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Junker Ju88 of the Nachtjagd
nightfighter force and Junker Ju88 medium bombers shown in aviation art
prints by leading aviation artists, available from the aviation art
company.
The
German Junkers JU 88 twin engined Bomber of World war two. The
first prototype first flew in December 1936 with a civilian registration
of D-AQEN it managed a top speed of 360 mph. This would give the German
air force the Luftwaffe a fast multi role bomber. The Junkers JU 88 was
used as a night fighter, reconnaissance and Torpedo Bomber. In total
there were 15,000 JU 88's built during the war
Sicilian Vespers by Iain Wyllie Leutnant
Heinz Rokker of NJG 2 based at castelvetrand in Sicily in June 1943 warms up the engines of his
JU- 88C-6 prior to taking off on another sortie. his
prize wartime total was 64 kills.
Combat Over Domremy by Graeme Lothian
JU88G nightfighter shoots down Royal Air Force Lancaster
over Domremy. signed by artist and Heinz Rökker -
Luftwaffe nightfighter ace, Thomas Harvell - flight engineer survivor
from the Lancaster, Jean Lapprand - Commander of French Resistance and
Orest Bilak - SNCO of SS Battalion.
Early Morning by Iain Wyllie Hajo
Herrmann's faithful Ju-88 4D +AR south of Mount Etna in the spring of
1941. |
| Kampfegruppe 806 (KGr 806) Ident Codes M7. by M A Kinnear.
Open edition print. Image size 16.5 inches x 11.5 inches (42cm x 30cm). Price £13.00 ITEM CODE AP0006 |
| Combat Over Domremy by Graeme Lothian. During WW II ofjuly 1944, the RAF Bomber Command were planning yet another bombing raid, this time over Stuttgart in Germany. The no.514 Sq., based in Cambridgeshire, England, were one of the Lancaster Bomber Squadrons chosen for the mission. Flight Lieutenant THOMAS HARVELL was a member of the 7 man crew for Lancaster Bomber no.LM206 selected. He was flight engineer and co-pilot with II missions already behind him. The RAF carried out nearly all their raids at night. This was the night of July 28/29 1944 and they were on course in the vicinity of Neuf Chateau (S.WNancy) France. Suddenly they were attacked by a prowling Luftwaffe Nightfighter aircraft, which later proved to be a JUNKERS 88 flown by HEINZ ROKKER. The Lancaster shuddered on the first hit but continued flying. THOMAS HARVELL was moving to the back of the aircraft and had dropped window, (strips of foil) to confuse ground radar, when they were hit again. This time they lost an engine after an explosion and LM206 started to plunge earthwards. (The Merlin Engine can been seen today at the French Airforce museum, St.Dizier, Lorraine) FI.Lt. HOMAS HARVELL was literally blown out of the doomed Lancaster, hitting his head and becoming unconcious. As luck was on his side, he regained his senses whilst falling through the air and pulled his chute at the last minute. He landed heavily and injured his leg. The pilot and four other members of the crew perished but navigator George Robinson also managed to use his chute and was captured after landing, by the german occupation forces. George Robinson now lives in South Africa. The other five crew members are all buried at Neuf Chateau and their graves can be seen to this day. THOMAS HARVELL was able to evade capture and was found by a member of the FFI (French Resistance), who hid him in various hideouts. After being treated for his wounds by Dr.CORNU, a prominent surgeon of Neuf Chateau, several attempts were made to smuggle THOMAS HARVELL back to England without much success. It was decided, by the FFI, to make one last attempt and this time THOMAS HARVELL was given a bicycle and new identity papers. He was told to cycle in the direction of the Swiss border west of Besacon and make contact with the Daubs area FFI commander, JEAN LAPPRAND.It was decided it was too dangerous to cross the border at this time and as THOMAS HARVELL had already become a member of the French Resistance, he continued fighting the war side by side with his French Resistance colleagues. It was in this part of France, that he witnessed a trial of a double agent/traitor of the FFI, who was quickly executed by firing squad. At this point in time, OREST BILAK came into the picture. He was born in Ukraine and had joined the Ukranian Army in 1942. He had become a senior NCO officer when his whole battalion were ordered to join forces with a german SS unit. They had much fighting experience and took part in some very bloody battles. Some elements of the Ukranian people had, at first, welcomed the germans but this soon changed and sometime in 1944 