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Of the many outstanding Luftwaffe fighter Wings of World War II, JG52 became the most successful. Many of the most famous Aces flew with this legendary wing, including one-time Squadron Commander Adolf Galland. JG-52 was home to the only fighter Aces in history to destroy more than 300 enemy aircraft; Erich Hartmann and Gerhard Barkhorn. The wing's top ten scoring Aces amassed a staggering 2286 aerial victories and, by the end of the war, JG-52's pilots had recorded over 10,000 aerial victories; 67 of their number were awarded the coveted Knights Cross or higher decorations, but the cost to the Wing was high: 678 of its aircrew perished in combat, while many others were taken prisoner following combat.
Appropriately, Robert Taylor has chosen the Me109s of JG52 as his subject to represent the fighter pilots of the Luftwaffe in his new tribute to these courageous flyers, with his breathtaking painting Horrido! With the traditional battle cry ringing in their ears, Squadron Commander Hptm Wolfgang Ewald leads pilots of I./JG52 into combat. Based at Coquelles/Calais in September 1940, the JG-52 Me109s hurtle down in a high-speed dive to engage the enemy during the ferociously fought Battle of Britain.
Robert eloquently depicts these sleek and deadly fighters high over the Channel, glinting and menacing against an ominous backdrop of heavy cumulous clouds - the world's foremost aviation artist's skill bringing to life the Luftwaffe's most successful fighter aircraft in action. Securing its position in the annals of aviation art, each print in this fine Luftwaffe Aces edition has been signed by some of the most famous Luftwaffe fighter pilots of World War II. With an astounding 1225 aerial victories between them, these distinguished veterans of air combat proudly represent the famous Luftwaffe fighter wings and the pilots who fought - many of them throughout the entire duration of World War II.
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