The Big Guns - by Nicolas Trudgian

The signatures
Erich Hartmann In October 1942 Hartmann joined 7./JG52 on the Eastern Front and in August 1943, a month when he scored 48 victories, was shot down and taken prisoner, later escaping. In August 1944 he reached 300 victories after downing 11 aircraft in one day, taking command of 9./JG52. Promoted to Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG52 he trained on the Me262 before returning to JG52. Flying over 1400 combat missions he was forced to crash land 14 times and achieved 352 victories to become the highest scoring Ace in history. He was awarded the Knight ’s Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords and Diamonds (matted signature)

Hermann Buchner Buchner had joined the Austrian Air Force in 1937 and transferred to the Luftwaffe in March 1938 following the Anschluss. At the outbreak of war he was a flying instructor until in 1941 his unit was re-designated 8./SG1 (ground attack wing) equiped with the Bf109E and sent to the Eastern Front. By July 1944 Buchner had been credited with 46 tanks destroyed and coincidently 46 aerial victories. He later transferred to JG-7 flying the Me 262 where he scored a further 11 victories bringing his final tally to 58 aerial victories. He was awarded the Knight ’s Cross. (matted signature)

Günther Rall Günther Rall was a young pilot with III./JG52 at the outbreak of war, and quickly demonstrated his natural ability and leadership qualities. He scored his first victory early in the Battle of France, and by July 1940 was leading 8./JG52. After transferring to the Eastern Front his victories soon mounted but he was hospitalized following a crash. Returning to combat as Kommandeur of III./JG52, he gained the Wing's 500th victory, before being posted Kommandeur of II./JG11 on the Western Front, flying high altitude intercepts in Me109Gs. He was later Kommandeur of JG300, and finished the war as the 3rd highest Ace in history with 275 victories. He was awarded the Knight ’s Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.

Walter Wolfrum KC JG52 Walter Wolfrum was born on 23rd May 1923 and entered the Luftwaffe as a volunteer in October 1940. After his military training at the the Military School in Berlin he was trained on the Focke Wulf Fw 44 and the Messerschmitt Bf 109B. He was placed in a training unit at St.Jean d’Angely in France in November 1942 and there flew with the Messerschmitt Me 109F-2 and F-4. In February 1943 he was transferred to the Crimea with the 5./JG 52. After approx. 60 missions he claimed his first victory in June 1943. By April 1944 he had scored 70 victories. He continued increasing his score, being shot down himself several times and being wounded and hospitalized in July 1944. He returned to the front in February 1945 as Oberleutnant and resumed command of 1. / JG 52. When the war ended he had achieved 137 victories in 423 operational sorties. Over 119 of the victories were fighter planes and he scored one gunboat. In total he had been wounded four times and had to carry out 12 emergency landings. On 8th May 1945, his unit was on Brod Airfield in Czechoslowakia, where they surrenderd to the American forces. After three weeks of imprisonment with the Americans, all JG 52 prisoners were handed over to the Soviets. He was awarded the Knight's Cross.

Hans Krohn Krohn served as a gunner / radio operator on Ju87 Stukas with SG2 "Immelmann" and completed 965 combat missions, including approximately 200 sorties over Stalingrad. He was awarded the Knight's Cross.

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