many were deserting. This was the case with OREST BILAKs battalion who had just been ordered to march into the mountain stronghold of JEAN LAPPRAND and wipe them out. Instead they had killed their german SS commanders and after talks with JEAN LAPPRAND had fought on with the FFI including THOMAS HARVELL. Together they liberated the region including the town of PIERREFONTAINE, ahead of the advancing allied forces Sept. 1944. It could be said that THOMAS HARVELL was the only British serviceman who fought with the german SS without being called a traitor. Another RAF pilot, Paul Bell a canadian and THOMAS HARVELL were now able to make contact with the 711 US Army. After six weeks, including a ride in the Dakota of General Patch, they finally made it back to England. On his arrival, THOMAS HARVELL became an instructor/advisor until the end of the war. He later made a career in the British Police Force. He regularily travels to France to meet all his wartime colleagues and now lives in Southampton, England. OREST BILAK was demobilised in 1946. Around this time he met his future wife (in France) who was also Ukrainian and had been working during the war in underground factories for the germans. By pure chance they had both attended the same school in Ukrainia. After the war OREST BILAK made a career in the clothing industry They live in retirement at a small mountain village near Lyon, France. They have 10 grandchildren. He has also devoted much of his time and money for a childrens home, in France, for the underprivileged from Ukraine. Out of his battalion of 450 men, of those who survived, 230 stayed with the French Foreign Legion, some emigrated to Canada, USA and Australia. 116 returned to the Ukraine, only to be arrested and sent to a Siberian prison for 10 years and a further 10 years hard labour. OREST BILAK and his wife visited the Ukraine for the first time in 1994 and met some of their old colleagues. JEAN LAPPRAND remains, to this day, secretive about his time in the FFI. Without a doubt he was very lucky to survive the war, considering his responsibility and fame. After the war he had his own carpentry business and lives in retirement with his wife at Pierrefontaine in good health. After much research we were able to trace and find HEINZ ROKKER, the Luftwaffe pilot who shot down Lancaster LM 206. We had a remarkable reunion at Neuf Chateau on September 14th 1999, where Thomas Harvell and Heinz Rokker met for the first time. It was a civic event with official invitation from the town mayor. A visit was made to the cemetery where the five Lancaster crew members are buried and HEINZ ROKKER laid a wreath on behalf of the german Nightfighters Pilots Association. This was followed by a speech at the town hall. A magnificent feast finished the event at the restaurant next to DOMREMY. Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Image size 22 inches x 13 inches (56cm x 33cm). Price £95.00 Signed by Capt Heinz Rökker, Fl. Lt. Thomas Harvell RAF, Jean Lapprand and Orest Bilak. ITEM CODE DHM1113 |
| Fastest Victory by Robert Taylor Taking his Hurricane off from Speke, a raiding JU88 crossed the airfield in front of Denys Gillam, who promptly shot it down. It was the fastest air victory of the war, and probably of all time. Signed limited edition of 990 prints. Paper size 24 inches x 20 inches (61cm x 51cm). Price £135.00 Signed by Air Vice-Marshal Denys Gillam. ITEM CODE DHM2078 |
| First Combat by Robert Taylor Don Kingaby is the only pilot in the RAF to have been awarded 3 DFMs. During his first combat on August 12, 1940, he severely damaged an JU88 over the Isle of Wight and Robert Taylor captures the moment of break, with the JU88 already smoking. Don Kingaby flew a further 450 operational sorties on Spitfires. Signed limited edition of 990 prints. Paper size 24 inches x 20 inches (61cm x 51cm). Price £135.00 Signed by Wing Commander Don Kingaby DSO AFC DFM** DFC (USA). ITEM CODE DHM2081 |
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| Assault on the Capital by Robert Taylor Robert Taylors final painting in his 60th Anniversary trilogy features a scene from the attacks on the afternoon of September 7, 1940. Led by Herbert Ihlefeld, Me109Es of II/LG 2 dive through the bomber formation giving chase to Hurricanes of 242 Squadron as Ju88s of KG30, having unloaded their bombs, head for home. One Ju88 has been hit and is already losing height, and will not return. Following behind He111s of KG53 try to keep formation as they fly through flak. The sky is alive with action.
