|
Ice Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian.
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.
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.
Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Image size 30 inches x 16 inches (76cm x 41cm). Price £160.00 Signed by Major Hans-Ekkehard Bob, Leutnant Hugo Broch and Major Eric Rudorffer.
Limited edition of 25 artist proofs. Image size 30 inches x 16 inches (76cm x 41cm). Price £200.00 Signed by Major Hans-Ekkehard Bob, Leutnant Hugo Broch and Major Eric Rudorffer.
Limited edition of publishers proofs. Image size 30 inches x 16 inches (76cm x 41cm). Price £200.00 Signed by Major Hans-Ekkehard Bob, Leutnant Hugo Broch and Major Eric Rudorffer.
Nicolas Trudgian Promotional Flyer. A4 Size Double Sheet 11.5 inches x 8 inches (30m x 21cm) . Price £1.50
** (Ex Display) Signed limited edition of 500 prints. (Three copies reduced to clear) Image size 30 inches x 16 inches (76cm x 41cm). Price £115.00 Signed by Major Hans-Ekkehard Bob, Leutnant Hugo Broch and Major Eric Rudorffer.
ITEM CODE NT0239
|
|
Ice Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian
- The Signatures
|
 | Major Hans-Ekkehard Bob
After success in the Battle of Britain, Hans-Ekkehard Bob took over leadership of 9./JG54 in 1940. The following year he was awarded the Knight's Cross. Transferring to the Eastern Front his victories rose steadily to 50 by September 1942. His Group later transferred back to the West for a short period, where in April 1943, he rammed a B-17 Fortress. Returning to the Eastern Front as Kommander of IV./JG3, he ended the war as Adjutant of Galland's JV44 in the West. In his 700 missions he scored 60 victories.
|
Hans-Ekkehard Bob signing the print - JV44 Kette of Swallows - by Graeme Lothian. |
More... |
 | Leutnant Hugo Broch
Vital to all fighter units are the pilots who make such superb wingmen that their leaders are loath to part with them. Hugo Broch was one such wingman. Having joined VI./JG54 in January he flew first with Horst Adameit (166 victories), and later with 'Bazi' Sterr (130 victories), but soon demonstrated his own skill in combat. By the end of 1944 he had lifted his personal score to 71 victories. One of JG54's great Fw190 Aces, Hugo Broch saw combat on the Eastern and Baltic Fronts, and completed the war having flown 324 combat missions, and claiming 81 victories. He was awarded the Knight's Cross.
More... |
 | Major Erich Rudorffer
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 Knight's Cross, with Oak Leaves and Swords.
|
|
|
|
Erich Rudorffer signing the print - Fighter General - by Graeme Lothian |
Erich Rudorffer with artist Graeme Lothian and the original painting of Fighter General. |
More... |
|
