Neuf Chateau, several attempts were made to smuggle THOMAS HARVELL back to England without much success. It was decided, by the FFI, to make one last attempt and this time THOMAS HARVELL was given a bicycle and new identity papers. He was told to cycle in the direction of the Swiss border west of Besacon and make contact with the Daubs area FFI commander, JEAN LAPPRAND.It was decided it was too dangerous to cross the border at this time and as THOMAS HARVELL had already become a member of the French Resistance, he continued fighting the war side by side with his French Resistance colleagues. It was in this part of France, that he witnessed a trial of a double agent/traitor of the FFI, who was quickly executed by firing squad. At this point in time, OREST BILAK came into the picture. He was born in Ukraine and had joined the Ukranian Army in 1942. He had become a senior NCO officer when his whole battalion were ordered to join forces with a german SS unit. They had much fighting experience and took part in some very bloody battles. Some elements of the Ukranian people had, at first, welcomed the germans but this soon changed and sometime in 1944 many were deserting. This was the case with OREST BILAKs battalion who had just been ordered to march into the mountain stronghold of JEAN LAPPRAND and wipe them out. Instead they had killed their german SS commanders and after talks with JEAN LAPPRAND had fought on with the FFI including THOMAS HARVELL. Together they liberated the region including the town of PIERREFONTAINE, ahead of the advancing allied forces Sept. 1944. It could be said that THOMAS HARVELL was the only British serviceman who fought with the german SS without being called a traitor. Another RAF pilot, Paul Bell a canadian and THOMAS HARVELL were now able to make contact with the 711 US Army. After six weeks, including a ride in the Dakota of General Patch, they finally made it back to England. On his arrival, THOMAS HARVELL became an instructor/advisor until the end of the war. He later made a career in the British Police Force. He regularily travels to France to meet all his wartime colleagues and now lives in Southampton, England. OREST BILAK was demobilised in 1946. Around this time he met his future wife (in France) who was also Ukrainian and had been working during the war in underground factories for the germans. By pure chance they had both attended the same school in Ukrainia. After the war OREST BILAK made a career in the clothing industry They live in retirement at a small mountain village near Lyon, France. They have 10 grandchildren. He has also devoted much of his time and money for a childrens home, in France, for the underprivileged from Ukraine. Out of his battalion of 450 men, of those who survived, 230 stayed with the French Foreign Legion, some emigrated to Canada, USA and Australia. 116 returned to the Ukraine, only to be arrested and sent to a Siberian prison for 10 years and a further 10 years hard labour. OREST BILAK and his wife visited the Ukraine for the first time in 1994 and met some of their old colleagues. JEAN LAPPRAND remains, to this day, secretive about his time in the FFI. Without a doubt he was very lucky to survive the war, considering his responsibility and fame. After the war he had his own carpentry business and lives in retirement with his wife at Pierrefontaine in good health. After much research we were able to trace and find HEINZ ROKKER, the Luftwaffe pilot who shot down Lancaster LM 206. We had a remarkable reunion at Neuf Chateau on September 14th 1999, where Thomas Harvell and Heinz Rokker met for the first time. It was a civic event with official invitation from the town mayor. A visit was made to the cemetery where the five Lancaster crew members are buried and HEINZ ROKKER laid a wreath on behalf of the german Nightfighters Pilots Association. This was followed by a speech at the town hall. A magnificent feast finished the event at the restaurant next to DOMREMY. Combat Over Domremy by Graeme Lothian. Click For Details DHM1113
Günther Rall leading 111 JG52 squadron April 1943. Caucasus Dawn by Graeme Lothian. Click For Details DHM1114
Major Rudolf Rudi Sinner of STAB.III/JG7 attacking B-17s of 91st Bomb Group during March 1945. Attacking in a Kette of three aircraft from behind and below targeting the tailenders and rising over the B-17s. Avoiding any debris and evading the incoming fighter escort, who are dropping down from their top cover positions. Rudolf Sinner acheived a total of 39 victories, including two in the Me262. Defenders of the Reich by Graeme Lothian. Click For Details DHM1156
Rittmeister Karl Bolle Commander Jasta 2 early 1918. Alone in a Winter Sky - Fokker Triplane DR1 by David Pentland. Click For Details DHM1191
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 mounted 20mm MGFF/M canon and a further 20mm MGFF/M canon ,ounted in the engine, firing centrally through the propeller spinner. Nearest aircraft is that of the 109s greatest exponent, Major Adolf Galland, Gruppenkommander III/JG26 Schlageter, Luftflotte 2, depicted during a sortie from Caffiers, France in 1942. Adolf Galland / Messerschmitt Bf109 E-4 by Ivan Berryman Click For Details DHM1321
Junkers JU87 R-1 Stukas find a gap in the cloudbase en route to their target during the Norwegian Campaign of 1941. Dawn Raiders by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1405
Following the initial parachute drops at Maleme (West) and Canea (Middle) Group East, comprising of Fallschirmjager Regiment 1 and 2nd battalion FJR2, prepared for their descent on Crete. Charged with the capture of Heraklion and its aerodrome, their departure was postponed until late afternoon due to the repairs and refuelling needed for the returning Junker 52 transports. The Second Wave, Greece, 20th May 1941 by David Pentland. Click For Details DHM1412
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. In For The Kill by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1427
A German Albatross D-III sees off a Bristol Fighter among the clouds over the Western Front, early in 1917. The D-III was a massive improvement over the monoplanes of the time, possessing greater manoeuvrability, a higher ceiling and synchronized guns. Many German aces thought this the best fighter of the First World War. One in the Bag by Ivan Berryman Click For Details DHM1455
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. Baron Von Richthofen, March 1918 by Chris Collingwood. Click For Details DHM1457
The air battle that took place above the trenches of France on the evening of 23rd September 1917 was to go down in history as one of the most extraordinary dogfights ever. The young German ace Werner Voss found himself engaged with no fewer than eleven SE5s of 56 Sqn, among them British aces such as James McCudden and Arthur Rhys Davids. Hugely outnumbered, the brave Voss saw off several British aircraft with his amazing airmanship and accuracy of fire. Again and again he could have fled the scene due to his Triplanes superior rate of climb, but his attacks were insistent and deadly. His final moments came when Rhys Davids found himself on the tail of Voss and fired both his Lewis and Vickers guns into the little turqoise Triplane which was seen to drift toward the ground, his aircraft inverting before impact, killing Voss instantly. The painting shows Voss distinctive pre-production Fokker F. 1, with the yellow nose of Jasta 10, being pursued by the SE5 of Rhys Davids while, high above,a Spad is helping to keep a gaggle of Albatross DVs at bay. Last Dogfight of Werner Voss by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1458
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. Seeing Red by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1518
Bathed in the low winter sun over southern England, Gotha G.V.s are attacked by defending Sopwith Camels as the German bombers penetrate the south-eastern counties en route to London. This was, effectively, the first Battle of Britain, staged during the winter of 1917/18, during which the intruders were frequently repelled, their bomb loads falling harmlessly on English soil. Gotha G. V. by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1542
A Bristol Fighter attempted to intercept a single giant Zeppelin Staaken R.IV bomber as it approached the heart of the capital. The Brisfit failed to stop the raider and R-39, with Hauptmann Richard Bentivegni, (commander of 501 Squadron) aboard, flew on unhindered to its target. Shadow Over London, England, 28th January 1918 by David Pentland. Click For Details DHM1544
Max Immelmanns Fokker E.1(E13/15) shooting down a Vickers Gunbus during the Summer of 1915. Immelmann is characteristically already scouring the sky above for his next victim. Max Immelmann by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1565
Hauptmann Oswald Boelcke was a shining example of everything that a fighter pilot should be, but his real legacy was his set of rules – Dicta Boelcke – that he devised for air combat, outlining techniques and tactics that became the standard for many generations of fighter pilots to come. He is shown in the aircraft in which he lost his life on 28th October 1916 when his all-black Albatross D.I was involved in a collision with his own wingman. Boelckes final tally was 40 victories. Oswald Boelcke by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1571
The Fokker DR.1 Triplane (213/17) of Fritz Kempf swoops on a pair of unsuspecting Sopwith Camels whilst on patrol over the Western Front in 1917. Kempfs practise of having his name painted across the top wing of his aircraft was supplemented by the taunt Do You Remember Me? on the mid wing. His aircraft is depicted in the colours worn by Jasta Boelcke of the Imperial Air Service. Ltn Fritz Kempf by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1575
Wearing one of the most distinctive colour schemes of World War One, Germanys second highest scoring ace after Manfred Von Richthofen was the charismatic Ernst Udet with 62 victories to his credit. His brightly coloured Fokker D.VII carried the initials of his girlfriend (LO) on the side of his aircraft and the inscription Du Noch Nicht! (Not You Yet!) on the upper tail surfaces. Udet was badly wounded in September 1918 and did not fly in combat again, but survived the war, only to commit suicide in 1941. Oberleutnant Ernst Udet by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1577
DHM1578. Oberleutnant Hermann Goring by Ivan Berryman. Synonymous with both World Wars, the young Hermann Goring scored his first victory on 16th November 1915, shooting down a Maurice Farman over Tahure. A year later, he was injured in combat, but managed to land his bullet-riddled aircraft near a field hospital. Goring steadily increased his score to an eventual 22 victories and is shown here on patrol in his characteristic all-white Fokker D.VII. Oberleutnant Hermann Goring by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1578
Albatros DIII of Godwin Brumowski about to shoot down a Caquot balloon. Oberleutnant Godwin Brumowski by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1581
The Jasta was part of the Flying Circus, and one of the first units to receive and be fully equipped with the new Pfaltz DIII aircraft. In their capable hands this elegant aircraft proved an effective weapon. Jasta 10, Northern France Early September 1917 by David Pentland. Click For Details DHM1583
Germays greatest exponent of the Fokker Dr1 Triplane, Leutnant Josef Jacobs is depicted chatting with colleagues of Jasta 7 before a sortie in the spring of 1918. His black Triplane became well known to allied pilots, not least because of his formidable kill rate. By the end of the war, still aged just 24, Jacobs had claimed 48 enemy aircraft destroyed. The unusual practice of applying the black cross to the upper sides of the lower wings was to counter friendly fire from other German aircraft who frequently mistook the Dr1 for a Sopwith Triplane. Leutnant Josef Jacobs by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1584
Formidable commander of Jasta Boelcke, Karl Bolle, breaks off the attack on a 73 Sqn Sopwith Camel as its fuel tank begins to ignite - another undeniable victory in a career which saw him take an eventual 36 confirmed kills. The yellow band on the fuselage paid homage to his former unit, flanked by the black and white Prussian stripes Bolles Fokker DR.1 also sported an Oigee telescopic gunsight mounted between the guns. he survived two World Wars and died in Berlin in 1955. Rittmeister Karl Bolle by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1586
On the evening of 7th May 1917, a fierce battle took place involving aircraft of Jasta 11 and 56 Sqn RFC, the former led by the brother of the Red Baron, Lothar von Richthofen. As the sun dipped beneath the heavy clouds, most expected the dogfight to break off in the fading light, but an extraordinary duel between the RFCs Captain Albert Ball and Lothar von Richthofen broke out, the two aircraft flying directly at each other, firing continuously, then turning and repeating the manoeuvre. Lothars all red Albatross was damaged, but landed safely. Albert Balls SE5, however, was seen by observers to fall through the heavy cloudbase inverted, before crashing heavily, fatally wounding Ball. Oberleutnant Lothar Freiherr von Richthofen by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1587
Victory No 26 for Josef Mai was a 64 Squadron SE5.A on 5th September 1918, here falling victim to the guns of the aces zebra-striped Fokker D.VII 4598/18 of Jasta 5. By the end of the war, his total had risen to 30 aircraft destroyed, Mai himself collecting a number of decorations, among them the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class. Surviving the Great War, it is believed that he became a flying instructor for the Luftwaffe during World War II, finally being laid to rest in 1982, aged ninety four. Leutnant Josef Mai by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1589
Aircraft of Jasta 10 prepare to taxi out for a dawn patrol, led by the fearless Leutnant Werner Voss in his Fokker F1 103/17 in September 1917. Arguments still rage concerning the colour of the engine cowling on his Triplane. Certainly, when the aircraft was delivered, its upper surfaces were painted factory finish streaked green and, it is recorded that it was flown as delivered with Voss personal mechanic noting that no extra painting was undertaken, aside from Voss Japanese kite face which occupied the nose. However, research shows that by the time of Voss death on 23rd September 1917, after his epic battle with SE5s of 56 Sqn, the cowling was probably yellow in keeping with all Jasta 10 aircraft. Renowned by pilots from both sides for his bravery and extraordinary abilities with his diminutive Triplane, the young ace scored a total of 48 confirmed victories before being brought down by Lieutenant Rhys Davids on the very day that he was due to go on leave. The Fokker F1 differed from the production DR.1 in detail only, Voss machine being fitted with a captured 110hp Le Rhone engine, his aircraft not being fitted with the outer wing skids common to the DR.1. Leutnant Werner Voss by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1594
No World War 1 pilot is better known than Manfred Von Richthofen, the Red Baron, and few pilots were greater exponents of the little Fokker DR.1 Triplane in which he scored nineteen of his eighty victories. In fact, only one of the DR.1s flown by von Richthofen was painted all-over Red. In April 1918, 127/17 was his mount, this machine being depicted here shortly after take off in company with other Jasta 11 pilots of his notorious Flying Circus. Among this formation are: Ltn Eberhardt Mohnicke, Ltn Hans Joachim Wolff, Rittm Manfred von Richthofen and his brother Ltn Lothar von Richthofen. The Flying Circus soubriquet was appended by the British and Canadian forces and was never used by von Richthofen or Jasta 11 themselves, but the sight of the red-nosed Triplanes as they joined battle in the skies above France signaled to Allied pilots a tough battle ahead. Von Richthofens Flying Circus by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1595