ITEM CODE DHM2121 |
| Sicilian Vespers by Iain Wyllie. Leutnant Heinz Rokker of NJG 2 based at castelvetrand in Sicily in June 1943 warms up the engines of his JU- 88C-6 prior to taking off on another sortie. his prize wartime total was 64 kills. Open edition print. Image size 16.5 inches x 11.5 inches (42cm x 29cm). Price £14.00 ITEM CODE IW0001 |
| Early Morning by Iain Wyllie.
Open edition print. Image size 16.5 inches x 11.5 inches (42cm x 29cm). Price £14.00 ITEM CODE IW0004 |
| Moonlight Hunter by Nicolas Trudgian. 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 night fighting aircraft were being flown by experienced crews using sophisticated electronic equipment and, though fighting a losing battle, had become the scourge of the RAFs night raiders. A Junkers Ju88 G-6, piloted by major Paul Zorner, Gruppenkommandeur III./NJG100, based at Stubendorf, intercepts and badly damages a four-engined Lancaster of R.A.F. Bomber Command over Germany in late 1944. Shedding debris and trailing flames, there may just be time for the crew to bale out before the mightly bomber falls away into the dark abyss. With the aid of his FuG220 and upward firing Schrage Musik armament, Zorner has stalked his prey, and attacked from beneath unseen. The crew of this Lancaster didnt stand a chance, and with the moonlight briefly glinting on his aircraft, the accomplished Ju88 pilot slips away into the darkness of the night. Signed limited edition of 450 prints. Paper size 25 inches x 19 inches (64cm x 48cm). Price £95.00 Signed by Major Paul Zorner, in addition to the artist.
Limited edition of artist proofs. Paper size 25 inches x 19 inches (64cm x 48cm). Price £150.00 Signed by Major Paul Zorner, in addition to the artist.
Limited edition of publishers proofs. Paper size 25 inches x 19 inches (64cm x 48cm). Price £150.00 Signed by Major Paul Zorner, in addition to the artist.
Nicolas Trudgian Promotional Flyer. A4 Size Double Sheet 11.5 inches x 8 inches (30m x 21cm) . Price £1.50 ITEM CODE NT0319 |
| Lightning Strikes 7 Times by Stan Stokes. The Lockheed P-38 Lightning, called the Fork-Tailed Devil by Luftwaffe pilots in Africa, was one of the largest fighter aircraft to see service during WW II. Flight-testing of the YP-38 prototype was completed in 1941. The first P-38s put into service were dedicated to the defense of the West Coast following the attack on Pearl Harbor. In the spring of 1942 plans were laid to deploy P-38s in Europe. By adding drop tanks the maximum range of the Lightnings were increased to a whopping 2200 miles, making ferry trips to Europe possible. All three P-38-equipped fighter groups in Europe (82nd FG, 1st FG, and 14th FG) were transferred to North Africa in late 1942. These P-38 fighter groups were soon seeing serious combat action in the Mediterranean & North African theaters. The experienced Luftwaffe pilots learned that the P-38s should be attacked at altitudes below 15,000 feet, where they had difficulty maneuvering with the Bf-109s they frequently encountered. Despite these limitations the P-38s had tremendous climbing capabilities and were very effective gun platforms against German and Italian bombers. The Allison engines on the early P-38s were somewhat temperamental and actually caused more difficulties and aircraft losses than enemy action. Most problems related to an inadequate engine cooling system and the lack of cowl flaps. At altitude, gas problems could cause the Allison engines to burn out their valves, backfire through the intercooler ducts, and throw rods. Such problems could often result in the loss of the aircraft. Another problem was compressibility that was encountered during high-speed dives. During this problem the controls might seize up causing the aircraft to go into an uncontrolled dive. As a result P-38 pilots early in the War would often choose not to pursue Axis fighters into a high-speed dive. Both the engine cooler and compressibility problems were eventually solved by the time the P-38J variant was introduced. The large size of the P-38 was both an asset and a liability in combat. The large size made the aircraft easier to spot at distance, but provided a more effective gun platform for downing bombers. Col. William Leverette was a P-38 ace with the 14th FG, attaining 11 confirmed aerial victories. Leverette was born in Florida in 1913, and earned an engineering degree from Clemson University in 1934. He joined the U.S. Army in 1934, and was accepted for aviation cadet training in 1939. Earning his wings in 1940 he was initially based at Selfridge Field in Michigan with the 31st Pursuit Squadron. When War came to America, Leverette was sent to North Africa with the 337th FS of the 14th FG. Flying the P-38, Leverette broke into the scoring column in a most spectacular manner when he managed to splash seven Ju-87s on a single mission on October 9, 1943. Leverettes flight of six aircraft rushed to the defense of a British Cruiser and several destroyers that were under attack by a large group of enemy Ju-87s and Ju-88s. In an exciting 15-minute air battle, the P-38s managed to down sixteen Stukas and one Ju-88. Leverette received credit for seven. Later during his combat tour he would down two Bf-109s and two Me-110s. Leverette remained with the Air Force after the War, rising to the rank of Colonel prior to his retirement to Florida in 1965. Col. Leverette passed away in April 2003 at the age of 89. Signed limited edition of 4750 prints. Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.. Price £37.00
Limited edition of 100 giclee paper prints. Size 21 inches x 14 inches (53cm x 36cm). Price £109.00
Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. Size 45 inches x 30 inches (114cm x 76cm). Price £624.00
Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. Size 36 inches x 24 inches (91cm x 61cm). Price £484.00
Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. Size 27 inches x 18 inches (69cm x 46cm). Price £294.00 ITEM CODE STK0039 |
| Double Trouble by Stan Stokes. The Bristol Beaufighter was one of the most successful twin-engine fighters utilized by the RAF during WW II. The forerunner of the Beaufighter was the Bristol Beaufort, which was the first modern torpedo bomber to enter service. The Beaufort, known officially as the Type-152 was derived from the earlier Type-150, which in turn had been influenced by the Bristol Blenheim. About the time the first Beauforts were being flight tested, the aircrafts chief designer, Leslie Frise, commenced a study to see if the Beauforts airframe could be adapted to create a twin engine fighter design. The modified design (Type-156) incorporated a narrower fuselage, a shorter nose section utilizing a single-seat cockpit, and a dorsal observers position. The prototype Beaufighter made its first flight in July of 1939. A year of flight testing and refinement followed. Only Hercules III engines were available for the first production models. This gave the first marks performance roughly comparable to a Hawker Hurricane. Most Beaus were armed with four nose-mounted canon and an additional six machine guns in the wings. This gave the Beaufighter an impressive amount of firepower. As the Battle of Britain raged priority was given to modifying existing aircraft to the night fighter role. German bombers were relatively free from RAF fighters when attacking at night. The Beaufighter represented an ideal platform for this night fighter role. It was fast enough at 360-MPH to catch German bombers, it was heavily armed, and the observers position was an ideal spot to incorporate a radar operators controls. These night fighter versions were painted a matte black. On October 25, 1940 a Beaufighter recorded its first night victory. The Beaus utilized a transmitting antenna mounted on the nose, and receiving antennas mounted on the leading section of both wings. As the War progressed the Beaufighter would also become an important ground attack and fighter/bomber for the RAF. As depicted in Stan Stokes dramatic painting entitled Double Trouble, an RAF Beaufighter piloted by Group Captain John