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| CLICK HERE FOR A FULL LIST OF ALL NICOLAS TRUDGIAN PRINTS BY TITLE |
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Oberst Eberhard Stephan
After serving in the Polish and French campaigns, Eberhard Stephan joined the 14th Panzer Division in 1941. In Russia he led his tanks to the Caucasus, and led one of the Panzer groups trying to break through to Stalingrad. With the 5th Panzer Division he took part in the biggest tank battle in history at Kursk. He was a commander in the 116th Panzer Division during the D-Day invasion: he fought at Caen, and the Battle of Arnhem. In the Ardennes Offensive, he led a crack unit of the 5th Panzer Army, and was awarded the Knight's Cross. He was one of the leading Panzer Commanders of World War II. Sadly he died on 22nd October 2008.
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| Knights Cross |
| Oberst Eberhard Stephan - Signed Nicolas Trudgian Aviation Art Prints Pilot and Aircrew Signatures |
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| Text for the above items : |
Ardennes Offensive by Nicolas Trudgian. As 1944 drew to a close, Hitler made his final gamble of the war, mounting a massive strike force aimed at splitting the Allies forces advancing upon Germany. His armour, supported from the air, would rip through the Ardennes to Antwerp, capture the Allied fuel supplies, and cut off all the opposing forces to the north. Hitlers commanders were dubious of the outcome but nevertheless obeyed orders, and the operation was launched on 16th December. Allied intelligence had discounted any German counter-offensive and the initial wave, comprising 8 Panzer divisions, took the Allied forces completely by surprise. A parachute drop of English-speaking German soldiers in American uniforms behind the assault zone added to the confusion. Advancing some 30 miles, and almost in sight of the River Meuse, by 26th December the SS Panzers had ground to a halt with empty fuel tanks, and were at the mercy of Allied counter-attacks. By 16th January the German penetration was repulsed and Hitlers beloved Panzer units retreated in tatters. The Fuhrers last gamble had failed. Fw190s of JG1 provide close support to the 9th SS Panzer Division, as they spearhead Germanys final major offensive of World War II. Seen advancing on the 82nd Airborne Division, the King Tiger tanks, with the aid of Luftwaffe ground-attack fighters, drive the Americans back through the snowy fields of the Ardennes on Christmas Day, 1944. It was the last, short-lived and ultimately unsuccessful advance made by the German forces during World War II. Published 2001. |
Winter Wolves by Nicolas Trudgian. 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. |
| Oberst Eberhard Stephan Squadron details |
| Oberst Eberhard Stephan Aircraft details |
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