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As
dawn broke on January 1, 1945 every serviceable Luftwaffe
fighter scrambled from bases ranging across northern Germany.
In the desperate effort to get 900 aircraft airborne many
older experienced pilots, now retired from flying duties,
were thrown into the fray.
The success of Operation Bodenplatte,
a secretly planned maximum strength effort to cripple British
and American air forces, was to be achieved by mass surprise
attacks on their bases in France, Belgium and Holland. It
was a battle fought at great cost to the Luftwaffe.
During the low-level attacks and aerial
battles that raged throughout the day, some 300 Luftwaffe
aircraft were lost. Though 200 Allied aircraft were destroyed,
most on the ground, pilot losses were light.
Nicolas Trudgian's brilliant painting
takes us right into the action above the Allied air base at
Eindhoven. Me262 jets join a concentration of Me109s and Fw190s
of JG-3 fighter wing, as they hurtle across the airfield in
an assault that lasted 23 minutes, while Spitfires from 414
Squadron RCAF do their best to repel the attack. On the ground
Typhoon fighters of 439 Squadron - one of 8 Typhoon squadrons
based at Eindhoven - take a hammering, no fewer than 60 being
destroyed or damaged.  Leutnant Helmut Ballewski
Helmut Ballewski was one of the 'younger'
generation flyers, not joining the Luftwaffe until November
1942. Posted to JG-53 PIK AS he flew all of his 47 missions
in the west. With IV./JG-53 from January 1945, Helmut Ballewski
was Helmut Bennemann's wingman on Operation Bodenplatte. He
also flew fighter-bomber operations on the Bridge at Remagen
operation. He was awarded the Iron Cross.
 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.
 Oberfeldwebel Werner Hohenberg
Werner Hohenberg joined JG-52 in
July 1942, flying with 8th Staffel. On July 9, 1942 he was
badly wounded when his aircraft was hit by Russian flak, causing
him to be in a hospital until November 1, 1944. He was then
posted to JG-2 'Richthofen' on the Western Front. On January
1, 1945 he took part in Operation Bodenplatte, and was again
shot down, this time by US flak. Landing behind British lines
he was taken POW. Werner Hohenberg flew over 200 combat missions,
scoring 33 air victories. He was awarded the Iron Cross.
 General Walter Krupinski
Walter Krupinski first saw combat against the RAF on the Western
Front. Transferring to the east, he became a Squadron Commander
in the legendary JG-52. In 1943 his victories reaches 150
but, in March 1944 with 177 victories to his name, he was
transferred to Germany to command JG-11. Flying high altitude
Me109s, he chalked up another 12 victories before being wounded.
In September 1944 he was promoted Kommandeur of III./JG-26
and led them on Operation Bodenplatte before joining Galland's
famous JV-44. He completed the war with 197 victories in over
1000 missions. He received the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves.
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