Nicholas Trudgian German Aircraft

Home ] Up ] Robert Taylor German Aircraft ] [ Nicholas Trudgian German Aircraft ] Messerschmitt Bf109 ] Messerschmitt Me110 ] Messerschmitt Me262 ] Heinkel III Medium Bomber ] Heinkel He162 Salamander ] Junker Ju87 Stuka ] Junker Ju52 ] Focke Wulf Fw190 ] Dornier Do17 ] World War 1 Aircraft ] Junker Ju88 ] Arado 234 B-2 Turbojet ] German Print List ] Knights Cross Prints ]


Customer Helpline (UK) : 01436 820269

You currently have no items in your basket

Choose a FREE print if you spend over £150!
See Choice of Free Prints


Buy with confidence and security!
Publishing historical art since 1985



Aircraft :

Squadrons :

Aviation Artists :

Signatures :
Product Search         
(Exact match search - please check our other menus above first)

Nicholas Trudgian luftwaffe art prints including Focke Wulf Fw190, Messerschmitt Me110 and Heinkel 219. Aviation art by aviation artist Nicholas Trudgian available from aviationprints.co.uk, subsidiary of Cranston Fine Arts. 

Having graduated from art college, Nicolas Trudgian spent many years as a professional illustrator before turning to a career in fine art painting. His crisp style of realism, attention to detail, compositional skills and bright use of colours, immediately found favour with collectors and demand for his original work soared on both sides of the Atlantic. Today, more than a decade after becoming a fine art painter, Nicolas Trudgian is firmly established within a tiny, elite group of aviation artists whose works are genuinely collected world-wide.  When he paints an aircraft you can be sure he has researched it in every detail and when he puts it over a particular airfield, the chances are he has paid it a recent visit. Even when he paints a sunset over a tropical island, or mist hanging over a valley in China, most probably he has seen it with his own eyes.

Nick was born and raised in the seafaring city of Plymouth, the port from which the Pilgrim Fathers set sail in 1620, and where Sir Francis Drake played bowls while awaiting the Spanish Armada. Growing up in a house close to the railway station within a busy military city, the harbour always teeming with naval vessels and the skies above resonating with the sounds of naval aircraft, it was not at all surprising the young Nick became fascinated with trains, boats and aircraft. It was from his father, himself a talented artist, that Nick acquired his love of drawing and surrounded by so much that was inspiring, there was never a shortage of ideas for pictures. His talent began to show at an early age and although he did well enough at school, he always spent a disproportionate amount of time drawing. People talked about him becoming a Naval officer or an architect but in 1975 Nick's mind was made up. When he told his careers teacher he wanted to go to art school the man said, 'Now come on, what do you really want to do?"

After leaving school Nick began a one-year foundation course at the Plymouth College of Art. Now armed with an impressive portfolio containing paintings of jet aircraft, trains, even wildlife, he was immediately accepted at every college he applied to join. He chose a course at the Falmouth College of Art in Cornwall specialising in technical illustration and paintings of machines and vehicles for industry. It was perfect for Nick, and he was to become one of the star pupils. One of the lecturers commented at the time: "Every college needs someone with a talent like Nick to raise the standards sky high; he carried all the other students along with him, and created an effect which will last for years to come." Two weeks after leaving art college Nick blew every penny he had on a trip to South Africa to ride the great steam trains across the desert, sketching them at every opportunity. Returning to England, in best traditions of all young artists, he struggled to make a living. Paintings by an unknown artist didn't fetch much despite the painstaking effort and time Nick put into each work, so when the college he had recently left offered him a job as a lecturer, he jumped at the chance. The money was good and he discovered that he really enjoyed teaching.

Throughout the 1970s Nick was much involved with a railway preservation society near Plymouth and it was through the railway society that he had his first pictures reproduced as prints. But Nick felt he needed to advance his career and in summer 1985 Nick moved away from Cornwall to join an energetic new design studio in Wiltshire. Here he painted detailed artwork for many major companies including Rolls Royce, General Motors, Volvo Trucks, Alfa Romeo and, to his delight, the aviation and defence industries. He remembers the job as exciting though stressful, often requiring him to work right through the night to meet a client's deadline. Here he learned to be disciplined and fast.Towards the end of the 1980's Nick had the chance to work for the Military Gallery. This was the break that for years he had been striving towards and with typical enthusiasm, flung himself into his new role. After completing a series of aviation posters, including a gigantic painting to commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Royal Air Force, Nick's first aviation scene to be published as a limited edition was launched by the Military Gallery in 1991. Despite the fact he was unknown in the field, it was an immediate success.

 Nicolas Trudgian has painted an exquisitely detailed portrayal of I./JG54 Green Heart Warriors FW190A-4s taxiing out through the snow to sweep the skies above Krasnogvardeisk on the Russian Front in the winter of 1943. ......Snow Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian.

