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Operation Mercury by Nicolas Trudgian.
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! |
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Operation Mercury by Nicolas Trudgian.
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!
Signed limited edition of 285 prints. Image size 24 inches x 16 inches (61cm x 41cm). Price £100.00 Signed by Leutnant Otto Fries and Hauptmann Peter Spoden.
Special Edition Artists Proof. Limited edition of 30 artist proofs. Image size 24 inches x 16 inches (61cm x 41cm). Price £155.00 Signed by Leutnant Otto Fries, Hauptmann Peter Spoden and Leutnant Karl-Ludwig Johanssen (deceased).
Special Edition. Signed limited edition of 425 prints. Image size 24 inches x 16 inches (61cm x 41cm). Price £125.00 Signed by Leutnant Otto Fries, Hauptmann Peter Spoden and Leutnant Karl-Ludwig Johanssen (deceased).
ITEM CODE DHM2615
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Operation Mercury by Nicolas Trudgian
- The Signatures
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 | Leutnant Otto Fries
Otto Fries was posted to NJG I nightfighter unit in January 1942 as a Gefreiter. He served with them on the Western Front right through until the end of the war, flying continuously against RAF Bomber Command. He was commissioned Leutnant in August 1943. In July 1944 Otto was flying Me110s of II.Gruppe based in St. Trond, St. Dizier and then Arnheim. He later joined I.Gruppe before transferring to Münster-Hansdorf flying the Heinkel 219 Owl. He is one of the last surviving He219 pilots. Shot down four times, on the second of which he escaped by catapult ejection seat out of the He219 during night operations for home defence - it is thought had been shot down by night fighter Mosquito "R" of 85 Sqd flown by F/Lt Vaughan and F/Sgt R D McKinnon. The right hand engine of his He219 suddenly exploded into flames. With the loss of most of the control of the aircraft he jettisoned the aircrafts canopy, his wireless operator Feldwebel Alfred Staffa baled out and was severley wounded on landing with his parachute. Lt Otto Fries could not regain sufficient control of the He219 which was now burning so he ejected. He landed unhurt by means of his parachute. The He219 crashed about 3 kilometres south of Hertogenbosch and was destroyed. This was only the third such ejection in combat in the world. Otto scored 18 air victories by the end of the war.
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Otto Fries signing artwork of Graeme Lothian. |
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 | Hauptmann Peter Spoden
Posted to 5./NJG in June 1943, he scored his first victory on the Peenemubde raid. In early 1944 he took part in many daylight missions with rocket firing Me110s against B17 Fortresses. Returning to night fighting he eventually became Gruppenkommandeur of I./NJG6, his final tally was 26 victories.
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 | Leutnant Karl-Ludwig Johanssen (deceased)
Karl-Ludwig Johanssen was born on 15th May 1921. Flying with III./NJG4 and I./NJG6, he was one of the Luftwaffe's most successful radio operators, flying with Martin Becker and participating in 59 air victories. He was awarded with the Knights Cross in March 1945. He died on 11th August 2009.
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