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Defenders of the Reich by Graeme Lothian. (B) - Direct Art
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Defenders of the Reich by Graeme Lothian. (B)


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Defenders of the Reich by Graeme Lothian. (B)

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.
Item Code : DHM1156BDefenders of the Reich by Graeme Lothian. (B) - This EditionAdd any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout! Buy 1 Get 1 Half Price!
TYPEEDITION DETAILSSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSYOUR PRICEPURCHASING
PRINTErich Rudorffer Knights Cross signature series edition of 240 prints from the signed limited edition of 1150 prints.

Image size 25 inches x 14 inches (64cm x 36cm) Rudorffer, Erich
+ Artist : Graeme Lothian


Signature(s) value alone : £60
£85 Off!Now : £110.00

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End Game by Nicolas Trudgian. (C)
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End Game by Nicolas Trudgian.
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Running the Gauntlet by Robert Taylor.
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Me262 Defence of the Reich Print Pack.

Pack price : £700 - Save £570

    

  
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Pack price : £700 - Save £570

Titles in this pack :
In Defense of the Reich by Nicolas Trudgian. (C)  (View This Item)
Running the Gauntlet by Robert Taylor.  (View This Item)
End Game by Nicolas Trudgian. (C)  (View This Item)
Defenders of the Reich by Graeme Lothian. (B)  (View This Item)

Me262 Jet Fighter Aviation Prints Pack.

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3 other prints in this pack :
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Pack price : £620 - Save £465

Titles in this pack :
In Defense of the Reich by Nicolas Trudgian. (C)  (View This Item)
Alpine Scramble by Nicolas Trudgian. (F)  (View This Item)
End Game by Nicolas Trudgian.  (View This Item)
Defenders of the Reich by Graeme Lothian. (B)  (View This Item)

Me262 Jet Fighter Print Pack.

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3 other prints in this pack :
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Titles in this pack :
In Defense of the Reich by Nicolas Trudgian. (C)  (View This Item)
Return of the Hunters by Nicolas Trudgian. (B)  (View This Item)
Running the Gauntlet by Robert Taylor.  (View This Item)
Defenders of the Reich by Graeme Lothian. (B)  (View This Item)

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Me262 Aviation Print Pack. - Save £225 - CLICK HERE TO VIEW OR PURCHASE
Me262 Aircraft Special Collectors Print Pack. - Save £345 - CLICK HERE TO VIEW OR PURCHASE
Nicolas Trudgian Me262 Aviation Print with THREE FREE PRINTS! - Save £270 - CLICK HERE TO VIEW OR PURCHASE
Me262 Nicolas Trudgian Print with THREE FREE Me262 Prints! - Save £300 - CLICK HERE TO VIEW OR PURCHASE
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Other editions of this item : Defenders of the Reich by Graeme Lothian.DHM1156
TYPEEDITION DETAILSSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSYOUR PRICEPURCHASING
PRINT Signed limited edition of 1150 prints. Image size 25 inches x 14 inches (64cm x 36cm)Artist : Graeme Lothian£45 Off!Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!Now : £75.00VIEW EDITION...
ARTIST
PROOF
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Image size 25 inches x 14 inches (64cm x 36cm)Artist : Graeme Lothian£25 Off!Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!Now : £115.00VIEW EDITION...
REMARQUE Hartmann Presentation Edition of Artist Proofs Nos. 1 - 5. Image size 25 inches x 14 inches (64cm x 36cm) Hartmann, Erich
+ Artist : Graeme Lothian


Signature(s) value alone : £95
Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!£380.00VIEW EDITION...
PRESENTATIONReinert Presenetation Edition of Artist Proofs Nos. 6 - 10. Image size 25 inches x 14 inches (64cm x 36cm) Reinert, Ernst Wilhelm
+ Artist : Graeme Lothian


Signature(s) value alone : £70
£340.00VIEW EDITION...
ARTIST
PROOF
Erich Rudorffer Knights Cross signature series edition of 30 artist proofs from the edition of 50 artist proofs. Image size 25 inches x 14 inches (64cm x 36cm) Rudorffer, Erich
+ Artist : Graeme Lothian


Signature(s) value alone : £60
£50 Off!Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!Now : £165.00VIEW EDITION...
PRINTWalter Schuck Knights Cross signature series edition of 100 prints from the signed limited edition of 1150 prints. Image size 25 inches x 14 inches (64cm x 36cm) Schuck, Walter
+ Artist : Graeme Lothian


Signature(s) value alone : £70
£40 Off!Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!Now : £105.00VIEW EDITION...
PRINT Radlauer and Pflaum signature edition of 100 prints from the signed limited edition of 1150 prints. Image size 25 inches x 14 inches (64cm x 36cm) Radlauer, Heinz
Pflaum, Hubert-Ludwig
+ Artist : Graeme Lothian


Signature(s) value alone : £70
£95 Off!Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!Now : £105.00VIEW EDITION...
GICLEE
CANVAS
Limited edition of 50 giclee canvas prints. Image size 36 inches x 22 inches (91cm x 56cm)Artist : Graeme Lothian
on separate certificate
£100 Off!Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!Now : £500.00VIEW EDITION...
GICLEE
CANVAS
Limited edition of 50 giclee canvas prints. Image size 30 inches x 18 inches (76cm x 46cm)Artist : Graeme Lothian
on separate certificate
£100 Off!Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!Now : £400.00VIEW EDITION...
ORIGINAL
PAINTING
Original painting by Graeme Lothian. Image size 38 inches x 22 inches (97cm x 56cm)Artist : Graeme Lothian£1000 Off!Now : £3000.00VIEW EDITION...
SLIGHT
BORDER
DAMAGE
Signed limited edition of 1150 prints.

The print has slight damage to the border area, mostly on a corner. Not noticeable once framed.
Image size 25 inches x 14 inches (64cm x 36cm)Artist : Graeme Lothian£65 Off!Now : £55.00
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Half Price!
VIEW EDITION...
General descriptions of types of editions :






Extra Details : Defenders of the Reich by Graeme Lothian. (B)
About this edition :


Erich Rudorffer signing this edition of the print.

About all editions :

Detail Images :



A photo of an edition of the print :

Signatures on this item
*The value given for each signature has been calculated by us based on the historical significance and rarity of the signature. Values of many pilot signatures have risen in recent years and will likely continue to rise as they become more and more rare.
NameInfo


The signature of Major Erich Rudorffer (deceased)

Major Erich Rudorffer (deceased)
*Signature Value : £60

Erich Rudorffer was born on November 1st 1917 in the town of Zwickau in Saxony. Erich Rudorffer joined the Luftwaffes I./JG2 Richthofen in November 1939, and was soon flying combat patrols in January 1940 and was assigned to I/JG 2 Richthofen with the rank of Oberfeldwebel. He took part in the Battle of France, scoring the first of his many victories over a French Hawk 75 on May 14th, 1940. He went on to score eight additional victories during the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain. Rudorffer recalled an incident in August 1940 when he escorted a badly damaged Hurricane across the Channel - ditching in the English Channel was greatly feared by pilots on both sides. As fate often does, Rudorffer found the roles reversed two weeks later, when he was escorted by an RAF fighter after receiving battle damage. By May 1st 1941 Rudorffer had achieved 19 victories, which led to the award of the Knights Cross. In June 1941 Rodorffer became an Adjutant of II./JG2. In 1942 Rudorffer participated in Operation Cerberus (known as the Channel Dash) and flew over the Allied landings at Dieppe. Erich Rudorffer along with JG2 was transferred to North Africa in December 1942. It was in North Africa that Rudorffer showed his propensity for multiple-victory sorties. He shot down eight British aircraft in 32 minutes on February 9th 1943 and seven more in 20 minutes six days later. After scoring a total of 26 victories in Tunisia, Rudorffer returned to France in April 1943 and was posted to command II./JG54 in Russia, after Hauptmann Heinrich Jung, its Kommodore, failed to return from a mission on July 30th 1943. On August 24th 1943 he shot down 5 Russian aircraft on the first mission of the day and followed that up with three more victories on the second mission. He scored seven victories in seven minutes on October 11th but his finest achievement occurred on November 6th when in the course of 17 minutes, he shot down thirteen Russian aircraft. Rudorffer became known to Russian pilots as the fighter of Libau. On October 28th 1944 while about to land, Rudorffer spotted a large formation of Il-2 Sturmoviks. He quickly aborted the landing and moved to engage the Russian aircraft. In under ten minutes, nine of the of the II-2 Sturmoviks were shot down causing the rest to disperse. Rudorffer would later that day go on and shoot down a further two Russian aircraft. These victories took his total to 113 and he was awarded the Oak Leaves on April 11th 1944. Rudorffer would on the 26th January 1945 on his 210th victory receive the addition of the Swords. In February 1945 Rudorffer took command of I./JG7 flying the Me262. He was one of the first jet fighter aces of the war, scoring 12 victories in the Me262. He shot down ten 4-engine bombers during the 'Defense of the Reich missions'. He was the master of multiple scoring - achieving more multiple victories than any other pilot. Erich Rudorffer never took leave, was shot down 16 times having to bail out 9 times, and ended the war with 222 victories from over 1000 missions. He was awarded the Knights Cross, with Oak Leaves and Swords. Erich Rudorffer died on 8th April 2016.