3 editions with signatures!
Nicolas Trudgian has painted an exquisitely detailed portrayal of I./JG54 Green Heart Warriors FW190A-4s taxiing out through the snow to sweep the skies above Krasnogvardeisk on the Russian Front in the winter of 1943. ......2 print editions available from £75.00
1 canvas print edition available from £325.00
 Nicolas Trudgians painting Desert Victory recreates all the atmosphere of the North African desert war with a stunning portrayal of the Me109s of 3./JG-27. The wing is depicted being led by Staffelkapitan Gerhard Homuth as they escort Afrikakorps ar......
Desert Victory by Nicolas Trudgian.

3 editions with signatures!
Nicolas Trudgians painting Desert Victory recreates all the atmosphere of the North African desert war with a stunning portrayal of the Me109s of 3./JG-27. The wing is depicted being led by Staffelkapitan Gerhard Homuth as they escort Afrikakorps ar......3 print editions available from £140.00
 In the summer of 1940, as a 28 year old captain, Hannes Trautloft took command of JG 54. During the next three years this extraordinary fighter leader shaped the unit into one of the most successful combat fighter wings of World War II.  The Green H......
Green Heart Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian. (B)

1 edition with signatures!
In the summer of 1940, as a 28 year old captain, Hannes Trautloft took command of JG 54. During the next three years this extraordinary fighter leader shaped the unit into one of the most successful combat fighter wings of World War II. The Green H......1 print edition available from £350.00
 HM Stephen - one of the Battle of Britains top scoring fighter pilots, brings down two Me109s in quick succession over the White Cliffs of Dover, early on August 11, 1940. Flying a Spitfire with 74 Squadron, HM shot down five German aircraft on this......
First Flap of the Day by Nicolas Trudgian.

6 editions with signatures!
HM Stephen - one of the Battle of Britains top scoring fighter pilots, brings down two Me109s in quick succession over the White Cliffs of Dover, early on August 11, 1940. Flying a Spitfire with 74 Squadron, HM shot down five German aircraft on this......7 print editions available from £90.00
 A Heinkel 219 and a Messerschmitt 110 of NJG-1 climbing out from their base a Munster Hansdorf, as they set out on a deadly mission. Ten aircraft took off to intercept a major raid on Dusseldorf, the night witnessing a fierce battle high above the d......
Into The Cloak of Darkness by Nicolas Trudgian

4 editions with signatures!
A Heinkel 219 and a Messerschmitt 110 of NJG-1 climbing out from their base a Munster Hansdorf, as they set out on a deadly mission. Ten aircraft took off to intercept a major raid on Dusseldorf, the night witnessing a fierce battle high above the d......4 print editions available from £100.00
1 ex-display print available from £105.00
 With their brightly coloured checkertail tails there was no mistaking the P.51 Mustangs of the 325th Fighter Group. Escorting B-24s over Austria in August 1944, tangled with a group of Fw190 fighters. The ensuing dogfight spiraled down below the mou......
Checkertail Clan by Nicolas Trudgian

4 editions with signatures!
With their brightly coloured checkertail tails there was no mistaking the P.51 Mustangs of the 325th Fighter Group. Escorting B-24s over Austria in August 1944, tangled with a group of Fw190 fighters. The ensuing dogfight spiraled down below the mou......3 print editions available from £130.00
1 ex-display print available from £90.00
 A classic head-to-head combat between Squadron Leader Sandy Johnstone in his Spitfire and an Me109 over the south coast of England on 25th August, 1940. With 602 Squadron scrambled to intercept an approaching raid. The Commanding Officer notches up ......
Head to Head by Nicolas Trudgian

3 editions with signatures!
A classic head-to-head combat between Squadron Leader Sandy Johnstone in his Spitfire and an Me109 over the south coast of England on 25th August, 1940. With 602 Squadron scrambled to intercept an approaching raid. The Commanding Officer notches up ......3 print editions available from £165.00
 The German High Command entered World War II with the notion that the war would be quickly won, and certainly without the need to fight at night.  The RAF changed all that when Bomber Command, having suffered appalling losses in daylight, turned to ......
Night Hunters of the Reich by Nicolas Trudgian.

3 editions with signatures!
The German High Command entered World War II with the notion that the war would be quickly won, and certainly without the need to fight at night. The RAF changed all that when Bomber Command, having suffered appalling losses in daylight, turned to ......3 print editions available from £85.00
 Nicolas Trudgians epic new release depicts Bf109Es of LG2 engaging No.19 Squadron Spitfires in an epic duel atop the white cliffs. ......High Summer High Battle by Nicolas Trudgian.