The extraordinary Taube (or Dove) was extensively used by the Germans as a reliable, stable observation and reconnaissance aircraft as late as 1916, despite its archaic appearance. The Taube type first flew in Austria in 1909, the brainchild of Dr Igo Etrich and employed the early method of directional control known as differential wing-warping, instead of possessing ailerons and elevators. This version was powered by a Mercedes 6-cylinder inline engine and is a two-seat variant, much favoured by the Germans. Etrich Taube by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1609
After firing their RM4 rockets against B24s of 448 BG, Lt. Fritz Muller (white 7) and wingman Lt. Fredrich W Shenk break hard right to go around again. Me262 1As of 3rd Gruppe JG7 by Randall Wilson. (GL) Click For Details DHM1616
Messerschmitts from Stabb 111/JG53 patrolling over Germany in the last days of WW2, piloted by Lt. Bernard Ernst Dieter April 1945. Bf109 K-4 by Randall Wilson. (GL) Click For Details DHM1619
Of similar configuration, but usually outclassed by its British contemporary, the Bristol F2b, the Luft-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft LVG was essentially a strong and stable observation aircraft that served widely during World War 1. On 21st May 1917, this example became the victim of the guns of Sergeant John H Jones, contributing to his eventual tally of 15 victories. Here, his pilot that day, Captain W G Mostyn, has already had a squirt using his forward-firing Vickers gun before manoeuvring their 22 Sqn machine into position for Jones to finish the job with his twin Lewis guns. Sergeant John H Jones and pilot Captain W G Mostyn, Bristol F2b Fighter claiming a Luft-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft LVG by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1622
When pilots took off from the respective airfields in the 1914/18 war, they would rarely know what lay ahead. For Otto Kissenberth, the 12th October 1916 was to be a baptism of fire. Flying Fokker D.II 540/16, he scored his first three victories in quick succession, shooting down two Maurice Farmans and a Breguet V, as shown here. Unusual among fighter pilots of the time for the simple reason that he wore spectacles, Kissenberth went on to score an eventual 20 victories and survived the war, only to be killed whilst mountaineering in 1919. Oberleutnant Otto Kissenberth by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1627
An early star of Jasta 1, von Keudell is depicted here in his Halberstadt D.III, (instantly identifiable by his initial K on the fuselage side) as he drifts into position to exploit the blindspot of a Vickers Gunbus, late in the day in 1916. Von Keudells closing tally was 11 confirmed victories, but a possible 12. Leutnant Hans von Keudell by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1637
The legend of Willie Messerschmitts Me262, and the elite fighter Aces who piloted this revolutionary jet aircraft, is as secure as any born during the Second World War. As they hurtled into the air, climbing at speeds hitherto unknown, a small group of seasoned pilots heralded a new generation of combat aircraft that would extend into the 21st century. At the spearhead of this new era in combat flying was the mercurial fighter leader Adolf Galland. Sacked for opposing the naive tactics of Luftwaffe supremo Hermann Goering, Galland found himself, as a General, once again leading a squadron of fighters into battle. Although too late to change the spectre of imminent defeat, this tiny group of highly decorated Aces fought a courageous rearguard action during the final Defense of the Reich. Seen blasting off an airfield in Bavaria are four Me262s, led by General Adolf Galland. Glistening in the damp air these sleek fighters are on full power in their rush to climb to altitude. Within minutes they will attack an incoming mass formation of B-17s and B-24s. Below, the roads and buildings reflect the sunlight between the scattered clouds of a departing storm. In Defense of the Reich by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM1640
On December 16th 1944, Hitler mounted the largest offensive in the west since 1940. It was his last desperate offensive of World War II. With Germanys industrial heartland in ruins, its factories pulverised by Allied air raids, and opposing armies advancing on two fronts, the Third Reich appeared on the verge of collapse. The sudden and fierce reposte caught the Allied forces by surprise, forcibly demonstrating Germanys ability and will to continue the war. It was the Fuhrers last great gamble, and when American and British forces recovered to smash the brutal offensive, Hitler had spent the last energies of his crumbling empire. That final, desperate assault became known as the Battle of the Bulge. At dawn on December 26th, pilots of the 1st and 4h Staffels of 1./Gruppe JG26 took off to provide cover for the forward Panzer divisions, which were coming under attack from P51 ground attack fighters. Although flying brand new Focke-Wulf Fw190Ds, on take off they immediately lost contact with their controllers, forcing the Gruppe to adopt Free Hunt tactics. It made no difference, they quickly found the opposition! This painting captures the Fw190s of JG26 at full tilt, as they power across the spectacular winter landscape in the Ardennes. Flying at tree top height to avoid radar detection, the Luftwaffe pilots hurtle above German tanks and trucks lumbering towards the battlefront. The early morning glow glistens in the crisp morning snow bringing an air of serenity to a poignant and historic scene. Winter Wolves by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM1643
With his personal emblem of black and white fuselage band adorning his Fokker E.V, 153/18, Richard Wenzl briefly commanded Jasta 6, based at Bernes in August 1918, and claimed a modest 6 victories during his career with JG 1. The Fokker E.V was both fast and manoeuvrable, but a series of engine and structural failures meant that these exciting new machines saw only brief service before being re-worked to emerge as the D.VIII, sadly too late to make any impression on the war. Wenzl is shown here in combat with Sopwith Camels of 203 Sqn, assisted by Fokker D.VIIs, which served alongside the E.Vs of Jasta 6. The D.VII shown is that of Ltn d R Erich Just of Jasta 11, also based at Bernes. Leutnant d R Richard Wenzl by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1644
The Fokker E II of Leutnant Kurt Freiherr von Crailsheim of FFA 53 is shown in formation with his wingman in a similar aircraft. Von Crailsheims aircraft bears his personalised markings of yellow, black and white diagonal bars on the fuselage, thought to represent his Military Merit Medal combined with the black and white of Prussia. The cross on the fuselage sides was applied in an unusually forward position. FFA 53 was based at Monthois late in 1915 and it was from this location that von Crailsheim made his final flight in this aircraft on 30th December. Kurt von Crailsheim by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1645
Mystery still surrounds just why Manfred von Richthofen risked so much in chasing the novice pilot Wilfred Wop May into Allied-occupied territory on the morning of Sunday, 21st April 1918, but it was to be his last flight, this error of judgement costing him his life. Von Richthofen had broken from the main fight involving Sopwith Camels of 209 Sqn to chase Mays aircraft, but found himself under attack from the Camel of Captain Roy Brown. All three aircraft turned and weaved low along the Somme River, the all red Triplane coming under intense fire from the ground as well as from Browns aircraft. No one knows exactly who fired the crucial bullet, but Manfred von Richthofens aircraft was seen to dive suddenly and impact with the ground. The Red Baron was dead and his amazing run of 80 victories was over. The painting shows Mays aircraft (D3326) in the extreme distance, pursued by DR.1 (425/17) and Browns Camel (B7270) in the foreground. Captain Roy Brown engages the Red Baron, 21st April 1918 by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1646
The distinctive black-fuselaged Albatross D.V of Jasta 12s commander taxis out for take off behind the similar machine of Leutnant d R Friedrich Hochstetter at Roucourt, late in 1917. Whilst all of Jasta 12s aircraft possessed black tails, many of them bore their pilots personalised insignia painted large on the fuselage sides. In the case of Hochstetter, it was a stacked shot emblem, whilst others sported castles, diagonal crosses or various geometric shapes. The origin of Schobingers light blue design is unknown, but may have been applied purely for recognition purposes. His final tally was eight victories, while Hochstetter scored just one. Leutnant d R Viktor Schobinger by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1649
The aerial battle of 21st April 1918 was notable for involving two young novice pilots, each from opposing sides, and their part in the events that followed was as significant as it was tragic. Both William Wop May and Wolfram Ulf von Richthofen had been instructed to stay out of trouble, to remain on the very outskirts should a battle occur and simply get used to being in the sky with so many other aircraft. Delighted to have been assigned to Jasta 11 under the custodianship of his older, eminent cousin, Manfred, Wolfram was eager to cut his teeth and show that he, too, could get the job done. Both he and May kept a watchful vigil over proceedings from a safe distance as battle was joined between the red-nosed Fokker DR.1s of Jasta 11, the green-tailed Albatrosses of Jasta 5 and the RFC Sopwith Camels of 209 Squadron. Somehow, whether through carelessness or the adrenalin rush of the moment, Wolfram flew his Fokker tantalisingly close to Mays Camel who immediately gave chase, sensing that an easy first kill might just be a possibility. May quickly realised that all was not well, however, finding his guns jammed and unable to fire. He quickly broke off the attack and swooped away, but his actions had caught the attention of Manfred von Richthofen who, although engaged in a battle of his own, had been keeping a watchful eye over his young charge. The red Triplane now latched onto the tail of Mays helpless Camel and a lurid chase began along the Somme River, a chase from which the Red Baron would not return. The young Wolfram went on to become an ace, scoring all of his eight victories in the closing months of the war, was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd and survived to be a major force in Hitlers Luftwaffe in World War Two. He was eventually taken prisoner and spent his last months in an American PoW camp where he died of a brain tumour in 1945. Leutnant Wolfram von Richthofen by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1652
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 Luftwaffe attacks on Arctic Convoys from Britain to the vital Russian ports of Murmansk and Archangel. With such unpredictably harsh weather it was a life or death battle fought under extreme conditions. For the pilots of JG5 - Eismeer, the Polar Sea Group, the sun never set during the long summer months, and due to constant fog and storms it was often impossible for pilots to return to base, often diverting to other airstrips. But their darkest moment came in December 1944 when their Kommodore, Heinrich Ehrler, one of the Luftwaffes most brilliant fighter leaders, was made a scapegoat following the sinking of the German battleship Tirpitz in a Norwegian fjord. Despite holding the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and nominated for the Swords, he was convicted. High in the Arctic Circle a bitter war of attrition was fought in freezing, unforgiving conditions, the desperate conflict played out against a majestic, awe-inspiring backdrop of beautiful ice-clad mountains. Richard Taylors spectacular painting portrays the Me109s of 6./JG5 led by Oberleutnant Heinrich Ehrler, while based at Petsamo in Finland, as they soar high above the towering peaks of ice capped mountains glistening in the cold polar air, March 1943. Their dawn patrol keeps constant vigil along the glacial fjords of the Norways far-northern coastline, as the majestic vista gives the battle-hardened Me109 pilots a brief moment of tranquility far removed from the grim and bitter battles being fought below. Arctic Hunters by Richard Taylor. Click For Details DHM1653
Shown in the colours of Jasta Boelke and carrying Baumers personal red / white / black flash on the fuselage, Fokker DR.1 204/17 was the aircraft in which he scored many of his 43 victories. Although the Sopwith Triplane had been withdrawn from service, German pilots frequently found their DR.1s being mistakenly attacked by their own flak batteries and, sometimes, by other pilots. For this reason, in march 1918, Baumers aircraft bore additional crosses on the centre of the tailplane and on the lower wings to aid identification. For some reason, his rudder displayed what appeared to be an incomplete border to the national marking. Nicknamed Der Eiserne Adler – The Iron Eagle – Paul Baumer survived the war, but died in a flying accident near Copenhagen whilst testing the Rohrbach Rofix fighter. He is shown in action having just downed an RE.8 while, above him, Leutnant Otto Lofflers DR.1 190/17 banks into the sun to begin another attack. Leutnant Paul Baumer by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1659
No one will ever know exactly what caused Max Immelmanns demise, but what is known is that his propeller was seen to disintegrate, which caused a series violent oscillations that ripped the Fokker E.III apart, the tail breaking away before the wings folded back, trapping the young German ace in his cockpit. The popular belief is that his interrupter gear malfunctioned, causing him to shoot away part of his own propeller, but British reports attribute Immelmanns loss to the gunnery of Cpl J H Waller from the nose of FE.2b 6346 flown by 2Lt G R McCubbin on Sunday, 18th June 1916. Immelmann was flying the spare E.III 246/16 as his own E.IV had been badly shot up earlier that day. Immelmanns Last Flight by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1660
During a patrol on 6th July 1918, Christiansen spotted a British submarine on the surface of the Thames Estuary. He immediately turned and put his Hansa-Brandenburg W.29 floatplane into an attacking dive, raking the submarine C.25 with machine gun fire, killing the captain and five other crewmen. This victory was added to his personal tally, bringing his score to 13 kills by the end of the war, even though the submarine managed to limp back to safety. Christiansen survived the war and went on to work as a pilot for the Dornier company, notably flying the giant Dornier Do.X on its inaugural flight to New York in 1930. He died in 1972, aged 93. Kapitanleutnant zur See Friedrich Christiansen by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1672
Designed by Hugo Junkers, the J.1 was the worlds first all-metal aircraft to go into mass production and proved very successful in its intended role as an observation and ground attack aircraft. The sheer strength of its structure and mass of load-bearing struts eliminated the need for bracing wires and the outer portions of the wings were not linked by interplane struts, affording the observer / gunner a clear field. The crew and engine were protected from ground fire with 5mm armour plate, all of which added to the considerable weight of the J.1, which suffered with relatively poor performance as a consequence. It was powered by a 200hp Benz BZ.IV inline engine and well over 200 of this innovative machine were put into service during 1918. Junkers J.1 by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1673
