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 armor, 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. Hitler's commanders were dubious of the outcome but nevertheless obeyed orders, and the operation was launched on 16 December.

Allied intelligence had discounted any German counterr-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 26 December the SS Panzers had ground to a halt with empty fuel tanks, and were at the mercy of Allied counter-attacks. By 16 January the German penetration was repulsed and Hitler's beloved Panzer units retreated in tatters. The Fuhrer's last gamble had failed.

Nicolas Trudgian's action-packed painting depicts the Fw190s of JG1 providing close support to the 9th SS Panzer Division, as they spearhead Germany's 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 German forces during World War II.

Overall print size: 36 3/4" wide x 22 1/2" high.

Image size: 30 1/8" wide x 15" high.

Nicolas Trudgian's limited edition vividly reconstructs an authentic scene from Germany's final offensive of World War Two - the Battle of the Bulge.

Ardennes Offensive by Nicolas Trudgian
500 s/n prints w/FOUR signatures.	US $175

Each print in the edition is signed by TWO top Luftwaffe aces and TWO Panzer officers who took part in the Ardennes Offensive.

The Signatures

Oberstleutnant Helmut Bennemann
During the Battle of Britain Helmut Bennemann was Gruppenadjutant with I./JG-52 on the Channel Front. In April 1942 he was Staffelkapitän of 3./JG-52 in the east and was appointed Kommandeur of I./JG-52 from June 1942 until October 1943. Posted to Italy in November 1943, he was promoted to Kommandeur of JG-53 (Ace of Spades) in this theater and in the defense of Germany. He commanded JG-53 during the Ardennes Offensive and Operation Bodenplatte. Helmut Bennemann flew over 400 missions, scoring 92 victories and was awarded the Knight's Cross.

Obertsleutnant Hans Lutz
Joining the Wehrmacht in 1938, Hans Lutz served in the Polish and French campaigns before being posted to the Russian Front in 1941. In 1944 he was transferred to the 116th Panzer Division on the Western Front and was awarded the Knight's Cross for his actions during the Ardennes Offensive. Hans Lutz is one of the last surviving Knight's Cross holders from this battle.

The Remarque Edition
Every print in this edition is additionally signed by:
Generalmajor Heinz Günther Guderian
Heinz Guderian entered the German Army in 1933 and served in Panzer Regiments 1 and 35. In World War II he first saw combat during the invasion of Poland and was wounded in the campaign in Western Europe. Graduating from Staff College in 1942, he served as Operations Officer for the 116th Panzer Division - a position he held until the end of the war. He was awarded the Knight's Cross in October 1944. After the war he was Inspector of Panzer Troops in the Bundeswehr, the same post held by his father - Generaloberst Heinz Guderian who had been the major driving force behind the Wehrmacht's Panzer tactics during World War II.

Leutnant Siegfried Muller
Siegfried Muller first flew with JG51 Molders in the south of France. In 1943 he took part in the air battles over Salerno and Monte Cassino. He joined IV./JG3 Udet in June 1944, where he was promoted to Staffelkapitän of 16 Staffel /IV (Sturm) Gruppe flying heavily armored Fw190s. With this Gruppe he took part in the Ardennes Offensive and on 1st January, 1945, Operation Bodenplatte. At the end of the war he was attached to JG7 for training on the Me262 jet fighter. Awarded the Iron Cross 1 and 2, he scored 17 victories, including 10 four-engine bombers.

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.