4 editions with signatures!
Nicolas Trudgians epic new release depicts Bf109Es of LG2 engaging No.19 Squadron Spitfires in an epic duel atop the white cliffs. ......3 print editions available from £120.00
1 canvas print edition available from £695.00
 Typical of great air battles fought in the skies above occupied Europe were the determined interceptions by Luftwaffe fighters, particularly upon the massed daylight raids mounted by the American Eighth Air Force. Major Herman Graf, Gruppenkommandeu......Eagle Attack by Nicolas Trudgian

2 editions with signatures!
Typical of great air battles fought in the skies above occupied Europe were the determined interceptions by Luftwaffe fighters, particularly upon the massed daylight raids mounted by the American Eighth Air Force. Major Herman Graf, Gruppenkommandeu......3 print editions available from £45.00
 The dramatic scene depicts an aerial dog-fight between Sopwith Camels and SE5A fighters of the Royal Flying Corps, and the bright red planes of Baron von Richthofens JG1 fighter wing. High over Northern France, the highly manoeuvrable fighters wheel......
Knights of the Sky by Nicolas Trudgian

3 editions with signatures!
The dramatic scene depicts an aerial dog-fight between Sopwith Camels and SE5A fighters of the Royal Flying Corps, and the bright red planes of Baron von Richthofens JG1 fighter wing. High over Northern France, the highly manoeuvrable fighters wheel......2 print editions available from £130.00
1 ex-display print available from £90.00
 Messerschmitt Me110s and 109s of the Luftwaffes 210 Gruppe based at Calais-Marck in northern France, make a low-level run across the Kent countryside after a surprise attack on R.A.F. Biggin Hill, August 30, 1940 ......
One - Tens Over Kent by Nicolas Trudgian

3 editions with signatures!
Messerschmitt Me110s and 109s of the Luftwaffes 210 Gruppe based at Calais-Marck in northern France, make a low-level run across the Kent countryside after a surprise attack on R.A.F. Biggin Hill, August 30, 1940 ......3 print editions available from £110.00
It required more than a little nerve to fly a fighter into the barrage of fire sprayed out by the gunners of a box of B17 bombers; it took even greater courage to do so in the rocket propelled Me163 Komet.  With rocket science still in its infancy, t......
Rocket Attack by Nicolas Trudgian.

4 editions with signatures!
It required more than a little nerve to fly a fighter into the barrage of fire sprayed out by the gunners of a box of B17 bombers; it took even greater courage to do so in the rocket propelled Me163 Komet. With rocket science still in its infancy, t......3 print editions available from £65.00
 Herbert Ihlefeld leads the Fw190s of JG1 over the Ardennes during the last great offensive by German forces in the west on Christmas Eve, 1944. ......The Last Offensive by Nicolas Trudgian.

1 edition with signatures!
Herbert Ihlefeld leads the Fw190s of JG1 over the Ardennes during the last great offensive by German forces in the west on Christmas Eve, 1944. ......All 1 ex-display print sold out.
 Set in a spectacular mountain scene, Nicolas Trudgians print records the last days of air combat as World War II drew to a close. The most feared of the Luftwaffes remaining units were those equipped with the remarkable Me262 fighter jet, but they w......
Mountain Wolf by Nicolas Trudgian

3 editions with signatures!
Set in a spectacular mountain scene, Nicolas Trudgians print records the last days of air combat as World War II drew to a close. The most feared of the Luftwaffes remaining units were those equipped with the remarkable Me262 fighter jet, but they w......3 print editions available from £80.00
 Me109s of I/JG2, under the command of the brilliant Helmut Wick, setting out on a mission across the English Channel in September 1940. Wick, seen in the foreground, with Gunther Seeger off his starboard wing, was the top-scoring Luftwaffe Ace in th......
Stormclouds Gather by Nicolas Trudgian

3 editions with signatures!
Me109s of I/JG2, under the command of the brilliant Helmut Wick, setting out on a mission across the English Channel in September 1940. Wick, seen in the foreground, with Gunther Seeger off his starboard wing, was the top-scoring Luftwaffe Ace in th......2 print editions available from £110.00
1 ex-display print available from £95.00
 Released on the 65th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain a new limited edition to commemorate Churchills famous few. Stalwart of the Battle of Britain, the Hawker Hurricane equipped the majority of the RAF squadrons that defended Britain during tha......
Hurricane Country by Nicolas Trudgian.