Replacing Ewald Blumenbach as commander of Jasta 12 in May 1917, Hermann Becker continued his impressive scoring rate utilising the superb Siemens-Schuckert D.IV fighter, shown here in Beckers distinctive blue and white livery. One of the most advanced fighters of World War 1, this aircraft was possessed of an incredible rate of climb, taking just some 12 minutes to reach 16,000ft and having an operational ceiling of 26,240ft. Becker is depicted here claiming one of the many Spads that he shot down on his way to a final victory total of 23, all of them with Jasta 12. Leutnant Hermann Becker by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1677
Albatros C.III C.766/16 was among the most distinctively-painted aircraft of World War 1, its fuselage sides decorated with a dragon motif on the starboard side and a stylised crocodile on the other, both apparently chasing a tiny white biplane. This was the aircraft shared by Erwin Bohme and his observer, Leutnant Ladermacher while serving with Jasta 10 on the Eastern Front in August 1916. Bohme was soon chosen to fly with the great Oswald Boelke with Jasta 2, the latter being tragically killed in a collision with Bohme on 28th October during an aerial combat with DH.2s of 24 Sqn. This tragedy haunted Bohme for many months to come, but he went on to score 24 confirmed victories before falling victim to an FK.8 on 29th September 1917. Their Albatros C.III is shown picking off a Russian Nieuport 12, his first kill on 2nd August 1916. Leutnant der Reserve Erwin Bohme by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1682
The formidable Me262s of JV44 fly above the clouds in 1945. JV44 - Kette of Swallows by Graeme Lothian. Click For Details DHM1694
Hannes Truatloft is shown here leading Fw190s of JG54 over the Russian Front. Hannes Trautloft is one of the Luftwaffes great fighter leaders, scoring his first air victory in the Spanish Civil War in August 1936. Returning to Germany in 1937 he joined the national aerobatics team flying the Me109. Soon after the outbreak of World War II, Hannes took command of I./JG20 taking part in the Battle of Britain, before moving to the Balkans as Kommodore of JG54. Now leading the group on the Russian Front, JG54 took part in the heavy fighting, first in the Me109, then the Fw190. In the summer of 1943 Hannes Trautloft joined General Gallands staff. As a mutineer he was sacked by Goering, thus ending an illustrious combat career comprising 550 combat missions and 57 aerial victories. Hannes Trautloft by Graeme Lothian. Click For Details DHM1696
Adolf Galland fought in the great Battles of Poland, France and Britain, leading the famous JG26 Abbeville Boys. He flew in combat against the RAFs best including Douglas Bader, Bob Stanford Tuck and Johnnie Johnson. In 1941, at the age of 29, he was promoted to Inspector of the Fighter Arm. In 1942 Hitler personally selected Galland to organise the fighter escort for the Channel Dash mission. He became the youngest General in the German High Command but open disagreements with Hermann Goering led to his dismissal at the end of 1944. He reverted to combat flying, forming the famous JV44 wing flying the Me262 jet fighter, and was the only General in history to lead a squadron into battle. With 104 victories, all in the West, Adolf Galland received the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. Adolf Galland by Graeme Lothian. Click For Details DHM1697
Droning over the coast en route to another night attack on mainland Britain, the Zeppelins top gun platform goes into action as BE.2 fighters wheel around the gas-filled giants, trying desperately to fire their Brock, Pomeroy and Sparklet ammunition into the volatile gasbags that lay beneath the Zeppelins skin. Often freezing cold, always vulnerable, the defensive gunners occupied a tiny, sunken recess on the very top of the airship, shielded from the buffeting winds only by a shallow screen and their thick leather flying suits. Just a handrail and a shallow step lay between them and a vertiginous drop over the rolling sides of their massive craft. Their air-cooled Parabellum MG.14 machine guns did little to repulse their attackers, whilst the great Zeppelins offered themselves as huge, bloated targets for ground artillery as well as the brave pilots of the RFC. Zeppelin Gunners by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1699
Pioneers of wooden fuselages, LFG Roland honed their considerable skills in fighter design throughout World War 1, culminating in the excellent D.VI as depicted here in the capable hands of Vfw Emil Schape as he and his Jasta 33 wingman bear down on a lone SE.5 in September 1918. Schape went on to score an impressive 18 victories, all but one of them with Jasta 33. Only 150 examples of the Roland D.VI found their way to the Jastas, the type being overshadowed by the Fokker D.VII and Pfalz D.XII, but its beautifully shaped planked fuselage made it a robust opponent that was capable of absorbing all the rigours of front line service. Vfw Emil Schape by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1700
Just as the name Zeppelin had become the common term for almost every German airship that ventured over Britain, so the name Gotha became generically used for the enemy bombers that droned across the English Channel during 1917-1918, inflicting considerable damage to coastal ports and the capital. As the massed raids of Bombengeschwader 3 increased, a public inquiry in England brought about the formation of the Royal Air Force as an independent service to counter this new threat and fighters from Europe were brought home to defend against these marauding giants. As a result, heavy losses on the German side meant that daylight raids had to be abandoned and all operations were henceforth conducted by night. Here, a pair of Gotha G.Vs begin to turn for home as searchlights play fruitlessly over distant fires, the grim result of another successful nights work. Gothas Moon by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1704
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 Friedrichs from III Gruppe take off into early morning sunshine to act as fighter escort to Stuka attacks on the Soviet fleet in Kronstadt Harbour. With its wheel covers removed to prevent snow jamming the undercarriage, lead aircraft Yellow 5 already shows signs of weathering to the partial whitewash hastily applied over summer camouflage. Green Hearts by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1705
A pair of Focke Wulf 190A4s of 9./JG2 Richthofen based at Vannes, France during February 1943. The nearest aircraft is that of Staffelkapitan Siegfried Schnell. The badge on the nose is the rooster emblem of III./JG2 and the decoration on Schnells rudder shows 70 of his eventual total of 93 kills. Looking for Business by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1706
The LFG Roland D.VI did not enjoy the success of its contemporaries, the Fokker D.VII and Pfalz D.XII, but was nonetheless a potent and capable fighter. Its unique Klinkerrumpf fuselage construction made it both lightweight and robust although, despite its qualities, it was not built in large numbers. This particular example, a D.VIa, is shown chasing down a damaged Sopwith Camel whilst being flown by Gefreiter Jakob Tischner of Jasta 35b. Tischner later wrote off this aircraft in a landing accident when he rolled into a parked Pfalz D.III, destroying both machines. Gefreiter Jakob Tischner - Roland D.VIa by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1727
Opening his victory tally by shooting down a Sopwith Camel in July 1917, von Boenigk proved himself to be a fine airman and a keen marksman by claiming a further five enemy aircraft by the end of that year. He continued to score steadily until the wars end, being credited with an eventual 26 kills. He went on to serve in the Luftwaffe during World War II, attaining the rank of Major-General, but was taken prisoner by the Russians in 1945 and died in captivity the following year. He is shown here in Pfalz D.III 1936/17 whilst serving with Jasta 4, whose aircraft were immediately recognisable by the black spiral ribbon applied to their fuselages. Von Boenigk is believed to have scored seven of his victories in this machine. Oberleutnant Oskar Freiherr von Boenigk by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1748
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 southern England, and once again they have been locked in deadly combat with the Spitfires and Hurricanes of RAF Fighter Command. The Battle of Britain is reaching its climax and, for the first time, the Luftwaffe tastes defeat. This painting by Anthony Saunders brings to life a typical cameo from those long and arduous aerial contests, an Me109 from JG-26 has taken a hit during the fighting, the engine is overheating, and beginning to trail smoke. But the Squadron Commander, the legendary Adolf Galland, closes in to escort the stricken fighter back across the Channel. Crossing the iconic white cliffs of Dover, the drama has time to run. Homeward Bound by Anthony Saunders. Click For Details DHM1749
Though some 1400 of Germanys remarkable Me262 jet aircraft were built, fewer than 300 ever saw action during its short 10 month combat career, the 550 mph fighter-bomber arriving in service too late to make any impression on the course of the war. Most famous of all Me262 units was Jagdverband 44, commanded by General Adolf Galland. Instructed by Hitler to set up a small defensive fighter unit to make the most of the new Me262, Gallands JV44 attracted other top-scoring pilots, including top aces Macky Steinhoff and Walter Krupinski, and the unit soon became dubbed Gallands Squadron of Experts. Though doing their best to repel daylight attacks on jet production plants in Southern Germany, JV44 were fighting a losing battle. During a raid on 9 April 1945 the unit lost nine aircraft – a pattern that was to continue. Also, American fighter pilots, unable to catch the 262 in the air, found success taking the jets out as they took off or landed, catching them while at their most vulnerable. With the Allies driving deeper and deeper into Germany, production of aircraft, spares, fuel, and ammunition, steadily dried up. The point came when JV44, Gallands now legendary Squadron of Experts, finally ground to a halt. Running the Gauntlet shows Me262s of JV44 returning to base in southern Germany, having come under attack from P-51 Mustangs of the 353rd Fighter Group. Almost out of fuel and ammunition, the Me262s have little option but to complete their landing sequence, hoping fervently they are not bounced by American fighters loitering in the area. They are out of luck on this occasion, and although Galland has organised a unit flying Focke-Wulf Fw190D-9s to provide air cover in the area of the airfield, they too have been caught by the 353rd Fighter Groups surprise attack. At the relatively slow speed required on final approach, the Me262s handling is sluggish and the pilot is having enough trouble without the attentions of a bunch of P-51 pilots. At this point the JV44 Me262 remains unscathed, and with the arrival of the Fw190s, there is the possibility this particular jet pilot will survive the day. Running the Gauntlet by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM1751
The distinctive blue and red livery of these two Albatros D.Vs identify them as Jasta 18 machines in Berthold Colours, a reference to their commander at that time, Oblt Rudolf Berthold. The nearest aircraft is that of Leutnant der Reserve Paul Strahle who scored six victories with this unit before taking his aircraft (4594/17) with him to Jasta 57 where he would score a further 8. Each aircraft carried a personal emblem, in the case of Strahle a white axe whilst the similar aircraft of Ltn d R Arthur Rahn displays a diamond pattern. The fuselage crosses on both aircraft were crudely painted over and are still just visible beneath the blue.  Leutnant d R Paul Strahle by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1752
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 crossed the Channel with their grim-looking aircraft to terrorise the southern towns and ports of England. Robert Taylors painting Open Assault, depicts Hurricanes of 501 Squadron attacking a force of Ju87 Stukas as they dive-bomb naval vessels and installations in the port of Dover on 29 July 1940. High explosive bombs detonate within the sheltered anchorage as escorting Bf109s from JG51 race in to protect their lumbering charges. Four Stukas and two Me109s are despatched, for the loss of just one RAF aircraft. Open Assault by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM1753
Designed by the great Ernst Heinkel, the diminutive D.1 was an essential stop-gap that provided the Austro-Hungarian pilots with a front line fighter until they were able to re-equip with Albatros scouts in the Summer of 1917. This little aircraft performed well and was generally held in high regard by its pilots, although it did have some shortcomings, namely that forward vision was extremely limited and the Schwarzloses gun was completely concealed in the overwing pod that made it inaccessible in the air. Most unusual of all was its interplane strut arrangement, designed to reduce drag, which gave it the nicknames Starstrutter or Spider. These examples are shown passing above the German cruiser Derfflinger.  Brandenburg D.1 by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1754
Although not as well known as the Gotha series of bombers, the Allgemeine Elektricitats-Gessellschaft G.IV acquitted itself well in the closing stages of World War 1, although its limited fuel load restricted it to short range duties and reconnaissance missions. The G.IV was popular with its crews because it was extremely robust and featured such state of the art developments as onboard radios and electrically-heated flying suits and was an easy aircraft to fly. Kampfgeschwader 4 are specially noted for flying their G.IVs up to seven missions a night on the Italian front. AEG G.IV by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1755
DHM1761. Tribute to Erich Hartmann by Graeme Lothian. Tribute to Erich Hartmann by Graeme Lothian. Click For Details DHM1761
DHM1762. Tribute to Johannes Steinhoff by Graeme Lothian. Tribute to Johannes Steinhoff by Graeme Lothian. Click For Details DHM1762
Based on the two-seat Rumpler C.1, the 6.B was an elegant single-seat fighter with a top speed of 153 km/h and a range of four hours flying time. Armament was a single Spandau synchronised machine gun mounted on the port side of the Mercedes D.III engine. Quite modern-looking by the standards of the day, it was introduced into service in 1916, but large scale production was never undertaken and fewer than 100 examples of the 6.B-1 and 6.B-2 were built. The type did however enjoy a long service career with both the German and Finnish air forces, some serving until as late as the 1920s. Rumpler 6.B by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1771
With a wingspan of 42.2 metres, the mighty Zeppelin Staaken series of bombers were truly awesome, living up to their name Riesenflugzeug - Giant Aircraft. Unusually for this period, the crew compartment of the R VI was fully enclosed and the bomb load was carried internally. The four engines were mounted in tandem pairs, two pushing and two pulling, which eliminated the need for complex gearing, and the flight engineers sat in cockpits in the engine nacelles. This example is shown limping home, its rear port engine stopped and smoking, escorted by its Little Friend, an Albatros D.V. The painting shows the Staaken bomber is quite badly shot up. There are bullet holes all over the port wings, tailplane and rudder, as well as the engine trailing smoke from a small oil fire in the nacelle, which the engineer is keeping an eye on. Kleiner Freund - Zeppelin Staaken R.VI by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1785