Cunningham downs a Ju-88 bomber. Cunningham was the RAFs top night fighter ace. He, and his radar operator Jimmy Rawnsley, were credited with nineteen night victories. Cunningham also downed one enemy aircraft during daylight. He served with No. 604 Squadron, which had both a day and night fighter capability. The squadrons night fighting proficiency rose dramatically from late 1940 until mid-1941. By 1943, the Beaufighters were replaced with faster Mosquitoes. Cunningham was demobilized following the War. He joined DeHavilland Aircraft as its Chief Test Pilot following the War, and retired from British Aerospace in 1980. Signed limited edition of 4750 prints. Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.. Price £37.00
Signed limited edition of 225 prints, signed by John Cunningham, and the artist. Size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm). Price £94.00 ITEM CODE STK0114 |
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Moonlight Hunter by Nicholas Trudgian 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 Luftwaffe's night fighting aircraft were
being flown by experienced crews using sophisticated electronic equipment
and, though fighting a losing battle, had become the scourge of the RAF's
night raiders. With the aid of his FuG220 and upward firing Schrage Musik armament,
Zorner has stalked his prey, and attacked from beneath unseen. The
crew of this Lancaster didn't stand a chance, and with the moonlight
briefly glinting on his aircraft, the accomplished Ju88 pilot slips away
into the dadrkness of the night.
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| Aircraft side view by M A Kinnear
Kampfegruppe 806 (KGr 806) Ident Codes
M7.
Squadron History:
Formed September 1939,
originally as a coastal bomber reconnaissance unit which was absorbed into
the Luftflotte as an orthodox bomber group, still retaining its nucleus of
naval officers. Based at Nantes with detachments at Caen. Originally
equipped with Heinkel He111, it was equipped with Ju88A-1 before and
during the Battle of Britain. KGr 806 also saw operational service on the
Eastern Front and Mediterranean.
Colonel Helmuth Brückmann:
Born Hamburg in 1914, Helmuth graduated
from school in Emden in 1934, enlisting into the German Navy the same year
and commencing flying training in 1936, he was promoted to Oberleutnant in
1939 and was made Commanding Officer of a coastal reconnaissance squadron,
aircraft carrier group and subsequently Director of a pilot training
school. Early in WWII he became deputy Squadron Leader in a bomber wing,
regularly flying He111 and Junkers 88 bomber aircraft. Whilst flying Ju88
A-1, werk no 4068 (the subject of this aerofile) of coastal bomber wing KG
806 on a raid to Liverpool 8th October 1940 he and his two man crew were
intercepted and shot down by Hurricanes of 312 Squadron operating out of
Speke (now Liverpool International) Airport. Helmuth crash landed his
badly damaged aircraft onto a bank of the River Mersey at Bromborourgh on
the Wirral peninsula. During the engagement one of his crew was killed and
the other injured. After 36 missions Helmuth Brückmann's war was over.
Promotion to Captain followed in 1942, and he was repatriated in 1944. He
joined the Luftwaffe general staff and was promoted to major in 1945. On
leaving the air force Helmuth studied languages and literature at
university from 1946-1958 and became director of the Goethe Institute in
Munich. He rejoined the Luftwaffe and became a Lt Colonel in 1959 in the
Ministry of Defence, Bonn. After a period as Commander of a cadet training
wing in the Luftwaffe Officers Training School in Munich, he was promoted
to full Colonel in 1961 and transferred to the German Embassy in
Washington D.C. USA as air attaché. After an additional assignment as the
German Military representative with the NATO committee, he returned to
Germany as head of the Military Studies Group in the German Ministry of
Defence. He retired in 1973 and today lives in his native Germany. |
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