5 editions with signatures!
Released on the 65th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain a new limited edition to commemorate Churchills famous few. Stalwart of the Battle of Britain, the Hawker Hurricane equipped the majority of the RAF squadrons that defended Britain during tha......4 print editions available from £140.00
 Captain Erich Topp steers his Type VIIc U-Boat number U-552 Red Devil towards the sanctuary of the base at St Nazaire after another patrol during the gruelling Battle of the Atlantic in 1942.  In the skies above, heading back out to hostile waters i......Sea Wolves by Nicolas Trudgian. (C)

1 edition with signatures!
Captain Erich Topp steers his Type VIIc U-Boat number U-552 Red Devil towards the sanctuary of the base at St Nazaire after another patrol during the gruelling Battle of the Atlantic in 1942. In the skies above, heading back out to hostile waters i......1 print edition available from £365.00
1 canvas print edition available from £365.00
Of the many famous combat aircraft to serve their respective countries in the Second World War, two perhaps more than any others, created huge impact and consternation upon seasoned opposing pilots when they first appeared on the battlefront - the Su......
Victory Over the Rhine by Nicolas Trudgian.

5 editions with signatures!
Of the many famous combat aircraft to serve their respective countries in the Second World War, two perhaps more than any others, created huge impact and consternation upon seasoned opposing pilots when they first appeared on the battlefront - the Su......4 print editions available from £120.00
1 ex-display print available from £120.00
 On 5 July, 1943 over 6000 German and Russian tanks clashed near the town of Kursk, just 300 miles south of Moscow. It was the beginning of what became the greatest tank battle in history. In the skies above this conflagration, an air battle of monum......
Battle of Kursk by Nicolas Trudgian. (B)

1 edition with signatures!
On 5 July, 1943 over 6000 German and Russian tanks clashed near the town of Kursk, just 300 miles south of Moscow. It was the beginning of what became the greatest tank battle in history. In the skies above this conflagration, an air battle of monum......1 print edition available from £330.00
 The success of Operation Bodenplatte, on January 1, 1945, was to be achieved by mass surprise attacks on British and American bases in France, Belgium and Holland. It was a battle fought at great cost to the Luftwaffe. During the battles some 300 Lu......
Operation Bodenplatte by Nicolas Trudgian.

4 editions with signatures!
The success of Operation Bodenplatte, on January 1, 1945, was to be achieved by mass surprise attacks on British and American bases in France, Belgium and Holland. It was a battle fought at great cost to the Luftwaffe. During the battles some 300 Lu......3 print editions available from £150.00
1 ex-display print available from £100.00
DHM2707. Alpine Scramble by Nicolas Trudgian. ......
Alpine Scramble by Nicolas Trudgian.

7 editions with signatures!
DHM2707. Alpine Scramble by Nicolas Trudgian. ......10 print editions available from £65.00
 The legend of Willie Messerschmitts Me262, and the elite fighter Aces who piloted this revolutionary jet aircraft, is as secure as any born during the Second World War.  As they hurtled into the air, climbing at speeds hitherto unknown, a small grou......
In Defense of the Reich by Nicolas Trudgian.

4 editions with signatures!
The legend of Willie Messerschmitts Me262, and the elite fighter Aces who piloted this revolutionary jet aircraft, is as secure as any born during the Second World War. As they hurtled into the air, climbing at speeds hitherto unknown, a small grou......4 print editions available from £365.00
 Nicolas Trudgians dramatic painting recreates a scene near Cambrai, Northern France on the morning of March 18, 1918. Aware of a build-up of forces for a massive German offensive, many RFC squadrons attacked the German positions at very low altitude......
Richthofens Flying Circus by Nicolas Trudgian. Nicolas Trudgians dramatic painting recreates a scene near Cambrai, Northern France on the morning of March 18, 1918. Aware of a build-up of forces for a massive German offensive, many RFC squadrons attacked the German positions at very low altitude......3 print editions available from £105.00
 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, a......
Desert Sharks and Eagles by Nicolas Trudgian.

4 editions with signatures!
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, a......3 print editions available from £140.00
1 ex-display print available from £120.00
Although the true qualities of a fighter pilot cannot be measured simply by tallying his number of air victories - some of the greatest fighter leaders do not feature in the top score sheets -there can be no question that any fighter pilot whose vict......Three Hundred Club by Nicolas Trudgian

1 edition with signatures!
Although the true qualities of a fighter pilot cannot be measured simply by tallying his number of air victories - some of the greatest fighter leaders do not feature in the top score sheets -there can be no question that any fighter pilot whose vict......All 1 print edition sold out.
 The first successful daylight raid on Berlin. Nicolas Trudgians painting relives the fearsome aerial combat on March 6, 1944, as B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 100th B.G. are attacked. Screaming in head-on, Fw190s of II./JG I charge into the bomber s......
First Strike on Berlin by Nicolas Trudgian.