Based upon the design of an earlier 1913 racing biplane, Aviatik AG were able to introduce their B.1 into military service almost at the outbreak of World War 1, the type proving to be a useful reconnaissance machine during the early stages of the conflict. As with most B type aircraft of this time, the Aviatik B.1 was unarmed and carried an observer in the forward cockpit. Power was provided by a Mercedes D.1 inline engine whose large radiators were fitted to the port side of the fuselage, just above the lower wing. There is no record of exactly how many B.1s were constructed. Aviatik B.1 by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1787
One of the few rules of aerial combat that were established in the First World War was to attack, where possible, with the sun behind you, thus using the element of surprise both to appear as if from nowhere and to blind your opponent to minimise retaliation. Just such a tactic has been successfully employed here as a DH.2 rakes the tail of Staffelfuhrer Hauptmann Rudolf Kleines Kasta 3 LFG Roland C.II as it returns from a patrol in the skies above northern France in 1916. Known affectionately as The Whale, the C.II was extensively streamlined and the positioning of the cockpits and wing cut-outs afforded both the pilot and observer unequalled views in all directions. Power was supplied by a 160hp Mercedes D.III engine and armament was a 7.92mm Spandau in front of the pilot and a 7.92mm Parabellum for the observer. Out Of The Sun – LFG Roland C.II by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1788
At the outbreak of World War 1, the true potential of the aeroplane as an observation and reconnaissance platform had yet to be fully realised and many types were hurriedly drafted in and put to good use. Whilst the ubiquitous and bird-like Etrich Taube accounted for almost half of Germanys compliment of observation aircraft, the Bavarian army adopted this pusher bipane designed and built by Gustav Otto of Munich. Based on a floatplane of similar configuration and powered by a Rapp engine, this basic machine helped to usher in a new age of aerial reconnaissance. The company of Gustav Otto Flugmuschinen-Werke was later to become AGO Flugzeugwerke GmbH (Actien – Gesellschaft Otto) Otto Pusher Type M by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1790
The Kaiserliche Marine operated a number of seaplane types during World War 1 of which the Friedrichshafen FF.33 was quite typical. Powered by a Benz Bz.III 150hp inline engine, this version was equipped with radio and a Parabellum gun for the observer in the rear cockpit, as well as a small bombload, which made it ideal for attacks on light coastal shipping. Friedrichshafen FF.33 by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1792
Fw190s of stab JG51 provide support to armour breaking out of the besieged Festung Konigsberg in East Prussia, February 1945 and are engaged by Yak 3s of the famed Normandie-Niemen Group. The determined action of the Wehrmacht opened a life-saving corridor to the Baltic and was one of their last significant tactical victories on the Eastern Front. Slowing the Red Tide by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM1796
In response to a German Navy requirement for a floatplane version of their successful G.1 bomber, Gotha produced just one example of the Ursinus Wasser Doppeldecker, or UWD. The aircraft proved to be easy to fly with good take off and landing characteristics and was capable of carrying a considerable payload. On an unknown date in 1916, the UWD took part in a raid on Dover with four Friedrichshafen FF.33s, inflicting some damage to military installations in the area and returning safely. Despite this, Gotha UWD no 120/15 was written off by the navy early in October that same year. No further examples were built. Gotha UWD by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1798
As the first rays of daylight spread their golden glow over the vast expanse of sky above the Russian Front, the menacing roar of heavily armed Bf110s of 6./ZGI shake the cold air around them as they prepare for a dawn strike against enemy ground targets deep inside Russian territory. Above them, their Me109 escorts, alert for danger, constantly scan the distant skies for any enemy intruders that may be on the prowl and waiting for them. It is high summer, 1942. On the ground the German summer offensive towards the Caucasus is now in full swing, and General Paulus with the 6th Army has begun the long advance that will eventually lead it to the gates of Stalingrad. The Luftwaffe is at full stretch, it too has a major part to play against stiffening Russian resistance. Dawn Strike by Richard Taylor. Click For Details DHM1800
At the outbreak of World War 1, AGO Flugzeugwerke GmbH had not endeared itself to the architects of the German war machine due to the flimsiness of some of its designs, coupled with poor workmanship. When the C.1 first appeared in 1915, it attracted little interest and yet went on to prove itself to be a robust and useful aircraft, its pusher design dispensing with the now traditional open framework to support the tail in favour of twin streamlined tailbooms. The observer / gunner in the nose enjoyed an unrivalled field of view, although the engines position immediately behind the pilot was always a concern in the event of a crash. This aircraft, LF181, transferred from the Fliegertrouppe to the navy in 1915 and was based at Nieuwmunster, shown here in an exchange with an FE.2b in the skies over Belgium. AGO C.1 by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1801
Set against a spectacular Alpine backdrop, a pair of Aviatik D.1s of Flik 17/D are shown on patrol in March 1918, the nearest aircraft being that of Zugsfuhrer F Korty-Lalitz. When first entering service, the D.1 was praised by its pilots for possessing an excellent climb rate and outstanding performance, but its woeful lack of synchronised armament and poor forward visibility compromised the D.1s ability to meet its enemies on equal terms, these examples being armed only with a single over-wing Schwarzlose M7/16 or M16 machine gun. F Korty-Lalitz, Aviatik D.1 by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1805
Erich Lowenhardt was already the holder of the Knights Cross 1st and 2nd Class for acts of bravery even before becoming a pilot. After serving as an observer for a year, he was eventually posted to Jasta 10 in 1917 where he immediately began to score victories, sending down balloons and enemy aircraft at a fearsome rate. He was appointed Commander of Jasta 10 one week before his 21st birthday, making him one the youngest pilots to rise to such a rank in the German Army Air Service. He continued to increase his score steadily throughout 1917 and 1918, but was involved in a mid-air collision with a Jasta 11 aircraft on 10th August. Lowenhardt elected to abandon his aircraft, but his parachute failed to deploy and the young ace fell to his death. He flew a number of aircraft, but this yellow-fuselaged Fokker D.VII was his most distinctive and is believed to be the aircraft in which he was killed. His final victory total was 54. Oberleutnant Erich Lowenhardt by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1808
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 victories, the Swords after 106 victories and the Diamonds after 172 victories. His final total at the end of the war stood at 212 victories, and he held the rank of Oberst. Tribute to Hermann Graf by Graeme Lothian. Click For Details DHM1809
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. Dawn Eagles Rising by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM1810
This unique piece is a pencil drawing of the Red Baron - Manfred von Richthofen - claiming one of his 80 victories, carefully added by the artist to an existing sheet of paper signed by the Red Baron himself. This rare signed sheet was acquired from a respected German military autograph company. The Red Baron (with original WW1 signature) by Ivan Berryman. (P) Click For Details DHM1812
On the morning of 21st April 1917, coastal airship No C.17 was on a routine patrol captained by Sub Lieutenant E G O Jackson, when sometime around 8.00am, she was attacked by German seaplanes and shot down. Such was their vulnerability that these huge battlebags were an easy target for marauding enemy scouts, their single Lewis guns achieving little by way of defence. The Hansa Brandenburg W.12, on the other hand, was a nimble and useful aircraft that the Germans put to good use in the coastal defence role. Hansa Brandenburg W.12 – Attack on the C.17 by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1813
The success of Operation Bodenplatte, on January 1, 1945, was to be achieved by mass surprise attacks on British and American bases in France, Belgium and Holland. It was a battle fought at great cost to the Luftwaffe. During the battles some 300 Luftwaffe aircraft were lost. Though 200 Allied aircraft were destroyed, most on the ground, pilot losses were light. Nicolas Trudgians brilliant painting takes us right into the action above the Allied air base at Eindhoven. Me262 jets join a concentration of Me109s and Fw190s of JG-3 fighter wing, as they hurtle across the airfield in an assault that lasted 23 minutes, while Spitfires from 414 Sqn RCAF do their best to repel the attack. On the ground Typhoon fighters of 439 Sqn take a hammering. Operation Bodenplatte by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2028
Nicolas Trudgians dramatic painting recreates a 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 the German positions at very low altitude. Responding with as many squadrons as they could muster, including Richthofens JG1 wing, there followed one of the largest dog-fights of the entire First World War. Seen 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. Richthofens Flying Circus by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2029
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 the Battle of Britain with 56 victories. Stormclouds Gather by Nicolas Trudgian Click For Details DHM2033
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 and one Spitfire, survived a forced crash-landing, and later a parachute escape from his blazing Me109. That evening he learned he was to become the first recipient of the Knights Cross with oak leaves and swords - Germanys highest award for heroism. Most Memorable Day by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2051
A Heinkel 219 and a Messerschmitt 110 of NJG-1 climbing out from their base a Munster Hansdorf, as they set out on a deadly mission. Ten aircraft took off to intercept a major raid on Dusseldorf, the night witnessing a fierce battle high above the darkened city. NJG-1 crews assisted with the downing of 19 RAF bombers, one Luftwaffe pilot being credited with no fewer than 6 victories that night. Below them the spectacular Ruhr Valley is vibrant in its mantle of winters first snowfall on the night of November 2, 1944 Into The Cloak of Darkness by Nicolas Trudgian Click For Details DHM2055
When the American Army reached the Rhine at Remagen on March 7, 1945, such was the speed of their advance, they arrived before the retreating Germans had time to blow the vital bridge. The Americans seized the bridge intact. Realising the threat to the German defences, the Luftwaffe were ordered into destroy the bridge at all costs. Desperate efforts were made to attack the bridge, and over the course of the following days the fighting became one of the legendary battles of the war. Two RAF Tempests have flown right through the Luftwaffe formation of Me262 and Arado 234 jets bombers, the high speed aircraft missing each other by feet. The concentration of the desperate attackers is broken momentarily, sufficiently so that their bombs miss the target - but more Luftwaffe aircraft can be seen streaming into attack Clash Over Remagen by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2109
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 emblem on their cowlings, they head for the battle front. Dragons of Colombert by Nicolas Trudgian Click For Details DHM2112
DHM2113. Fighter Legend - Adolf Galland by Nicolas Trudgian. Fighter Legend - Adolf Galland by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2113
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 his second victory of the day. Head to Head by Nicolas Trudgian Click For Details DHM2122
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 spectacular. As the aircraft lumbers across the impressive mountain scenery, members of the High Command can be seen in conference in the cabin, while crew in the cockpit concentrate on their special duties flight plan. Behind them, unprotected from the elements, a lone gunner keeps a watchful eye. The Ju52 became the Luftwaffes primary wartime transport aircraft, taking part in every German army land operation during World War II. Special Duties by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2145
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 JG-52 clash with Hurricanes of the RAFs No. 32 Squadron. Mackys Me109E, which dominates the picture, provides a magnificently detailed study of this superlative fighter, as he and his fellow Luftwaffe pilots do their best to protect the retreating Heinkels. Below is a wonderful panoramic aerial view of Dover Harbour, the legendary White Cliffs, and the carefully researched landscape showing the south-eastern tip of the British Isles as it was in 1940. Steinhoff Tribute by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2172
The Stuka when dressed for war was an awesome spectacle. Robert Taylors outstanding painting shows a formation of JU87s bombed up and fitted with long range tanks heading out on a shipping strike over the Mediterranean in 1941. Following its success in the Polish and French Blitzkrieg campaigns, the Stuka was seen by the German High Command as the supreme new weapon to succeed long range artillery. With its banshee-like wailing siren the Stuka pilots would deliver destruction from the skies and create a devastating psychological effect upon all those below. Stuka by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2173
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 victory tally is counted in 100s has got to be exceptional. That two of them achieved more than 300 air-to-air victories is pure phenomena. In paying tribute to Erich Hartmann and Gerhard Barkhorn, the only two fighter pilots ever to top the 300 victory mark, Nicolas Trudgian has painted a gripping combat scene being played out in the typically harsh environment where these two remarkable fighter aces achieved immortality. Both 300 Club members flew the majority of their combat missions with JG-52, the most successful fighter wing of WWII, where, on the Eastern Front they encountered and conquered every type of fighter including British built Spitfires and Hurricanes, the American Airacobra, and all the best Russian built fighters, including the Yak-9. Nicolas Trudgians quite stunning rendition brings to life the harsh reality of the air war on the Eastern Front in a scene from November 1944. Heading back from the Front, a German armoured column has come under attack from Russian LA7s as it files past a frozen Lake Balaton, in Hungary. Luftwaffe fighters from JG-52 have been called in, and the Me109s of Erich Hartman and Gerhard Barkhorn are seen engaging the attacking aircraft. Typical of this popular artists style, the picture is filled with detail authentic to the period, and with prints signed by leading fighter aces, all of whom fought alongside Hartmann and Barkhorn in JG-52, this new limited edition print provides a fitting tribute to historys two highest scoring fighter aces for enthusiasts of the era to add to their collections. Three Hundred Club by Nicolas Trudgian Click For Details DHM2262
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. Kursk - Clash of Steel by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2266
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. Looking for Trouble by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2270
Focke-Wulf FW 190. When this purposeful looking, squat, angular aircraft first appeared in the skies over France in 1941 it came as quite a shock and soon gained a reputation and the nickname Butcher Bird. A superb fighting machine, it served the Luftwaffe in many variants throughout the war. On the Prowl by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2271
Messerschmitt Me262. With a sleek shark-like fuselage, revolutionary swept back wings and Jumo turbine engines, it must have been a sight to see one autumn day in 1944 when seen for the first time. The 262 represented the Luftwaffes most potent air weapon during World War 2; however, not enough were produced in time to make a decisive difference to the outcome. Guardians of the Reich by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2272
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. The Black Tulip by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2302
DHM2424. Messerschmitt BF109E-3 by Keith Woodcock. Messerschmitt BF109E-3 by Keith Woodcock. Click For Details DHM2424
Set in a spectacular mountain scene, Nicolas Trudgians print records the last days of air combat as World War II drew to a close. The most feared of the Luftwaffes remaining units were those equipped with the remarkable Me262 fighter jet, but they were vulnerable to attack during take-off and landing. Commanding JV-44, General Galland countered the threat by employing Fw190 Dora 9s to fly top cover. Nicolas Trudgians painting depicts the colourful Fw190 of Hptm Waldermar Wubke of JV-44 as he prepared to scramble Red Three at Ainring airfield in may 1945. Mountain Wolf by Nicolas Trudgian Click For Details DHM2431
Leutnant Klaus Bretschneider, Staffelkapitan of 5./JG300 kicks up the dust as he taxies his Fw190 A-8 Red One from its forest hiding place into the sunlight in preparation for take-off. The scene is northern Germany, November 1944. The Staffelkapitan will lead his 190s in a massed sturm intercept upon incoming American bombers. With Allied fighters dominating the skies, Luftwaffe fighter units took desperate measures to conceal their whereabouts. Commonplace were these hurriedly prepared strips, often near dense forests. Timber Wolf by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2432
Herbert Ihlefelds personal He162 White 23 - the revolutionary Heinkel Peoples Fighter - on patrol with JG1.This aircraft was captured intact and is today preserved in the National Air & Space Museum in Washington DC. Jet Interceptor by Nicolas Trudgian Click For Details DHM2441
Arguably the most significant fighter leader of World War II, Adolf Galland took command of all German day and night fighters, but was in constant dispute with Luftwaffe supreme, Goering, who ultimately sacked him. Reinstated by Hitler, Galland returned to active combat in the final year of the war, commanding the legendary JV44 fighter wing, flying the Me262 jet. The great Adolf Galland ended the war as he had begun - flying fighters in daily combat, the only serving General ever to lead a combat wing in action. Gallands Me262s of JV-44 climbing to intercept a formation of B-17s in April, 1945. Jet Strike by Nicolas Trudgian (AP) Click For Details DHM2442
Messerschmitt Me110s and 109s of the Luftwaffes 210 Gruppe based at Calais-Marck in northern France, make a low-level run across the Kent countryside after a surprise attack on R.A.F. Biggin Hill, August 30, 1940 One - Tens Over Kent by Nicolas Trudgian Click For Details DHM2448
Hannes Trautloft in his FW190 leading his famous JG54 bring down a Russian Petlyakov Pe-2 on the Eastern Front in 1943. This dramatic painting is set in a superb winter landscape. Winter Combat by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2456
FW 190 A-8/R-8 Sturmbock no 681382 of Hauptmann Wilhelm Moritz stalks a formation of B-17 Flying Fortresses. Moritz led 4JG3, the Luftaffes first dedicated Sturmgruppe for seven months from April to November 44 before being relieved from exhaustion. He ended the war with over 44 victories.. Ramraiders by Robert Tomlin. Click For Details DHM2509
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was undoubtedly one of the most remarkable aircraft of the famous Century Series of American jet fighters. Sold to so many Air Forces around the world, it featured strongly in the inventories of most European countries but none more so than West Germany. A difficult learning curve gave the aircraft a bad reputation but once mastered it proved a formidable interceptor. The ultimate proof that the machine had been tamed was given from 1983 to 1986 by the German Navy Display Team The Vikings who thrilled crowds throughout Europe by demonstrating the surprising agility of the Starfighter in spectacular fashion. This picture commemorated their achievements and gives The Vikings their rightful place in the history of Aeorbatic Display Teams. The Vikings Legend by Robert Tomlin. Click For Details DHM2536
The weather on the morning of 31 December, 1944 was already unpleasant. In the Ardennes, hard-pressed German troops were battling Allied ground forces advancing through several inches of snow. Above, darkening skies heralded the arrival of more snow. At 10.45am, in deteriorating weather, a battle formation of 30 Fw190D fighters climbed out of Varrelbusch and headed south over the snowcovered landscape. Under the command of 12./JG54 Staffelkapitan, Oblt. Hans Dortenmann, and initially tasked to provide air cover to their beleaguered comrades below, the group was re-assigned to intercept enemy aircraft in the region of Limburg almost immediately the pilots were airborne. Flying south they ran directly into the oncoming weather, and with visibility dangerously reduced, Dortenmann elected to climb through the solid cloud into clear air. As the Fw190s broke cloud above the area of Koblenz they sighted a formation of nine 2nd Air Division B-24 Liberators and formed up for an attack. Some 6000 feet above, top-cover P-51 Mustangs had watched the Fw190s climbing through the banks of clouds, and turned 180 degrees to position behind the Luftwaffe fighters. Diving in from their height advantage, the Mustang pilots entered the fray and within seconds the sky was filled with swirling dogfights. Savage Skies by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2590
By late April 1945 most of the Third Reich had been cut to shreds by the advancing Allied forces and those units remaining intact were regrouping in southern Germany and Austria. With American advance units nearing the outskirts of Munich, on 28th April Adolf Galland took the decision to evacuate his precious jets to Salzburg, deep in the mountains. Bad weather prevented their departure until the following morning and they only just managed to escape under the noses of the encircling Americans. Galland had hoped to battle on with JV44 but the unsuitable mountain airfields prevented the famous fighter wing from doing much to delay the inevitable. So the beautiful Alpine meadows became the final resting place for what was potentially the most formidable fighter unit of the war. In just a few days the jets were left abandoned. Their short, exhilarating war, consigned to history. Alpine Thunder by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2600
Slow, frail, out-dated and hopelessly outnumbered, Gladiator biplanes of 112 Squadron RAF tenaciously throw themselves into the fray, attacking Luftwaffe fighter-bombers in the battle for Crete, in April 1941. This painting shows Me110Cs of II./ZG76, having attacked naval units off the coast of Crete in early May 1941, being bravely intercepted by two Gladiators of 112 Squadron. Heavily outnumbered, the best the RAF pilots can hope for is to disrupt the Luftwaffe formation. And this they continued to do until, literally, they had no more aircraft left! Operation Mercury by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2615
When Luftwaffe bombers first appeared in force in the night skies over London in September 1940 they heralded the beginning of The Blitz - the most sustained period of concentrated bombing aimed at British cities during World War II. Robert Taylors evocative painting brings to life the frightening scenario of the Luftwaffes night bombing campaign. It is December 1941, and London is once again under concentrated attack. With fires raging below, the armada of German bombers is clearly visible in the night sky as they sweep across the city. Shimmering in the glow of destruction, a lone Hurricane night-fighter from 85 Squadron, based at nearby Gravesend, engages Heinkel 111s of KG55 in a desperate attempt to break up the formations. Fury of Assault by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2627
Within two days of the D-Day Normandy invasion, on 8 June 1944 Commander of US Air Forces in Europe, General Carl Spaatz, ordered a massive new offensive to halt the supply of oil to the enemy forces. As top priority his bombers would henceforth concentrate their attacks on Germanys oil refineries. Those in range of air bases in England would feel the full force of the Eighth Air Force, while the installations further south in Romania, Hungary, and southern Germany would be attacked by bombers of the Fifteenth Air Force based in Italy. To add to the pressure, RAF Bomber Command was coordinated to attack the refineries in the Ruhr by night. As the huge mass of American bombers streamed into the daylight skies, the Luftwaffe quickly changed tactics to counter the potentially devastating threat with a new specialist tactic - the Sturmgruppe. Flying their redesigned and heavily armoured Sturmbocke Fw190A-8 heavy fighters, pilots of the newly formed IV Sturm/JG3 Gruppe were urgently assigned the task of attacking the vast bomber streams in an effort to protect the refineries. Escorted into battle by Me 109s to hold off any escorting American fighters, the Fw190s tactic was to make en-masse lightning attacks on carefully selected targets. With the American bomber formations spread over miles of sky, the Sturmgruppe aimed for the less well defended centre of the stream, attacking from the rear with concentrated cannon fire. With the pilots of IV Sturm JG3 sworn on oath to press home their attacks at the closest possible range, even ramming their targets if necessary to ensure a kill, these desperate tactics were to inflict considerable damage to the allied bomber offensive during the final year of the war. Ramraiders by Richard Taylor. Click For Details DHM2639
Nicolas Trudgians epic new release depicts Bf109Es of LG2 engaging No.19 Squadron Spitfires in an epic duel atop the white cliffs. High Summer High Battle by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2646
Nicolas Trudgian has painted an exquisitely detailed portrayal of I./JG54 Green Heart Warriors FW190A-4s taxiing out through the snow to sweep the skies above Krasnogvardeisk on the Russian Front in the winter of 1943. Snow Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2647
Arado Ar196 of the German battleship Graf Spee. Eyes of the Fleet by Simon Atack. Click For Details DHM2650
Even the most faithful of Messerschmitt Me 109 pilots that also flew the Focke-Wulf Fw190 grudgingly admitted the well-proportioned and aesthetically pleasing Fw190 was the finest single-seat fighter in the Luftwaffes armoury during World War II. Soon after its arrival on the Channel Front in 1941, when initial bugs were ironed out, this superb fighter came close to fighter design perfection by the standards of the day. Just as the Mk IX Spitfire held the mantle as Britains most outstanding combat fighter of the war, so was the Fw190 regarded by experienced Luftwaffe pilots. Within months of its operational debut the Fw190 was causing widespread consternation among RAF pilots, the new fighter equal to the Mk IX Spitfire in all but its ability in the tightest of turning circles. By 1944 the technically superb Fw190 came into its own in the great air battles against the USAAFs massed daylight raids. The defence of the Reichs western airspace rested on the shoulders of a few Jagdgschwarden who, against steadily increasing odds, were tasked with interception and destruction of the attacking American heavy bombers. Flying alongside the two established Channel fighter wings JG2 Richthofen and JG26 Schlageter, equipped with Fw190s and led by the great fighter ace Oberst Walter Oesau, JG1 joined the battle in defence of northern Germany. Nicolas Trudgians painting Storm Chasers depicts the Fw190As of I./JG1, distinguished by their distinctive black and white striped cowls, scrambling from the snow-covered Dortmund airfield on 10 February 1944 to intercept another inbound American daylight raid. Nicks dramatic view of this technically supreme fighter conveys its true class as it hurtles over the airfield, its undercarriage retracting as the Fw190 accelerates into the climb. Below, sharing the airfield with I./JGI, are the Fw190s of the newly formed Sturmstaffel 1, identified by their black-white-black tail bands, seen taxiing out to join in the interception. Despite bad weather conditions the Luftwaffes defending fighters scored heavily that day, inflicting severe losses on the Americans, claiming 29 bombers and 8 fighters shot down in the action. Storm Chasers by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2658
The pilots of I Gruppe JG-1 were up early on August 17, 1943. It5 was high summer, and even as the first streaks of light appeared in the sky to the east, four pilots got airborne out of Deelan, Holland, and headed for the coast. It was the first routine reconnaissance of the morning.  By 0730 German listening services were picking up signals indicating large formations of enemy aircraft assembling to the west of Great Yarmouth, South East England. By 0800 it was clear to the German interceptor fighter groups stationed in Holland that this was going to be no ordinary day. Shortly after 0930 the first wave of a force of some 375 B-17s and B-24s, heavily escorted by fighters, started crossing the Dutch coast south of the Scheldt estuary, their destination Schweinfurt and Regensburg. They were shadowed by the German fighters of 1, 2 & 3 Gruppe along their entire route over Europe. When the Allied fighter escort turned back at the limit of their range, the Luftwaffe fighters made their attack. It was the start of a day of incessant aerial combat which raged all the way across Holland, Belgium and Germany, and all the way back to the coast again as the Americans returned to England. It was one of the longest air-to-air battles of the war and became known by the Luftwaffe pilots as the Day of the Fighters.  Day of the Fighters by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2661
Messerschmitt Me262s of JG7 race back to their base at Brandenburg after intercepting a USAAF bomber raid on Munich, and Luftwaffe air bases in the area. Below them a B-26 has crash-landed in the fields still covered with a sprinkling of late winter snow. In the distance the afternoon sun glistens on the Bavarian Alpine mountains. Return of the Hunters by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2662
In the summer of 1940, as a 28 year old captain, Hannes Trautloft took command of JG 54. During the next three years this extraordinary fighter leader shaped the unit into one of the most successful combat fighter wings of World War II. The Green Heart emblem of his home town Thuringischen, in the heart of Germany, became the Groups symbol and the fighter pilots famous as Trautlofts Green Heart Warriors. They carried their reputation throughout almost every European theatre. After campaigning in the Balkans, the unit moved to the Russian Front, where it flew Me109s and Fw190s in the heavy fighting of the Northern Region. By the war-end no fewer than twenty Green Heart Aces had achieved more than 100 air victories, its pilots collecting 58 Knights Cross awards. Nicolas Trudgian portrays a typical scene on the Eastern Front in 1943: IL 2 Stormoviks have attacked a German armoured division who have called for air support. JG 54 Green Hearts have quickly scrambled to the scene and have broken up the attack, downing several Russian aircraft during the encounter. In the foreground, Hannes Trautlofts Fw190 hurtles out of the canvas towards us, as the Ace glances over his shoulder to see an unfortunate IL-2 moments before hitting the snow-covered landscape a few feet below. Behind, two more Fw190s give support while in the background the low-level aerial contest is furiously fought. The drama unfolds in an exquisitely painted landscape, the northern morning sun casting long shadows across the snow drifts. Green Heart Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) Click For Details DHM2666
