Luftwaffe German jet fighter Me262 in
aviation art prints by renowned aviation artist David Pentland, Robert
Taylor and Nicholas Trudgian, available from the aviation art print
company. Look out for the special two print packs at great discounts
Too Little Too Late by Stan Stokes.
Heinz Bar joined JG 51 in 1939 as a non-officer pilot.
By August of 1940 he had become the highest scoring non-officer pilot in
the Luftwaffe. Although shot down once during the Battle of Britain, Bar
survived, and was later transferred to the Eastern Front. He received
his commission and by the end of 1941 had chalked up 91 victories. By
mid-1942, with 113 victories, he was promoted to Hauptman and made Group
Commander of I/JG 77. Flying out of Sicily he participated in the siege
of Malta, and later was shifted to North Africa where he obtained
another 61 victories. With his health suffering, Heinz was reassigned to
Germany, where he flew interception missions against the steady
onslaught of Eighth Air Force bombers. With his victory total at 202,
Bar was put in command of JG 3 and later III/EJG2, a unit equipped with
the Me-262 jet fighter. He obtained 16 victories in March and April of
1945 while piloting the 262, making him the top jet ace of WW II. His
record for victories in a jet stands until this day, having been equaled
in Korea by Capt. Joseph McConnell. Bars final victory count of 220 made
him the eighth highest scoring ace of all time. He was killed after the
War in a flying accident. The Messerschmitt Me-262 Swallow, a
masterpiece of engineering, was the first operational mass-produced jet
to see service. Prototype testing of the airframe commenced in 1941
utilizinga piston engine.
General Adolf Galland, who was in charge of the German Fighter Forces at
that time, pressured both Goring and Hitler to accelerate the Me-262,
and stress its use as a fighter to defend Germany from Allied bombers.
Hitler, however, envisioned the 262 as the aircraft which might allow
him to inflict punishment on Britain. About 1400 Swallows were produced,
but fortunately for the Allies, only about 300 saw combat duty. While
the original plans for the 262 presumed the use of BMW jet engines,
production Swallows were ultimately equipped with Jumo 004B turbojet
engines. The wing design of the 262 necessitated the unique triangular
hull section of the fuselage, giving the aircraft a shark-like
appearance. With an 18 degree swept wing, the 262 was capable of Mach
.86. The 262 was totally ineffective in a turning duel with Allied
fighters, and was also vulnerable to attack during take off and
landings. The landing gear was also suspect, and many 262s were
destroyed or damaged due to landing gear failure. Despite its sleek
jet-age appearance, the 262 was roughly manufactured, because Germany
had lost access to its normal aircraft assembly plants. In spite of
these drawbacks the 262 was effective. For example, on April 7, 1945 a
force of sixty 262s took on a large force of Allied bombers with escort
fighters. Armed with their four nose-mounted cannons, and underwing
rockets the Swallows succeeded in downing or damaging 25 Allied B-17s on
that single mission. While it is unlikely that the outcome of the War
could have been altered by an earlier introduction or greater production
totals for this aircraft, it is clear to many historians that the
duration of the War might have been drastically lengthened if the Me-262
had not been too little too late.
Deadly Pass by David Pentland.
Magdeburg, Germany, 10th April 1945. Attacking from behind and above, ObLt.Walter Schuck, Staffelkapitain of 3./JG7, ripped through the massed boxes of 8th Airforce B17s, downing four in a single high speed pass.
Item Code : DP0183
Deadly Pass by David Pentland. - Editions Available
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 returned to active combat in the final year of the war, commanding the legendary JV44 fighter wing, flying the Me262 jet. The great Adolf Galland ended the war as he had begun - flying fighters in daily combat, the only serving General ever to lead a combat wing in action. Gallands Me262s of JV-44 climbing to intercept a formation of B-17s in April, 1945.
Item Code : DHM2442
Jet Strike by Nicolas Trudgian (AP) - Editions Available
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 the German defences, the Luftwaffe were ordered into destroy the bridge at all costs. Desperate efforts were made to attack the bridge, and over the course of the following days the fighting became one of the legendary battles of the war. Two RAF Tempests have flown right through the Luftwaffe formation of Me262 and Arado 234 jets bombers, the high speed aircraft missing each other by feet. The concentration of the desperate attackers is broken momentarily, sufficiently so that their bombs miss the target - but more Luftwaffe aircraft can be seen streaming into attack
Item Code : DHM2109
Clash Over Remagen by Nicolas Trudgian. - Editions Available
Erich Rudorffer commanding I./JG7 flying the Me262. Erich Rudorffer was the master of multiple scoring - achieving more multiple victories than any other pilot.
Item Code : B0230
Ready for Combat by Ivan Berryman. - Editions Available
Approaching their target at the oil refinery at Zwickau, 60 mikes southwest of Dresden, the 452nd Bomb Groups B-17 Flying Fortresses were bounced by 28 ME-262 jets from JG-7. Screaming in from the six oclock position, the jet pilots singled out the 3rd Division just as they began their bombing run. The crew of one B-17 desperately defend their bomber against the determined, high-speed attack by the ME-262 interceptors. Closing at almost three times the speed of their targets, each ME-262 pilot has just fractions of a second to find his mark. Each interception is over in the blink of an eye.
Item Code : RST0086
Combat over the Reich by Robert Taylor. - Editions Available
Though some 1400 of Germanys remarkable Me262 jet aircraft were built, fewer than 300 ever saw action during its short 10 month combat career, the 550 mph fighter-bomber arriving in service too late to make any impression on the course of the war. Most famous of all Me262 units was Jagdverband 44, commanded by General Adolf Galland. Instructed by Hitler to set up a small defensive fighter unit to make the most of the new Me262, Gallands JV44 attracted other top-scoring pilots, including top aces Macky Steinhoff and Walter Krupinski, and the unit soon became dubbed Gallands Squadron of Experts. Though doing their best to repel daylight attacks on jet production plants in Southern Germany, JV44 were fighting a losing battle. During a raid on 9 April 1945 the unit lost nine aircraft – a pattern that was to continue. Also, American fighter pilots, unable to catch the 262 in the air, found success taking the jets out as they took off or landed, catching them while at their most vulnerabl.........
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 group of seasoned pilots heralded a new generation of combat aircraft that would extend into the 21st century. At the spearhead of this new era in combat flying was the mercurial fighter leader Adolf Galland. Sacked for opposing the naive tactics of Luftwaffe supremo Hermann Goering, Galland found himself, as a General, once again leading a squadron of fighters into battle. Although too late to change the spectre of imminent defeat, this tiny group of highly decorated Aces fought a courageous rearguard action during the final Defense of the Reich. Seen blasting off an airfield in Bavaria are four Me262s, led by General Adolf Galland. Glistening in the damp air these sleek fighters are on full power in their rush to climb to altitude. With.........
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