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Nicolas Trudgian's limited edition featuring
RAF 112 Squadron Kittyhawks in combat with Me109s of JG27
above the Libyan desert, 1942.
The
air war fought in the skies above the inhospitable wastelands
of the North African desert were among the most hotly contested
of the war. The outcome of the bitter land war raging below
largely depended upon who controlled the air space above,
and both sides knew it.
JG-27, having cut its teeth in the battles
of France and Britain, was the first Luftwaffe unit to arrive
in North Africa. Commanded by the mercurial Eduard Neumann,
its Me109s were superior to the Hurricanes and P-40 Kittyhawks
flown by the RAF pilots and, without the restriction of close
escort duties dictated on the Western Front, the JG-27 pilots
roamed the desert skies, closing in combat with the British
fighters at every opportunity.
The North African air campaigns spawned
many fighter aces, including Hans-Joachim Marseille who claimed
more than 150 victories in his short career - more than any
other Luftwaffe ace flying against RAF pilots. The scale of
the desert air war is highlighted by the raw statistics: 1400
British aircraft lost; over 1200 Luftwaffe destroyed.
Nick's powerful painting brings home the
intensity of the air fighting. A dog-fight between Me109s
from JG-27 and P-40 Kittyhawks of the RAF's 112 Squadron,
has descended from 12,000 feet almost to ground level as the
opposing pilots fight it out. Led by 'Killer' Caldwell, and
later Billy Drake, 112 Squadron were in constant combat with
Edu Neumann's fighters as they jousted for air supremacy above
Rommel's advancing Afika Korps tanks. Below them, the desolate
beauty of the Libyan Desert stretches as far as the eye can
see.
Hauptmann Emil Clade
Emil Clade joined the Luftwaffe in
April 1937. At the outbreak of war he was with 1 Staffel JG-27
and took part in the Battle of France, the fighting over Dunkirk
and then in 1940, based in the Pas de Calais, in the Battle
of Britain, where he scored his first victory flying the Me109E.
In early 1941 Emil was posted with JG-27 to North Africa where
he flew continually until the German forces were eventually
defeated at the end of 1942. By the end of the war he had
survived 6 bail-outs and scored 26 air victories. He was awarded
the German Gold Cross, and Iron Cross 1st Class.
Group Captain Billy
Drake DSO DFC*
Joining the RAF in 1936, Billy Drake
flew Hurricanes in France at the outbreak of war, seeing action
during the spring of 1940, and scoring his first victory in
May. After being wounded he was soon back in the fray with
421 Flight and by the end of 1940 his tally had reached 4.
Posted to the Western Desert in early 1942, he took command
of 112 Squadron flying P-40 Kittyhawks and led the squadron
through a period of great success. He later served in Malta,
and then as Wing Leader of 20 Wing, 2nd TAF flying Typhoons
in the lead up to the Normandy Invasion. Billy Drake scored
24 ½ victories and in addition, another 13 aircraft
destroyed on the ground. He retired from the RAF in 1963.
Squadron
Leader Neville Duke DSO DFC*
Neville Duke joined the RAF in June
1940. Posted to 92 Squadron at Biggin Hill in April 1941,
he flew a Spitfire as wingman to 'Sailor' Malan. In November
he was posted to 112 Squadron in the Middle East, and survived
being shot down twice by pilots of JG-27. His own tally, however,
was rising fast and by early February 1942 his victories had
risen to 8 confirmed and 3 probables. After a second tour
in the desert with 92 Squadron, flying Spitfire Vs, he flew
a third tour flying Spitfire VIIIs with 145 Squadron in Italy
- scoring his final victory in September 1944 to become the
top scoring Allied Ace in the Mediterranean theater. He flew
over 486 sorties, and achieved 28 victories. After the war
Neville joined Hawkers as a test pilot, becoming Chief Test
Pilot in 1951. On 7 September 1953 he captured the World Air
Speed record flying a Hunter at 727.63 mph.
Oberst Eduard
Neumann
A veteran of the Spanish Campaign,
Eduard Neumann, at the start of the war, was leading 4./JG-26
in France later promoted Adjutant of I./JG-27. He took part
in the Balkan Campaign before moving in 1941 to North Africa,
where I./JG-27 was the only German fighter unit for the first
nine months. In 1942 he became Kommodore of JG-27, a position
which he held throughout the remainder of the Desert Campaign.
He was credited with molding the careers of many outstanding
pilots, the best known being the young Hauptmann Marseille.
Following the defeat of Rommel's Afrika Corps at El Alamein,
JG-27 covered their retreat back to Tunisia. When his wing
left the desert, 'Edu' Neumann was transferred to the Staff
of General of the Fighter Arm, where he remained until 1944.
Promoted to Oberst in the autumn of that year, he took over
as Fighter Commander of Northern Italy. Edu Neumann ended
the war as one of the Luftwaffe's most highly respected Commanders. |
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