On 5 July, 1943 over 6000 German and Russian tanks clashed near the town of Kursk, just 300 miles south of Moscow. It was the beginning of what became the greatest tank battle in history. In the skies above this conflagration, an air battle of monumental proportions raged, with the German and Russian air forces locked in combat. This was war on a scale hitherto never imagined. A full week later the Battle was still raging, reaching a crescendo on 12 July when Hoths 4th Panzer Army met head-on with Rotmistrovs 5th Guards Tank Army near the village of Prokhorovka. With the Russian T34s electing to fight at close quarters, so desperate was the fighting that opposing tanks resorted to ramming each other. As the battle moved across the landscape all became utter confusion. Playing a major role in the air were the Luftwaffes Ju-87 Stukas, equipped with massive 37mm cannons slung under their wings. Led by Hans-Ulrich Rudel, the legendary Stuka pilot, these formidable tank-busters made a significant contribution to the Battle of Kursk. Nicolas Trudgians painting records the dramatic events at Kursk in a spectacular rendition that captures the very essence of this mighty land and air battle. Dominating the scene are a pair of Ju-87s. Having knocked out two T34s, they weave over the landscape as they try to avoid the attentions of Russian Yak 9s, the gunner of Rudels aircraft - in the foreground - blazing away with his machine gun. A pair of Fw190s have entered the fray, and the air is filled with smoke and cordite. In a typically detailed Nicolas Trudgian landscape, below the aerial contest Russian and Panzer tanks are seen in close combat, desperately maneuvering to gain some advantage. The old farm buildings show the ravages of war; tank tracks crisscross the fields, stretching into the distance where the battle extends to the horizon. A masterpiece in military art. Battle of Kursk by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) Click For Details DHM2668
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 painted fighter appeared. Hartmann ended the war with 352 air victories. Black Devil by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) Click For Details DHM2669
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 December 1941. With prints signed by no less than four veteran Me109 pilots who fought on the cruel Eastern Front, this is sure to be a valuable addition to any aviation art collection. Morning Chorus by Gerald Coulson. Click For Details DHM2671
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 Aces in history to destroy more than 300 enemy aircraft - Erich Hartmann and Gerhard Barkhorn. The wings top ten scoring Aces amassed a staggering 2286 aerial victories and, by the end of the war, JG-52s pilots had recorded over 10,000 aerial victories; sixty-seven of their number were awarded the coveted Knights Cross or higher decorations, but the cost to the Wing was high: 678 of its aircrew perished in combat, while many others were taken prisoner following combat. Appropriately, Robert Taylor has chosen the Me109s of JG52 as his subject to represent the fighter pilots of the Luftwaffe in his tribute to these courageous flyers, with his breathtaking painting Horrido! With the traditional battle cry ringing in their ears, Squadron Commander Hptm Wolfgang Ewald leads pilots of I./JG52 into combat. Based at Coquelles/Calais in September 1940, the JG-52 Me109s hurtle down in a high-speed dive to engage the enemy during the ferociously fought Battle of Britain. Robert eloquently depicts these sleek and deadly fighters high over the Channel, glinting and menacing against an ominous backdrop of heavy cumulous clouds. Horrido! by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2674
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 armor heading for the front line at Gazala, Libya, on February 21, 1942. Flying alongside Homuth, the great Luftwaffe Ace Joachim Marseille scored his 49th and 50th victories on this day, earning his Knights Cross. Below, the crew of an SdKfz 10 light half-track stop to investigate a crashed P-40 Kittyhawk belonging to No 112 Squadron RAF, brought down during an earlier contest. Desert Victory by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2692
DHM2706. First of the Jets by Nicolas Trudgian. First of the Jets by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2706
DHM2707. Alpine Scramble by Nicolas Trudgian. Alpine Scramble by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2707
DHM4012. Nacht Jager - HE219s over the harts by Randall Wilson. Nacht Jager - HE219s over the harts by Randall Wilson. Click For Details DHM4012
DHM4015. Blohn and Voss 222, Norway 1945 by Randall Wilson. Blohn and Voss 222, Norway 1945 by Randall Wilson. Click For Details DHM4015
Commander of Luftwaffe Squadron 1/JG 51. One of the Luftwaffes Battle of Britain top scoring aces. Hauptmann Hermann-Friedrich Joppien, Knights Cross. by Richard Hook. Click For Details DHM9146
Projected nightfighter development of the Do335 with Jumo 222 engines and long span wings. Dornier 435 by David Pentland. Click For Details DP0014
Abandoned Me 109G-10, 3rd Staffel JG4. The Last Eagle, Innsbruck, Austria, May 1945 by David Pentland. Click For Details DP0015
Projected nightfighter development of the Do 335 with DB603 LA Piston and He SO11A jet engines. Heinkel / Dornier 525b by David Pentland. Click For Details DP0016
Fokker DVII of Royal Bavarian Jagdstaffel 35b, flown by Leutnant Rudolf Stark, the new Jasta Commander. Behind the Lines, France 1918 by David Pentland. Click For Details DP0019
An abandoned Me262 shown in 1945 at the end of world war two. The End by David Pentland. Click For Details DP0022
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. Stukas over England, South Coast, July 1940 by David Pentland. Click For Details DP0129
Junker Ju87B-2 flown by Hauptmann Helmut Bruck. Stab I, Stg 77 targets a Royal navy ship during the Battle for Crete. The Stukas Prey, Crete, May 1941 by David Pentland. Click For Details DP0130
Junker Ju87D-3s of 7 Staffel, Stg 77 escorted by Me109Gs of JG52, during the epic Battle of Kursk. Target ahead, Kursk, Central Russia, July 1943 by David Pentland. Click For Details DP0131
Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) William Assheton Summers, of the 18th Hussars and Royal Flying Corps, as pilot, and Temporary Lieutenant William Owen Tudor-Hart, of the Northumberland Fusiliers and Royal Flying Corps, as observer, attacked a flight of ten enemy aeroplanes, completely breaking up their formation. They were quite unsupported, but only broke off the engagement when all their ammunition was expanded many miles over the enemy’s lines. Their machine was under constant heavy fire from as many as four hostile machines at once, and was badly damaged. For their conspicuous gallantry and skill they were both awarded the M.C. Two British Aeroplanes Disperse A flight Of Ten Enemy Machines. Click For Details DTE0737
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. Hande Hoch! by Michael Turner. Click For Details GT0079
Three Focke-Wulf Fw190Gs of II Gruppe, Schlachtgeschwader 2 Immelmann on patrol in 1943. Fw190s by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details IBF0053
Leutnant Heinz Rokker of NJG 2 based at castelvetrand in Sicily in June 1943 warms up the engines of his JU- 88C-6 prior to taking off on another sortie. his prize wartime total was 64 kills. Sicilian Vespers by Iain Wyllie. Click For Details IW0001
Hajo Hermanns faithful Ju-88 4D + AR south of Mount Etna in the spring of 1941. Early Morning by Iain Wyllie. Click For Details IW0004
IW5. Moskito-Jager by Iain Wyllie. Moskito-Jager by Iain Wyllie. Click For Details IW0005
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. Achtung - Indianer, Rechts by Iain Wyllie. Click For Details IW0008
The Messerschmitt Bf110-G4 of Major Heinz-Wolfgang Schnuafer Knights Cross with Oakleaves, Swords and Diamonds. Night Ghost of St Trond by Iain Wyllie. Click For Details IW0009
Before the Fall, 1940. High Summer by James Dietz. Click For Details JD0094
KW4. Defence of the Reich by Keith Woodcock. Defence of the Reich by Keith Woodcock. Click For Details KW0004
KW7. Duel Below Zero by Keith Woodcock. Duel Below Zero by Keith Woodcock. Click For Details KW0007
In the early summer of 1944 the Me 262 became the worlds first operational jet aircraft. With a top speed of 540 mph it easily outperformed any Allied aircraft of WWII, and went on to revolutionise aerial warfare. A truly remarkable aircraft. Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Me262A-1a by Barry Price. Click For Details LE0046
One of the most advanced aircraft of World War II, the AR234 with its twin turbojets could carry out its high altitude reconnaissance or bombing duties at speed which made interception by Allied aircraft virtually impossible. Luftwaffe Arado 234 B-2 by Barry Price. Click For Details LE0047
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, Gruppenkommandeur of JG50, and Oberleutnant Alfred Grislawski, Staffelkapitan of 1./JG50, flying Me109G-6s lead an attack on B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 91st Bomb Group, high over Germany in early September 1943. Eagle Attack by Nicolas Trudgian Click For Details NT0003
The Green Heart Warriors carried their famous emblem throughout almost every European theatre during World War Two. Having fought with distinction in the Battle of Britain, JG54 transferred to the Eastern Front, where it was to acheive historic success. Becoming one of the most successful combat wings of the war, JG54 spawned a succession of top fighter Aces, no fewer than 20 achieving more than 100 air victories, its pilots collecting an impressive 58 Knights Cross awards. Flying both Fw190s and Me109s, JG54 took part in the heavy air fighting in the northern region of the Russian Front, where conditions were not for the faint hearted and demanded exceptional piloting skills. One young Austrian pilot, Walter Nowotny, won a reputation even among Allied pilots, and during the summer of 1943 became a virtual one-man air force in the skies above the Eastern Front. In June 1943 he shot down 41 aircraft, 10 in one day. In August he collected a further 43 air victories, and another 45 the following month. In a dgo-fight in October Nowotny shot down a P-40 fighter to record an astounding 250 air victories, becoming the first fighter pilot in history to acheive this score. It is February 1943, the countryside deep in snow, and the temperature well below freezing as Leutnant Walter Nowotny, Staffelkapitän of 1./JG54, taxis White One out from a crowded dispersal on to the snow covered runway at Krasnogvardeisk. With their temporary whitewash colour scheme glinting in the early morning sunlight, the FW190A-4s pose a menacing spectacle as they line up to follow the fighters of 2./JG54, already airborne, into the cold morning air. Ice Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details NT0239
It required more than a little nerve to fly a fighter into the barrage of fire sprayed out by the gunners of a box of B17 bombers; it took even greater courage to do so in the rocket propelled Me163 Komet. With rocket science still in its infancy, these small aircraft were still in the experimental stage, and piloting what amounted to a flying bomb was in itself a perilous business, let alone flying them into combat. But these were desperate times. The day and night bombing assault on Germany was bringing the mighty war machine to its knees, and aything that might help stem the tide was thrown into battle. Powered by a mixture of two highly volatile chemicals, the slightest leak, or heavy landing could cause a huge explosion, and the mix was so corrosive that in the event of even a minor accident, the pilot could literally be dissolved. Sitting in a cramped cockpit, surrounded by dangerous chemicals and ammunition, the intrepid aviator would be launched into the sky on what was, at best, a four minute mission. After, hopefully, engaing the enemy, he would glide powerlessly back to the nearest airfield to be refuelled so as to attempt the hazardous operation all over again. Though limited to a handful of victories, the Komet did make the Allied crews wonder what else the Luftwaffe had hidden up its sleeve, and had the distinction of being the forerunner of aircraft technology that eventually took aircraft into space. Capable of nearly 600mph and climbing to 30,000ft in less than two minutes, this tiny rocket propelled Me163 Komet was typical of Germanys ingenuity in its desperate attempts to stem the havoc being wreaked by the USAAFs daylight bombers. Rocket Attack by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details NT0263
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, and both sides knew it. JG-27, having cut its teeth in the battles of France and Britain, was the first Luftwaffe unit to arrive in North Africa. Commanded by the mercurial Eduard Neumann, its Me109s were superior to the Hurricanes and P-40 Kittyhawks flown by the RAF pilots and, without the restriction of close escort duties dictated on the Western Front, the JG-27 pilots roamed the desert skies, closing in combat with the British fighters at every opportunity. The North African air campaign spawned many fighter aces, including Hans-Joachim Marseille who claimed more than 150 victories in his short career - more than any other Luftwaffe ace flying against RAF pilots. The scale of the desert air war is highlighted by raw statistics: 1400 British aircraft lost; over 1200 Luftwaffe destroyed. A dog-fight between Me109s from JG-27 and P-40 Kittyhawks of the RAFs 12 Squadron, led by Killer Caldwell, and later Billy Drake, 112 Squadron were in constant combat with Edu Neumanns fighters as they jousted for air supremacy above Rommels advancing Afrika Korps tanks. Below them, the desolate beauty of the Libyan desert stretches as far as the eye can see. Desert Sharks and Eagles by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details NT0315
As the air war raged over Berlin and other German cities, night-fighter units such as NJG100, the original Eastern front night fighter Geschwader, were redeployed nearer home in the final desperate defence of Germany. By late 1944 the Luftwaffes night fighting aircraft were being flown by experienced crews using sophisticated electronic equipment and, though fighting a losing battle, had become the scourge of the RAFs night raiders. A Junkers Ju88 G-6, piloted by major Paul Zorner, Gruppenkommandeur III./NJG100, based at Stubendorf, intercepts and badly damages a four-engined Lancaster of R.A.F. Bomber Command over Germany in late 1944. Shedding debris and trailing flames, there may just be time for the crew to bale out before the mightly bomber falls away into the dark abyss. With the aid of his FuG220 and upward firing Schrage Musik armament, Zorner has stalked his prey, and attacked from beneath unseen. The crew of this Lancaster didnt stand a chance, and with the moonlight briefly glinting on his aircraft, the accomplished Ju88 pilot slips away into the darkness of the night. Moonlight Hunter by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details NT0319
