The
deafening sound of piston-engine aircraft scrambling from
an airfield in anger was a heart-stopping event regularly
witnessed on both sides of the Channel throughout the summer
of 1940. The sight of so many fighters climbing into battle
was as thrilling as it was dangerous for the pilots jockeying
with each other in their rush to get airborne.
The Luftwaffe fought the Battle of Britain
from airfields situated mainly in France, Belgium and Holland,
the greatest concentration being in the Pas de Calais, where
the distance to the English coast is a mere 22 miles. Fighter
squadrons were scattered throughout the French countryside,
and from these airfields flew the Luftwaffe's battle-hardened
fighter pilots, many already with dozens of victories to their
name. Each day, weather permitting, they flew free-hunting
patrols across the Channel and along the coast of Kent, aggressively
looking for action. The sheer numbers of German aircraft crossing
the Channel each day made victory seem a foregone conclusion;
but for the resilience, courage and devotion of the RAF fighter
pilots, and the flawed tactics of Reichmarschall Goering,
it probably would have been.
Nicolas Trudgian's painting recreates
a typical scene as the Me109s of JG3, under the command of
Hans von Hahn, and sporting the group's colorful Dragon emblem
on their cowlings, scramble from their base at Colombert,
near Calais, heading for the battlefront. Each print is individually
signed by two veteran Luftwaffe fighter Aces who flew in the
Battle of Britain, adding great collectability to this new
issue.
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Overall print
size: 27 1/8" wide x 18 3/4" high.
Me109s of JG 3, prints signed by Luftwaffe
pilots who flew and fought in the Battle of Britain.
| The
Dragons Of Colombert
by Nicolas Trudgian |
| 450 s/n prints w/TWO signatures. |
US $150 |
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| 25 Artist's Proofs w/TWO
signatures. |
US $225 |
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The Signatures
Oberstleutnant Gunther
Scholz
After seeing action in the Spanish
Campaign, Gunther Scholz flew with 7./JG54 in Poland and France,
and during the Battle of Britain. Transferring to the Eastern
Front he flew with III./JG5 from February 1942, later with
Geschwaderstab JG5. In July 1944 he was posted to Norway.
Scholz was awarded the Iron Cross I and finished the war with
33 victories.
Oberleutnant Erwin
Leykauf
Erwin Leykauf flew with JG27 at the
beginning of the Battle of Britain, then with JG54 where he
scored his first 7 victories. Transferring to the Balkans
and later the Eastern Front, in 1943 he joined JG26 flying
the Fw190. At the end of the war he was with JG7, flying the
Me262. Erwin was awarded the Iron Cross I and II and his victories
had climbed to 33.
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