3 editions with signatures!
The first successful daylight raid on Berlin. Nicolas Trudgians painting relives the fearsome aerial combat on March 6, 1944, as B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 100th B.G. are attacked. Screaming in head-on, Fw190s of II./JG I charge into the bomber s......4 print editions available from £110.00
 Slow, frail, out-dated and hopelessly outnumbered, Gladiator biplanes of 112 Squadron RAF tenaciously throw themselves into the fray, attacking Luftwaffe fighter-bombers in the battle for Crete, in April 1941. This painting shows Me110Cs of II./ZG76......Operation Mercury by Nicolas Trudgian.

3 editions with signatures!
Slow, frail, out-dated and hopelessly outnumbered, Gladiator biplanes of 112 Squadron RAF tenaciously throw themselves into the fray, attacking Luftwaffe fighter-bombers in the battle for Crete, in April 1941. This painting shows Me110Cs of II./ZG76......3 print editions available from £95.00
 Arguably the most significant fighter leader of World War II, Adolf Galland took command of all German day and night fighters, but was in constant dispute with Luftwaffe supreme, Goering, who ultimately sacked him. Reinstated by Hitler, Galland retu......
Jet Strike by Nicolas Trudgian (AP)

2 editions with signatures!
Arguably the most significant fighter leader of World War II, Adolf Galland took command of all German day and night fighters, but was in constant dispute with Luftwaffe supreme, Goering, who ultimately sacked him. Reinstated by Hitler, Galland retu......2 print editions available from £370.00
 Even the most faithful of Messerschmitt Me 109 pilots that also flew the Focke-Wulf Fw190 grudgingly admitted the well-proportioned and aesthetically pleasing Fw190 was the finest single-seat fighter in the Luftwaffes armoury during World War II. So......
Storm Chasers by Nicolas Trudgian.

4 editions with signatures!
Even the most faithful of Messerschmitt Me 109 pilots that also flew the Focke-Wulf Fw190 grudgingly admitted the well-proportioned and aesthetically pleasing Fw190 was the finest single-seat fighter in the Luftwaffes armoury during World War II. So......2 print editions available from £130.00
1 ex-display print available from £90.00
 For bomber crews, any daylight-bombing mission almost certainly meant combat. If it werent the attentions of determined Luftwaffe fighter pilots, it would be an aerial carpet of flak that welcomed the bombers en route to the target - and again on th......
End Game by Nicolas Trudgian.

5 editions with signatures!
For bomber crews, any daylight-bombing mission almost certainly meant combat. If it werent the attentions of determined Luftwaffe fighter pilots, it would be an aerial carpet of flak that welcomed the bombers en route to the target - and again on th......4 print editions available from £120.00
1 ex-display print available from £100.00
Hannes Trautloft in his FW190 leading his famous JG54 bring down a Russian Petlyakov Pe-2 on the Eastern Front in 1943. This dramatic painting is set in a superb winter landscape. ......Winter Combat by Nicolas Trudgian.

3 editions with signatures!
Hannes Trautloft in his FW190 leading his famous JG54 bring down a Russian Petlyakov Pe-2 on the Eastern Front in 1943. This dramatic painting is set in a superb winter landscape. ......3 print editions available from £200.00
 They came across the English Channel at wave top height, their propeller slipstreams leaving wakes on the surface of the water.  Nine Dornier Do17Z bombers of 9th Staffel, KG76, detailed to attack the RAF airfield at Kenley as part of Reichsmarshal ......
Holding the Line - The Battle of Britain by Nicolas Trudgian.

4 editions with signatures!
They came across the English Channel at wave top height, their propeller slipstreams leaving wakes on the surface of the water. Nine Dornier Do17Z bombers of 9th Staffel, KG76, detailed to attack the RAF airfield at Kenley as part of Reichsmarshal ......3 print editions available from £110.00
1 ex-display print available from £110.00
 Messerschmitt Me262s of JG7 race back to their base at Brandenburg after intercepting a USAAF bomber raid on Munich, and Luftwaffe air bases in the area. Below them a B-26 has crash-landed in the fields still covered with a sprinkling of late winter......
Return of the Hunters by Nicolas Trudgian.

2 editions with signatures!
Messerschmitt Me262s of JG7 race back to their base at Brandenburg after intercepting a USAAF bomber raid on Munich, and Luftwaffe air bases in the area. Below them a B-26 has crash-landed in the fields still covered with a sprinkling of late winter......2 print editions available from £280.00
 Flying a bomber escort mission, a P- 51 Mustang of the 357th Fighter Group engages Me109s about to descend upon a formation of B-17 Flying Fortresses. ......Hot Pursuit by Nicolas Trudgian. (B)

1 edition with signatures!
Flying a bomber escort mission, a P- 51 Mustang of the 357th Fighter Group engages Me109s about to descend upon a formation of B-17 Flying Fortresses. ......1 print edition available from £295.00
 In the summer of 1940, JG3, under the command of Hans von Hahn, scramble their Me109s from their French countryside base at Colombert, near Calais. With the deafening sound of their piston-engined aircraft, sporting the groups colourful Dragon emble......
Dragons of Colombert by Nicolas Trudgian