The German High Command entered World War II with the notion that the war would be quickly won, and certainly without the need to fight at night. The RAF changed all that when Bomber Command, having suffered appalling losses in daylight, turned to attacking under the cloak of darkness. By mid-1940 the Luftwaffe was forced to hurriedly form its first night fighter wing utilising the Messerschmitt Bf110. Without specialised equipment, initially Luftwaffe pilots relied on visual acquisition, detecting enemy aircraft with the aid of searchlights. To combat intensifying RAF night attacks, new electronic methods of navigation and detection were developed, and by the end on 1942 the German night fighter force had almost 400 aircraft contesting the night skies. Almost 1300 British aircraft were destroyed in that year alone.The Bf110G-4 of 47-night victory pilot Oberleutnant Martin Drewes at dusk in March 1944, heading out to intercept in-bound British four-engined bombers over north west Germany. Equipped with the latest FuG220 and 218 radars, the experienced crew will lie in wait, carefully choose their prey, stalk and close for the kill. The deadly game of hide and seek is about to begin. Night Hunters of the Reich by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details NT0321
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 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 19th July 1944 saw the USAAFs 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 Me109Gs and Fw190s - barely 50 serviceable fighters between them. They were joined by a dozen Me109s of II./JG27, these fighters desperately trying to defend the very factories in which they were made. Messerschmitt Country by Nicolas Trudgian Click For Details NT0326
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 Front aginst the top aces of the RAF and the USAAF, and when the end came he was still flying and fighting, leading a wing of Me262 jets. Perhaps the most memorable period of the war for Adolf Galland came after he took command of the III/JG-26 fighter wing in June 1940. In true fashion he scored two aerial victories on his first day and in no time transformed JG-26 Schlageter into an elite formation that became known as the Abbeville Boys. Robert Taylor has recreated a scene from those heady days in 1941, when the Abbeville boys were at the height of their reputation, doing daily combat with the Spitfires and Hurricanes of the RAF. Adolf Galland leads his pilots in a typical loose formation take-off, the Messerschmitt Bf109F fighters roaring across the runway for yet another clash with the foe. The Abbeville boys are on the Warpath! Abbeville Boys by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0001
RST0002. Ace of Aces by Robert Taylor. Ace of Aces by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0002
Returning from a combat mission over the English Channel, Me109s flying low over Mont St. Michel, northern coast of France, Spring 1941. Aces on the Western Front by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0003
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 behind and below the enemy aircraft a few hundred feet off the deck. Selecting on of the IL-2s, the rookie pilot closed at high speed, commencing firing with 20mm cannon from about two hundred feet. His first pass was unsuccessful but, undeterred, Hartmann zoomed up and dived over for a second run at the Russian machine. Holding his fire till the IL-2 filled his gun-sight, he drilled cannon shells into the oil-cooling system setting the enemy aircraft on fire. Closing rapidly from behind, Hartmanns Me109 was showered with debris from the doomed Russian plane, causing an explosion in the young pilots own aircraft, which immediately caught fire. Now at very low altitude, Hartmann had no alternative but to belly in. With great presence of mind he cut power, fuel and ignition switches as he crash-landed at high speed in a massive cloud of dirt and dust. Though he lost his aircraft, Hartmann had made his first kill, the IL-2 crashing with a resounding explosion a few miles distant. Unhurt, the young future Ace was picked up and returned to base almost immediately by a German car. And thus a legend was born: It was the first of 352 air victories that would make Hartmann the top scoring fighter pilot in history. Birth of a Legend, set in the picturesque Caucasus mountain region bathed in the golden hues of autumn, captures for posterity the dramatic moments that launched the career of a fighter pilot legend. Birth of a Legend by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0009
<b>SOLD OUT. Eagle Attack by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0024
<b>SOLD OUT. Eagles High by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0025
<b>Supplied with companion print Night Hunters. Eagles out of the Sun by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0026
<b>SOLD OUT. Flight of Eagles by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0031
<b>SOLD OUT. Gathering Storm by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0035
<b>SOLD OUT. Hartmann Tribute by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0036
<b>SOLD OUT. JG52 by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0046
<b>SOLD OUT. JV44 by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0047
<b>SOLD OUT. Knights on the Eastern Front by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0049
<b>SOLD OUT. Sting of the Black Tulip by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0054
<b>Supplied with companion prints Night Interceptor and Pre-Flight Brief. The Bridge at Remagen by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0069
<b>SOLD OUT. Stormbirds over the Reich by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0075
<b>SOLD OUT. Swansong by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0078
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 below. The young flaxen-haired pilot had just become the first fighter Ace in history to bring down 300 enemy aircraft in combat. As World War II drew to its close, after three and a half years of continual aerial combat, this gifted young fighter pilot brought his final tally of aerial victories to 352, bringing down a Yak-7 during the last of his 1400 missions on May 8, 1945. He was the most successful fighter pilot of all time. In this dramatic rendition, we see captured a brilliantly colourful midwinter scene during the final phase of the war on the Eastern Front. Glinting in the sub-zero early morning sunlight as fresh snow begins to fall, and led by their Gruppenkommandeur Erich Hartmann, the Mel09G fighters of I./JG-53 scramble off the snow-covered airstrip at Veszprem in Hungary, February 1945. They will intercept waves of Russian fighters and bombers in the skies above Czechoslovakia in a last ditch attempt to repel the impending invasion of Germany. Eagles at Dawn by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0084
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 great air battles with pilots of the RAF on the infamous Channel Front, 1940-1941 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 squadrons were reequipping 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. Robert Taylors comprehensive work Eagles on the Channel Front, the fourth and final print in his widely acclaimed Wings of the Luftwaffe series, recreates a scene in northern France in the late autumn of 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 gleaming new Me109Fs are discreetly parked under trees on the edge the airfield, providing some cover from low-level surprise attacks. While ground crews busily prepare the Wings Me109s for another mission, a group of the exciting new Fw190A fighters taxi out. The scenario will continue right into winter. In his inimitable style, and with inordinate skill, Robert Taylor manages to evoke the heady atmosphere of a German front line airfield on the Channel Front in 1941. Eagles on the Channel Front by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RT0001
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, 1944. 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 P-47 Thunderbolts arrived to sweep the sky around the Koblenz –Frankfurt area, the Me109s of II./JG11 pounced from a 5000 feet height advantage. Simon Atacks high-impact painting shows Major Günther Rall bringing down Hub Zemkes wingman, the first of two victories he claimed before himself being brought down by 56th Fighter Group P-47s later in the combat. 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. Eagle Strike by Simon Atack. Click For Details SA0001
The hand-signed book-plate signature on this item was obtained from Krupinski at a Luftwaffe reunion in the 1980s. Walter Krupinski Signature Sheet. Click For Details SIG0001
The signature featured on this item is a bookplate signed by Hartmann during a personal interview in the late 1980s. Erich Hartmann Signature Sheet. Click For Details SIG0002
The signature on this item is on the photograph of Hartmann and his mechanic Heinz Mertens in the cockpit of his Me109. It was signed by Hartmann during a personal interview in the 1980s. Erich Hartmann (Photo) Signature Sheet. Click For Details SIG0003
This item features the original signature of Dieter Hrabak. Dieter Hrabak Signature Sheet. Click For Details SIG0004
The hand-signed bookplate was obtained during a series of interviews in the 1980s. Hans Joachim Jabs Signature Sheet. Click For Details SIG0005
The signature featured on this item was obtained during an interview with Steinhoff shortly before his death. Johannes Steinhoff Signature Sheet. Click For Details SIG0006
The hand-signed bookplate was obtained during a series of interviews in the 1980s. Kurt Buhligen Signature Sheet. Click For Details SIG0007
The signatures with this piece are upon the the photograph of the Fw190 aircraft, as can be seen from our image. Fw190 Pilot Signature Sheet. Click For Details SIG0008
The signature on this item is upon the photograph of Adolf Galland briefing Hermann Goring. Adolf Galland Signature Sheet. Click For Details SIG0009
The signature of Hermann Graf supplied with this item was obtained during an interview with him in 1983. Hermann Graf Signature Sheet. Click For Details SIG0010
The rare signed photo is a reprint of a photo taken of Rudel in August 1944. Rudel signed the photo in 1982 after his last stroke and before his death in December 1982. The photo was signed with his left hand for a Royal Canadian Air Force mechanic who had befriended Rudel while he was a PoW in England. It is believed these were the last autographs Rudel signed. Hans Rudel Signature Sheet. Click For Details SIG0011
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. Early Night Raiders by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0002
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 Fokker Scourge by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0004
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. The Kaisers Battle by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0007
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. The First Battle of Britain by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0008
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. The Ringmaster by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0014
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. Showtime at the Circus by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0023
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. The Brothers Richthofen by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0024
Heinz Bar joined JG 51 in 1939 as a non-officer pilot. By August of 1940 he had become the highest scoring non-officer pilot in the Luftwaffe. Although shot down once during the Battle of Britain, Bar survived, and was later transferred to the Eastern Front. He received his commission and by the end of 1941 had chalked up 91 victories. By mid-1942, with 113 victories, he was promoted to Hauptman and made Group Commander of I/JG 77. Flying out of Sicily he participated in the siege of Malta, and later was shifted to North Africa where he obtained another 61 victories. With his health suffering, Heinz was reassigned to Germany, where he flew interception missions against the steady onslaught of Eighth Air Force bombers. With his victory total at 202, Bar was put in command of JG 3 and later III/EJG2, a unit equipped with the Me-262 jet fighter. He obtained 16 victories in March and April of 1945 while piloting the 262, making him the top jet ace of WW II. His record for victories in a jet stands until this day, having been equaled in Korea by Capt. Joseph McConnell. Bars final victory count of 220 made him the eighth highest scoring ace of all time. He was killed after the War in a flying accident. The Messerschmitt Me-262 Swallow, a masterpiece of engineering, was the first operational mass-produced jet to see service. Prototype testing of the airframe commenced in 1941 utilizing a piston engine. General Adolf Galland, who was in charge of the German Fighter Forces at that time, pressured both Goring and Hitler to accelerate the Me-262, and stress its use as a fighter to defend Germany from Allied bombers. Hitler, however, envisioned the 262 as the aircraft which might allow him to inflict punishment on Britain. About 1400 Swallows were produced, but fortunately for the Allies, only about 300 saw combat duty. While the original plans for the 262 presumed the use of BMW jet engines, production Swallows were ultimately equipped with Jumo 004B turbojet engines. The wing design of the 262 necessitated the unique triangular hull section of the fuselage, giving the aircraft a shark-like appearance. With an 18 degree swept wing, the 262 was capable of Mach .86. The 262 was totally ineffective in a turning duel with Allied fighters, and was also vulnerable to attack during take off and landings. The landing gear was also suspect, and many 262s were destroyed or damaged due to landing gear failure. Despite its sleek jet-age appearance, the 262 was roughly manufactured, because Germany had lost access to its normal aircraft assembly plants. In spite of these drawbacks the 262 was effective. For example, on April 7, 1945 a force of sixty 262s took on a large force of Allied bombers with escort fighters. Armed with their four nose-mounted cannons, and underwing rockets the Swallows succeeded in downing or damaging 25 Allied B-17s on that single mission. While it is unlikely that the outcome of the War could have been altered by an earlier introduction or greater production totals for this aircraft, it is clear to many historians that the duration of the War might have been drastically lengthened if the Me-262 had not been too little too late. Too Little Too Late by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0100
The grandfather of todays cruise missiles, the Mistel was the piggyback aircraft of the Luftwaffe during WW II. This combination aircraft arose out of research conducted to find a better means for towing gliders into combat. About two hundred of these combinations were ultimately built. The British had experimented with a piggyback combination of a commercial transport on the back of a flying boat in the late 1930s. The Mistel project in Germany had its share of skeptics. As the program evolved and Germanys strategic position in the War eroded, the Mistel project became focused on using unmanned obsolete Ju-88 bombers loaded to the gills with explosives as a very large guided bomb. The top aircraft in the combination, either a Bf-109 or Fw-190, would be piloted into the proximity of the target. A rudimentary guidance system would then be locked on the target, and the unmanned Ju-88 would fly itself into the target. Some Mistel combinations utilized normal looking Ju-88s, whereas others were fitted with a sinister-looking warhead in place of the cockpit. In the fall of 1944 the Luftwaffe laid plans for utilizing Mistels for attacks on Soviet targets like power plants and armament factories. Because the Ju-88 component only went one-way on these missions, the Mistels would have superior range and bomb capacity when compared to manned bombers. With Germanys forces in retreat at this point, the distances from the strategic Russian targets became even too great for the Mistel. Instead Mistels were targeted at key bridges, the destruction of which was designed to slow the advancing Red Army. The Last Mistel attack of the War took place in April of 1945. Four Mistel aircraft, with a hollow charge warhead instead of the normal Ju-88 cockpit, coupled to a top-mounted Fw-190 fighter were prepared at the Pennemunde airbase. The target for the operation would be the bridge over the river Oder at Tantow. One of the four aircraft encountered technical problems and had to jettison the Ju-88. The remaining three piloted by Lt. Dittman OFw Braun and Uffz Seitz proceeded to the target. They acquired an unexpected escort in the form of eight Bf-109s, but the fighters engaged Russian fighters along the route and the Mistels proceeded to their target alone. The Mistel piloted by Ofw Braun was hit by anti-aircraft fire and the Ju-88 was jettisoned prematurely. The Mistel piloted by Uffz Seitz was apparently shot down. Lt. Dittman, however, was able to lock the guidance system of his Ju-88 on the target, and flew his 190 safely to an alternate base. A Novel Concept by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0108
