FIGHTER GENERAL BY GRAEME LOTHIAN

Signed Limited edition of 500 signed limited edition plus 50 artist proofs (sold out) and 60 Portfolio edition (sold out). each print is signed by eight highly decorated Knights Cross Holders. Print serial number  DHM872. Print image size 28" x17" Price £115.($200) 

Fighter general shows 'Dolfo' Galland leading a schwarm of BF109's out low at tree top height over the Kent countryside after doing battle with spitfires, during the last week of August 1940. This remarkable pilot was awarded the Knights Cross as a Major on the 15th August. His daring and leadership won the hearts of his men and respect from RAF Pilots. the Oak leaves was awarded on the 23rd September 1940 and crossed Swords in June 1941 after 69 victories.  At the end of 1941 at age only 29 he was promoted Inspector General of the Fighter Arm. Leaving his post as Kommodore JG26 to Gerhard Schoepfel he was awarded the Diamonds to the Knights Cross in January 1942 at Oberst. As the youngest General in the German High Command he held this post until 1944, after open disagreements with Goring let to his dismissal. Reverting to combat flying he formed, with Steinhoff, the legendary JV-44, flying the ME262 jet fighter. His score by wars end stood at 104 all on the western Front. he was the only General to lead a squadron into battle. 

The Signatories to the print Fighter General

General Leutnant Walter Krupinski

Born in 1920 in eats Prussia, Walter Kuprinski joined the Luftwaffe as a 19 year old on the day of the war. Commissioned as a Leutnant in 6/JG52 in February 1941. He was awarded the Knights Cross in October 1942 after 56 victories. promoted Staffelkapitan of 7?jg52 in March 1943. awarded Oak leaves in march 1944 after 154 Victories. taking over II/JG11 on the invasion of France and later III?JG26. he led that group until its disbandment on 26th march 1945.   Haupmann Krupinski joined Adolf Galland's squadron of experts of JV44 scoring 2 victories in the ME262 Jet. Bringing his total to 197 confirmed victories  Krupinski's 5 wounds were recognised by the award of the Wound Badge in Gold.

Major Erich Rudorffer

Born in 1917, Rudorffer won his Ritter Kreuz in May 1941. Whilst with JG2 he down 45 RAF planes over the Channel and a further 27 in Tunisia.  But it was with JG54 in Russia that he had his spectacular victories, scoring 5 Soviet Aircraft in 4 minutes on one mission and 7 aircraft in 7 minutes. But his most outstanding feat of arial combat was 13 enemy aircraft in just 17 minutes. The Oak Leaves followed on April 1944 and the Crossed swords on January 1945. he finished the War as an Ace on Jets with JG7 scoring 12 victories in the mE262. In his remarkable career he never went on leave, was shot down 16 times, bailed out 9 times, flew over 1,000 missions and scored 222 victories, the seventh highest ranking expert.

Major Gerhard Schoepfel.

Born in 1912, Transferred to the Luftwaffe from the infantry in 1935, he was Steffelkapitan 9/JG26 at the beginning of the war. he succeeded Galland as Kommandeur of III?JG26 when Galland was promoted Kommodore and was awarded the Knights Cross in September 1940.  he took over as Kommodore when Galland was Promoted. A post he held for just over a year.   Serving as fighter operations officer in Italy then JAFU, Norway and later Hungary. As Kommodore JG6 in Czechoslovakia he was captured by the Russians and remained a prisoner of War until 1949. he flew 700 combat missions with the Jadwaffe.

Major Heinz Lange

Began his combat in the polish Campaign and in 1939 shot down his first aircraft, a British Blenheim Bomber, During the Battle of Britain he flew 76 missions. After service with JG 54 he was given command of 3/JG51.    By May 1944 he led IV Gruppe JG51 and reached his total of 70 victories being awarded the Knights Cross in November. promoted Major was appointed Kommodore of Molders JG51 and in all flew 628 combat missions.

Colonel Heinz Marquardt

He was born in Braunsberg in 1922 and spent his entire combat time with JG51 and in 320 combat missions with the Luftwaffe Heinze Negus Marquardt was accredited with 121 aerial victories, all scored on the eastern Front. Flying both the BF109 and FW190. With 16 more unconfirmed. He was himself shot down 8 times and on 7th October 1944 he downed 8 enemy aircraft in one day and was awarded the German Cross in September 1944 and the coveted Knights Cross in November 1944.

Captain Ernst-Wilhelm Reimert

Born in 1919 this well known and highly decorated fighter pilot had by 21942 achieved over 100 victories on the eastern Front with JG27. He was posted to Tunisia where he became the top scoring Luftwaffe Ace in this theatre of war. With JG77 sent to Italy he continued to score spectacular and ended the war flying 715 combat mission and scored 174 aerial victories and was awarded the Knights Cross with oak leaves and Crossed Swords.

Leutnant Fritz Tegtmeier

Born in 1917 he joined 2/JG-54 in October 1940, but after being injured in a crash it wasn't until 1941 that he achieved his first victory. A brief time as a fighter Instructor in 1943 he returned to the Russian Front and his score soon started to mount, By May 1944 he had over 100 victories. August 1944 saw his appointment as Staffelkapitan of 3/JG-54.  In March 1945 he transferred to JG-7 flying mE262 Jet. By the end of the war he had flown 700 combat missions and had 146 victories. he was awarded the Knights Cross.

Leutnant Peter Duttmann

Peter Duttmann Joined the luftwaffe at the beginning of the war and after Fighter training was posted to 5/JG-52 in the Spring of 1943 and stayed  with this top-scoring unit until the end of the War when he was a Staffel-Kapitan. he was shot down or crash landed 17 times and on 3 occasions landed far behind Russian lines and each time walked back to his unit, sometimes taking days to do so.     The 2 years Peter spent on the front he flew 395 missions and had 152 confirmed victories and more unconfirmed, all in the BF109 including2 tanks.   His decorations include the Knights Cross and was recommended for the Oak leaves at the very end of the war.