3 editions with signatures!
In the summer of 1940, JG3, under the command of Hans von Hahn, scramble their Me109s from their French countryside base at Colombert, near Calais. With the deafening sound of their piston-engined aircraft, sporting the groups colourful Dragon emble......3 print editions available from £100.00
 The pilots of I Gruppe JG-1 were up early on August 17, 1943.  It5 was high summer, and even as the first streaks of light appeared in the sky to the east, four pilots got airborne out of Deelan, Holland, and headed for the coast.  It was the first ......
Day of the Fighters by Nicolas Trudgian.

2 editions with signatures!
The pilots of I Gruppe JG-1 were up early on August 17, 1943. It5 was high summer, and even as the first streaks of light appeared in the sky to the east, four pilots got airborne out of Deelan, Holland, and headed for the coast. It was the first ......2 print editions available from £235.00
 By late April 1945 most of the Third Reich had been cut to shreds by the advancing Allied forces and those units remaining intact were regrouping in southern Germany and Austria. With American advance units nearing the outskirts of Munich, on 28th A......
Alpine Thunder by Nicolas Trudgian.

4 editions with signatures!
By late April 1945 most of the Third Reich had been cut to shreds by the advancing Allied forces and those units remaining intact were regrouping in southern Germany and Austria. With American advance units nearing the outskirts of Munich, on 28th A......3 print editions available from £130.00
1 ex-display print available from £125.00
 When the American Army reached the Rhine at Remagen on March 7, 1945, such was the speed of their advance, they arrived before the retreating Germans had time to blow the vital bridge. The Americans seized the bridge intact. Realising the threat to ......
Clash Over Remagen by Nicolas Trudgian.

4 editions with signatures!
When the American Army reached the Rhine at Remagen on March 7, 1945, such was the speed of their advance, they arrived before the retreating Germans had time to blow the vital bridge. The Americans seized the bridge intact. Realising the threat to ......3 print editions available from £130.00
1 ex-display print available from £110.00
 A typical scene from a bright August morning in that momentous summer of 1940. Having climbed into the dawn sky at daybreak, the Spitfires of No 603 Squadron have already been in action, and with more heavy raids on the plotters table, they scurry b......Spitfire Country by Nicolas Trudgian.

2 editions with signatures!
A typical scene from a bright August morning in that momentous summer of 1940. Having climbed into the dawn sky at daybreak, the Spitfires of No 603 Squadron have already been in action, and with more heavy raids on the plotters table, they scurry b......All 2 print editions sold out.
 Top-scoring ace of all time, Erich Hartmann, scrambles his black tulip nose Me109 from a snow-covered airfield on the Eastern Front. Christened Black Devil by Russian pilots, many of whom hurriedly vacated the vicinity when Hartmanns distinctively p......Black Devil by Nicolas Trudgian. (B)

1 edition with signatures!
Top-scoring ace of all time, Erich Hartmann, scrambles his black tulip nose Me109 from a snow-covered airfield on the Eastern Front. Christened Black Devil by Russian pilots, many of whom hurriedly vacated the vicinity when Hartmanns distinctively p......1 print edition available from £450.00
<br><br><b>Published 1991.<br><br>This is a great value item for the collector of great signatures.</b>......
Fighter Legend - Adolf Galland by Nicolas Trudgian.

2 editions with signatures!
<br><br><b>Published 1991.<br><br>This is a great value item for the collector of great signatures.</b>......1 print edition available from £95.00
1 ex-display print available from £90.00
 As the air war raged over Berlin and other German cities, night-fighter units such as NJG100, the original Eastern front night fighter Geschwader, were redeployed nearer home in the final desperate defence of Germany.  By late 1944 the Luftwaffes ni......
Moonlight Hunter by Nicolas Trudgian.

3 editions with signatures!
As the air war raged over Berlin and other German cities, night-fighter units such as NJG100, the original Eastern front night fighter Geschwader, were redeployed nearer home in the final desperate defence of Germany. By late 1944 the Luftwaffes ni......3 print editions available from £80.00
 Mickey Mount, flying his 602 Squadron MkII Spitfire, successfully attacks a Messerschmitt Me109 low over the cliffs of Beachy Head on the south coast during the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940. Spitfires and Me109s were so evenly matched at ......
Combat Over Beachy Head by Nicolas Trudgian.