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 survive this collision and continue to chalk-up victories until the end of the war. Rall flew about 800 combat missions and missed nearly a year of flying when he suffered a broken back. A Costly Victory by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0109
In mid-1941 Germany invaded the Soviet Union opening up a second front. Despite its own wartime shortages, the UK realized a moral obligation to send supplies to the USSR. In August of 1941 the first convoy (designated PQ1) sailed from Iceland to the Arctic ports of Archangel and Murmansk. By mid-1942 12 convoys had set sail, with the loss of only merchantman out of 103 that had set sail. Admiral Raeder pressed Hitler for permission to move anti-convoy forces, including the battleship Tirpitz to northern Norway. With these forces in place, PQ16 lost five ships in May of 1942. When PQ17 assembled in Iceland in late June, an impressive force of Cruisers, Destroyers, and Corvettes was assembled under the command of Rear-Admiral Hamilton to provide close-in support. In addition, a battlefleet under the command of the Admiral of the Fleet, Sir John Tover, would shadow the convoy. The Admiralty was fearful of the Tirpitz and believed that if encountered the convoy would scatter and make a run for it. PQ17 set sail on June 27 with 35 merchantmen. On July 1 it was sighted by a Fw-200 Condor and the U-456. An attack by He-115s on July 2 sunk no ships and resulted in the loss of one He-115. Also on the second, the Tirpitz was given orders to relocate. On the 4th another attack claimed only one ship, the Christopher Newport.  On the 5th a flight of 25 Ju-88s and He.111s attacked the convoy with the loss of two more ships. Fearing that the Tirpitz will soon be engaged, the British Admiralty gives the order for the convoy to scatter. Over the next few days the ships become targets of opportunity for both German U-boats and He-115 torpedo bombers. Only 12 of the 35 merchantmen make it unscathed to the Soviet Union. The Heinkel He.115 had an excellent reputation for reliability, and was capable of making takeoffs and landings in fairly high seas. The aircraft was nearly 57-feet long, and had a wingspan of 73-feet. With twin BMW engines capable of 960-HP the aircraft had a top speed of only 180-MPH. Its ceiling was 17,000-feet and its maximum range was 1,740 miles. The 115C model was produced beginning in 1940. It had a fixed 15-mm cannon mounted under its nose, and a rearward firing machine gun in the rear of each engine nacelle. The company founded by Ernst Heinkel is probably best known for it He.111 medium-bomber, but Heinkel also designed and produced a number of other notable aircraft, not the least of which was the Heinkel He.115, the biggest and most powerful seaplane to see service in WW II. Development on this seaplane started in 1935 in response to a request from the German Air Ministry for a twin-engine, floatplane, torpedo-bomber. Production aircraft came off the assembly line in 1938, but negligible initial German demand, forced Heinkel to look for orders outside of Germany. As a result a number of aircraft were purchased by Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The He.115 had a very large wing, and a very narrow fuselage. Four of the He.115s that had been purchased by Norway managed to escape to the UK when Norway was invaded. Two of these aircraft were repainted with German markings and were utilized for clandestine operations, such as flying secret agents into Norway. Ill Fated Convoy by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0110
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 family returned to Germany. Mrs. Hartmann learned to fly, and took her two young sons flying on many occasions. In 1933, when Hitler came to power, many flying clubs were organized throughout Germany, and Erich learned to fly gliders. When Hartmann had graduated from high school in 1940, he immediately applied to join the Luftwaffe. During his training Hartmann was arrested for an unauthorized aerobatic display. After earning his wings, he was posted to JG 52 on the Russian front. Hartmann reported to a Luftwaffe supply depot in Poland hoping to pick-up a new Bf-109 for his flight to the front. When no 109s were available, he offered to fly a Stuka Ju-87 to the front. Inexperienced with the 87, Harmanns debut was not very impressive as he managed to crash the aircraft into a wooden building prior to taking off. Hartmann did not attain his first victory until November 5, 1942. He missed the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa, when many Luftwaffe pilots ran up amazing victory totals against an ill-equipped and relatively inexperienced Red Air Force. In the month of August 1943 Hartmann shot down 49 aircraft. After scoring his 148th victory, he was awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross on October 29, 1943. Four months later when his tally had reached 200, he was awarded the coveted Oak Leaves. In August of 1944 upon attainment of his 301st victory, Hartmann was awarded Germanys highest decoration, the Diamonds to his Knights Cross. Only ten Luftwaffe pilots received this decoration. Hartmann was shot down twice, and on fourteen occasions had to crash land his aircraft. Erich flew the Bf-109, which was very recognizable with its distinctively painted black tulip design on its nose. The Soviets nicknamed Hartmann, The Black Devil of the Ukraine. A price of 10,000 Rubles was placed on his head. At Wars end Hartmann was captured by the Soviets, who imprisoned him for ten years. He was released in 1956, and rejoined the Luftwaffe with his former rank of Major. He learned to fly jet aircraft at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. Hartmann served in the Luftwaffe until his retirement. He passed away in 1994 at the age of seventy-two. It is highly unlikely, modern warfare being what it is, that any pilot will ever match the score of Erich Hartmann, the ace of all aces. Black Devil of the Ukraine by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0112
Hermann W. Goering was born in Rosenheim, a small town near Munich, in 1893. He received an appointment to a military school, and became a flyer during WW I. He attained an excellent combat and leadership record, and was the last individual to command the famed Richtofen Flying Circus. Following the War he studied history, married, but was drifting aimlessly until he met Adolf Hitler. When Hitler came to power Goering was made economic czar, and authorized to implement a four year plan which would prepare the German economy for war. Goerings greatest personal interest was in the Luftwaffe, and ultimately Field Marshal Goering was made Chief of the Luftwaffe. The Luftwaffe performed admirably in the blitzkrieg attacks on Poland and the Benelux countries. However, Goering feared Britains entry into the War, and personally worked diplomatic channels to keep Britain out of the conflict. The Luftwaffes first defeat was in the Battle of Britain, where it was unable to wrest control of the sky from the Royal Air Force. As the War progressed, Goering supported Hitler, even though it appears he felt that the War was lost. In 1943 and 1944 Germany was devastated by massive Allied bombing attacks. Not enough resources were committed to the defense of Germanys cities, as Hitler became preoccupied with the struggle against the Soviet Union, and his desire to develop terror weapons to defeat Britain. Despite its strategic errors, the Luftwaffe developed some of the most advanced aircraft of the War including the Me-262 jet and the tail-less, rocket-powered Me-163 Comet, probably the most technically advanced aircraft of the War. Out of necessity, German aircraft designers compressed decades of development time into years or often months. Although it did not play a significant role in combat, the 163 represented a radical departure from conventional aircraft design. With a length of only 19 feet, the diminutive 163 was powered by a liquid fuel rocket engine. The production models of the Comet were fueled with a mixture of C-Stoff (a mixture of 57% methyl alcohol, 13% hydrazine hydrate, and 13% water) and T-Stoff which was 80% hydrogen peroxide. Almost 5000 pounds of fuel were carried, but the Comets engine had a burn time of only a few minutes. Many technological breakthroughs were required for the Comet program to succeed. Because space and weight were so critical, use of a conventional landing gear was not possible. Instead the 163 utilized a simple dolly consisting of an axle and two wheels which was jettisoned upon takeoff. For landing the 163 utilized a sturdy retractable skid with hydraulic shock absorbers. The Comet was also not particularly effective in combat despite its 596-MPH top speed and twin canon. The aircraft had only about 150 seconds of power once it reached altitude. Thereafter it became a very fast glider. Allied pilots learned to exploit the 163s vulnerability during landing. Rudolf Opitz, the Chief Test Pilot on the 163, was a central figure in the development and testing of the 163. Rudy met Herman Goering once at a special airshow for high ranking military and government officials. The few remaining 163s to survive the War are due to the efforts of Rudy to preserve this unique aircraft for aviation posterity. Hermans Comet by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0116
With Europe occupied by Nazi forces, Great Britain was the last obstacle in Hitlers plan to rule Europe. Hitlers invasion plan called for his Luftwaffe to gain control of the air over Britain in the first few weeks of attack, which would be followed by pulverizing bombing attacks on the British coastline, and finally by a blitzkrieg style invasion spearheaded by Panzer Divisions supported by fighters and dive bombers. The Germans had assembled over 100 well-equipped divisions by the Summer of 1940 for its invasion of Britain, and on August 8 the Luftwaffe attacks commenced. The Germans had underestimated the capability of the British air defense and both the will and skill of its pilots. In the first ten days of German attacks RAF Hurricanes and Spitfires shot down 697 German aircraft, while losing only 153 aircraft and 93 flight personnel of their own. By months end the German strategists shifted to all out attacks on British airfields, aircraft plants, and munitions factories. Effectively utilizing radar to pinpoint incoming strikes, and by widely dispersing their own aircraft so few could be destroyed during any single attack, the RAF fought back. During this second phase of attack the Germans lost an additional 562 aircraft compared to only 219 for the Brits. However, every German plane shot down resulted in the death or capture of its trained flight crews, but in more than half of the RAF losses the experienced pilot was saved. Forced to react to ever increasing losses, the Germans shifted their strategy to strategic night bombing raids on London and several other major cities. A year after The Battle Of Britain commenced Germany was forced to abandon major air operations directed at Britain marking this conflict the first major battle in the history of warfare fought solely by aircraft, as not a single Nazi soldier voluntarily set foot on British soil. The Hawker Hurricane while less glamorized than the Supermarine Spitfire, was the fighter most widely used by the RAF during the first two years of the War. The Hurricane was the first British fighter to exceed 300 MPH, and the first to carry eight machine guns. In excess of 14,000 Hurricanes were produced through 1944. The Heinkel He. 111 medium bomber pictured in Stan Stokes painting, Hurricane on My Tail!, was widely used by the Luftwaffe (7,300 produced) during the Battle of Britain. The 111 could carry a 5,500 pound bomb load and had a maximum speed of 252 MPH. In total the Germans lost 2,375 aircraft during the Battle of Britain. The inspiration and determination of the RAFs Hurricane and Spitfire pilots during this conflict lead to Winston Churchills often quoted remark, Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. Hurricane on my Tail by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0117
The Focke-Wulf 190 development project began in 1937. Conceived as a hedge against total dependence on the Messerchmitt 109, the 190 was designed by Kurt Tank utilizing a radial engine. This was against generally accepted design criteria in Germany, and many historians believe that the decision to produce a radial engine fighter was largely due to the limited manufacturing capacity for in-line, water-cooled engines which were widely used on all other Luftwaffe aircraft. Despite these concerns, Tanks design was brilliant, and the 190 would become one of the top fighter aircraft of WW II. The first prototype flew in mid-1939. The aircraft had excellent flying characteristics, a wonderful rate of acceleration, and was heavily armed. By late 1940 the new fighter was ordered into production. Nicknamed the butcher bird, by Luftwaffe pilots, early 190s were quite successful in the bomber interceptor role, but at this stage of the War many Allied bombing raids lacked fighter escort. As the War dragged on, Allied bombers were increasingly accompanied by fighters, including the very effective P-51 Mustang. The Allies learned from experience that the 190s performance fell off sharply at altitudes above 20,000 feet. As a result, most Allied bombing missions were shifted to higher altitudes when fighter opposition was likely. Kurt Tank had recognized this shortcoming and began working on a high-altitude version of the 190 utilizing an in-line, water-cooled engine. Utilizing a Jumo 12-cylinder engine rated at 1770-HP, and capable of 2,240-HP for short bursts with its methanol injection system, the 190D, or Long Nose or Dora as it was called, had a top speed of 426-MPH at 22,000 feet. Armament was improved with two fuselage and two wing mounted 20mm cannon. To accommodate the changes in power plants the Dora had a longer, more streamlined fuselage, with 24 inches added to the nose, and an additional 19 inches added aft of the cockpit to compensate for the altered center of gravity. By mid 1944 the Dora began to reach fighter squadrons in quantity. Although the aircraft had all the right attributes to serve admirably in the high altitude interceptor role, it was not generally focused on such missions. Instead many 190Ds were assigned to protect airfields where Me-262 jet fighters were based. This was due to the latter aircrafts extreme vulnerability to Allied attack during takeoff and landing. The 190Ds also played a major role in Operation Bodenplatte, the New Years Day raid in 1945 which destroyed approximately 500 Allied aircraft on the ground. The High Command was impressed with the 190Ds record on this raid, and ordered most future production of the Doras to be equipped as fighter-bombers. In retrospect this was a strategic error, and this capable aircraft was not fully utilized in the role for which it was intended. Long Nose Trouble by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0120