Erich Rudorffer signing the print - Fighter General - by Graeme Lothian

Erich Rudorffer with artist Graeme Lothian and the original painting of Fighter General.

The Aircraft :
NameInfo
Flying_FortressIn the mid-1930s engineers at Boeing suggested the possibility of designing a modern long-range monoplane bomber to the U.S. Army Air Corps. In 1934 the USAAC issued Circular 35-26 that outlined specifications for a new bomber that was to have a minimum payload of 2000 pounds, a cruising speed in excess of 200-MPH, and a range of at least 2000 miles. Boeing produced a prototype at its own expense, the model 299, which first flew in July of 1935. The 299 was a long-range bomber based largely on the Model 247 airliner. The Model 299 had several advanced features including an all-metal wing, an enclosed cockpit, retractable landing gear, a fully enclosed bomb bay with electrically operated doors, and cowled engines. With gun blisters glistening everywhere, a newsman covering the unveiling coined the term Flying Fortress to describe the new aircraft. After a few initial test flights the 299 flew off to Wright Field setting a speed record with an average speed of 232-mph. At Wright Field the 299 bettered its competition in almost all respects. However, an unfortunate crash of the prototype in October of 1935 resulted in the Army awarding its primary production contract to Douglas Aircraft for its DB-1 (B-18.) The Army did order 13 test models of the 299 in January 1936, and designated the new plane the Y1B-17. Early work on the B-17 was plagued by many difficulties, including the crash of the first Y1B-17 on its third flight, and nearly bankrupted the Company. Minor quantities of the B-17B, B-17C, and B-17D variants were built, and about 100 of these aircraft were in service at the time Pearl Harbor was attacked. In fact a number of unarmed B-17s flew into the War at the time of the Japanese attack. The German Blitzkrieg in Europe resulted in accelerated aircraft production in America. The B-17E was the first truly heavily armed variant and made its initial flight in September of 1941. B-17Es cost $298,000 each and more than 500 were delivered. The B-17F and B-17G were the truly mass-produced wartime versions of the Flying Fortress. More than 3,400 B-17Fs and more than 8,600 B-17Gs would be produced. The American daylight strategic bombing campaign against Germany was a major factor in the Allies winning the War in Europe. This campaign was largely flown by B-17 Flying Fortresses (12,677 built) and B-24 Liberators (18,188 built.) The B-17 bases were closer to London than those of the B-24, so B-17s received a disproportionate share of wartime publicity. The first mission in Europe with the B-17 was an Eighth Air Force flight of 12 B-17Es on August 12, 1942. Thousands more missions, with as many as 1000 aircraft on a single mission would follow over the next 2 ½ years, virtually decimating all German war making facilities and plants. The B-17 could take a lot of damage and keep on flying, and it was loved by the crews for bringing them home despite extensive battle damage. Following WW II, B-17s would see some action in Korea, and in the 1948 Israel War. There are only 14 flyable B-17s in operation today and a total of 43 complete airframes
Me262The 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.

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