6 editions with signatures!
Mickey Mount, flying his 602 Squadron MkII Spitfire, successfully attacks a Messerschmitt Me109 low over the cliffs of Beachy Head on the south coast during the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940. Spitfires and Me109s were so evenly matched at ......5 print editions available from £85.00
1 ex-display print available from £75.00
DHM2706. First of the Jets by Nicolas Trudgian. ......First of the Jets by Nicolas Trudgian.DHM2706. First of the Jets by Nicolas Trudgian. ......3 print editions available from £30.00
 Herbert Ihlefelds personal He162 White 23 - the revolutionary Heinkel Peoples Fighter - on patrol with JG1.This aircraft was captured intact and is today preserved in the National Air & Space Museum in Washington DC. <br><br><b>Published 2000.</b>......Jet Interceptor by Nicolas Trudgian

3 editions with signatures!
Herbert Ihlefelds personal He162 White 23 - the revolutionary Heinkel Peoples Fighter - on patrol with JG1.This aircraft was captured intact and is today preserved in the National Air & Space Museum in Washington DC. <br><br><b>Published 2000.</b>......3 print editions available from £200.00
 Leutnant Klaus Bretschneider, Staffelkapitan of 5./JG300 kicks up the dust as he taxies his Fw190 A-8 Red One from its forest hiding place into the sunlight in preparation for take-off. The scene is northern Germany, November 1944. The Staffelkapita......
Timber Wolf by Nicolas Trudgian.

2 editions with signatures!
Leutnant Klaus Bretschneider, Staffelkapitan of 5./JG300 kicks up the dust as he taxies his Fw190 A-8 Red One from its forest hiding place into the sunlight in preparation for take-off. The scene is northern Germany, November 1944. The Staffelkapita......2 print editions available from £80.00
 The Black Widow is a formidable creature.  It lurks in the dark, carefully chooses its moment of attack and strikes unseen, cutting down its prey with deadly certainty.  Northrop could not have chosen a more apt name with which to christen their new......
Twilight Conquest by Nicolas Trudgian.

4 editions with signatures!
The Black Widow is a formidable creature. It lurks in the dark, carefully chooses its moment of attack and strikes unseen, cutting down its prey with deadly certainty. Northrop could not have chosen a more apt name with which to christen their new......2 print editions available from £110.00
 On December 16th 1944, Hitler mounted the largest offensive in the west since 1940.  It was his last desperate offensive of World War II.  With Germanys industrial heartland in ruins, its factories pulverised by Allied air raids, and opposing armies......
Winter Wolves by Nicolas Trudgian.

3 editions with signatures!
On December 16th 1944, Hitler mounted the largest offensive in the west since 1940. It was his last desperate offensive of World War II. With Germanys industrial heartland in ruins, its factories pulverised by Allied air raids, and opposing armies......All 3 ex-display prints sold out.
The Green Heart Warriors carried their famous emblem throughout almost every European theatre during World War Two.  Having fought with distinction in the Battle of Britain, JG54 transferred to the Eastern Front, where it was to acheive historic succ......
Ice Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian.

4 editions with signatures!
The Green Heart Warriors carried their famous emblem throughout almost every European theatre during World War Two. Having fought with distinction in the Battle of Britain, JG54 transferred to the Eastern Front, where it was to acheive historic succ......3 print editions available from £120.00
1 ex-display print available from £85.00
 Nobody, least of all Allied aircrew, ever doubted the tenacity of the Luftwaffe, more particularly that of the German fighter pilots.  From the early encounters during the Battle of Britain to the greeat air battles in defence of their homeland late......
Messerschmitt Country by Nicolas Trudgian

6 editions with signatures!
Nobody, least of all Allied aircrew, ever doubted the tenacity of the Luftwaffe, more particularly that of the German fighter pilots. From the early encounters during the Battle of Britain to the greeat air battles in defence of their homeland late......5 print editions available from £110.00
1 ex-display print available from £100.00

 
Mountain Wolf by Nicholas Trudgian

Focke-Wulf "Red Three" prepares to scramble from the Alpine region airfield at Ainring, 1945

   With the inexorable advance of the Allied forces through Germany, many of the fighter units moved into Alpine regions in their effort to stay operational. Among the most feared of the Luftwaffe's remaining combat units were those equipped with the remarkable Me262 fighter jet. With their huge speed advantage, the 262s were a difficult target in aerial combat even for the fastest Allied fighters, but the German jets were especially vulnerable to attack during take-off and landing. The American long range fighter pilots were quick to spot this weakness, and scored many successes by catching the jet pilots as they returned low on fuel and ammunition.  Commanding JV-44, General Adolf Galland countered the threat by employing the Fw190 "Dora" 9s to fly top cover, their task being to sweep the sky as the jets returned from combat. Nicholas Trudgian's new painting Mountain Wolf depicts the colourful Fw190 of Hptm Waldermar Wubke of JV-44 as he prepares to scramble "Red Three" at Ainring airfield in May 1945. The brightly coloured paint schemes brought about the staffel's radio call sign Papagei, the German for Parrot!  Set in a spectacular mountain scene, Nicholas Trudgian's latest print records the last days of air combat as WWII drew to a close. Authenticated with the signatures of two Fw190 pilots, both Knight's Cross holders, Mountain Wolf makes a valuable pint which will enhance the serious collector's portfolio.
 Into The Cloak of Darkness by Nicholas Trudgian   The eerie world of the night-fighter was a far cry from the swashbuckling cut and thrust of the day-time aerial dogfights. It took inordinate flying skills, teamwork, patience, and nerves of steel to achieve success in the dark when all that could be seen of the enemy was the tell-tale glow of an engine exhaust.

