Description


Limited Edition of 250

Overall Print Size: 32” x 24”,  Image Size: 25½” by 16½”

The Long Short Days

It was known as the Jagdverbände, the fighter arm of the Luftwaffe, and by June 1940 it boasted some of the world’s greatest fighter pilots. With tactics honed to perfection, these battle-seasoned veterans dominated the skies of Europe.
But as the war progressed, the Luftwaffe fighter pilots faced another battle, the increasingly desperate war of attrition as the Allied air forces slowly, but inevitably, ground the German war machine into defeat. By early 1945 Allied air supremacy was overwhelming.
And yet despite the overwhelming odds, from within their ranks came the most successful air Aces ever to fly in combat – names such as Hans-Joachim Marseille, the top-scoring fighter pilot in the West, the legendary Erich Rudorffer who scored more multiple victories than any other pilot and of course the Fighter General, Adolf Galland, who achieved all of his 104 victories in the West. In total more than 100 Luftwaffe fighter pilots are known to have scored 100 or more victories, and 568 Jagdverbände flyers became holders of the Knight’s Cross, Germany’s highest awarded military honour.

Every print is individually hand-numbered and signed by the artist Robert Taylor
together with two Luftwaffe fighter pilots who flew Me109’s in the West:
Stabsgefreiter Hubert-Ludwig Pfaulm Iron Cross
Flew Me109’s with II JG./53.
Feldwebel Heinz  Radlauer Iron Cross 1st Class
flew Me109’s & Fw190’s with JG51 with 15 victories.

Also available is the Collectors Edition of 225  (+£110)
Additionally signed by a further seven  Luftwaffe fighter pilots who flew in combat over Germany and France:
Leutnant Helmut Ballewski Iron Cross
Flew Me109’s & Fw190’s with JG53, all in the West.
Feldwebel Ernst Giefing Iron Cross
Flew Bf109’s & Me262’s with JG7 with 6 victories.
Oberstleutnant Norbert Hannig Iron Cross 1st Class
Flew Me109’s & Fw190’s in the East and West with JG54 with 42 victories.
Unteroffizier Gerhard Kott Iron cross 1st Class
Flew Me109’s & Fw190’s with JG3 and JG4 in the East and West with 8 victories.
Major Erich Rudorffer Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves & Swords
Flew Me109’s, Fw190’s & Me262’s with JG2, JG54 & JG7 over the East and West achieving more
multiple victories than any other pilot. The 12th highest scoring Ace in the West with 222 victories.
Oberfeldwebel Willi Reschke Knight’s Cross
Flew Bf109’s & Fw190’s with JG301 & JG301 in the East and West with 27 victories
Generalleutnant Walter Krupinski Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves (1910 – 2000)
Flew Me109’s over the East & West with JG52, JG5 & JG11 later commanding JG26. Also flew the
Me262 with JV44. Completed over 1,110 combat missions and scored 197 victories.