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Jet Hunters
by Robert Taylor
| On 10 April 1945 thirteen hundred bombers of the Mighty Eighth set out to destroy the last of the Luftwaffe’s jet force. But, unknown to the bomber crews and their fighter escort, the enemy jets were already airborne and waiting to spring their deadly trap. Shown here are B17s of the First Air Division with streaming contrails in the cold clear air as they turn for home. Several Me262s have already torn through the massed formation, but a P-51 from the escorting 356th Fighter Group has quickly spotted his target and presses home his attack. The hunter becomes the hunted as the Mustang pilot, Wayne Gatlin, skillfully positions himself behind the Me262 ready for the kill. |
| Overall size: 24¾" x 34¾" | Available in the following editions |
| 400 | Limited edition | Signed by three P-51 pilots (all with jet victories) | $325 |
| 200 | Pilots edition | Signed by seven pilots with jet victories, & companion print with five Me262 signatures | $415 |
| 25 | Pilots edition A/P | Signed by nine pilots with jet victories, & companion print with five Me262 signatures | $565 |
| 150 | Jet Hunters edition | Signed by 14 pilots with jet victories, & companion print with six Me262 signatures | $650 |
| Jet Hunters edition - Very low inventory |
 Click to enlarge |
Black November Day Issued with the Pilots edition, each copy of Hans Ekkehard-Bob - Erich Rudorffer - Norbert Hannig The print issued with the Jet Hunters edition is additionally signed by Me262 pilot Jorg Czypionka. |
| Limited edition signatures | ||
| Major General Wayne C. Gatlin | Squadron Leader Jurek Mencel | Colonel Joe Peterburs |
| Pilots edition signatures | ||
| Major General Wayne C. Gatlin | Squadron Leader Jurek Mencel | Colonel Joe Peterburs |
| Lieutenant Colonel Don Cummings | Colonel Art Jeffrey | Captain Wayne L. Coleman |
| Lieutenant Colonel Huie Lamb | Major Erich Rudorffer | Oberleutnant Walter Schuck |
| Major Hans-Ekkehard Bob | Feldwebel Ernst Giefing | Leutnant Norbert Hannig |
| Pilots edition A/P signatures | ||
| Major General Wayne C. Gatlin | Squadron Leader Jurek Mencel | Colonel Joe Peterburs |
| Lieutenant Colonel Don Cummings | Colonel Art Jeffrey | Captain Wayne L. Coleman |
| Lieutenant Colonel Huie Lamb | Major General Edward Giller | Captain Clayton ‘Kelly’ Gross |
| Major Erich Rudorffer | Oberleutnant Walter Schuck | Major Hans-Ekkehard Bob |
| Feldwebel Ernst Giefing | Leutnant Norbert Hannig | |
| Jet Hunters edition signatures | ||
| Major General Wayne C. Gatlin | Squadron Leader Jurek Mencel | Colonel Joe Peterburs |
| Lieutenant Colonel Don Cummings | Colonel Art Jeffrey | Captain Wayne L. Coleman |
| Lieutenant Colonel Huie Lamb | Major General Edward Giller | Captain Clayton ‘Kelly’ Gross |
| Major Urban Drew | Lieutenant Colonel Don Bryan | Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Delgado |
| First Lieutenant Stephen Ananian | Captain John Fitch | Major Erich Rudorffer |
| Oberleutnant Walter Schuck | Major Hans-Ekkehard Bob | Feldwebel Ernst Giefing |
| Leutnant Norbert Hannig | Leutnant Jorg Czypionka | |
| The Signatories |
| Wayne C. Gatlin - On 10 April 1945 he destroyed the Me262 portrayed in the main painting immediately damaging another. |
| Jurek Mencel - Downed an Me262 on 9 April 1945 |
| Joe Peterburs - Shot down the Me262 of Walter Schuck, on the 10th April, 1945. |
| Don Cummings - One of only two pilots to shoot down two Me262’s during WWII on 25 Feb 1945 – 6½ victories in total. |
| Art Jeffrey - The first Pilot ever to score a victory over a jet when he downed an Me163 on 29 July 1944 – 14 victories in total. |
| Wayne L. Coleman - Destroyed an Me262 on 31 March 1945 – 4 victories in total. |
| Huie Lamb - Shot down an Me262 on 15 Oct 1944 and an Arado 234 Blitz-Bomber on 19th Marh 1945 – 2 victories in total. |
| Edward Giller - Destroyed an Me262 on 9 April 1945 – 3 victories in total. |
| Clayton ‘Kelly’ Gross - Shot down an Me262 on 14 April 1945 – 6 victories in total. |
| Urban Drew - Fourth pilot ever to down an Me262 and one of only two pilots to destroy two, on 7 October 1944 – 6 victories in total. |
| Don Bryan - Destroyed an Arado 234 jet on 14 March 1945 – 13½ victories in total. |
| Ralph Delgado - Shot down an Me262 on 2 March 1945 |
| Stephen Ananian - Downed an Me262 on 9 Feb 1945 – 4 victories in total. |
| John Fitch - Downed an Me262 on the 18th November 1944. |
| Erich Rudorffer - JG7 with 12 victories in the jet – 222 victories in total. |
| Hans-Ekkehard Bob - EJG2 & JV44 – 60 victories in total. |
| Ernst Giefing - JG 7 with 2 victories in the jet – 6 victories in total. |
| Norbert Hannig - JG7 – 42 victories in total |
| Jorg Czypionka - Me262 Night-Fighter with NJG 11 – a total of 2 victories in the jet. |
| Walter Schuck - JG7 with 8 victories in the jet – 206 victories in total. |