From the spring of 1940 Germany had developed their night-fighting aircraft and honed their skills to combat the nightly bombing raids of the RAF. By 1944 the Luftwaffe had sophisticated electronic range-finding and navigation equipment fitted to their night-fighters, and their skilled crews had become adept at intercepting the British heavy bombers under cover of darkness.

As the war progressed and proficiency increased, the greatest fear of the RAF bomber crews as they approached their targets was the ever-present danger of the marauding Luftwaffe night-fighters. Each night a deadly game of hide-and-seek was played out in the skies above the Reich.

Messerschmitt 110s, JU-88s, and the specifically developed Heinkel 219 would rise up into the darkening skies from bases in the Rühr to await the arrival of the RAF heavies. Loitering singly and in pairs, they would infiltrate the bomber streams, each crew using their own individual method of hunting and attack. They seldom came home empty handed.

Based in the Rühr Valley in 1944, NJG-1 was among the most successful night-fighter units, being credited with 2173 night victories and another 145 scored in daylight. Nicolas Trudgian's emotive new painting recreates a scene from one of this successful unit's missions on the night of November 2, 1944:

Ten aircraft took off to intercept a major raid on Dusseldorf, the night witnessing a fierce battle high above the darkened city. NGJ-1 crews assisted with the downing of 19 RAF bombers, one Luftwaffe pilot being credited with no fewer than 6 victories that night. Seen in Nick's painting are a Heinkel 219 and a Messerschmitt 110 climbing out from their base at Münster Handorf, as they set out on their deadly mission. Below them the spectacular Rühr Valley is vibrant in its mantle of winter's first snowfall. A moving and evocative rendition, made all the more poignant by the signatures of 3 leading World War II Luftwaffe night-fighter aircrew on each print in the edition. 

Messerschmitt Country by Nicolas Trudgian   Nobody, least of all Allied aircrew, ever doubted the tenacity of the Luftwaffe, more particularly that of the German fighter pilots.  From the early encounters during the Battle of Britain to the great air battles in defence of their homeland late in the war, at all times they were held in high regard, even if resented as a foe.  At no time was their dedication, determination, and courage better demonstrated than during the final stages of World War Two.  By the summer of 1944 the Allies had gained a foothold in Normandy, and total air superiority above Northern France.  German installations and ground positions were being pounded daily from the air, and the Ruhr, the heartland of industrial Germany, was under constant siege.  Even the factories in southern Germany were not safe from the attentions of the USAAF bombers by day, and the RAF by night.  But in spite of the pressures of mounting losses and diminished supplies, the Luftwaffe fought doggedly on in best traditions of the fighter pilot.  The morning of 19 July 1944 saw the USAAF's 8th and 15th Air Forces mount an attack of awesome proportion against the aircraft factories in the region of Munich.  To combat a seemingly overwhelming force of 1400 bombers and almost as many fighter escorts, the Luftwaffe were able to put up just three Gruppen from JG300 and one from JG302, flying a mix of Me109G's and Fw190's - barely 50 serviceable fighters between them.  They were joined by a dozen Me109's of II./JG27, these fighters desperately trying to defend the very factories in which they were made.

Although the true qualities of a fighter pilot cannot be measured simply by tallying his number of air victories - some of the greatest fighter leaders do not feature in the top score sheets - there can be no question that any fighter pilot whose victory tally is counted in 100's has got to be exceptional.  That two of them achieved more than 300 air-to-air victories is pure phenomena.  In paying tribute to Erich Hartmann and Gerhard Barkhorn, the only two fighter pilots ever to top the 300 victory mark, Nicolas Trudgian has painted a gripping combat scene being played out in the typically harsh environment where these two remarkable fighter aces achieved immortality.  Both "300 Club" members flew the majority of their combat missions with JG-52, the most successful fighter wing of WWII, where, on the Eastern Front they encountered and conquered every type of fighter including British built Spitfires and Hurricanes, the American Aircobra, and all the best Russian built fighters, including the Yak-9.
 

 

This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts.  Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE

Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269.  Fax: (+44) (0) 1436 820473. Email: